[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 230 (Thursday, November 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59555-59556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29724]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 230 / Thursday, November 29, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 59555]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-103-1]


Veterinary Services; Availability of an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are informing the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for a 
proposed study to determine the disappearance rate of bison fetuses in 
the environment. The environmental assessment documents our review and 
analysis of environmental impacts associated with the proposed study. 
We are making this environmental assessment available to the public for 
review and comment.

DATES: We invite you to comment on the environmental assessment. We 
will consider all comments we receive that are postmarked, delivered, 
or e-mailed by December 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 01-103-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 01-103-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 
01-103-1'' on the subject line.
    You may read the environmental assessment and any comments that we 
receive on the environmental assessment in our reading room. The 
reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th 
Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room 
hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817 
before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis,usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Valerie Ragan, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, National Animal Health Programs Staff, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 36, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-6954.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The mission of Veterinary Services (VS) of the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is to protect and improve the health, 
quality, and marketability of domestic animals by preventing, 
controlling, and/or eliminating animal diseases and monitoring and 
promoting animal health and productivity.
    Brucellosis is a contagious disease that affects animals and 
humans, caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Brucella abortus 
principally affects bison and cattle. In bison and cattle, brucellosis 
localizes in the reproductive organs and/or the udder, causing abortion 
in dams as well as systemic effects in males and females. Female cattle 
infected with brucellosis also suffer infertility and lowered milk 
production.
    Brucellosis is spread when bacteria are shed in milk, aborted 
fetuses, afterbirth, or other reproductive tract discharges and are 
ingested by a susceptible animal. Cattle and bison have a tendency to 
sniff and lick an aborted fetus, which provides an avenue for the 
disease to spread if Brucella is present.
    Brucellosis has caused devastating losses to farmers in the United 
States over the last century. It is estimated that the disease has cost 
the Federal Government, the States, and the livestock industry billions 
of dollars in direct losses and efforts to eliminate the disease. APHIS 
has estimated that if efforts to eradicate the disease were stopped, 
the costs of producing beef and milk would increase by an estimated $80 
million annually in less than 10 years.
    Brucellosis infection occurs in bison in Yellowstone National Park. 
Bison roam wild in Yellowstone National Park, and during winter and 
spring, some migrate outside of the park onto State and private lands. 
The prevention of the spread of brucellosis from bison to cattle in and 
around the park is an issue of concern.
    VS, in cooperation with other Federal and State agencies, proposes 
to conduct an 11-week study in the West Yellowstone and Gardiner areas 
in Montana starting in March 2002 to determine how long a bison fetus 
remains in the environment as a potential source of Brucella organisms 
before it deteriorates or is consumed by scavengers. The research on 
the rate of fetal disappearance is supported in the Record of Decision 
for the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Bison Management Plan 
for the State of Montana and Yellowstone National Park, dated December 
20, 2000. Also, the study will comply with step 1 of the Joint Bison 
Management Plan within the Record of Decision.
    To provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and 
analysis of the environmental impacts associated with this study, we 
have prepared an environmental assessment titled, ``Proposed Study for 
Bison Fetal Disappearance Rate,'' dated November 2001. The 
environmental assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that the 
potential impacts to the environment of the proposed study are expected 
to be insignificant.
    The environmental assessment may be viewed on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/es/vsdocs.html. You may request paper 
copies of the environmental assessment from the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the 
environmental assessment when requesting copies. The environmental 
assessment is also available for review in our reading room

[[Page 59556]]

(the location and hours of the reading room are listed under the 
heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice).
    The environmental assessment has been prepared in accordance with: 
(1) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended 
(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 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 
372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day of November 2001.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-29724 Filed 11-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P