04-18446. Tuberculosis in Cattle; Import Requirements

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Interim rule; withdrawal.

SUMMARY:

This document withdraws the interim rule amending the animal importation regulations to require that steers and spayed heifers with any evidence of horn growth that are entering the United States meet the same tuberculosis testing requirements as sexually intact animals entering the United States. That interim rule was published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2004, and was scheduled to become effective on August 19, 2004. We have decided to publish a proposed rule in place of the interim rule. The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

DATES:

This withdrawal is effective August 12, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Terry Beals, National Tuberculosis Program Coordinator, Eradication and Surveillance Team, National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4020 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73105; [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The regulations in 9 CFR part 93 prohibit or restrict the importation of certain animals, birds, and poultry into the United States to prevent the introduction of communicable diseases of livestock and poultry. Subpart D of part 93 (§§ 93.400 through 93.435, referred to below as the regulations) governs the importation of ruminants. Section 93.406 of the regulations contains requirements for diagnostic tests for brucellosis and tuberculosis. Section 93.427 contains some additional safeguards against tick-borne diseases, brucellosis, and tuberculosis for cattle imported into the United States from Mexico.

On July 20, 2004 (69 FR 43283-43285, Docket No. 03-081-1), APHIS published in the Federal Register an interim rule amending §§ 93.406 and 93.427 to require that steers and spayed heifers with any evidence of horn growth that are entering the United States meet the same tuberculosis testing requirements as sexually intact animals entering the United States. The interim rule was scheduled to become effective on August 19, 2004.

We have decided to publish a proposed rule in place of the interim rule. Therefore, we are withdrawing the interim rule and will publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register in the near future.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of August 2004.

W. Ron DeHaven,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.