[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7515-7516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2897]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 95-008-1]
Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment and a
finding of no significant impact for the shipment and field testing of
an unlicensed veterinary biological product. Risk analyses, which form
the basis for the environmental assessment, have led us to conclude
that shipment and field testing of the unlicensed veterinary biological
product will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human
environment. Based on our finding of no significant impact, we have
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the environment assessment and finding of no
significant impact may be obtained by writing to the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the docket
number of this notice when requesting copies. Copies of the
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact (as well
as the risk analyses with confidential business information removed)
are also available for public inspection at USDA, room 1141, South
Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC,
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Persons wishing to inspect those documents are requested to call ahead
on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the reading room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Gary Nunley, State Director, Animal Damage Control, APHIS, USDA, PO
Box 100410, San Antonio, Texas 78201-1710; Telephone: (210) 731-3451.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A veterinary biological product regulated
under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (21 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) must be shown
to be pure, safe, potent, and efficacious before a veterinary
biological product license may be issued. A field test is generally
necessary to satisfy prelicensing requirements for veterinary
biological products. In order to ship an unlicensed product for the
purpose of conducting a proposed field test, a person must receive
authorization from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS).
Rhone Merieux, Inc., and the State of Texas propose to distribute
850,000 coyote baits laden with an experimental recombinant rabies
vaccine in a 13,000-square-mile area stretching from Maverick County,
at the Mexican border, to Calhoun County, on the gulf coast. This would
allow the State of Texas to continue the efficacy portion of the
ongoing field project initially approved by APHIS in 1993. The specific
objective of this proposal is to evaluate the efficacy of the
experimental vaccine in maintaining a barrier of immunized coyotes to
prevent the proliferation of coyote rabies.
In determining whether to authorize shipment and field testing of
the unlicensed veterinary biological product referenced in this notice,
APHIS conducted risk analyses to assess the product's potential effects
on the safety of animals, public health, and the environment. Based on
the risk analyses, APHIS has prepared an environmental assessment.
APHIS has conducted that shipment and field testing of the unlicensed
veterinary biological product will not significantly affect the quality
of the human environment. Based on this finding of no significant
impact, we have determined that there is no need to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
An environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact
have been prepared for the shipment and field testing of the following
unlicensed veterinary biological product:
[[Page 7516]]
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Requester Product Field test location
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Texas Department of A live, genetically Dimmit, Zavala, Frio,
Health; Rhone Merieux, engineered, vaccinia- Bexar, Atascosa,
Inc.; and the Centers vectored rabies Wilson, Karnes,
for Disease Control vaccine that expresses Goliad, Refugio,
and Prevention. the rabies Aransas, San
glycoprotein; the Patricio, Bee, Live
vaccine is enclosed in Oak, McMullen, La
baits. Salle, Calhoun, and
Maverick Counties,
Texas.
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The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) Regulations of
the Council on Environmental Quality for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) USDA Regulations
Implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS Guidelines
Implementing NEPA (44 FR 50381-50384, August 28, 1979, and 44 FR 51272-
51274, August 31, 1979).
Done in Washington, DC, this 1st day of February 1995.
George O. Winegar,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 95-2897 Filed 2-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-M