2011-32240. Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002; Biennial Review and Republication of the Select Agent and Toxin List; Amendments to the Select Agent and Toxin Regulations

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY:

We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend and republish the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products, reorganize the list of select agents and toxins based on the relative potential of each select agent or toxin to be misused to adversely affect human, plant, or animal health, and amend the regulations in order to add definitions and clarify language concerning security, training, biosafety, biocontainment, and incident response. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES:

The comment period for the proposed rule published October 3, 2011 (76 FR 61228), is reopened. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before January 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/​#!documentDetail;​D=​APHIS-2009-0070-0035.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0070, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.

Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​APHIS-2009-0070 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call [phone] before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Charles L. Divan, Branch Chief, APHIS Agriculture Select Agent Program, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 2, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On October 3, 2011, we published in the Federal Register (76 FR 61228-61244, Docket No. APHIS-2009-0070) a proposal to amend and republish the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products, reorganize the list of select agents and toxins based on the relative potential of each select agent or toxin to be misused to adversely affect human, plant, or animal health, and amend the regulations in order to add definitions and clarify language concerning security, training, biosafety, biocontainment, and incident response.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or before December 2, 2011. We are reopening the comment period on Docket No. APHIS-2009-0070 for an additional 30 days. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We will also consider all comments we receive between December 3, 2011, and the date of this document.

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of December 2011.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.