Cold Treatment Regulations

We are adopting as a final rule, with changes, an interim rule that amended the phytosanitary treatment regulations for cold treatment enclosures and procedures, including regulations for precooling temperatures and temperature recording devices. The interim rule as amended by this document requires articles destined for cold treatment to be precooled at or below the highest temperature listed in the prescribed treatment schedule rather than at the intended treatment temperature. The amended interim rule also requires entities performing cold treatment to use measures approved by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as adequate to ensure the security and integrity of cold treatment temperature data rather than requiring password- protected and tamperproof temperature recording devices specifically. These actions relieve certain requirements that we have determined are not necessary while continuing to ensure the effectiveness of cold treatment and prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States.