Thursday, November 13, 2008

Environmental Federal Register, Vol. 73, No. 220, November 13, 2008

Federal Register
Vol. 73, No. 220
Thursday, November 13, 2008
 
There are 5 announcements in this issue
 
    1. ALL - ICR. EPA. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Background Checks for Contractor Employees, EPA ICR Number 2159.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0043; Drug Testing for Contract Employees, EPA ICR Number 2183.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0044; Monthly Progress Reports, EPA ICR Number 1039.12, OMB Control Number 2030-0005; and Contractor Cumulative Claim and Reconciliation, 1900-10, EPA ICR Number 0246.10, OMB Control Number 2030-0016
 
    2. ENERGY - ND. DOE/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. National Priority Project Designation
 
    3. ENERGY - ND. DOI/MMS. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Mid-Atlantic Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220
 
    4. WATER - ND. DOC/NOAA. Initiation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan Review: Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
 
    5. TRANSPORT - ND. DOT/Surface Transportation Board. Study of Competition in the Freight Railroad Industry
   
CODES USED:  THE FOLLOWING CODES ARE USED TO IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF ANNOUNCEMENT & ISSUE AREA.  

REPORTING FORMAT: ISSUE CODE - TYPE CODE. AGENCY. ANNOUNCEMENT.
ISSUE CODES:  AIR - Air; ALL - Cross-Media, ecosystems, Env. Justice; CLIMATE - Climate Change, Global Warming; DRINK - Drinking Water, SDWA, Underground Injection; ENERGY - Energy; GLAKES  - Great Lakes; HAZ - Hazardous Waste, RCRA, HSWA, DOT/RSPA, Some Nuclear (NRC); LAND - Land Use, Forests; P2 - Pollution Prevention, Sustainability, Recycling, Pjt. XL; REMED - Remediation, Brownfields, Superfund; TANKS - AST, UST; TOXICS = Toxics, TRI, TSCA, Pesticides, Risks, RTK; TRANSPORT -  Transportation; SOLID - Solid Waste, RCRA Subtitle D; WATER - Surface Water, NPS, NPDES, Wetlands; WILDLIFE = Wildlife, Biodiversity, Endangered Species.
TYPE CODES: ANPR - Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; FR - Final Rule; FRD - Direct final rule; FRI - Interim final rule; ICR - Information Collection Request; ND - Notice of data, information, reports, etc. availability; NF - Notice of Fuding Opportunity; NM - Notice of Meeting; NS - Notice of administrative/court settlement; PR - Proposed Rule; ROD - Record of decision.
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENT 1


Subject: ALL - ICR. EPA. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Background Checks for Contractor Employees, EPA ICR Number 2159.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0043; Drug Testing for Contract
Employees, EPA ICR Number 2183.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0044; Monthly Progress Reports, EPA ICR Number 1039.12, OMB Control Number 2030-0005; and Contractor Cumulative Claim and Reconciliation, 1900-10, EPA ICR Number 0246.10, OMB Control Number 2030-0016
 
[Federal Register: November 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 220)]
[Notices]              
[Page 67152-67155]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0825, EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0827, EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0828,
EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0829; FRL-8740-2]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Background Checks for Contractor Employees, EPA ICR
Number 2159.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0043; Drug Testing for Contract
Employees, EPA ICR Number 2183.03, OMB Control Number 2030-0044;
Monthly Progress Reports, EPA ICR Number 1039.12, OMB Control Number
2030-0005; and Contractor Cumulative Claim and Reconciliation, 1900-10,
EPA ICR Number 0246.10, OMB Control Number 2030-0016

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to
submit a request to renew four existing approved Information Collection
Requests (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These ICRs
are scheduled to expire as follows: EPA ICR Numbers 2159.03 and 2183.03
are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2008. EPA ICR Numbers 1039.12
and 0246.10 are scheduled to expire on April 30, 2009. Before
submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 12, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by the Docket ID numbers
provided for each item in the text, by one of the following methods:
    www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
    E-mail: oei.docket@epa.gov.
    Fax: (202)-566-9744.
    Mail: EPA Docket Center, Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;

Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0828, Background Checks for Contractor
Employees, EPA ICR Number 2159.03
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0829, Drug Testing for Contract Employees,
EPA ICR Number 2183.03
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0825, Monthly Progress Reports, EPA ICR
Number 1039.12
Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OARM-2008-0827, Contractor Cumulative Claim and
Reconciliation, EPA ICR Number 0246.10

Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are
only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and
special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed
information.   

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Blanding, Policy, Training and
Oversight Division, Office of Acquisition Management, Mail Code 3802R,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1130; fax number: 202-
565-2553; e-mail address: blanding.donna@epa.gov.
 
ACCESS THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HTML OR PDF FORMATS AT:
 


ANNOUNCEMENT 2


Subject: ENERGY - ND. DOE/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. National Priority Project Designation
 
[Federal Register: November 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 220)]
[Notices]              
[Page 67149-67150]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

National Priority Project Designation

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S.
Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of guidelines for requesting National Priority Project
Designation.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing guidelines for
persons and organizations interested in requesting National Priority
Project Designation as established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(EPAct 2005). The President, upon recommendation of the Secretary of
Energy, is authorized by EPAct 2005 annually to recognize projects that
are making the greatest strides in helping the United States reduce its
dependence on fossil fuels and promote domestic energy security.
Following approval of an information collection request, DOE will
publish an invitation to apply under the guidelines published today.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Shipp, Office of Information
and Business Management Systems (EE-3C), Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585,
(202) 586-7769; Jody Barringer, Office of Information and Business
Management Systems (EE-3C), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585; or e-mail at
nppd@ee.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPAct 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58), Section 1405,
authorizes the President, on the basis of recommendations of the
Secretary of Energy, annually to designate as National Priority
Projects those projects shown to have advanced the field of renewable
energy technology and/or building energy efficiency and contributed to
North American energy independence. Organizations whose projects
receive a Presidential designation will receive a medal bearing the
inscription ``National Priority Project,'' and they may use the
National Priority Project Designation in promotion of the organization.
DOE also will work with recipients and with national media sources to
spotlight these projects as models for the rest of the country and the
world.
 
ACCESS THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HTML OR PDF FORMATS AT:
 
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENT 3


Subject: ENERGY - ND. DOI/MMS. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Mid-Atlantic Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220
 
[Federal Register: November 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 220)]
[Notices]              
[Page 67201-67206]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Mid-
Atlantic Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Call for Information and Interest/Nominations (Call) and Notice
of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: This Call for Information and Interest/Nominations
(hereinafter referred to as ``Call'') and the NOI are the initial
information-gathering steps in a process that incorporates planning and
analysis for proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220 in the Mid-
Atlantic Planning Area in the area offshore the Commonwealth of
Virginia. The program area is that subarea of the Mid-Atlantic Planning
Area offshore Virginia, identified in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing
Program, 2007-2012, that may be offered in proposed Sale 220. Readers
are cautioned that this announcement is not a commitment to hold a
lease sale but rather a continuation of the information-gathering and
evaluation process.
    Simultaneously with this Call, the MMS is giving notice of its
intent to prepare an EIS for Sale 220 in the Mid-Atlantic Planning
Area, scheduled for 2011. The EIS analysis will focus on the potential
environmental effects of oil and gas exploration, development, and
production in the proposed sale area and its vicinity. This NOI also
serves to announce the initiation of the scoping process for this EIS.
The MMS will consider comments received in response to this NOI and
Call in determining the proposed sale area and the scope of the EIS.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is also inviting other Federal,
State, Tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating
agencies in the preparation of the EIS.

DATES: Comments on the Call must be received no later than December 29,
2008. Submittals should be labeled ``Comments on the Call for
Information and Interest/Nominations for Proposed Sale 220.'' Comments
on the NOI also must be received no later than December 29, 2008.
Submittals should be labeled ``Comments on the Notice of Intent for
Proposed Sale 220.'' Scoping meetings to obtain additional comments and
information regarding the scope of the EIS will be held in appropriate
locations and will be announced in the Federal Register at a later
date; an additional scoping comment period will be announced at that
time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Call, please
contact Mr. Carrol Williams, Sales and Support Unit Supervisor,
Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood
Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-
2803. For information on the NOI, you may contact Mr. Gary Goeke, NEPA/
CZM Coordination Unit Supervisor, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana
70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-3233.
    Supplementary Information on the Call: The final EIS will serve as
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for the Mid-
Atlantic Planning Area Sale 220. The MMS will prepare additional
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Consistency Determination (CD), and
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) documents, as appropriate.
    The MMS is sponsoring a workshop on the environmental research
needs in support of potential Virginia offshore oil and gas activities
to be held Dec. 3-4, 2008, in Williamsburg, Virginia. The focus of the
workshop will be on the existing scientific knowledge base along the
Virginia Coast and the information gaps that need to be addressed
should a lease sale for oil and gas activities be held offshore
Virginia. Additionally, the following three new studies are being
funded by the MMS: Oil and Gas Infrastructure in the Atlantic Region,
Inventory and Analysis of Archaeological Site Occurrence on the
Atlantic OCS, and Mid-Atlantic Ocean Model Calculations.
 
ACCESS THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HTML OR PDF FORMATS AT:
 
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENT 4


Subject: WATER - ND. DOC/NOAA. Initiation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan Review: Notice of Public Scoping Meetings
 
[Federal Register: November 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 220)]
[Notices]              
[Page 67135-67136]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Initiation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Management
Plan Review: Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings for initiation of the Monitor
National Marine Sanctuary management plan review.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), NOAA is holding scoping meetings
to:
    1. Solicit public comments and identify issues on the continued
management of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary; and
    2. Help determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the
preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if warranted.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for the dates,
times, and locations of the public scoping meetings. All comments on
issues related to the continued management of the Monitor National
Marine Sanctuary will be considered if received on or before February
1, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS CONTACT: Shannon
Ricles at (757) 591-7328. All written inquiries and comments may also
be mailed to Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, 100 Museum Drive,
Newport News, VA 23606, or by fax at (757) 591-7353.

 
ACCESS THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HTML OR PDF FORMATS AT:
 
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENT 5


Subject: TRANSPORT - ND. DOT/Surface Transportation Board. Study of Competition in the Freight Railroad Industry
 
[Federal Register: November 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 220)]
[Notices]              
[Page 67252]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Ex Parte No. 680]

Study of Competition in the Freight Railroad Industry

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board seeks written public comments
on the independent study prepared by Christensen Associates, Inc.,
entitled, A Study of Competition in the U.S. Freight Railroad Industry
and Analysis of Proposals That Might Enhance Competition.

DATES: Comments are due on or before December 22, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The Study may be accessed via the Board's Web site at http:/
/www.stb.dot.gov
. Comments may be submitted either via the Board's e-
filing format or in traditional paper format. Any person using e-filing
should attach a document and otherwise comply with the instructions at
the E-FILING link on the Board's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.
Any person submitting a filing in the traditional paper format should
send an original and 10 copies referring to STB Ex Parte No. 680 to:
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-
0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Strafford, (202) 245-0356.
[Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at: (800) 877-8339.]
ACCESS THE COMPLETE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HTML OR PDF FORMATS AT: