PurgingStoresand24HourRule.pdf

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Procedures for Purging Stores, 24 Hour Rule and APHIS Regulated Garbage

Garbage is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on vessels arriving from foreign countries or Hawaii, U.S. territories or possessions to prevent the introduction of harmful animal and plant diseases and pests under Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 330.400-330 .401 and Title 9 CFR

94.5. Vessels may remove or “purge” their stores and garbage and disinfect, if required, to attain “domestic status.” By purging their stores and garbage, vessel owners are provided an opportunity to reduce their costs associated with garbage removal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) personnel are responsible for overseeing maritime vessel purges. Please contact local CBP for information on purging U.S.

military vessels. If U.S. Military or government vessels, see 24 Hour Rule below.

If there are sufficient CBP or PPQ resources available, a maritime vessel can be purged when it is in a continental U.S. port. Vessel owners wishing to have their vessel arriving from foreign countries purged must contact the local CBP office.

Vessels may also be purged while in a port in Hawaii or a U.S. territory or possession if PPQ, CBP or APHIS designated inspectors are available. However, the purge is only valid while in Hawaii or the U.S. territory or possession where the purge occurred.

Owners of vessels traveling solely between Hawaii or Puerto Rico and the continental United States should contact the local PPQ State Plant Director's office.

Purging allows the garbage generated later onboard to be disposed of without being incinerated or sterilized if either of the following conditions is met:

1. Vessel has not been in any port outside the continental United States and Canada within the previous 2 years1, or

2. Vessel has disposed of all of the following items:

a. Meat and meat products regardless of origin, except shelf -stable canned meat/poultry2

b. Fresh and condensed milk and cream from countries in which foot-and-mouth disease exists

c. Fresh eggs

d. Fresh fruits and vegetables

e. All garbage aboard the vessel3

1 If the vessel has only traveled between Hawaii, U.S. territories or possessions, and the continental United States or Canada and has not visited a foreign country within the previous 2 years without purging, then the 2-year period is reduced to 1 year.

2 All ruminant material from BSE affected countries (regardless of processing) and canned perishable poultry material from END and/or HPAI countries is prohibited and must be disposed of.

3 0nly fresh fruits and vegetables and all garbage need to be disposed of in the routings between Canada and the continental U.S. and/or between Hawaii, U.S. possessions and/or U.S. territories. No cleaning and disinfection of the stores area is required.

http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/ct_sphd

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Crew quarters and any other possible locations are also inspected for items that need to be purged.

Procedures for purging:

1. CBP or PPQ personnel will monitor the purging of the vessel’s regulated stores and garbage and subsequent cleaning and disinfection.

a. All garbage is removed from the vessel. The purging of both regulated animal products and produce is required. If the vessel calls only at a U.S. Territory or Hawaiian port and has not visited a foreign port within the previous two years, then only the regulated produce (i.e. fresh fruits and vegetables) needs to be removed and the animal products are allowed to remain onboard.

b. The purged material is incinerated, sterilized, or transferred to another vessel.

c. If transfer of meat and poultry stores to another vessel is the option selected for purging; the transfer is done under the direct supervision of a CBP Agriculture Specialist4

d. Following disposal, all storerooms and locations which held the previously purged materials must be cleaned and disinfected under direct supervision by a CBP Agriculture Specialist or PPQ personnel. No cleaning and disinfection of the stores area is required if the routings were solely between Canada and the continental U.S. and/or between Hawaii, U.S. possessions and/or U.S. territories.

2. The Captain will be given a CBP Form Al-288 Ship Inspection Report or a PPQ Form 288 Ship Inspection report with "Purged-now domestic" written in the Remarks Block.

The copy of the form is evidence of domestic status until the vessel sails again outside of the continental U.S. or Canada.

Note: The disinfectants and sanitizers are provided by the vessel. Sanitizer used must be a product approved by EPA for use in food preparation or food storage area. APHIS authorized disinfectants must be used on garbage containers and non-food preparation areas.

24 Hour Rule Specific to Government (Military) Vessels Only

The U.S. government usually makes initial arrangements for RG removal from U.S. government vessels. Only CBP personnel should board military vessels. Inspect, monitor and ensure that RG from U.S. Naval vessels, Coast Guard vessels (1), and Military Sealift Command (MSC) vessels are being handled according to APHIS and DoD requirements.

4 Meat, poultry and other edible animal products and by-products in a vessel's stores may be transferred over water from one vessel to another when permission in writing listing the items to be transferred is requested of CBP. The vessel's agent will also request approval from PPQ QPAS VRS to transfer these commodities. The QPAS VRS phone number is (301) 851-2312. The transfer will be made under the direct observation of CBP. Stores must be transferred from one vessel onto a barge or other floating carrier, over water to the receiving vessel.

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Applying the 24 Hour Rule: U.S. government vessels typically are equipped with U.S. origin stores. Verify that there are no foreign stores in the galley, coolers and freezers. Once you verify that the government vessel only has US origin stores, order the vessel commander/agent to apply the 24 hour rule, which requires all garbage aboard the vessel is handled through processing (approved sterilization/incineration/grinding aboard vessel) at the first U.S. port within the first 24 hours. Monitor the offload to ensure the activity is successfully achieved. After the garbage has been processed as required, all additional garbage produced on board is not regulated – and no further action is required at subsequent ports. Document the CBP Form AI-288 Ship Inspection Report, that the vessel has achieved domestic status through the 24 hour rule. Advise the Captain to retain the form until the vessel departs the mainland as proof of Domestic status.

Determine if Foreign Stores on Board Vessel: If prohibited foreign stores are present as part of the regulated foreign stores, do not apply the 24-hour rule. Once the foreign stores are used up, or verified through monitoring that the regulated foreign stores has been offloaded, or otherwise disposed of, then you may apply the 24-hour rule can be applied. Until the regulated stores are used up or disposed of, treat consider the garbage as regulated while on board the vessel or while being off-loaded as you would for any other foreign vessel. Also, if regulated foreign stores or domestic regulated plant stores are present and not purged or transferred to an outbound vessel, notify document this on the CBP Form AI-288 Ship Inspection Report to notify subsequent ports of the restricted stores aboard. Advise the Captain to retain the form until the vessel departs or has obtained an updated Ship Inspection Report from CBP.

Purging Garbage to Apply the 24 Hour Rule: Intact cartons of U.S. origin meats and poultry and their products do not need to be purged from military vessels. However, if foreign stores were present and monitoring verified that these stores to have been depleted, processed through to disposal or either purged (or transferred) to another vessel. If purging or transferring, monitor to ensure the handling requirements are met, and document this purging or transfer on the CBP Form AI-288 Ship Inspection Report. For stores that must be removed, refer to Direct Observation of RG from Aircraft on page 3-4. Write “Purged (or Transferred), now Domestic.”

Advise the Captain to retain the form until the vessel departs the mainland as proof of Domestic status.

Leverage DoD’s Requirements: When providing the government vessel commander/agent the CBP Form AI-288 Ship Inspection Report, record an applicable statement below in the remarks section to leverage their government agency publication/requirement, to emphasize parallel requirements from both government vessel operators and existing APHIS requirements. Denote the following information for safeguarding and handling reminders of regulated stores on their vessel:

• US Navy: Requirement per NAVSUP Publication 486 (Revision January 2010)

• US Coast Guard: Requirement per USCG Commandant Instruction COMDTINST

M4061.5A (March 2009)

• Additional Statement: Requirement per DoD Defense Transportation Regulation- Part V, Chapter 505. (April 2015)