Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service News

CBP Intercepts Five Destructive Asian Gypsy Moth Egg Masses on Three Vessels.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Asian Gypsy Moths are one of the most destructive insect pests in the world. They are not known to occur in the United States, yet they are knocking on our doorsteps. Three recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interceptions in Baltimore prove how hard CBP agriculture specialists are working to protect against Asian Gypsy Moths establishing here.On July 19…

The US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced proposed changes to the fees it charges to recoup the costs of agricultural quarantine inspections (AQI) at U.S. ports of entry. AQI activities include inspections conducted by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection of conveyances, cargo and passenger baggage entering the country as well as APHIS' analytical and scientific work to track pests  overseas, focus inspections at ports of entry, and develop the import regulations that protect U.S. animal and plant health from foreign pests. Revenue from fees charged has been insufficient to cover all costs.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued an Industry Alert regarding export requirements for wood packaging materials. The Industry Alert states that the Peoples Republic of China, Korea, and the European Union have notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of their intent to adopt measures in line with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM15). APHIS has entered into a memorandum of understanding with both the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) and the National Wood Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) to oversee the official programs of heat treatment or fumigation and the marking of the materials. (HK Law).

The President has proposed creating a new Department of Homeland Security, the most significant transformation of the U.S. government in over a half-century by largely transforming and realigning the current confusing patchwork of government activities into a single department whose primary mission is to protect our homeland. The creation of a Department of Homeland Security is one more key step in the President's national strategy for homeland security. Immediately after last fall's attack, the President took decisive steps to protect America -- from hardening cockpits and stockpiling vaccines to tightening our borders. The President…

by Dennis L. When the federal government began examining United States vulnerabilities in the days following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it quickly became apparent that significant weakness existed on the U.S. maritime borders. Many, but not all, of these weaknesses were systemic and derived from both the U.S. open society and the procedures underlying modern maritime commerce. The goal quickly became to reduce the risk of maritime terrorism while not fundamentally altering the efficiencies of the commercial system. It was quickly realized that the threat to the maritime sector consisted of two distinct types: explosives and other contraband being shipped as cargo (particularly in a container) and the ship being used as a weapon…

The Senate Committee on Government Affairs released its version of the Homeland Security legislation. It is entitled the National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act of 2002 (S. 2452). Under this bill, the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security within the new Department of Homeland Security would consist of the Customs Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The measure provides that the Customs Service and the Coast Guard are to remain distinct entities. Source: HK Law

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that it is working with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to develop regulations on ballast water discharge standards. Source: HK Law

The Coast Guard will work with the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the continued development of new federal regulations on ballast water discharge standards. APHIS joins a federal partnership that also includes the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all of which are contributing technical expertise to the Coast Guard-led federal rulemaking. The rulemaking is intended to spur vessels to use a variety of ballast water treatment technologies to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nonindigenous species, such as viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a news release stating that a Louisiana company specializing in the export of agricultural products and its principal officers plead guilty in federal court to counterfeiting and using phytosanitary certificates. $250,000 each. The company was assessed a criminal fine of $500,000. had been inspected according to appropriate procedures and were free of quarantine pests or diseases of concern to the importing country. addition to the fine, the company and the two individuals were required to pay $120,000 for the cost of the investigation, $58,000 in restitution, and $69,500 in fees.

On December 30, 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard published a Notice of meetings and a request for comments relating to maritime security (67 Fed. Reg. 79742). Following are some thoughts on this important issue. I must commence by stating that I have the highest respect for the Coast Guard. The maritime and port security missions are vital to the U.S. and the world. There is no agency better qualified to lead this important program. Congress has assigned heavy responsibilities to the Coast Guard and, at the same time, required that the initial work be done in an impossibly short time. The Coast Guard is accustomed to working in real time and will accomplish the mission in the shortest possible period. While the U.S.

Since the seminal events of September 11, 2001, it seems like every U.S. federal agency concerned with maritime commerce has enhanced its requirements relating to advance notices of arrival for ships, cargoes, and persons coming to the United States. One federal agency mariners had largely ignored also dipped its toes in these waters, only to withdraw, at least for the moment. This article will provide an overview of current federal requirements relating to advance notices of arrival. Like so much in the field of maritime security, these requirements change quickly and this article might be outdated by the time you read it - but here goes. Traditionally, the U.S. Coast Guard required ships coming to U.S.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Press Release stating that, effective September 16, 2005, it will enforce the new requirements for wood packaging material imported into the United States (as published on September 15, 2004). The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued an Implementation Plan which provides for informed compliance (basically written warnings) between September 16, 2005 and January 31, 2006. Phase II of the CBP plan calls for enforcement of the requirements via re-exportation and would be in effect from February 1 through July 4, 2006. Full enforcement (Phase III) would commence on July 5, 2006. Query: Are these agencies on the same page? Will enforcement vary depending on which inspector shows up? (HK Law).