Brazilian Beef Imports Imperil South Dakota Ag

Sioux Falls, SD – U.S. House candidate Paula Hawks addressed the recent loosening of safety restrictions on Brazilian beef imports into the United States. Between January 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016, over 69 million pounds of food imports were rejected at the U.S. border. Nearly 64 million pounds were rejected for serious health and food safety violations.

“Our producers are already suffering from a near record trade deficit and continue to face obstacles created by Congress and the Administration to remain competitive. We need to reject equivalency tests which weaken consumer safety and endanger U.S. cattle herds from foreign disease. We also need to immediately re-enact Country of Origin Labeling so our producers can fairly market their products, and ensure consumers can make an informed decision at the grocery store,” Hawks said.

Between FY 2013 and FY 2015, U.S. beef and poultry imports jumped 42% while prices continue to decline. The U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest number in 70 years. Recently, the Rural Mainstreet Index, a survey of 10 Midwestern and Western states, reported negative growth again in July at 39.8%, down from 43.9% in June. This is the 11th straight month of negative growth.

“It highlights why we need our one voice in the U.S. House to work every single day for South Dakota agriculture. You don’t check your herd just when you think it might be time to start calving. You check it as often as you can, rain or shine, because you understand something can go wrong at any moment. That’s the type of dedication it takes to be a successful rancher or farmer, and we need the same commitment from our representatives. Unfortunately, our leadership has become complacent and our producers are suffering because of it,” Hawks said.

Paid for Hawks for U.S. House

Hawks for U.S. House
PO Box 2848
Sioux Falls SD 57101 United States

SD Department of Transportation to Reduce Speed Limits and Activate Temporary Traffic Signals

STURGIS, S.D. – Due to the increased traffic volumes during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the anticipated reduced operating speeds, the South Dakota Department of Transportation will reduce the speed limits on the following highways from Thursday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 14.

Interstate 90 speed limit will be reduced from 75 mph to 65 mph from west of the Deadwood Avenue Exit 55 in Rapid City to east Exit 30 (Lazelle Street) Sturgis.
Highway 34 speed limit will be reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph from Blanche Street in Sturgis to 3.8 miles east.
Highway 79 speed limit will be reduced from 65 mph to 45 mph from the junction of Highway 34 to 1.75 miles north.
Motorists are asked to be alert to the changes in speed limits in an around the Sturgis area.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation will activate temporary traffic signals at the following locations:

Junction of US14A and US85
Junction of I-90 Exit 55 eastbound ramps and Deadwood Avenue
Junction of SD34 and Ft. Meade main entrance
Junction of SD34 and SD79 east of Sturgis
Junction of SD34 and 131st Street
Junction SD44 and US385
Junction US16 and US385
Junction US16A and SD244
Junction US85 and US385 (Pluma)

The traffic signals will be in full operation prior to Aug. 1, and remain in operation until Aug. 15, 2016.

Open Fires Prohibited on Black Hills National Forest in Wyoming

Open Fires Prohibited on Black Hills National Forest in Wyoming

 Custer, SD —Acting Forest Supervisor Jim Zornes has signed an order prohibiting use of open fire on all National Forest System lands administered by the Black Hills National Forest within the State of Wyoming. The order is effective immediately and shall be in effect until rescinded or until December 31, 2016 whichever occurs first.

The order prohibits:

1.      Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, barbecue, grill or stove fire is prohibited.  The exception to this allows use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or a fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove with a ¼” spark arrester type screen is permitted.

2. Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

3. Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 2A kept with the operator, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.

4. Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter and in possession of a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of at least 2A. 

5. Using explosives.

EXEMPTIONS:

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50 (e), the following persons are exempt from specified Prohibitions of this order: 

1)      Persons with a permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission may be eligible for an exemption from Prohibitions #1, #3, #4, and #5.

2)      Any federal, state or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty is exempt from Prohibitions #1, #3, #4, and #5

“Drought conditions persist in the area creating very high to extreme fire conditions. This order is necessary for the protection of public safety, public and private property, and the natural resources within the Black Hills National Forest in the state of Wyoming,” said Steve Kozel, Bearlodge District Ranger.

The Black Hills National Forest has a volatile wildfire profile due to the ponderosa pine fuel type and unique weather thus fire prevention is important. Conditions are expected to persist throughout the summer creating high potential for large fire development causing public safety and natural resource concerns.

For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills or call (605) 673-9200.

FDA Approves Vaccine to Prevent Cholera for Travelers

June 10, 2016

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vaxchora, a vaccine for the prevention of cholera caused by serogroup O1 in adults 18 through 64 years of age traveling to cholera-affected areas. Vaxchora is the only FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of cholera.

Cholera, a disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria, is acquired by ingesting contaminated water or food and causes a watery diarrhea that can range from mild to extremely severe. Often the infection is mild; however, severe cholera is characterized by profuse diarrhea and vomiting, leading to dehydration. It is potentially life threatening if treatment with antibiotics and fluid replacement is not initiated promptly. According to the World Health Organization, serogroup O1 is the predominant cause of cholera globally.

“The approval of Vaxchora represents a significant addition to the cholera-prevention measures currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for travelers to cholera-affected regions,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

While cholera is rare in the U.S., travelers to parts of the world with inadequate water and sewage treatment and poor sanitation are at risk for infection. Travelers to cholera-affected areas have relied on preventive strategies recommended by the CDC to protect themselves against cholera, including safe food and water practices and frequent hand washing.

Vaxchora is a live, weakened vaccine that is taken as a single, oral liquid dose of approximately three fluid ounces at least 10 days before travel to a cholera-affected area.

Vaxchora’s efficacy was demonstrated in a randomized, placebo-controlled human challenge study of 197 U.S. volunteers from 18 through 45 years of age. Of the 197 volunteers, 68 Vaxchora recipients and 66 placebo recipients were challenged by oral ingestion of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera. Vaxchora efficacy was 90 percent among those challenged 10 days after vaccination and 80 percent among those challenged three months after vaccination.  The study included provisions for administration of antibiotics and fluid replacement in symptomatic participants. To prevent transmission of cholera into the community, the study included provisions for administration of antibiotics to participants not developing symptoms.

Two placebo-controlled studies to assess the immune system’s response to the vaccine were also conducted in the U.S. and Australia in adults 18 through 64 years of age. In the 18 through 45 year age group, 93 percent of Vaxchora recipients produced antibodies indicative of protection against cholera. In the 46 through 64 years age group, 90 percent produced antibodies indicative of protection against cholera. The effectiveness of Vaxchora has not been established in persons living in cholera-affected areas.

The safety of Vaxchora was evaluated in adults 18 through 64 years of age in four randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trials; 3,235 study participants received Vaxchora and 562 received a placebo. The most common adverse reactions reported by Vaxchora recipients were tiredness, headache, abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, lack of appetite and diarrhea.

The FDA granted the Vaxchora application fast track designation andpriority review status. These are distinct programs intended to facilitate and expedite the development and review of medical products that address a serious or life-threatening condition. In addition, the FDA awarded the manufacturer of Vaxchora a tropical disease priority review voucher, under a provision included in the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. This provision aims to encourage the development of new drugs and biological products for the prevention and treatment of certain tropical diseases.

Vaxchora is manufactured by PaxVax Bermuda Ltd., located in Hamilton, Bermuda.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

NHTSA Action Phases in Recall of Additional 35-40 Million Takata Air Bag Inflators through 2019

 

Photo:NHTSA

WASHINGTON  May 4, 2016 – The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding and accelerating the recall of Takata air bag inflators. The decision follows the agency’s confirmation of the root cause behind the inflators’ propensity to rupture. Ruptures of the Takata inflators have been tied to ten deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States.

Under the Amended Consent Order issued to Takata this week, the company is required to make a series of safety defect decisions that will support vehicle manufacturer recall campaigns of an additional estimated 35-40 million inflators, adding to the already 28.8 million inflators previously recalled. These expansions are planned to take place in phases between May 2016 and December 2019. The expansions mean that all Takata ammonium nitrate-based propellant driver and passenger frontal air bag inflators without a chemical drying agent, also known as a desiccant, will be recalled.

“Today’s action is a significant step in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s aggressive oversight of Takata on behalf of drivers and passengers across America,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflators that may become unsafe.”

The five recall phases are based on prioritization of risk, determined by the age of the inflators and exposure to high humidity and fluctuating high temperatures that accelerate the degradation of the chemical propellant.

“NHTSA’s aggressive actions in 2015 means this recall is already a year ahead of where it would have been if the agency had waited for this research,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “As a result, all of the most dangerous inflators responsible for the deaths and injuries are already under recall.”

NHTSA and its independent expert reviewed the findings of three independent investigations into the Takata air bag ruptures and confirmed the findings on the root cause of inflator ruptures. A combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures contribute to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. Such degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, rupturing the inflator module and sending shrapnel through the air bag and into the vehicle occupants.

“The science clearly shows that these inflators become unsafe over time, faster when exposed to humidity and variations of temperature,” Rosekind added. “This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous, giving vehicle owners sufficient time to have them replaced before they pose a danger to vehicle occupants. NHTSA will continue to evaluate all available research and will act quickly to protect safety.”

NHTSA will also consult with affected vehicle manufacturers before revising the Coordinated Remedy Order that governs the accelerated program to obtain and install replacement inflators. The Coordinated Remedy Program will continue to ensure that replacement inflators will be made available to highest-risk vehicles first. The revised Coordinated Remedy Program, to be announced this summer, will detail the updated vehicle prioritization schedule and the schedule by which manufacturers are required to procure sufficient supply of replacement parts to conduct the required recall repairs.

This is the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history. Under the Coordinated Remedy Program, NHTSA and manufacturers have committed to seek a 100 percent recall completion rate.

“Everyone plays a role in making sure that this recall is completed quickly and safely, including manufacturers, suppliers and vehicle owners themselves,” Rosekind said. “People who receive notification that there is a remedy available for their vehicle should act immediately to have their inflator fixed. All vehicle owners should regularly check SaferCar.gov for information about any open safety recall on their vehicle and what they can do to have it fixed free of charge.”

The recall expansion does not include inflators that include a chemical desiccant that absorbs moisture. There have been no reported ruptures of the desiccated inflators due to propellant degradation. Under the Amended Consent Order, Takata is required to redirect its research toward the safety of the desiccated inflators. Absent proof that the desiccated inflators are safe, Takata will be required to recall them under the November 2015 Consent Order.

In 2015, NHTSA imposed the largest civil penalty in its history for Takata’s violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and for the first time used its authority to accelerate recall repairs to millions of affected vehicles. NHTSA also appointed an Independent Monitor to assess, track and report the company’s compliance with the Consent Order and to oversee the Coordinated Remedy Program.

Consumers can find complete information about the Takata air bag inflator recall here.