57924 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 163 / Thursday, August 24, 2023 / Notices 

1 Domestic poultry that can be affected include 

chickens; turkeys; ring-necked pheasants; ducks; 

geese; common, Japanese, or bobwhite quail; Indian 

peafowl; chukar or grey partridge; pigeons; ostrich; 

and guinea fowl. 

2To view the draft EA, final EA, comments, and 

the FONSI, go to www.regulations.gov and enter 

APHIS–2022–0031 in the Search field. 

3Current HPAI outbreak data can be accessed at 

APHIS’ website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-diseaseinformation/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai. 

4The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Pub. L. 

118–5), which became effective on June 3, 2023, 

amended the National Environmental Policy Act. 

The draft final EA and FONSI described in this 

notice were prepared before the effective date of the 

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and reflect the 

requirements of the National Environmental Policy 

Act before June 3, 2023. 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250. 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Chelsea Bare, Chief of Staff, Veterinary 

Services, APHIS, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW, Whitten Building Room 318–E, 

Washington, DC 20250; (515) 337–6128; 

chelsea.j.bare@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) 

(7 U.S.C. 8301–8322) the Secretary of 

Agriculture is authorized to protect the 

health of livestock, poultry, and 

aquaculture populations in the United 

States by preventing the introduction 

and interstate spread of serious diseases 

and pests of livestock, poultry, and 

aquaculture, and eradicating such 

diseases within the United States when 

feasible. This authority has been 

delegated to the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services 

(VS). 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza 

(HPAI) virus is one such disease of 

livestock. HPAI is extremely infectious 

and often fatal to poultry.1 Avian 

influenza (AI) viruses may circulate 

freely in wild bird populations without 

the birds appearing sick. As these birds 

migrate, they carry HPAI and other AI 

viruses with them and may 

subsequently transmit AI to domestic 

birds. HPAI can rapidly spread within 

and between domestic poultry flocks 

and wild bird (especially waterfowl) 

populations. Because birds infected 

with HPAI become a source of disease 

to additional poultry and wild birds, it 

is APHIS’ objective to stamp out HPAI 

as rapidly as possible at locations where 

it has been found. Preventing the entry 

of diseased birds and eggs into the 

United States, monitoring AI in 

migratory birds, identifying AI strains 

occurring primarily in migratory 

waterbird species, as well as backyard 

and commercial poultry flocks, and 

stamping out HPAI as it arises in 

domestic poultry is important for the 

long-term maintenance of disease-free 

United States poultry stocks. 

On February 8, 2022, the HPAI H5N1 

(AI strain) virus subtype was detected in 

a commercial turkey flock in Indiana. 

By February 24, 2022, H5N1 had been 

detected in commercial poultry facilities 

and backyard flocks in seven States 

(Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, New York, 

Maine, Delaware, and Michigan). Due to 

the emergency situation and in 

accordance with 7 CFR 372.10 of 

APHIS’ National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) Implementing Procedures, 

APHIS published a draft environmental 

assessment (EA) and draft finding of no 

significant impact (FONSI) in April 

2022 to allow VS to carry out emergency 

response activities as a result of HPAI 

outbreaks in the aforementioned seven 

States at the start of 2022. A final EA 

titled ‘‘Emergency Response for HPAI 

Outbreaks in Seven States’’ and final 

FONSI were published in September 

2022.2

Since the preparation and publication 

of the final EA and final FONSI for the 

initial seven States, HPAI outbreaks 

have continued to occur across the 

United States. Within 15 months, the 

virus was confirmed in 325 commercial 

and 507 backyard flocks, affecting 

approximately 59 million birds in 47 

States.3 As HPAI outbreaks have been 

stamped out, new outbreaks emerge and 

are likely to continue with seasonal (i.e., 

spring and fall) bird migrations. For this 

reason, APHIS prepared a supplemental 

EA to cover VS’ HPAI emergency 

outbreak response activities in the four 

North American migratory bird flyways 

(i.e., the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, 

and Pacific Flyways). APHIS’ review 

and analysis of the potential 

environmental impacts associated with 

VS’ HPAI emergency outbreak response 

activities for additional outbreaks in 

commercial and backyard poultry 

operations in the four North American 

migratory bird flyways are documented 

in detail in the draft supplemental EA 

titled ‘‘Emergency Response for Highly 

Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreaks 

in the United States Migratory Bird 

Flyways.’’ 

The draft supplemental EA presents 

the purpose and need for the action, a 

description of the affected environment, 

and an analysis of potential 

environmental impacts of the No Action 

and Proposed Action (Preferred) 

Alternatives. The two alternatives 

considered in the supplemental EA 

meet the purpose and need for VS to 

carry out its goal to stamp out HPAI as 

quickly as possible. 

Potential direct and indirect effects on 

the environment are evaluated under 

each alternative. The potential 

environmental impacts on the following 

resources are considered in the draft 

supplemental EA: Soil, air, and water 

quality; humans (including effects on 

health and safety; cultural and historic 

resources; equity and environmental 

justice; children’s health, and Tribes); 

and wildlife and plant populations, 

especially birds of conservation 

concern, eagles, and threatened and 

endangered species. The draft 

supplemental EA also considers 

cumulative impacts from other past, 

present, and reasonably foreseeable 

future related actions. 

Based on the draft supplemental EA, 

APHIS has concluded that the Proposed 

Action Alternative will not have a 

significant impact on the quality of the 

human environment and a draft FONSI 

is appropriate with respect to the 

proposed action. After the public 

comment period ends, we will consider 

all comments received, revise the draft 

supplemental EA to address these 

comments, as appropriate, and publish 

a final NEPA document and decision. 

The draft supplemental EA was 

prepared in accordance with: (1) the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 4 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) the 

Council on Environmental Quality’s 

NEPA Implementing Regulations (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508) in effect as of the 

date of this notice, (3) USDA’s NEPA 

implementing regulations (7 CFR part 

1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA Implementing 

Procedures (7 CFR part 372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of 

August 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18185 Filed 8–23–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Office of Secretary 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; The Environmental 

Questionnaire and Checklist 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 163 / Thursday, August 24, 2023 / Notices 57925 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed, and continuing 

information collections, which helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on May 31, 

2023, during a 60-day comment period. 

This notice allows for an additional 30 

days for public comments. 

Agency: Office of Facilities and 

Environmental Quality, Commerce. 

Title: The Environmental 

Questionnaire and Checklist. 

OMB Control Number: 0690–0028. 

Form Number(s): CD–593. 

Type of Request: Regular submission 

(an extension of a current information 

collection). 

Number of Respondents: 1,000. 

Average Hours per Response: 3 hours. 

Burden Hours: 3,000. 

Needs and Uses: This request is for an 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection. The National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 

U.S.C. 4321–4347) and the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) 

Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508) require that 

federal agencies complete an 

environmental analysis for all major 

federal actions significantly affecting the 

environment. Those actions may 

include a federal agency’s decision to 

fund non-federal projects under grants 

and cooperative agreements, including 

infrastructure projects. In order to 

determine NEPA compliance 

requirements for a project receiving 

Department of Commerce (DOC) bureau 

level funding, DOC must assess 

information which can only be provided 

by the applicant for federal financial 

assistance (grant). 

The Environmental Questionnaire and 

Checklist (EQC) provides federal 

financial assistance applicants and DOC 

staff with a tool to ensure that the 

necessary project and environmental 

information is obtained. The EQC was 

developed to collect data concerning 

potential environmental impacts that 

the applicant for federal financial 

assistance possesses and to transmit that 

information to the Federal reviewer. The 

EQC will allow for a more rapid review 

of projects and facilitate DOC’s 

evaluation of the potential 

environmental impacts of a project and 

the level of NEPA documentation 

required. DOC staff will use the 

information provided in answers to the 

questionnaire to determine compliance 

requirements for NEPA and conduct 

subsequent NEPA analysis as needed. 

Information provided in the 

questionnaire may also be used for other 

regulatory review requirements 

associated with the proposed project, 

such as the National Historic 

Preservation Act. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households; Business or other for-profit 

organizations; Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local or Tribal 

Government; Federal Government, etc. 

Frequency: One-Time; annually. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

Legal Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view the 

Department of Commerce collections 

currently under review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted within 30 days of the 

publication of this notice on the 

following website www.reginfo.gov/ 

public/do/PRAMain. Find this 

particular information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function and 

entering either the title of the collection 

or the OMB Control Number 0690–0028. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18226 Filed 8–23–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NW–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Industry and Security 

Transportation and Related 

Equipment, Technical Advisory 

Committee; Notice of Partially Closed 

Meeting 

The Transportation and Related 

Equipment Technical Advisory 

Committee will meet on September 6, 

2023, 9:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, 

in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, 

Room 3884, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC (enter through 

Main Entrance on 14th Street between 

Constitution and Pennsylvania 

Avenues). The Committee advises the 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Export Administration with respect to 

technical questions that affect the level 

of export controls applicable to 

transportation and related equipment or 

technology. 

Agenda 

Public Session 

1. Welcome and Introductions. 

2. Status reports by working group 

chairs. 

3. Public comments and Proposals. 

Closed Session 

4. Discussion of matters determined to 

be exempt from the open meeting and 

public participation requirements found 

in sections 1009(a)(1) and 1009(a)(3) of 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) (5 U.S.C. 1001–1014). The 

exemption is authorized by section 

1009(d) of the FACA, which permits the 

closure of advisory committee meetings, 

or portions thereof, if the head of the 

agency to which the advisory committee 

reports determines such meetings may 

be closed to the public in accordance 

with subsection (c) of the Government 

in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)). 

In this case, the applicable provisions of 

5 U.S.C. 552b(c) are subsection 

552b(c)(4), which permits closure to 

protect trade secrets and commercial or 

financial information that is privileged 

or confidential, and subsection 

552b(c)(9)(B), which permits closure to 

protect information that would be likely 

to significantly frustrate implementation 

of a proposed agency action were it to 

be disclosed prematurely. The closed 

session of the meeting will involve 

committee discussions and guidance 

regarding U.S. Government strategies 

and policies. 

The open session will be accessible 

via teleconference. To join the 

conference, submit inquiries to Yvette 

Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov, 

no later than August 30, 2023. 

A limited number of seats will be 

available for the public session. 

Reservations are not accepted. To the 

extent time permits, members of the 

public may present oral statements to 

the Committee. The public may submit 

written statements at any time before or 

after the meeting. However, to facilitate 

distribution of public presentation 

materials to Committee members, the 

Committee suggests that presenters 

forward the public presentation 

materials prior to the meeting to Ms. 

Springer. 

The Assistant Secretary for 

Administration, with the concurrence of 

the delegate of the General Counsel, 

formally determined on April 12, 2023, 

pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1009(d) of the 

FACA, that the portion of the meeting 

dealing with pre-decisional changes to 

the Commerce Control List and the U.S. 

export control policies shall be exempt 

from the provisions relating to public 

meetings found in 5 U.S.C. 1009(a)(1) 


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