[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 179 (Friday, September 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54453-54454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15326]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 179 / Friday, September 15, 2006 / 
Notices  

[[Page 54453]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0146]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment for Field Testing 
Marek's Disease Vaccine, Serotype 1, Live Herpesvirus Chimera

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 concerning 
authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to 
field test, an unlicensed Marek's Disease Vaccine, Serotype 1, Live 
Herpesvirus Chimera. The environmental assessment, which is based on a 
risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the field 
testing of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that field 
testing this veterinary vaccine could have on the quality of the human 
environment. Based on the risk analysis, we have reached a preliminary 
determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have 
a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that 
an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. We intend to 
authorize shipment of this vaccine for field testing following the 
close of the comment period for this notice unless new substantial 
issues bearing on the effects of this action are brought to our 
attention. We also intend to issue a U.S. Veterinary Biological Product 
license for this vaccine, provided the field test data support the 
conclusions of the environmental assessment and the issuance of a 
finding of no significant impact and the product meets all other 
requirements for licensing.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 16, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click ``Submit.'' In the 
Docket ID column, select APHIS-2006-0146 to submit or view public 
comments and to view supporting and related materials available 
electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including 
instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing 
the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through 
the site's ``User Tips'' link.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-
2006-0146, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-
03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0146.
    Reading Room: You may read environmental assessment, the risk 
analysis (with confidential business information removed), and any 
comments that we receive on this docket 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.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Albert P. Morgan, Section Leader, 
Operational Support Section, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Policy, 
Evaluation, and Licensing, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 148, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; phone (301) 734-8245, fax (301) 734-4314.
    For information regarding the environmental assessment or the risk 
analysis, or to request a copy of the environmental assessment (as well 
as the risk analysis with confidential business information removed), 
contact Dr. Patricia L. Foley, Risk Manager, Center for Veterinary 
Biologics, Policy, Evaluation, and Licensing VS, APHIS, 510 South 17th 
Street, Suite 104, Ames, IA 50010; phone (515) 232-5785, fax (515) 232-
7120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (21 U.S.C. 
151 et seq.), a veterinary biological product 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. Prior to 
conducting a field test on an unlicensed product, an applicant must 
obtain approval from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS), as well as obtain APHIS' authorization to ship the product for 
field testing.
    To determine whether to authorize shipment and grant approval for 
the field testing of the unlicensed product referenced in this notice, 
APHIS conducted a risk analysis to assess the potential effects of this 
product on the safety of animals, public health, and the environment. 
Based on the risk analysis, APHIS has prepared an environmental 
assessment (EA) concerning the field testing of the following 
unlicensed veterinary biological product:
    Requester: Schering-Plough Corporation.
    Product: Marek's Disease Vaccine, Serotype 1, Live Herpesvirus 
Chimera.
    Field Test Locations: Alabama, Georgia, Missouri.
    The above-mentioned product is a live recombinant chimera, i.e., a 
hybrid of two parental organisms, consisting of certain sequences of 
the avirulent herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) and certain sequences of a 
strain of Marek's disease virus. The vaccine is for use in 18-day-old 
embryos or day-of-age chicks as an aid in the prevention of losses due 
to Marek's disease caused by very virulent Marek's disease virus.
    The EA 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 provision of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
(3) USDA regulations implementing NEPA

[[Page 54454]]

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR 
part 372).
    Unless substantial issues with adverse environmental impacts are 
raised in response to this notice, APHIS intends to issue a finding of 
no significant impact (FONSI) based on the EA and authorize shipment of 
the above product for the initiation of field tests following the close 
of the comment period for this notice.
    Because the issues raised by field testing and by issuance of a 
license are identical, APHIS has concluded that the EA that is 
generated for field testing would also be applicable to the proposed 
licensing action. Provided that the field test data support the 
conclusions of the original EA and the issuance of a FONSI, APHIS does 
not intend to issue a separate EA and FONSI to support the issuance of 
the product license, and would determine that an environmental impact 
statement need not be prepared. APHIS intends to issue a veterinary 
biological product license for this vaccine following completion of the 
field test provided no adverse impacts on the human environment are 
identified and provided the product meets all other requirements for 
licensing.


    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 151-159; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of September 2006.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15326 Filed 9-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P