USDA Establishes a Herd Certification Program CWD

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Workabeba (Abby) Yigzaw [phone]

Lyndsay Cole [phone]

USDA Establishes a Herd Certification Program for Chronic Wasting Disease in the United States

Rule Seeks to Support U.S. Farmed Cervid Industry, Respond to Concerns Raised by State Animal Health and Wildlife Agencies

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2012--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced an interim final rule to establish a national chronic wasting disease (CWD) herd certification program (HCP) and minimum requirements for interstate movement of deer, elk and moose, or cervids, in the United States. Participation in the program will be voluntary. The interim final rule amends the Agency’s 2006 final rule which was never put into effect. CWD is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk and moose and is in the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. There is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans.

“It is important that we have a nationwide CWD herd certification program for farmed or captive cervids,” said USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford. “The amendments we are making to our CWD rule will help to control the spread of this disease, support the growing U.S. cervid industry, and complement existing state CWD programs.”

Since 1997, CWD has been reported in farmed or captive cervids in 11 states. With the interim final rule, APHIS is addressing the needs of the farmed cervid industry, while responding to concerns raised by State animal health and wildlife partners after APHIS published its final CWD rule in 2006. The rule establishes a national program that provides uniform herd certification standards and will support the domestic and international marketability of U.S. cervid herds. The changes made to the CWD rule also will not preempt state or local laws and regulations that are more restrictive than APHIS’ regulations, with the exception that cervids that are eligible to move interstate may transit a state that bans or restricts the entry of such animals en route to another state.

The CWD HCP is a cooperative effort between APHIS, State animal health and wildlife agencies, and the cervid industry. The program will provide consistent national minimum standards to certify cervid herds to be low risk for CWD and to establish minimum standards for the interstate movement of cervids.

APHIS will approve State programs that, among other requirements, establish movement restrictions on CWD-positive, CWD-suspect, and CWD-exposed animals; conduct tracebacks on such animals to determine what other animals may be affected by the disease; require the testing of all farmed cervids that die or are euthanized; and maintain premises and animal identification for all herds participating in approved State programs.

NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Legislative and Public Affairs 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737‐1232 • Voice (301) 851‐4100 • Web: www.aphis.usda.gov

APHIS is issuing the interim final rule and requesting public comment for 30 days specifically on the issue of preemption and the protection of state and local authorities. The interim final rule will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. After reviewing the public comments, the Agency will issue a final rule and, should there be a need, incorporate any changes made in response to comments received by the Agency.

Participating States will have 180 days from the time the rule is published before APHIS begins enforcing the interstate movement provisions in the regulation. This will give states time to develop HCPs and have them approved by APHIS.

This interim final rule is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2012/06/pdf/cwd_rule.pdf. Consideration will be given to comments received on or before July 13. Interested parties may submit comments by either of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to


www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2006-0118-0199



Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: please send your comment to Docket No. 00-108-8, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A- 03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.

Comments are posted on the Reglations.gov website and may also be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call [phone].

Currently, U.S. agriculture is experiencing one of its best periods in history thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our farmers and ranchers. The work of APHIS helps safeguard our nation’s agriculture, fishing and forestry industries from unwanted pests, disease and unjustified trade restrictions. For example, to promote the health of U.S. agricultural exports, APHIS develops and advances science-based standards with trading partners to ensure our farm exports, valued at more than $137 billion annually, are protected from unjustified barriers. Strong agricultural exports are a positive contribution to the U.S. trade balance, support more than 1 million American jobs and boost economic growth.

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www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2012/06/pdf/cwd_program.pdf





Saturday, June 09, 2012


USDA Establishes a Herd Certification Program for Chronic Wasting Disease in the United States


chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/06/usda-establishes-herd-certification.html

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Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program and Interstate Movement of Farmed or Captive Deer, Elk, and Moose

A Rule by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on 07/20/2012

This article has a comment period that ends in 20 days (08/13/2012)

Action

Interim Final Rule; Reopening Of Comment Period.

Summary

We are reopening the comment period for our interim final rule that will establish a herd certification program to control chronic wasting disease (CWD) in farmed or captive cervids in the United States. The interim final rule requested comment on our decision that our regulations will set minimum requirements for the interstate movement of farmed or captive cervids but not preempt State or local laws or regulations that are more restrictive than our regulations, except any such laws or regulations that prohibit or further restrict the transit through a State of deer, elk, and moose that are otherwise eligible for interstate movement. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments on our preemption policy with respect to CWD. This document also indicates that we will consider comments on issues other than our preemption policy for future rulemaking.Show citation box

Table of Contents DATES: ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

DATES: Back to Top

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 13, 2012.Show citation box

ADDRESSES: Back to Top

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:Show citation box Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2006-0118-0199.Show citation box Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. 00-108-8, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.Show citation box Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2006-0118 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.Show citation box

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Back to Top

Dr. Patrice Klein, Senior Staff Veterinarian, National Center for Animal Health Programs, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; [phone].Show citation box

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Back to Top

On June 13, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 35542-35571, Docket No. 00-108-8) an interim final rule that will establish a herd certification program to control chronic wasting disease (CWD) in farmed or captive cervids in the United States. The interim final rule will be effective on August 13, 2012.Show citation box

In the interim final rule, we requested comments specifically on our decision not to preempt State and local laws and regulations that are more restrictive than our regulations with respect to CWD, except any such laws or regulations that prohibit or further restrict the transit through a State of deer, elk, and moose that are otherwise eligible for interstate movement. That decision was discussed in section III of the Background section of the interim final rule, under the heading “APHIS' Decision Not to Preempt More Restrictive State Requirements on Farmed or Captive Cervids With Respect to CWD,” beginning on 77 FR 35545.Show citation box

Comments on our decisions regarding preemption of State and local laws and regulations were required to be received on or before July 13, 2012. We are reopening the comment period on Docket No. 00-108-8 until August 13, 2012. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We will also consider all comments received between July 14, 2012, and the date of this notice.Show citation box

The interim final rule indicated that we will publish another document in the Federal Register after the comment period closes that will include a discussion of any comments we receive on our preemption policy and any amendments we are making to the rule. We still plan to do this. However, we have received comments on aspects of the interim final rule other than our preemption policy. While we will not address these comments in our document discussing our preemption policy, we will consider these comments to determine whether future rulemaking may be necessary, and we encourage commenters to address any aspect of the interim final rule that they wish to.Show citation box

Authority: Back to Top

7 U.S.C. 8301-8317; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.Show citation box

Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of July 2012.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2012-17726 Filed 7-19-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/07/20/2012-17726/chronic-wasting-disease-herd-certification-program-and-interstate-movement-of-farmed-or-captive-deer#p-3



Comment from Terry Singeltary

www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0032-0002

Document ID: APHIS-2011-0032-0002 Document Type: Public Submission This is comment on Notice: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Docket ID: APHIS-2011-0032 RIN:

Topics: No Topics associated with this document

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Document Subtype: Public Comment Status: Posted Received Date: January 24 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time Date Posted: January 25 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time Comment Start Date: January 24 2012, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time Comment Due Date: March 26 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time Tracking Number: 80fa2c68 First Name: Terry Middle Name: S. Last Name: Singeltary City: Bacliff Country: United States State or Province: TX Organization Name: LAYPERSON Submitter's Representative: CJD TSE PRION VICTIMS

Comment:

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program (Document ID APHIS-2011-0032-0001) I believe that any voluntary program for CWD free herd certification from game farms will be futile, as was the partial and voluntary mad cow feed ban of August 4, 1997. That failed terribly, with some 10,000,000 of banned blood laced MBM being fed out in 2007, a decade post August 4, 1997 partial and voluntary ban. Game farms are a petri dish for CWD TSE Prion disease, with Wisconsin having documented 9 CWD infected game farms, with one having the highest CWD infection rate in the world, 80% CWD infection rate. I believe that all game farms should be SHUT DOWN PERMANENTLY. CWD TSE prion disease survives ashing to 600 degrees celsius, that’s around 1112 degrees farenheit. you cannot cook the CWD TSE prion disease out of meat. you can take the ash and mix it with saline and inject that ash into a mouse, and the mouse will go down with TSE. Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel Production as well. the TSE prion agent also survives Simulated Wastewater Treatment Processes. IN fact, you should also know that the CWD TSE Prion agent will survive in the environment for years, if not decades. you can bury it and it will not go away. CWD TSE agent is capable of infected your water table i.e. Detection of protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a CWD-endemic area. it’s not your ordinary pathogen you can just cook it out and be done with. that’s what’s so worrisome about Iatrogenic mode of transmission, a simple autoclave will not kill this TSE prion agent.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD WISCONSIN Almond Deer (Buckhorn Flats) Farm Update DECEMBER 2011

dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/december/12-11-2b2.pdf

chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/



www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0032-0002



Saturday, June 09, 2012

USDA Establishes a Herd Certification Program for Chronic Wasting Disease in the United States

chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/06/usda-establishes-herd-certification.html