(a) To the extent actions are not protected from disclosure by existing law applicable to the agency's operation, FDA will involve the public in preparing and implementing its NEPA procedures and will provide public notice of NEPA-related hearings, public meetings, and the availability of environmental documents.

(b) Many FDA actions involving investigations, review, and approval or market authorization of applications, and premarket notifications for human drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, devices, and tobacco products are protected from disclosure under the Trade Secret Act, 18 U.S.C. 1905, and section 301(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These actions are also protected from disclosure under FDA's regulations including part 20, §§ 312.130(a), 314.430(b), 514.11(b), 514.12(a), 601.50(a), 601.51(a), 807.95(b), 812.38(a), and 814.9(b) of this chapter. Even the existence of applications for human drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, devices, and tobacco products is protected from disclosure under these regulations. Therefore, unless the existence of applications for human drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, tobacco products, or premarket notification for devices has been made publicly available, the release of the environmental document before approval or authorization of human drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, devices and tobacco products is inconsistent with statutory requirements imposed on FDA. Appropriate environmental documents, comments, and responses will be included in the administrative record to the extent allowed by applicable laws.

[62 FR 40592, July 29, 1997, as amended at 80 FR 57535, Sept. 24, 2015]

(a) Data and information that are protected from disclosure by 18 U.S.C. 1905 or 21 U.S.C. 331(j) or 360j(c) shall not be included in the portion of environmental documents that is made public. When such data and information are pertinent to the environmental review of a proposed action, an applicant or petitioner shall submit such data and information separately in a confidential section and shall summarize the confidential data and information in the EA to the extent possible.

(b) FONSI's and EA's will be available to the public in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.6 as follows:

(1) When the proposed action is the subject of a notice of proposed rulemaking or a notice of filing published in the Federal Register, the notice shall state that no EIS is necessary and that the FONSI and the EA are available for public inspection at FDA's Dockets Management Staff. If the responsible agency official is unable to complete environmental consideration of the proposed action before a notice of filing of a food or color additive petition is required to be published under the act, and if the subsequent environmental analysis leads to the conclusion that no EIS is necessary, the final regulation rather than the notice of filing shall state that no EIS is necessary and that the FONSI and the EA are available upon request and filed in FDA's Dockets Management Staff.

(2) For actions for which notice is not published in the Federal Register, the FONSI and the EA shall be made available to the public upon request according to the procedures in 40 CFR 1506.6.

(3) For a limited number of actions, the agency may make the FONSI and EA available for public review (including review by State and areawide information clearinghouses) for 30 days before the agency makes its final determination whether to prepare an EIS and before the action may begin, as described in 40 CFR 1501.4(e). This procedure will be followed when the proposed action is, or is closely similar to, one that normally requires an EIS or when the proposed action is one without precedent.

(a) If FDA determines that an EIS is necessary for an action involving investigations, approvals, or market authorizations for drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, devices, or tobacco products, an EIS will be prepared but will become available only at the time of the approval or market authorization of the product. The EIS will in all other respects conform to the requirements for EIS's as specified in 40 CFR part 1502 and 1506.6(f).

(b) Comments on the EIS may be submitted after the approval or market authorization of the drug, animal drug, biologic product, device, or tobacco product. Those comments can form the basis for the Agency to consider beginning an action to withdraw the approval or market authorization of applications for a drug, animal drug, biologic product, or tobacco product, or to withdraw premarket notifications or premarket approval applications for devices.

(c) In those cases where the existence of applications and premarket notifications for drugs, animal drugs, biologic products, devices, or tobacco products has already been disclosed before the Agency approves the action, the Agency will ensure appropriate public involvement consistent with 40 CFR 1506.6 and part 1503 in preparing and implementing the NEPA procedures related to preparing EISs while following its own disclosure requirements including those listed in part 20 and §§ 312.130(b), 314.430(d), 514.11(d), 514.12(b), 601.51(d), 807.95(e), 812.38(b), and 814.9(d) of this chapter.

(d) Draft and final EIS's, comments, and responses will be included in the administrative record and will be available from the Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

[62 FR 40592, July 29, 1997, as amended at 68 FR 24879, May 9, 2003; 80 FR 57535, Sept. 24, 2015]