92.4—Reestablishment of a region's disease-free status.
This section applies to regions that are designated in this subchapter D as free of a specific animal disease and then experience an outbreak of that disease.
(a) Interim designation.
If a region recognized as free of a specified animal disease in this subchapter D experiences an outbreak of that disease, APHIS will take immediate action to prohibit or restrict imports of animals and animal products from that region. Such action may include publishing an interim rule that imposes prohibitions or restrictions that may be announced initially administratively. The interim rule may be given an effective date earlier than the date of signature or publication to affirm our authority for issuing previous administrative orders. The interim rule may impose prohibitions or restrictions on only a portion of the region previously recognized as free of a disease. In these cases, APHIS will provide information to the public as soon as possible regarding the basis for its decision to prohibit or restrict imports from the smaller area of that region previously recognized as free.
(b) Reassessment of the disease situation.
(1)
Following publication of an interim rule as described in paragraph (a) of this section, APHIS will reassess the disease situation in that region to determine whether it is necessary to continue the interim prohibitions or restrictions. In reassessing a region's disease status, APHIS will take into consideration the standards of the Office International des Epizooties for reinstatement of disease-free status, as well as all relevant information obtained through public comments on both the initial interim rule and the notice of availability of the reassessment or relevant information collected by or submitted to APHIS through other means.
(2)
Prior to taking any action to relieve or finalize prohibitions or restrictions imposed by the interim rule, APHIS will make information regarding its reassessment of the region's disease status available to the public for comment. APHIS will announce the availability of this information by publishing a notice in the Federal Register.
(c) Determination.
Based on the reassessment conducted in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, including comments regarding the reassessment information, APHIS will take one of the following actions:
(1)
Publish a final rule that reinstates the disease-free status of the region, or a portion of the region, covered by the interim rule;
(2)
Publish an affirmation of the interim rule that imposed prohibitions or restrictions on the imports of animals and animal products from that region; or