BSE Confirmed in Alberta Canada
From TSCRA e-xpress and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
OTTAWA, February 7, 2007 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature bull from Alberta. The animal's carcass is under CFIA control, and no part of it entered the human food or animal feed systems.
Preliminary information indicates that the age of the animal falls well within the age range of previous cases detected in Canada, under the national BSE surveillance program. This signifies that the animal was exposed to a very small amount of infective material, most likely during its first year of life.
An epidemiological investigation, directed by international guidelines, is underway to examine what the animal was fed early in its life and to identify its herd mates at the time. All findings will be publicly released, once the investigation concludes.
Under Canada's enhanced feed ban, which comes into effect on July 12, 2007, BSE should be eliminated from the national cattle herd within approximately 10 years. The CFIA expects the periodic detection of a limited number of cases to continue as the level of BSE continues to decline.
The finding of a mature animal should not impact Canada's BSE country categorization submission to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The science-based BSE risk-level determination process requires that a country is able to demonstrate a full understanding of the pathways that resulted in BSE exposure and expression, as well as the implementation of appropriate comprehensive measures to block those pathways and protect human and animal health, leading to the eradication of the disease over time.
The animal was identified at the farm level by the national surveillance program, which has detected all cases found in Canada. The program targets the highest risk cattle populations and has tested roughly 150,000 animals since 2003. The surveillance results reflect an extremely low incidence of BSE in Canada.
Famous Waggoner Ranch Future Uncertain, Still on Market
The future of the W.T. Waggoner Estate, a ranch of over 800 square miles, is still in limbo and on the real estate market with the recent ruling from a district court as of February 9, 2007. An Abilene real estate developer, Kenneth Musgrave, offered to buy the estate for $238 million and was declined by a court appointed receiver for the Waggoner Estate. Read more about this story on the Wichita Falls Times Record Web site.
TSCRA News and Updates
Public Hearing Announced on Proposed Tran-Texas Corridor
The Texas state Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the Texas state policy for tolls roads, private partnerships and the Trans-Texas Corridor. The hearing will be held on March 1, 2007, in the Extension Auditorium (Room E1.004) at the Capitol in Austin, TX.
Strategic Water Management Legislation Filed in Texas State Senate
In an effort to allow state water planners greater flexibility with Texas' water resources, State Rep. Bill Callegari (Katy) filed House Bill 911 to facilitate the transfer of water from one river basin to another. As introduced, H.B. 911 would eliminate the legal hurdles to the transfer of water from water-rich areas of Texas to places suffering from drought.
"I believe that the waters of this state should be readily available to the domestic and agricultural communities that need them," said Rep. Callegari. "The way our law is written now works against this. My bill attempts to change the law to allow for the more strategic and wiser use of our water resources."
With limited exceptions, current law limits the transfer of water between river basins. For example, although the Harris County water planning area includes three separate river basins, state law prevents the transfer of water between those rivers. Read more on the TSCRA Web site.
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