[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 31799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15235]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Joint 
Vaccine Acquisition Program (JVAP)

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Army (Army) announces the 
availability for public review and comment of a draft PEA for the JVAP. 
The primary objective of the JVAP is to develop, produce, store, test, 
and field sufficient quantities of U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) licensed vaccines to implement U.S. government policy for 
protecting its armed forces against biological warfare agents. Because 
of the current threat of biological warfare and its continuing 
proliferation, there is an urgent need to protect our fighting men and 
women who go in harms way. The JVAP is implemented by the Department of 
Defense (DOD) through the Joint Program Office for Biological Defense 
(JPO BD) for which the Army is the lead agency. The JVAP PEA 
characterizes and assesses the possible and probable environmental 
consequences associated with the JVAP as proposed and the alternatives 
considered. The PEA concludes that the proposed JVAP activities and the 
alternatives analyzed are not likely to have significant adverse 
effects upon the quality of the environment.
    Alternatives: a. Implement and operate the JVAP through which the 
Army proposes to develop, produce, store, test, and field vaccines for 
biological defense which are otherwise unavailable (Preferred 
Alternative).
    b. No action (cessation of all JVAP activities now and in the 
future).
    c. Conduct current and currently planned JVAP activities in a 
consolidated government facility.
    d. Conduct current and currently planned JVAP activities at a 
consolidated contractor facility.
    Comments: The JVAP Draft PEA is available for public review and 
comment. Mr. Bruce G. Kay is the DA clearinghouse for requests for the 
JVAP draft PEA and documentation from previous environmental analyses 
referenced in the draft PEA. Written comments for consideration in 
preparing the final Programmatic Environmental Assessment should be 
submitted to the address provided below.

DATES: The agency must receive comments on or before July 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments and document copy requests to: Joint Vaccine 
Acquisition Project Management Office, JVAP-PMO (Attn: Mr. Bruce Kay), 
568 Doughten Street, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5040; or phone at 
(301) 619-2016; or fax at (301) 619-7230; e-mail: 
[email protected].

    Dated: June 6, 1997.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health), OASA (I L&E).
[FR Doc. 97-15235 Filed 6-10-97; 8:45 am]
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