[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 56731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23587]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0089]


Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; Availability of an 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 an environmental assessment 
and finding of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to an oral rabies 
vaccination field trial in West Virginia. Based on its finding of no 
significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has 
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dennis Slate, Rabies Program 
Coordinator, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 59 Chennell Drive, Suite 7, 
Concord, NH 03301; (603) 223-9623. To obtain copies of the 
environmental assessment or finding of no significant impact, contact 
Ms. Beth Kabert, Environmental Coordinator, Wildlife Services, 140-C 
Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867; (908) 735-5654, fax (908) 735-
0821, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Wildlife Services (WS) program in the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) cooperates with Federal agencies, State and 
local governments, and private individuals to research and implement 
the best methods of managing conflicts between wildlife and human 
health and safety, agriculture, property, and natural resources. 
Wildlife-borne diseases that can affect domestic animals and humans are 
among the types of conflicts that APHIS-WS addresses. Wildlife is the 
dominant reservoir of rabies in the United States.
    On August 8, 2011, we published in the Federal Register (76 FR 
48119-48120, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0089) a notice \1\ in which we 
announced the availability, for public review and comment, of an 
environmental assessment (EA) that examined the potential environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed field trial to test the safety and 
efficacy of an experimental oral rabies vaccine for wildlife in West 
Virginia.
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    \1\ To view the notice, EA, risk assessments, the comments we 
received, and the FONSI, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2011-0089.
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    We solicited comments on the EA for 30 days ending September 7, 
2011. We received 13 comments by that date. They were from private 
citizens and representatives of public health, agriculture, and natural 
resources agencies in the United States and Canada. Nine of the 
commenters fully supported the proposed field trial. The remaining 
commenters presented specific questions or suggestions regarding the 
field trial or the experimental vaccine. All the comments, and APHIS' 
responses to those comments, are presented in an appendix to the EA 
(see footnote 1).
    In this document, we are advising the public of our finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI) regarding the implementation of a field 
trial to test the safety and efficacy of the AdRG1.3 wildlife rabies 
vaccine in Greenbrier, Summers, and Monroe Counties, WV, including 
portions of U.S. Forest Service National Forest System lands, but 
excluding Wilderness Areas. The finding, which is based on the EA, 
reflects our determination that the distribution of this experimental 
wildlife rabies vaccine will not have a significant impact on the 
quality of the human environment.
    The EA and FONSI may be viewed on the APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_nepa_environmental_documents.shtml and on the Regulations.gov Web site (see footnote 1). 
Copies of the EA and FONSI 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 copies are 
requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the 
reading room. In addition, copies may be obtained as described under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    The EA and FONSI have 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 1b), and (4) 
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of September 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-23587 Filed 9-13-11; 8:45 am]
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