Standards for Permanent, Privately Owned Horse Quarantine Facilities

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 the regulations pertaining to the importation of horses to establish standards for the approval of permanent, privately owned quarantine facilities for horses. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before October 15, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket No. 99-012-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 99-012-1. If you use e-mail, address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in your message and “Docket No. 99-012-1” in the subject line.

You may read any comments that we receive on Docket No. 99-012-1 in our reading room. The reading room 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 (202) 690-2817 before coming.

APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related information, including the names of organizations and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Andrea Morgan, Staff Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8364.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 1, 2002, we published in the Federal Register (67 FR 44097-44111, Docket No. 99-012-1) a proposal to amend the regulations pertaining to the importation of horses to establish standards for the approval of permanent, privately owned quarantine facilities for horses.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or before August 30, 2002. We are reopening the comment period on Docket No. 99-012-1 until October 15, 2002. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We will also consider all comments received between August 30, 2002, and the date of this notice.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301-8316; 21 U.S.C 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.