### 26276 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2012 / Notices

be made at the EIS scoping meetings that will be held at the locations listed below.

**ADDRESSES :**  Send letters with comments and suggestions on the proposed scope of the Draft EIS, and requests to be placed on the project mailing list, to Bonneville Power Administration, Public Affairs Office—DKE–7, P.O. Box 14428, Portland, OR 97293–4428, or by fax to (503) 230–4019. You also may call BPA’s toll free comment line at (800) 622–4519 and leave a message (please include the name of this project); or submit comments online at www.bpa.gov/comment. BPA will also post all comment letters received in their entirety on BPA’s Web site at www.bpa.gov/comment.

On May 22, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho 83501. On May 23, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Linwood Elementary School, 906 West Weile Avenue, Spokane, Washington 99208. On June 12, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Missoula Fire Department (Station 4), 3011 Latimor Street, Missoula, Montana 59808. And lastly, on June 13, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the St. Regis School, 6 Tiger Street, St. Regis, Montana 59866.

At these informal open-house style meetings, BPA will provide maps and other information about the project and have members of the project team available to answer questions and accept oral and written comments. You may stop by anytime during the open house.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Andrew M. Montan  ̃ o, Environmental Protection Specialist, Bonneville Power Administration—KEC–4, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208–3621; toll-free telephone 1–800–282–3713; direct telephone 503–230–4145; or email ammontano@bpa.gov. You may also contact Amit Sinha, Project Manager, Bonneville Power Administration— TEP–3, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208–3621; toll-free telephone 1–800– 282–3713; direct telephone 360–619– 6178; or email axsinha@bpa.gov. Additional information can be found at BPA’s project Web site at www.bpa.gov/ go/M2W.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  In 2010, BPA conducted a Network Open Season (NOS) process to help manage its list of reque‘‘’’sts for long-term transmission service. During the NOS process, utilities and power generators (including wind generators and power marketers) requested the use of BPA’s transmission system to transmit their power. To determine if BPA could offer the service requested, BPA studied the transmission system and identified where existing capacity was available and where the system needed upgrades. The studies found that there was not enough available transmission capacityto accommodate all requests for longterm service from the west side of its Garrison Substation in Western Montana to load centers west of the Cascades. Wind generation facilities built and proposed in the region have greatly increased the amount of power being produced in Montana seeking load and markets in the Northwest. Further studies revealed that reinforcing the BPA Network at strategic locations on the Garrison-Taft, Taft-Dworshak and Taft-Bell, Hatwai-Lower Granite, and Grand Coulee-Bell sections would allow BPA to accommodate the requests for transmission service in this area.

BPA must respond to these requests for transmission service under its Open Access Transmission Tariff. This tariff, which is generally consistent with the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s pro forma open access tariff, has procedures that provide access to BPA’s transmission system for all eligible customers, consistent with all BPA requirements (including the availability or development of sufficient transmission capacity) and subject to an environmental review under NEPA. The proposed Montana-to-Washington Transmission System Upgrade Project, formerly known as the Colstrip Upgrade Project or ‘‘CUP West,’’ would respond to these requests for transmission
service.

BPA will prepare an EIS under NEPA to assist the agency as it decides whether to perform these proposed transmission system upgrades. The EIS will study two alternatives: The proposed system upgrades and a No Action Alternative in which BPA would not upgrade its system and not be able to provide the requested transmission service. BPA will be the lead agency for preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies for the EIS may be identified as the proposed project proceeds through the NEPA process.

Public Participation and Identification of Environmental Issues. The potential environmental issues identified for most transmission line projects include land use, socioeconomics, cultural resources, visual resources, electric and magnetic fields, sensitive plants and animals, soil erosion, wetlands, floodplains, and fish and water resources. BPA has established a 45-day scoping period during which tribes, affected landowners, concerned citizens, special interest groups, local and federal governments, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on the scope of the proposed EIS, including the environmental impacts to be evaluated. Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in the EIS, and also will identify significant or potentially significant impacts that may result from the proposed project. When completed, the Draft EIS will be circulated for review and comment, and BPA will hold public meetings to hear comments. The Draft EIS is expected to be published in the fall of 2013. BPA will consider and respond to comments received on the Draft EIS in the Final EIS. The Final EIS is expected to be published in fall of 2014. BPA’s decision will be documented in a Record of Decision that will follow the Final EIS.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on April 23,

2012. Stephen J. Wright, Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.

[FR Doc. 2012–10673 Filed 5–2–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY**

**Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy** 

**Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee** 

**AGENCY :**  Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

**ACTION :**  Notice of open meeting.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice announces an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register

.

**DATES :**  Tuesday, May 22, 2012; 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 23, 2012; 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Biological Sciences Facility & Computational Sciences Facility, 3300 Stevens Drive, Richland, Washington

99354.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Elliott Levine, Designated Federal Officer, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue


### 26277 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2012 / Notices

SW., Washington, DC 20585; (202) 586– 1476; Email: Elliott.Levine@ee.doe.gov

. **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and guidance that promotes research and development leading to the production of biobased fuels and biobased products.

Tentative Agenda: Agenda will include the following:

• Update on USDA Biomass R&D

Activities

• Update on DOE Biomass R&D

Activities

• Presentations on Biomass related

research in the Northwest

• Update on the Biomass Research and

Development Initiative Public Participation: In keeping with procedures, members of the public are welcome to observe the business of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. To attend the meeting and/or to make oral statements regarding any of the items on the agenda, you must contact Elliott Levine at 202–586–1476; Email: Elliott.Levine@ee.doe.gov or Roy Tiley at (410) 997–7778 ext. 220; Email: rtiley@bcs-hq.com at least 5 business days prior to the meeting. Members of the public will be heard in the order in which they sign up at the beginning of the meeting. Reasonable provision will be made to include the scheduled oral statements on the agenda. The Co-chairs of the Committee will make every effort to hear the views of all interested parties. If you would like to file a written statement with the Committee, you may do so either before or after the meeting. The Co-chairs will conduct the meeting to facilitate the orderly conduct of business.

Minutes: The minutes of the meeting will be available for public review and copying at the following Web site: http://biomassboard.gov/committee/ meetings.html

.

Issued at Washington, DC, on April 27,

2012. LaTanya R. Butler, Acting Deputy Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 2012–10670 Filed 5–2–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**

**EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE U.S.**

**[Public Notice 2012–0088]**

**Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment**  **Request**

**AGENCY :**  Export-Import Bank of the U.S.

**ACTION :**  Submission for OMB Review and Comments Request. Form Title: EIB 99–14 Export Import Bank Trade Reference form.

**SUMMARY :**  The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as a part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to comment on the proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Ex-Im Bank is requesting an emergency approval of Ex-Im Bank form EIB 99–14 Export Import Bank Trade Reference form. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank is requesting an emergency approval of form EIB 99–14, Trade Reference Form. This form providesessential credit information used by ExIm Bank credit officers when analyzing requests for export credit insurance/ financing support, both short-term (360 days & less) & medium-term (longer than 360 days), for the export of their US goods and services. Additionally,this form is an integral part of the shortterm Multi-Buyer export credit insurance policy for those policyholders granted foreign buyer discretionarycredit limit authority (DCL). MultiBuyer policy holders given DCL authority may use this form as the sole source or one piece among several sources of credit information for their internal foreign buyer credit decision in which, in turn, commits Ex-Im’s guarantee.

Lack of an emergency approval of this form would greatly restrict our ability to support many of the export sales made by U.S. businesses. Ex-Im Bank and its Multi-Buyer policyholders use the Trade Reference Form approximately 6,500 times annually. Thus the Trade Reference Form is critical to Ex-Im Bankand in particular to over 2,300 MultiBuyer policyholders during their foreign buyer credit review process. This would adversely impact Ex-Im Bank’s ability to finance small business exporters and its overall mission to support U.S. exports and maintain U.S. jobs. Accordingly, Ex-Im Bank requests emergency approval of EIB 99–14 in order to continue operation of this important export program.

The form can be viewed at www.exim.gov/pub/pending/eib99- 14.pdf.

**DATES :**  Comments should be received on or before July 2, 2012 to be assured of consideration.

**ADDRESSES :**  Comments may be submitted electronically on www.regulations.gov or by mail to Jean Fitzgibbon, Export Import Bank of the United States, 811 Vermont Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20571. **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Titles and Form Number: EIB 99–14 Export Import Bank Trade Reference form.

OMB Number: 3048–xxx. Type of Review: Emergency Clearance. Need and Use: This form providesessential credit information used by ExIm Bank credit officers when analyzing requests for export credit insurance/ financing support, both short-term (360 days & less) & medium-term (longer than 360 days), for the export of their US goods and services. Additionally,this form is an integral part of the shortterm Multi-Buyer export credit insurance policy for those policyholders granted foreign buyer discretionarycredit limit authority (DCL). MultiBuyer policy holders given DCL authority may use this form as the sole source or one piece among several sources of credit information for their internal foreign buyer credit decision in which, in turn, commits Ex-Im’s guarantee.

Affected Public: This form affects entities involved in the export of U.S goods and services.

Annual Number of Respondents:
6,500.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 15 minutes.

Government Annual Burden Hours: 1,625 hours.

Frequency of Reporting or Use: As needed.

Sharon A. Whitt, Agency Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 2012–10662 Filed 5–2–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6690–01–P**

**EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES** 

**Economic Impact Policy**

This notice is to inform the public that the Export-Import Bank of the United States has received an application for a $35 million transaction specific working capital guarantee to support the export of approximately $63.5 million worth of sulphur purification equipment and services to Iraq. The repayment term of the working capital guarantee is 24 months. The U.S. exports will enable the Iraqi mining company to establish a maximum production capacity of 500,000 metric tons of sulphur per year. Available information indicates that all of the Iraqi sulphur production will be sold domestically in Iraq. Interested parties may submit comments on this transaction by email to economic.impact@exim.gov or by mail to 811 Vermont Avenue NW., Room