Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; Availability of a Supplemental Environmental Assessment, 33798-33799 [2013-13435]

Download as PDF 33798 Notices Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 108 Wednesday, June 5, 2013 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2013–0046] Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; Availability of a Supplemental Environmental Assessment Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments. AGENCY: SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a supplemental environmental assessment (EA) relative to an oral rabies vaccination field trial in New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. The supplemental EA analyzes expanding the field trial for an experimental oral rabies vaccine for wildlife to additional areas in New York. The proposed field trial is necessary to evaluate whether the wildlife rabies vaccine will produce sufficient levels of population immunity against raccoon rabies. We are making the supplemental EA available to the public for review and comment. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 5, 2013. You may submit comments by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!document Detail;D=APHIS-2013-0046-0001. • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2013–0046, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. The supplemental environmental assessment and any comments we receive may be viewed at https://www. regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ADDRESSES: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:43 Jun 04, 2013 Jkt 229001 APHIS-2013-0046 or in our reading room, which 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) 799–7039 before coming. This notice and the supplemental environmental assessment are also posted on the APHIS Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ ws/ws_nepa_environmental_ documents.shtml. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Chipman, Rabies Program Coordinator, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 59 Chennell Drive, Suite 7, Concord, NH 03301; (603) 223–9623. To obtain copies of the supplemental environmental assessment, contact Ms. Beth Kabert, Staff Wildlife Biologist, Wildlife Services, 140–C Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867; (908) 735–5654, fax (908) 735–0821, email: beth.e.kabert@aphis.usda.gov. 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. Currently, APHIS conducts an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program to control the spread of rabies. The ORV program has utilized a vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein (V–RG) vaccine. APHIS– WS’ use of the V–RG vaccine has resulted in several notable accomplishments, including the elimination of canine rabies from sources in Mexico, the successful control of gray fox rabies virus variant in western Texas, and the prevention of any appreciable spread of raccoon rabies in the eastern United States. While the prevention of any appreciable spread of raccoon rabies in the eastern United PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 States represents a major accomplishment in rabies management, the V–RG vaccine has not been effective in eliminating raccoon rabies from highrisk spread corridors. This fact prompted APHIS–WS to evaluate rabies vaccines capable of producing higher levels of population immunity against raccoon rabies to better control the spread of this disease. In 2011, APHIS–WS initiated a field trial to study the immunogenicity and safety of a promising new wildlife rabies vaccine, human adenovirus type 5 rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine in portions of West Virginia, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service National Forest System lands. The vaccine used in this field trial is an experimental oral rabies vaccine called ONRAB (produced by Artemis Technologies Inc., Guelph, Ontario, Canada). To further assess the immunogenicity of ONRAB in raccoons and skunks for raccoon rabies virus variant, APHIS–WS determined the need to expand the field trial into portions of New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, as well as West Virginia, including National Forest System lands. On July 9, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 40322–40323, Docket No. APHIS– 2012–0052) 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 the ONRAB vaccine in New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. We announced the availability of our final EA and finding of no significant impact in a notice published in the Federal Register (see footnote 1) on August 16, 2012 (77 FR 49409–49410, Docket No. APHIS–2012– 0052). The field trial began in August 2012, taking place within approximately 10,483 square miles in portions of New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia, including portions of National Forest System lands, excluding Wilderness Areas. The field trial is a collaborative effort among APHIS–WS; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the vaccine manufacturer; 1 To view the notice, the comments we received, the EA, and the followup finding of no significant impact, go to https://www.regulations.gov/ #!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0052. E:\FR\FM\05JNN1.SGM 05JNN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 108 / Wednesday, June 5, 2013 / Notices the appropriate agriculture, health, and wildlife agencies for the States of New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia; the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; and the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife. Given promising immunogenicity levels documented during the field trial of the ONRAB vaccine and the need for further field testing, APHIS is considering expanding the current field trial for the ONRAB vaccine to additional counties in New York. APHIS has prepared a supplemental EA in which we analyze expanding the area of the field trial zone in New York to include Erie, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming Counties. This would add approximately 14 square miles to the field trial, increasing the field trial from approximately 10,483 square miles to approximately 10,697 square miles. The supplemental EA analyzes a number of environmental issues or concerns with the ONRAB vaccine and activities associated with the field trial, such as capture and handling animals for monitoring and surveillance purposes with regard to the proposed action. We are making the supplemental EA available to the public for review and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before the date listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this notice. The supplemental EA may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). In addition, paper copies may be obtained by calling or writing to the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 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 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 3rd day of June 2013. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2013–13435 Filed 6–4–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:43 Jun 04, 2013 Jkt 229001 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2013–0032] National Poultry Improvement Plan; General Conference Committee Meeting Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. AGENCY: We are giving notice of a meeting of the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan. DATES: The General Conference Committee meeting will be held on June 20, 2013, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hotel Indigo Athens, 500 College Avenue, Athens, GA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Denise L. Brinson, Acting Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, APHIS, 1506 Klondike Road, Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922–3496. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The General Conference Committee (the Committee) of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), representing cooperating State agencies and poultry industry members, serves an essential function by acting as a liaison between the poultry industry and the Department in matters pertaining to poultry health. The Committee meets to discuss significant poultry health issues and makes recommendations to improve the NPIP program. Topics for discussion at the upcoming meeting include: 1. Salmonella update. 2. Salmonella tests for consideration. 3. Pooling of avian influenza samples. 4. Cooperative agreements and funds for testing. The meeting will be open to the public. However, due to time constraints, the public will not be allowed to participate in the discussions during the meeting. Written statements on meeting topics may be filed with the Committee before or after the meeting by sending them to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Written statements may also be filed at the meeting. Please refer to Docket No. APHIS–2013–0032 when submitting your statements. If you require special accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, please call or write the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 33799 This notice of meeting is given pursuant to section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2). Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of June 2013. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2013–13436 Filed 6–4–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Newspapers Used for Publication of Legal Notices by the Intermountain Region; Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming Forest Service, USDA. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the ranger districts, forests and regional office of the Intermountain Region to publish legal notices required under 36 CFR 215, 219, and 218. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions and notices of decision. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions, provide information on the procedures to comment, object or appeal, and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments or appeals were timely. DATES: Publication of legal notices in the listed newspapers will begin on or after June 2013. The list of newspapers will remain in effect until October 2013, when another notice will be published in the Federal Register. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Rutledge, Regional Appeals Coordinator, Intermountain Region, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401, and phone (801) 625–5146. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The administrative procedures at 36 CFR 215, 219, and 218 require the Forest Service to publish notices in a newspaper of general circulation. The content of the notices is specified in 36 CFR 215, 219 and 218. In general, the notices will identify: The decision or project, by title or subject matter; the name and title of the official making the decision; how to obtain additional information; and where and how to file comments or appeals. The date the notice is published will be used to establish the official date for the E:\FR\FM\05JNN1.SGM 05JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33798-33799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13435]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 108 / Wednesday, June 5, 2013 / 
Notices

[[Page 33798]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2013-0046]


Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; Availability of a Supplemental 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared a supplemental environmental assessment 
(EA) relative to an oral rabies vaccination field trial in New 
Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. The supplemental 
EA analyzes expanding the field trial for an experimental oral rabies 
vaccine for wildlife to additional areas in New York. The proposed 
field trial is necessary to evaluate whether the wildlife rabies 
vaccine will produce sufficient levels of population immunity against 
raccoon rabies. We are making the supplemental EA available to the 
public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July 
5, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0046-0001.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2013-0046, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    The supplemental environmental assessment and any comments we 
receive may be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0046 or in our reading room, which 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) 799-7039 before coming.
    This notice and the supplemental environmental assessment are also 
posted on the APHIS Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_nepa_environmental_documents.shtml.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Chipman, Rabies Program 
Coordinator, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 59 Chennell Drive, Suite 7, 
Concord, NH 03301; (603) 223-9623. To obtain copies of the supplemental 
environmental assessment, contact Ms. Beth Kabert, Staff Wildlife 
Biologist, Wildlife Services, 140-C Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ 
08867; (908) 735-5654, fax (908) 735-0821, email: 
beth.e.kabert@aphis.usda.gov.

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.
    Currently, APHIS conducts an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program 
to control the spread of rabies. The ORV program has utilized a 
vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein (V-RG) vaccine. APHIS-WS' use of the V-RG 
vaccine has resulted in several notable accomplishments, including the 
elimination of canine rabies from sources in Mexico, the successful 
control of gray fox rabies virus variant in western Texas, and the 
prevention of any appreciable spread of raccoon rabies in the eastern 
United States. While the prevention of any appreciable spread of 
raccoon rabies in the eastern United States represents a major 
accomplishment in rabies management, the V-RG vaccine has not been 
effective in eliminating raccoon rabies from high-risk spread 
corridors. This fact prompted APHIS-WS to evaluate rabies vaccines 
capable of producing higher levels of population immunity against 
raccoon rabies to better control the spread of this disease.
    In 2011, APHIS-WS initiated a field trial to study the 
immunogenicity and safety of a promising new wildlife rabies vaccine, 
human adenovirus type 5 rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine in 
portions of West Virginia, including U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Forest Service National Forest System lands. The vaccine used in this 
field trial is an experimental oral rabies vaccine called ONRAB 
(produced by Artemis Technologies Inc., Guelph, Ontario, Canada).
    To further assess the immunogenicity of ONRAB in raccoons and 
skunks for raccoon rabies virus variant, APHIS-WS determined the need 
to expand the field trial into portions of New Hampshire, New York, 
Ohio, Vermont, as well as West Virginia, including National Forest 
System lands. On July 9, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 
FR 40322-40323, Docket No. APHIS-2012-0052) 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 the ONRAB vaccine in New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, 
Vermont, and West Virginia. We announced the availability of our final 
EA and finding of no significant impact in a notice published in the 
Federal Register (see footnote 1) on August 16, 2012 (77 FR 49409-
49410, Docket No. APHIS-2012-0052). The field trial began in August 
2012, taking place within approximately 10,483 square miles in portions 
of New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia, including 
portions of National Forest System lands, excluding Wilderness Areas. 
The field trial is a collaborative effort among APHIS-WS; the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention; the vaccine manufacturer;

[[Page 33799]]

the appropriate agriculture, health, and wildlife agencies for the 
States of New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia; 
the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; and the Quebec Ministry of 
Natural Resources and Wildlife.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the notice, the comments we received, the EA, and 
the followup finding of no significant impact, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0052.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Given promising immunogenicity levels documented during the field 
trial of the ONRAB vaccine and the need for further field testing, 
APHIS is considering expanding the current field trial for the ONRAB 
vaccine to additional counties in New York. APHIS has prepared a 
supplemental EA in which we analyze expanding the area of the field 
trial zone in New York to include Erie, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, 
Niagara, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming Counties. This would add 
approximately 14 square miles to the field trial, increasing the field 
trial from approximately 10,483 square miles to approximately 10,697 
square miles. The supplemental EA analyzes a number of environmental 
issues or concerns with the ONRAB vaccine and activities associated 
with the field trial, such as capture and handling animals for 
monitoring and surveillance purposes with regard to the proposed 
action.
    We are making the supplemental EA available to the public for 
review and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive on or 
before the date listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this 
notice.
    The supplemental EA may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site 
or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for 
accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of 
the reading room). In addition, paper copies may be obtained by calling 
or writing to the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    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 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 3rd day of June 2013.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-13435 Filed 6-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

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