Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 1997 / Notices 53335

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

Recombinant DNA Research: Actions

Under the Guidelines

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health

(NIH), PHS, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of Actions Under the

NIH Guidelines for Research Involving

Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH

Guidelines).

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth actions

to be taken by the Director, National

Institutes of Health (NIH), under the

NIH Guidelines for Research Involving

Recombinant DNA Molecules (59 FR

34496, amended 59 FR 40170, 60 FR

20726, 61 FR 1482, 61 FR 10004, 62 FR

4782.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Background documentation and

additional information can be obtained

from the Office of Recombinant DNA

Activities (ORDA), National Institutes of

Health, MSC 7010, 6000 Executive

Boulevard, Suite 302, Bethesda,

Maryland 20892–7010, Phone 301–496–

9838, FAX 301–496–9839. The ORDA

web site is located at http://

www.nih.gov/od/orda for further

information about the office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today’s

action is being promulgated under the

NIH Guidelines for Research Involving

Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH

Guidelines). The proposed actions were

published for comment in the Federal

Register of February 14, 1997 (62 FR

7108), and reviewed by the NIH

Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee

(RAC) at its meeting on March 6, 1997.

I. Background Information and

Decisions on Actions Under the NIH

Guidelines

In a letter dated December 2, 1995, Dr.

Kenneth I. Berns (President), Dr. Gail

Cassel (Chair, Public and Scientific

Affairs Board), and Dr. Diane O.

Fleming (Chair, Subcommittee on

Laboratory Safety) of the American

Society for Microbiology (ASM)

requested that Equine morbillivirus,

Sabia, and Flexal be added to Appendix

B of the NIH Guidelines. The Centers for

Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC)

has developed a list of select agents

identified as potential weapons for

biological terrorism. These select agents

are subject to Federal regulation 42 CFR

Part 72, published by CDC on October

24, 1996, in the Federal Register (61 FR

55190). This regulation promulgates the

final rule of additional requirements for

facilities transferring or receiving select

agents. Most of the biological agents in

the select agents list are already

included in Appendix B except these

three agents requested for inclusion by

ASM. In a letter dated December 20,

1996, ORDA asked Dr. Flemming to

clarify the proper Risk Group

classification of these three viruses. In

her letter dated February 3, 1997, Dr.

Fleming stated that Flexal virus should

be listed as a Risk Group 3 agent based

on the classification recommended in

the CDC/NIH publication entitled:

Biosafety in Microbiological and

Biomedical Laboratories, 3rd Edition,

1993. Sabia virus and Equine

morbillivirus have not been formally

classified in this publication. Dr.

Fleming stated that she has consulted

with Dr. Michael P. Kiley, Chairman of

the Subcommittee on Arboviral

Laboratory Safety (SALS) of the

American Society for Tropical Medicine

and Hygine, with regard to the proper

Risk Group classification of these two

viruses. Dr. Kiley recommended that

Sabia and Equine morbillivirus should

be classified as Risk Group 4 agents.

Risk Group 4 agents are handled under

Biosafety Level 4 physical containment,

because they are likely to cause serious

or lethal human disease for which

preventive or therapeutic interventions

are not available.

The ASM request was reviewed by

Brian R. Murphy, M.D., Head,

Respiratory Viruses Section, NIH, and

Stephen E. Straus, M.D., Chief,

Laboratory of Clinical Investigation,

NIH. Dr. Murphy presented his review

and Dr. Straus’ written review at the

March 6–7, 1997, RAC meeting. Dr.

Murphy and Dr. Straus concurred with

the ASM request with regard to the

classification of these three viruses.

The RAC deliberated the issue at the

March 6–7, 1997, RAC meeting. A

motion was made by the RAC to amend:

(1) Appendix B–III–D, Risk Group 3

(RG3)—Viruses and Prions, to include

Flexal, an arenavirus, and (2) Appendix

B–IV–D, Risk Group 4 (RG4)—Viral

Agents, to include Sabia, an arenavirus,

and Equine morbillivirus, a

paramyxovirus. The motion passed by a

vote of 8 in favor, 0 opposed, and no

abstentions.

I accept the RAC recommendations,

and the NIH Guidelines will be

amended accordingly.

II. Summary of Actions

A. Appendix B–III–D, Risk Group 3

(RG3)—Viruses and Prions, will be

amended to include Flexal, an

arenavirus.

B. Appendix B–IV–D, Risk Group 4

(RG4)—Viral Agents, will be amended

to include Sabia, an arenavirus, and

Equine morbillivirus, a paramyxovirus.

OMB’s ‘‘Mandatory Information

Requirements for Federal Assistance

Program Announcements’’ (45 FR

39592) requires a statement concerning

the official government programs

contained in the Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance. Normally NIH lists

in its announcements the number and

title of affected individual programs for

the guidance of the public. Because the

guidance in this notice covers virtually

every NIH and Federal research program

in which DNA recombinant molecule

techniques could be used, it has been

determined not to be cost effective or in

the public interest to attempt to list

these programs. Such a list would likely

require several additional pages. In

addition, NIH could not be certain that

every Federal program would be

included as many Federal agencies, as

well as private organizations, both

national and international, have elected

to follow the NIH Guidelines. In lieu of

the individual program listing, NIH

invites readers to direct questions to the

information address above about

whether individual programs listed in

the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance are affected.

Dated: September 30, 1997.

Harold Varmus,

Director, National Institutes of Health.

[FR Doc. 97–27093 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of the

Assessment Plan: Grant Calumet

River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal,

Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake

Michigan Environments

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is given that the

document titled ‘‘Assessment Plan for

the Natural Resource Damage

Assessment of the Grand Calumet River,

Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana

Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan

Environments’’ (‘‘The Plan’’) will be

available for public review and

comment on the date of publication in

the Federal Register. The U.S.

Department of the Interior, and The

State of Indiana (‘‘trustees’’) are trustees

for natural resources considered in this

assessment, pursuant to subpart G of the

National Oil and Hazardous Substances

Pollution Contingency Plan. 40 CFR
53336 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 1997 / Notices

300.600 and 300.610, and Executive

Order 12580.

The trustees are following the

guidance of the Natural Resource

Damage Assessment Regulations found

at 43 CFR Part 11. The public review of

the Plan announced by this Notice is

provided for in 43 CFR 11.32(c).

Interested members of the public are

invited to review and comment on the

Plan. Copies of the Plan can be

requested from the address listed below.

All written comments will be

considered by the trustees and included

in the Report of Assessment, at the

conclusion of the assessment process.

DATES: Written comments on the Plan

must be submitted by November 13,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

Plan may be made to:

Supervisor, Ecological Services Office,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 S.

Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana

47403.

or:

Ms. Elizabeth Admire, Indiana

Department of Environmental

Management, 100 N. Senate Avenue,

P.O. Box 6015, Indianapolis, Indiana

46206–6015.

Comments on the Plan should be sent

to the the Indiana Department of

Environmental Management at the

address listed above. The trustees will

coordinate comment review.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

trustees are undertaking an assessment

of damages resulting from the suspected

injury to natural resources of the Grand

Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship

Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated

Lake Michigan Environments which

have been exposed to hazardous

substances released by area steel mills,

refineries and other potential sources. It

is suspected that this exposure has

caused injury and resultant damages to

trustee resources. The injury and

resultant damages will be assessed

under the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act, as

amended, and the Clean Water Act, as

amended. The Plan addresses the

trustees’ overall assessment approach

and utilizes existing data. Plan addenda

may be prepared by the trustees to

provide public notice of additional data

collection activities.

William F. Hartwig,

Regional Director, Region 3, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 97–26788 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

General Management Plan; Point

Reyes National Seashore, California;

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: The National Park Service

will prepare a General Management

Plan/Environmental Impact Statement

(GMP/EIS) for Point Reyes National

Seashore and initiate the scoping

process for this document. This notice

is in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7

and 40 CFR 1508.22, of the regulations

of the President’s Council on

Environmental Quality for the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969,

Public Law 91–190.

Background

The purpose of the GMP/EIS will be

to state the management philosophy for

the Seashore and provide strategies for

addressing major issues. Two types of

strategies will be presented in the GMP:

(1) Those required to manage and

preserve cultural and natural resources;

and (2) those required to provide for

safe, accessible and appropriate use of

those resources by visitors. Based on

these strategies, the GMP will identify

the programs, actions and support

facilities needed for their

implementation.

Persons wishing to comment or

express concerns on the management

issues and future management direction

of Point Reyes National Seashore should

address these to the Superintendent,

Point Reyes National Seashore, Point

Reyes, California 94956. Questions

regarding the plan should be addressed

to the superintendent either by mail to

the above address, or by telephone at

(415) 663–8522. Comments on the

scoping of the proposed GMP/EIS

should be received no later than January

31, 1998.

Public scoping sessions to receive

comments and suggestions will be

conducted during the scoping period at

the park and in the vicinity. The times

and locations of these sessions will be

announced in the local media.

The responsible official is John J.

Reynolds, Regional Director, Pacific

West Region, National Park Service. The

draft GMP/EIS is expected to be

available for public review in the spring

of 1999, and the final GMP/EIS and

Record of Decision completed early in

2000.

Dated: September 30, 1997.

John Reynolds,

Regional Director, Pacific West Region.

[FR Doc. 97–27107 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Comprehensive Management Plan/

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Vancouver National Historic

Reserve, Washington

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: The National Park Service, in

cooperation with the City of Vancouver,

Washington, U.S. Army, and the State of

Washington, will prepare a

comprehensive management plan and

environmental impact statement (EIS)

for the Vancouver National Historic

Reserve in Vancouver, Washington.

The 366-acre Reserve, which includes

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site,

Vancouver Barracks, Officers Row,

Pearson Field, the Water Resources

Education Center, and portions of the

Columbia River Waterfront, was

established with the signing of Public

Law 104–333 on November 12, 1996.

The Reserve is to be administered in

accordance with a comprehensive

management plan to be developed by a

partnership consisting of the U.S. Army,

the National Park Service, the City of

Vancouver, and the State of Washington

Office of Historic Preservation.

The comprehensive management plan

will take a long-range look at ways to

protect the Reserve resources and

opportunities for management and use,

and will help determine management

direction for the next 10 to 15 years.

One of the primary components of the

plan is interpretive planning.

Interpretive planning identifies the

primary interpretive themes,

recommends appropriate interpretive

services, facilities, and programs that

will best communicate the Historic

Reserve’s purpose, significance,

compelling stories, themes, and values.

The plan will also define roles and

responsibilities of the Reserve partners

and provide estimates of management,

development, and operating costs and

staffing needs.

The legislation establishing the

Reserve also directed that the Plan

include an economic study for Pearson

Field. The Partners will work to

determine the scope of the study and to

look at funding options in preparing the

study as an attachment to the final plan.