Notice: Availability of an Environmental Assessment for Field Testing 
Mannheimia Haemolytica-Pasteurella Multocida Vaccine, Avirulent Live 
Culture

Federal Register: May 2, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 86)         
                  Page 24213-24214

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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 Mannheimia Haemolytica-Pasteurella Multocida 
Vaccine, Avirulent Live Culture. 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 June 
2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0051 to submit or view comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0051, 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-2008-0051.
    Reading Room: You may read 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 Animal Health Corporation.
    Product: Mannheimia Haemolytica-Pasteurella Multocida Vaccine, 
Avirulent Live Culture.
    Field Test Locations: Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Missouri, 
Wisconsin, California, and New York.
    The above-mentioned product consists of two live gene deleted 
bacterial strains, one an avirulent strain of Mannheimia haemolytica, 
the other an avirulent strain of Pasteurella multocida. The vaccine is 
for use in cattle as an aid in the prevention and/or reduction of 
pneumonic lesions associated with bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis, 
commonly known as shipping fever.
    The EA has been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969

[[Page 24214]]

(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 (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.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of April 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-9636 Filed 5-1-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-34-P