|
 On
March 4, 2004, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced
that it is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule that would allow
imports of certain low-risk live ruminants and ruminant products and byproducts
from minimal risk regions under certain conditions. The rule would establish a
new group of "minimal risk" countries that are unlikely to export BSE to the United
States. The rule would place Canada on a list of countries considered a minimal
risk for BSE, thus making Canada eligible to export certain live ruminant and
ruminant products. In addition, APHIS is inviting comments on whether to allow
importation of beef from cattle 30 months of age and older when specified risk
materials have been removed.
Click
here to review the Proposed Rule Under
this proposal, ruminant and ruminant products eligible for entry into the United
States from a BSE minimal risk region would include: - Bovine
animals less than 30 months of age for immediate slaughter;
- Bovine
animals for feeding to be moved to a designated feedlot and then to slaughter
at less than 30 months of age;
- Sheep
and goats less than 12 months of age for immediate slaughter;
- Sheep
and goats for feeding to be moved to a designated feedlot and then to slaughter
at less than 12 months of age;
-
Cervids for immediate slaughter;
-
Fresh (chilled or frozen) meat from bovines less than 30 months of age;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) whole or half carcasses of bovines less than 30 months of
age;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) bovine liver;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) bovine tongues;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) meat of sheep or goats less than 12 months of age;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) carcasses of sheep or goats less than 12 months of age;
- Hunter-harvested
wild ruminant products;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) meat of cervids either farm-raised or harvested on a game
farm or similar facility;
- Fresh
(chilled or frozen) meat from wild- harvested caribou, musk ox, or other cervids;
and
- Certain
types of gelatin, tallow and offal.
At
last year's annual convention, the National Grange adopted the following policy
regarding mad cow disease:
"The imports of animals, meat, meat products and bone meal into the United
States from any country having Mad Cow Disease be stopped until scientific data
shows otherwise."
PLEASE
TRY TO FILE YOUR COMMENTS NO LATER THAN APRIL 7, 2004
TO OPPOSE THIS PROPOSED RULE! Send
an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to:
Docket
No. 03-080-1
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71,
4700 River Road Unit 118
Riverdale, Md. 20730-1238. If
you use e-mail, address your comments to regulations@aphis.usda.gov.
Comments
must be contained in the body of the message; do not send attached files. Please
include your name and address in the message and use "Docket No. 03-080-1" on
the subject line. | Sample
comment: |
To
Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to oppose the proposed rule to permit the importation of live ruminants
and ruminant products from certain countries with diagnosed cases of Mad Cow Disease,
including Canada.
The "Minimal Risk" countries will still have a risk of introducing BSE to the
United States. I urge the USDA to uphold the current ban until there is sufficient
evidence based on sound science that will prove "Zero Risk". Sincerely,(Signature)(Name)__________________________ (Grange/Grange
name and number) __________________________ |
|
If
you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst
Chil-Sook Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091
or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.
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Grange? For all subscription and circulation inquiries, Contact: Jonathan
Hill. | 
