APHIS Shortens Timeline for Enforcement Cases
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is almost done working through an enforcement backlog and has reduced the investigation timeline by nearly half over the past three years, according to a message to stakeholders from APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea. In 2011, APHIS had about 2,100 open regulatory violation cases, but that number has dropped by 80 percent to about 410. Having worked through the backlog, APHIS’ Investigation and Enforcement Services division is now able to process new cases immediately, reducing the time it takes to investigate and take action on an alleged violation from 632 to 328 days, said Shea.
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Some of the success in getting rid of the backlog is due to focusing on cases that present a real risk to animal and plant health, said Shea. APHIS is now taking alternative approaches to low-risk compliance issues, freeing it up to pursue the most serious cases quickly, he said. APHIS is also referring more of the most serious cases up to the Department of Agriculture’s general counsel, and is helping the USDA office confront the increased workload by helping with litigation.
According to Shea, APHIS issued almost 1,800 official warnings in 2013 for violations of APHIS regulations, including requirements for importing and exporting, quarantine and animal welfare and veterinary care. The agency collected $1.8 million in stipulated penalties, and got administrative orders that assessed about another $1 million, he said.