Press Release

Suzan Holl	(301) 734-6464
Jerry Redding	(2301) 720-6959

USDA CORRECTION TO INTERIM RULE REGARDING CALIFORNIA'S BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS STATUS

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2005–The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is correcting one error in an interim rule published in the Federal Register on July 22, that amended the bovine tuberculosis regulations regarding state and zone classifications for New Mexico (70 FR 42259-42261, Docket No. 04-068-1).

Section 77.9, paragraph (a) lists the states that meet the criteria for modified accredited advanced states. APHIS inadvertently included California on the list of modified accredited advanced states. However, in an interim rule published in the Federal Register on April 15 (70 FR 19877-19878, Docket No. 05-010-1), California was designated as an accredited-free state--the highest level of accreditation a state can receive. This document corrects that error by removing California from the list in § 77.9 (a).

Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious and infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis. It affects cattle, bison, deer, elk, goats and other warm-blooded species, including humans. Tuberculosis in infected animals and humans manifests itself in lesions on the lungs, lymph nodes, bones and other body parts, causes weight loss and general debilitation, and can be fatal.

This correction is effective upon publication in the Aug. 12 Federal Register.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Sept. 20. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 04-068-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to EDOCKET at http://www.epa.gov/feddocket, click on “View Open APHIS Dockets,” and locate agency Docket No. 04-068-2.

Comments are posted on the EDOCKET Website and may also be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, 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 call (202) 690-2817.

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