62718 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 27, 2004 / Notices 

and Birmingham, Alabama are single 

purpose duty stations, and are being 

closed based on workload rather than 

under a reorganization of HUD/OIG 

field offices. Although notice of the 

closing of a duty station is not subject 

to the requirement of section 7(p), as 

supported by legislative history, HUD/

OIG nevertheless prepared a cost benefit 

analysis for its own use in determining 

whether to proceed with the closing. 

Through this notice, HUD/OIG advises 

the public of the closing of the Portland, 

Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska; 

Albuquerque, New Mexico; and 

Birmingham, Alabama duty stations and 

provides the cost benefit analysis of the 

impact of the closure. 

Impact of the Closure of the Portland, 

Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska; 

Albuquerque, New Mexico; and 

Birmingham, Alabama; Post-of-Duty 

Stations: HUD/OIG considered the costs 

and benefits of closing the Portland, 

Oregon; Omaha, Nebraska; 

Albuquerque, New Mexico; and 

Birmingham, Alabama post-of-duty 

stations, and is publishing its costbenefit analyses with this notice. In 

summary, HUD/OIG has determined 

that the closures will result in a cost 

savings, and, as a result of the size and 

limited function of the office, will cause 

no appreciable impact on the provision 

of authorized investigative services/

activities in the area. 

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A. Cost Savings: The Portland, Oregon 

post-of-duty station currently costs 

approximately $2866.82 per month for 

space rental. Additional associated 

overhead expenses (e.g., telephone 

service) are incurred to operate the postof-duty station. Thus, closing the office 

will result in annual savings of at least 

$34,401.00. In addition, by closing the 

office HUD/OIG will not be required to 

incur additional costs associated with 

current plans to install high-speed 

computer access lines to and on the 

premises. 

The Omaha, Nebraska, post-of-duty 

station currently costs approximately 

$225 per month for space rental. 

Additional associated overhead 

expenses are incurred to operate the 

post-of-duty station. In addition, the 

agent is required to travel to the 

Regional Office in Kansas City, Missouri 

on a quarter-yearly basis for required 

agent qualification update training. 

Thus, closing the office will result in 

annual savings of at least $4,000. In 

addition, by closing the office HUD/OIG 

will not be required to incur additional 

costs associated with current plans to 

install high-speed computer access lines 

to and on the premises. 

The Albuquerque, New Mexico postof-duty station currently costs 

approximately $1288.08 per month for 

space rental. Additional associated 

overhead expenses are incurred to 

operate the post-of-duty station. Thus, 

closing the office will result in annual 

savings of at least $15,457.00. In 

addition, by closing the office HUD/OIG 

will not be required to incur additional 

costs associated with current plans to 

install high-speed computer access lines 

to and on the premises. 

The Birmingham, Alabama, post-ofduty station currently costs 

approximately $4,034 per month for 

space rental. Additional associated 

overhead expenses are incurred to 

operate the post-of-duty station. Thus, 

closing the office will result in annual 

savings of at least $48,000. 

B. Additional Costs: With respect to 

the Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, 

New Mexico post-of-duty stations there 

will be no offsetting costs. HUD/OIG 

currently has no staff in either office. 

Relocation costs associated with 

personnel in the Omaha, Nebraska and 

Birmingham, Alabama post-of-duty 

stations are estimated to total no more 

than $90,000. 

C. Impact on Local Economy: No 

appreciable impact on the local 

economy of Portland, Oregon; Omaha, 

Nebraska; Albuquerque, New Mexico; 

and Birmingham, Alabama is 

anticipated. The post-of-duty stations 

are co-located with office space leased 

by other federal agencies, and it is 

anticipated that the space can easily be 

re-leased to other tenants. 

D. Effect on Availability, Accessibility 

and Quality of Services Provided to 

Recipients of Those Services: The 

establishment of the Portland, Oregon; 

Omaha, Nebraska; and Albuquerque, 

New Mexico post-of-duty stations were 

based entirely on the needs of the HUD/

OIG to have Special Agents in closer 

proximity to OSH activities conducted 

in the Portland, Omaha and 

Albuquerque areas. These activities 

have been terminated. Further, as was 

the case prior to the establishment of 

these offices, special agents assigned to 

other HUD/OIG offices can costeffectively address fraud investigations 

in the Portland, Omaha and 

Albuquerque areas. 

Similarly, the establishment of the 

Birmingham, Alabama post-of-duty 

station was based on the needs of the 

HUD/OIG to have auditors in closer 

proximity to audit activities conducted 

in the Birmingham area. However, 

HUD/OIG currently believes that 

auditors assigned to the Atlanta 

Regional Office can cost-effectively 

address the limited number of audits in 

the Birmingham area. 

For the reasons stated in this notice, 

HUD/OIG intends to proceed to close its 

Portland, Oregon; Albuquerque, New 

Mexico; Omaha, Nebraska; and 

Birmingham, Alabama post-of-duty 

stations at the expiration of the 90-day 

period from the date of publication of 

this notice.

Dated: October 20, 2004. 

Kenneth M. Donohue, Sr., 

Inspector General.

[FR Doc. 04–23999 Filed 10–26–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–78–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary 

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council; 

Renewal of the Public Advisory 

Committee Charter

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, 

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice is published in 

accordance with 41 CFR Part 102–3, 

Subpart B, How Are Advisory 

Committees Established, Renewed, 

Reestablished, and Terminated. 

Following the recommendation and 

approval of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 

Trustee Council, the Secretary of the 

Interior hereby renews the Exxon 

Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory 

Committee Charter to continue for 

approximately 2 years, to September 30, 

2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Douglas Mutter, Department of the 

Interior, Office of Environmental Policy 

and Compliance, 1689 ‘‘C’’ Street, Room 

119, Anchorage, Alaska, (907) 271–

5011.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 

24, 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez ran 

aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William 

Sound in Alaska spilling approximately 

11 million gallons of North Slope crude 

oil. Oil moved into the Gulf of Alaska, 

along the Kenai coast to Kodiak Island 

and the Alaska Peninsula—some 600 

miles from Bligh Reef. Massive clean-up 

and containment efforts were initiated 

and continued to 1992. On October 8, 

1991, an agreement was approved by the 

United States District Court for the 

District of Alaska that settled claims of 

the United States and the State of 

Alaska against the Exxon Corporation 

and the Exxon Shipping Company for 

various criminal and civil violations. 

Under the civil settlement, Exxon 

agreed to pay to the governments $900 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 27, 2004 / Notices 62719

million over a period of 10 years. An 

additional 5-year period was established 

to possibly make additional claims. 

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee 

Council was established to manage the 

funds obtained from the civil settlement 

of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. The 

Trustee Council is composed of three 

State of Alaska trustees (Attorney 

General; Commissioner, Department of 

Environmental Conservation; and 

Commissioner, Department of Fish and 

Game) and three Federal representatives 

appointed by the Federal Trustees 

(Secretary, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture; the Administrator of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration; and the Secretary, U.S. 

Department of the Interior). 

The Public Advisory Committee was 

created pursuant to Paragraph V.A.4 of 

the Memorandum of Agreement and 

Consent Decree entered into by the 

United States of America and the State 

of Alaska on August 27, 1991 and 

approved by the United States District 

Court for the District of Alaska in 

settlement of United States of America

v. State of Alaska, Civil Action No. 

A91–081 CV. The Public Advisory 

Committee was originally chartered as 

the Public Advisory Group by the 

Secretary of the Interior on October 23, 

1992, and functions solely as an 

advisory body, and in compliance with 

the provisions of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 

App.). 

The Public Advisory Committee was 

established to advise the Trustee 

Council, and began functioning in 

October 1992. The Public Advisory 

Committee consists of 20 members 

representing the following principal 

interests: sport hunting and fishing, 

conservation and environmental, 

public-at-large, recreation users, 

commercial tourism, local government, 

science/technical, subsistence, 

commercial fishing, aquaculture and 

mariculture, marine transportation, 

regional monitoring programs, tribal 

government, and Native landowners. 

Members are appointed to serve a 2-year 

term. 

To carry out its advisory role, the 

Public Advisory Committee makes 

recommendations to, and advises, the 

Trustee Council in Alaska on the 

following matters: 

All decisions related to injury 

assessment, restoration activities, or 

other use of natural resource damage 

recovery monies obtained by the 

governments, including all decisions 

regarding: 

a. Planning, evaluation and allocation 

of available funds; 

b. Planning, evaluation and conduct 

of injury assessment and restoration 

activities; 

c. Planning, evaluation and conduct 

of long-term monitoring and research 

activities; and 

d. Coordination of a, b, and c. 

Trustee Council intentions regarding 

the importance of obtaining a diversity 

of viewpoints is stated in the Public 

Advisory Committee Background and 

Guidelines: ‘‘The Trustee Council 

intends that the Public Advisory 

Committee be established as an 

important component of the Council’s 

public involvement process.’’ The 

Council continues, stating their desire 

that ‘‘* * * a wide spectrum of views 

and interest are available for the Council 

to consider as it evaluates, develops, 

and implements restoration activities. It 

is the Council’s intent that the diversity 

of interests and views held by the Public 

Advisory Committee members 

contribute to wide ranging discussions 

that will be of benefit to the Trustee 

Council.’’

In order to ensure that a broad range 

of public viewpoints continues to be 

available to the Trustee Council, and in 

keeping with the settlement agreement, 

the continuation of the Public Advisory 

Committee for another two-year period 

is recommended. 

Certification 

I hereby certify that the renewal of the 

Charter of the Public Advisory 

Committee, an advisory committee to 

make recommendations to and advise 

the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee 

Council mandated by the settlement of 

United States of America v. State of 

Alaska, No. A91–081 CV, and is in 

accordance with the comprehensive 

Environmental Response, Compensation 

and Liability Act of 1980, as amended 

and supplemented.

Dated: October 12, 2004. 

Gale A. Norton, 

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 04–23990 Filed 10–26–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–RG–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Information Collection Renewal 

Submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for Approval Under 

the Paperwork Reduction Act; OMB 

Control Number 1018–0066; Marine 

Mammal Marking, Tagging, and 

Reporting Certificates, 50 CFR 18.23(f)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice, request for comments.

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service, have submitted the collection 

of information described below to OMB 

for approval under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To 

obtain copies of specific information 

collection requirements, related forms, 

and explanatory materials, contact our 

Information Collection Clearance Officer 

at the address or phone number listed 

below.

DATES: You must submit comments on 

or before November 26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments and 

suggestions on this information 

collection renewal to the Desk Officer 

for the Department of the Interior at 

OMB–OIRA at (202) 395–6566 (fax) or 

OIRA–DOCKET@OMB.eop.gov (e-mail). 

Please provide a copy of your comments 

to Hope Grey, Information Collection 

Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife 

Service, MS 222–ARLSQ, 4401 N. 

Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203 

(mail); (703) 358–2269 (fax); or 

hope_grey@fws.gov (e-mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request a copy of the information 

collection request, related forms, or 

explanatory information, contact Hope 

Grey by phone at (703) 358–2482 or by 

e-mail at hope_grey@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have 

submitted a request to OMB to renew 

approval of information collection 

requirements for forms R7–50, R7–51, 

and R7–52 (Marine Mammal Marking, 

Tagging, and Reporting Certificates). 

Currently, we have approval from OMB 

to collect information under OMB 

control number 1018–0066. This 

approval expires on October 31, 2004. 

We may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, a 

collection of information unless we 

display a currently valid OMB control 

number. OMB regulations at 5 CFR 

1320, which implement provisions of 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), require that 

interested members of the public and 

affected agencies have an opportunity to 

comment on information collection and 

recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 

1320.8(d)). Following our submittal, 

OMB has up to 60 days to approve or 

disapprove our information collection 

request; however, their response may be 

given as early as 30 days after our 

submittal. Therefore, to ensure your 

comments receive consideration, send 

your comments and suggestions to OMB 

by the date listed in the DATES section 

near the beginning of this notice. 

On April 30, 2004, we published in 

the Federal Register (69 FR 23802) a 60-