3432 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices

improve teaching and achievement at

the K–12 and postsecondary education

levels. The Commission must issue a

final report to the President and the

Congress, not later than 12 months after

the first meeting of the commission,

which occurred November 16–17, 1999.

The final report will contain a detailed

statement of the Commission’s findings

and conclusions, as well as

recommendations.

The purpose of the February 2–3

hearing and meeting is to begin the

Commission’s investigation and approve

a detailed mission and plan. On both

February 2 and 3, the Commission will

hear from government and public

witnesses on the potential for web-based

and other technology-mediated content

to transform and improve teaching and

learning at the K–12 and postsecondary

education levels, as well as the

regulatory and institutional barriers to

this transformation. On February 3, the

Commission will also meet to approve

its mission and plan for the year.

The hearing and meeting are open to

the general public. Records are kept of

all Commission proceeding and are

available for public inspection at the

office of the Web-Based Education

Commission, Room 8091, 1990 K Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20006–8533 from

the hours of 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The

meeting site is accessible to individuals

with disabilities. An individual with a

disability who will need an auxiliary

aid or service to participate in the

meeting (e.g., interpreting services,

assisted listening device or materials in

an alternate format) should notify the

contact person listed in this notice at

least two weeks before the scheduled

meeting date. Although the Department

will attempt to meet a request received

after that date, the requested auxiliary

aid or service may not be available

because of insufficient time to arrange

it.

Dated: January 13, 2000.

A. Lee Fritschler,

Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary

Education.

[FR Doc. 00–1455 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. EA–171–A]

Application to Export Electric Energy;

British Columbia Power Exchange

Corporation

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Application.

SUMMARY: British Columbia Power

Exchange Corporation (Powerex) has

applied for renewal of its authority to

transmit electric energy from the United

States to Canada pursuant to section

202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

DATES: Comments, protests or requests

to intervene must be submitted on or

before February 22, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests or

requests to intervene should be

addressed as follows: Office of Coal &

Power Im/Ex (FE–27), Office of Fossil

Energy, U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585–0350 (FAX 202–

287–5736).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rosalind Carter (Program Office) 202–

586-7983 or Michael Skinker (Program

Attorney) 202–586–2793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 25, 1998, the Office of Fossil

Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy

(DOE) issued Order No. EA–171

authorizing Powerex to transmit electric

energy from the United States to Canada

as a power marketer using the

international electric transmission

facilities owned and operated by Basin

Electric Power Cooperative, Bonneville

Power Administration, Citizens

Utilities, Detroit Edison, Eastern Maine

Electric Cooperative, Joint Owners of

the Highgate Project, Inc., Maine

Electric Power Company, Maine Public

Service Company, Minnesota Power and

Light Co., Inc., Minnkota Power, New

York Power Authority, Niagara Mohawk

Power Corp., Northern States Power,

and Vermont Electric Transmission

Company. That two-year authorization

will expire on February 25, 2000.

On January 11, 2000, Powerex filed an

application with FE for renewal of the

export authority contained in Order No.

EA–171. Powerex has requested that

authorization be issued for a five year

term and that the international

transmission facilities of Long Sault,

Inc. be added to the list of authorized

export points.

Procedural Matters

Any person desiring to become a

party to this proceeding or to be heard

by filing comments or protests to this

application should file a petition to

intervene, comment or protest at the

address provided above in accordance

with §§ 385.211 or 385.214 of the

FERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedures

(18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Fifteen

copies of each petition and protest

should be filed with the DOE on or

before the date listed above.

Comments on the Powerex request to

export to Canada should be clearly

marked with Docket EA–171–A.

Additional copies are to be filed directly

with Mr. Douglas Little, Vice President,

Trade Policy & Development, British

Columbia Power Exchange Corporation,

666 Burrard Street, Suite 1400,

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

V6C 2X8, and Paul W. Fox, Esq.,

Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., 111

Congress Avenue, Suite 2300, Austin,

Texas 78701 and Tracey L. Bradley,

Energy Regulatory Consultant,

Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., 2000 K

Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC

20006.

DOE notes that the circumstances

described in this application are

virtually identical to those for which

export authority had previously been

granted in FE Order No. EA–171.

Consequently, DOE believes that it has

adequately satisfied its responsibilities

under the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 through the

documentation of a categorical

exclusion in the FE Docket EA–171

proceeding.

Copies of this application will be

made available, upon request, for public

inspection and copying at the address

provided above or by accessing the

Fossil Energy Home Page at http://

www.fe.doe.gov. Upon reaching the

Fossil Energy Home page, select

‘‘Regulatory Programs,’’ then

‘‘Electricity Regulation,’’ and then

‘‘Pending Proceedings’’ from the options

menus.

Issued in Washington, D.C., on January 14,

2000.

Anthony J. Como,

Deputy Director, Electric Power Regulation,

Office of Coal & Power Im/Ex, Office of Coal

& Power Systems, Office of Fossil Energy.

[FR Doc. 00–1497 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Idaho High-level Waste and Facilities

Disposition Draft Environment Impact

Statement

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(DOE) announces the availability of the

Idaho High-level Waste and Facilities

Disposition Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for public review and

comment. This Draft EIS has been

prepared in accordance with the

requirements of the National

Environment Policy Act of 1969 as

amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.); Council on Environmental Quality

regulations implementing NEPA, 40

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices 3433

CFR Parts 1500–1508; and DOE NEPA

Implementing Procedures, 10 CFR Part

1021. The State of Idaho is a

Cooperating Agency in the preparation

of this Draft EIS and will continue to be

involved in the review and preparation

of the Final EIS.

This Draft EIS evaluates five waste

processing alternatives and six facilities

disposition alternatives for high-level

radioactive (HLW) waste and liquid

mixed transuranic waste stored at DOE’s

Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory (INEEL).

Currently, there are approximately 4,200

cubic meters of HLW stored in bins as

a dry granular calcine and

approximately 1.4 million gallons of

liquid mixed transuranic waste stored in

underground tanks.

Neither DOE nor the State of Idaho

has identified a preferred alternative.

After considering information in this

Draft EIS and other relevant

information, DOE and the State will

enter into discussions concerning the

preferred alternative. If DOE and the

State reached agreement, the Final EIS

will identify the agreed-upon preferred

alternative; if not, the Final EIS will set

forth both the State’s and DOE’s

respective choices for the preferred

alternative.

The public is invited to comment on

the Draft EIS during a 60-day public

comment period, which starts on the

date of this Notice and ends on March

20, 2000. All comments received during

the public comment period will be

considered in preparing the Final EIS.

Late comments will be considered to the

extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Requests for information

about this Draft EIS should be directed

to: Thomas L. Wichmann, NEPA

Document Manager, U.S. Department of

Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 850

Energy Drive, MS 1108, Idaho Falls, ID

83401–1563, (208) 526–0535.

Copies of the document can be

requested by telephone at 1–888–918–

5100.

Written comments on the Draft EIS

can be mailed to Thomas L. Wichmann,

NEPA Document Manager, U.S.

Department of Energy, Idaho Operations

Office, 850 Energy Drive, MS 1108,

Idaho Falls, ID 83401–1563, Attention:

Public Comments, Idaho, HLW & FD

EIS, or submitted by fax to: 208–526–

1184, or submitted electronically to:

http://www.jason.com/hlwfdeis.

Oral comments on the Draft EIS will

be accepted only during the public

hearings scheduled for the dates and

locations provided in the DATES section

of this Notice.

For information on the DOE National

Environmental Policy Act process,

contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director,

Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance

(EH–42), U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586–4600

or leave a message at 1–800–472–2756.

Copies of the Draft EIS and supporting

technical reports are available for

review at the addresses listed in the

‘‘Availability of the Draft EIS’’ section of

this Notice.

DATES: The public is invited to submit

written and/or oral comments on the

Draft EIS. Comments may also be

submitted electronically to http://

www.jason.com/hlwfdeis. Example

topics on which DOE welcomes

comments include: the technical

adequacy of the document; what

additional alternatives/options should

be analyzed; which alternatives/options

DOE should select upon completion of

the document; and what criteria DOE

should use in making these selections.

DOE’s responses to all comments

received during the public comment

period will be presented in the Final

EIS. The comment period on this Draft

EIS begins on the date of this Notice and

ends on March 20, 2000. Comments

postmarked after that date will be

considered to the extent practicable.

DOE expects to issue the Final EIS in

mid-2000.

DOE will hold a series of 7 public

hearings according to the schedule

below. The session format will provide

for collection of written and oral

comments and will enable the public to

discuss issues and concerns with DOE

managers. Participants who wish to

present oral comments at the hearings

are asked to registger in advance by

calling the toll-free number: 1–888–918–

5100. Requests to speak that have not

been submitted prior to the hearings

will be handled in the order in which

they are received during the hearings.

SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

Cities Dates Meeting times Meeting locations

Idaho Falls, ID ............................................... February 7, 2000 ................ 7:00 pm ................... Shilo Inn.

Pocatello, ID .................................................. February 8, 2000 ................ 6:00 pm ................... Idaho State University Student Union.

Jackson, WY .................................................. February 9, 2000 ................ 6:00 pm ................... Snow King Lodge.

Twin Falls, ID ................................................. February 15, 2000 .............. 6:00 pm ................... College of Southern ID Taylor Building.

Boise, ID ........................................................ February 17, 2000 .............. 6:00 pm ................... The Grove Hotel.

Portland, OR .................................................. February 22, 2000 .............. 6:00 pm ................... Doubletree Lloyd Center.

Pasco, WA ..................................................... February 24, 2000 .............. 6:00 pm ................... Doubletree Pasco Hotel.

Open house will be held one hour prior to meeting times.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

From 1952 to 1991, DOE and its

predecessor agencies reprocessed spent

nuclear reactor fuel at the Idaho

Chemical Processing Plant, located on

the Snake River Plain in the desert of

Southeast Idaho. This facility, now

known as the Idaho Nuclear Technology

Engineering Center (INTEC), is part of

the INEEL nuclear research complex

that has served the nation through both

peaceful and defense-related missions.

Reprocessing operations at INTEC

produced mixed HLW (i.e., HLW

containing hazardous characteristics or

components that are regulated under the

Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act) HLW from the first extraction cycle

of the operation. Subsequent treatment

processes and decontamination

activities generated liquid mixed

transuranic waste. This waste is much

less radioactive than the mixed HLW.

All of the liquid mixed HLW was

converted to calcine (a dry granular

substance) over several years. This

conversion was completed in 1998.

Stored in large, robust bin sets, the

mixed HLW calcine is a more stable

waste form that poses less

environmental risk than liquid

radioactive waste stored in underground

tanks. However, the mixed HLW calcine

does not meet planned HLW disposal

repository waste acceptance criteria,

and further treatment would be

necessary to convert the mixed HLW

calcine to a form that would be

acceptable for disposal in such a

repository. At present, approximately

4,200 cubic meters of mixed HLW

calcine is stored in the bin sets.

3434 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices

Since spent nuclear fuel reprocessing

was discontinued in 1991, DOE has

continued to accumulate liquid mixed

transuranic waste in underground tanks

from decontamination and other

ongoing operations. At present,

approximately 1.4 million gallons of

liquid mixed transuranic waste is stored

in eleven underground tanks.

In a 1995 Settlement Agreement, DOE

and the State of Idaho agreed that the

underground tanks would be emptied

down to the residual heels by 2012, and

that by a target date of 2035, all of the

mixed HWL would be treated and made

ready for shipment out of Idaho. DOE

intends to continue to manage these

wastes according to regulatory

requirements, in a manner that helps to

ensure the protection of human health

and the environment.

To meet its commitments and

objectives, DOE needs to decide:

• How to treat INTEC mixed HLW so

that it can be transported out of Idaho

to a storage facility or repository.

• How to treat and where to dispose

of other radioactive wastes that are

associated with the HLW management

program at INTEC.

• How to close associated HWLrelated facilities.

On September 19, 1997, DOE issued

a Notice of Intent (62 FR 49209) to

prepare the Idaho High-level Waste and

Facilities Disposition Environmental

Impact Statement. The public scoping

period announced in the Notice of

Intent extended from September 19,

1997, to November 24, 1997. During this

period, DOE held public scoping

workshops in Idaho Falls and Boise,

Idaho. DOE also sponsored open houses,

set up and staffed booths and displays

at shopping malls throughout southern

Idaho, made presentations to schools

and civic groups, and provided

individual briefings to government and

Tribal officials, local interest groups,

site employees, and the INEEL Citizens

Advisory Board. DOE received more

than 900 comments during the public

scoping period and used these

comments to refine the proposed action

and the alternatives. The proposed

action and alternatives analyzed in this

Draft EIS are described in the following

two sections.

Proposed Action

DOE has identified the following

proposed actions to support the needed

decisions.

• Develop appropriate technologies

and construct facilities necessary to

manage INTEC mixed HLW and mixed

liquid transuranic waste.

• Treat the mixed HLW calcine so

that it will be suitable for disposal in a

repository.

• Treat and dispose of the sodiumbearing, liquid mixed transuranic waste.

• Provide for the disposition of the

INTEC HLW management facilities

when their missions are completed.

Alternatives Analyzed

DOE analyzed the potential impacts of

implementing five waste processing and

six facilities disposition alternatives

over the period 2000 through 2095. Each

alternative has a specific time line for

implementation and completion. For

residual contamination or waste

disposal, DOE analyzed potential

impacts over 10,000 years.

Waste Processing Alternatives address

HLW treatment technologies,

pretreatment requirements for the liquid

mixed transuranic waste, and storage

and disposal options for treated wastes.

These alternatives are listed and briefly

described below.

• No Action Alternative—This

alternative serves as a basis for

comparing other alternatives. DOE

would not continue to calcine liquid

mixed transuranic waste, but would

continue to reduce the volume of this

waste via evaporation until all of the

available underground tanks are full.

The liquid mixed transuranic waste

would remain in the tanks indefinitely,

and the mixed HLW calcine would

remain in the bins indefinitely.

Maintenance to protect workers and the

environment would continue, but there

would be no major upgrades.

• Continued Current Operations

Alternative—The calcining facility

would be upgraded and would continue

processing the liquid mixed transuranic

wastes to empty the underground tanks

to material left in the tanks after initial

reprocessing. Residual material in the

tanks would be treated; transuranic

waste would be shipped to the Waste

Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal, and

low-level waste would be grouted for

disposal at INEEL. The mixed HLW

calcine would remain in the bin sets

indefinitely.

• Separations Alternative—Three

options were analyzed for chemically

separating the waste into fractions that

would be disposed of according to their

waste classification. These options are

as follows.

The Full Separations Option would

retrieve and dissolve the mixed HLW

calcine from the bin sets and would

chemically separate the most highly

radioactive and long-lived radiosotopes

from both mixed HLW calcine and the

liquid mixed transuranic waste. The

most highly radioactive wastes would

be prepared for disposal in a HLW

repository. The process stream

remaining, after separating out the

mixed HLW fraction, would be managed

as mixed low-level waste, suitable for

disposal in a near-surface landfill at

INEEL or an offsite disposal facility.

The Planning Basis Option reflects

previously announced DOE decisions

and agreements with the State of Idaho

regarding the management of mixed

HLW and liquid mixed transuranic

waste. This option is similar to the Full

Separations Option except that, prior to

separation, the liquid mixed tansuranic

waste would be calcined and stored in

the bin sets along with the mixed HLW.

Under this option, the low-level waste

fraction would be grouted for disposal

offsite.

The Transuranic Separations Option

would retrieve and dissolve the mixed

HLW calcine and chemically treat the

dissolved calcine and the liquid mixed

transuranic waste, including the

residual material remaining in the tanks.

This treatment process would result in

waste streams that could be managed as

transuranic waste and as low-level

waste. A HLW fraction would not result.

The transuranic waste would be

packaged and shipped to the Waste

Isolation Plant for disposal, and the lowlevel waste would be grouted for

disposal at INEEL or at an offsite

disposal facility.

• Non-Separations Alternative—The

mixed HLW and liquid mixed

transuranic waste would be processed

into immobilized forms. Transuranic

waste generated as a result of these

processes would be packaged and

shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot

Plant for disposal, and low-level wastes

would be grouted for disposal in a nearsurface landfill at INEEL or offsite.

These treatment options are as follows.

The Hot Isostatic Waste Option would

calcine the liquid mixed transuranic

waste and add the calcine to the mixed

HLW calcine in the bin sets. All calcine

would then be retrieved and converted

to an impervious, glass-ceramic waste

form. Implementing this option would

require a determination from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency that

the final form of the HLW would be

suitable for disposal in a HLW

repository.

The Direct Cement Waste Option is

similar to the Hot Isostatic Waste Option

except that all of the calcine would be

converted to a cement-like solid.

Implementing this option would require

a determination from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency that

the final form of the HLW would be

suitable for disposal in a HLW

repository.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices 3435

The Early Vitrification Option would

directly process both the mixed HLW

calcine and the liquid mixed

transuranic waste into a glass-like solid.

The resulting HLW glass would be

suitable for disposal in a repository; the

mixed transuranic waste would be

shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot

Plant.

• Minimum INEEL Processing

Alternative—The mixed HLW calcine

would be retrieved, packaged for

transportation, and shipped to DOE’s

Hanford Site in Richland, WA. The

calcine would be separated into highradioactivity and low-radioactivity

fractions. The high-radioactivity fraction

would be processed to a glass form

suitable for disposal in a repository and

either shipped directly to an offsite

facility or returned to INEEL to await

shipment to a HLW repository.

Likewise, the low-radioactivity fraction

would be prepared for disposal in a

near-surface landfill at INEEL or an

offsite facility.

Facilities Disposition Alternatives

were developed and analyzed to address

the final risk component of the

proposed actions and close HLW

treatment and associated management

facilities when their missions are

completed. These alternatives are listed

and briefly described below.

• No Action Alternative—DOE would

not close its HLW facilities at INEEL,

but would maintain the facilities to

ensure the safety and health of workers

and the public until 2095. After that

time, for purposes of analysis, DOE

assumed that institutional controls such

as surveillance and maintenance would

not continue.

• Clean Closure Alternative—All of

the hazardous wastes and radiological

contaminants, including contaminated

equipment, would be removed from the

facility or treated so that any remaining

hazardous and radiological

contaminants would be

indistinguishable from background

concentrations.

• Performance-based Closure

Alternative—Closure methods would be

determined on a case-by-case basis,

depending on risk, in accordance with

risk-based criteria. Most above-ground

structures would be razed and most

underground structures would be

decontaminated and left in place. Any

remaining facilities would be

decontaminated to comply with

applicable requirements for protecting

the health of workers and the public.

• Closure to Landfill Standards

Alternative—Facilities would be closed

in accordance with State of Idaho and

Federal requirements specified in

regulations for closure of landfills.

• Performance-based Closure with

Class A Grout Alternative—Facilities

would be closed as described for the

Performance-based Closure alternative,

except that the tanks or bin sets would

be used to dispose of Class A Type lowlevel waste.

• Performance-based Closure with

Class C Grout Alternative—Facilities

would be closed as described for the

Performance-based Closure alternative,

except that the tanks or bin sets would

be used to dispose of Class C Type lowlevel waste.

Preferred Alternative

Neither DOE nor the State of Idaho

has identified a preferred alternative for

either the waste processing or the

facilities disposition alternatives. After

considering information in this Draft

EIS, including public comments and

other relevant information, DOE and the

State will enter into discussions

concerning the preferred alternative. If

DOE and the State reach agreement, the

Final EIS will identify the agreed-upon

preferred alternative; if not, the Final

EIS will set forth both the State’s and

DOE’s respective choices for the

preferred alternatives.

Availability of the Draft EIS

Copies of this Draft EIS have been

distributed to Federal, State, and local

officials, as well as agencies,

organizations and individuals who may

be interested or affected. This Draft EIS

is available on the Internet at: http://

tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/docs/docs.htm.

Additional copies can be requested by

telephone at 1–888–918–5100. Copies of

the Draft EIS and supporting technical

reports are also available for public

review at the locations listed below.

In December 1999, the National

Research Council issued a study that

DOE had requested of the technical

options for treating high-level waste at

the Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory. Copies of the

study, entitled Alternative High-level

Waste Treatments at the Idaho National

Engineering and Environmental

Laboratory, are also available at the

locations listed below. DOE will

consider the study and all comments

received during the public comment

period in preparing the Final EIS.

Colorado

U.S. Department of Energy, Rocky Flats

Operations Office, Public Reading

Room, Front Range College Library,

3705 112th Avenue, Westminister, CO

80030, Telephone: (303) 469–4435

Idaho

Boise Outreach Office, INEEL-Boise City

National Bank, 895 West Idaho Street,

Boise, ID 83706, Telephone: (208)

334–9572

Boise Public Library, 715 Capital

Boulevard, Boise, ID 83706,

Telephone: (208) 384–4023

Boise State University Library,

Albertson Library, 1910 University

Drive, Boise, ID 83705, Telephone:

(208) 426–3903

Shoshone-Bannock Library, Bannock

and Pima Streets, P.O. Box 306, Fort

Hall, ID 83203, Telephone: (208) 238–

3882

INEEL Technical Library, DOE Public

Reading Room, 2525 N. Fremont

Place, University Place, Idaho Falls,

ID 83402, Telephone: (208) 526–9162

Idaho Falls Public Library, 457

Broadway, Idaho Falls, ID 83402,

Telephone: (208) 529–1450

Lewis-Clark State College, The Library,

500 8th Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501,

Telephone: (208) 799–5272

University of Idaho Library, Rayburn

Street, Moscow, ID 83844, Telephone:

(208) 885–6344

Idaho State University Public Library,

741 South 7th Ave., Pocatello, ID

83209, Telephone: (208) 236–3152

Twin Falls Public Library, 434 2nd

Street East, Twin Falls, ID 83301,

(208) 733–2964

Montana

Mansfield Library, Government

Documents Collection, University of

Montana, Missoula, MT 59812,

Telephone: (406) 243–6860

Nevada

U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada

Operations Office, Public Reading

Room, 2621 Losee Rd., B–3 Building,

North Las Vegas, NV 89030,

Telephone: (702) 295–0731

New Mexico

US DOE Public Document Collection,

University of New Mexico

Government Information Department,

Zimmerman Library, Albuquerque,

NM 87131, Telephone: (505) 277–

5441

Oregon

U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville

Power Administration Reading Room,

905 Northeast 11th Avenue, Portland,

OR 97232, Telephone: (503) 725–4617

Utah

Marriott Library, Public Document

Collection, University of Utah, 295 S.

1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112,

Telephone: (801) 581–8394

3436 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices

Washington

U.S. Department of Energy, Richland

Operations Office, Washington State

University, WSU Tri-Cities Branch

Campus, 100 Sprout Road, Richlands,

WA 99352, Telephone: (509) 376–

8583

Wyoming

Teton County Public Library, 125

Virginian Lane, Jackson, WY 83001,

Telephone: (307) 733–2164

Wyoming State Library, Government

Documents Collection, 2301 Capitol

Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002,

Telephone: (307) 777–6333

District of Columbia

DOE Forrestal Building, Freedom of

Information Reading Room, 1000

Independence Ave., SW, Washington,

DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586–6020

Issued in Washington, DC, January 14,

2000.

Mark W. Frei,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Project

Completion, Environmental Management.

[FR Doc. 00–1494 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Chicago Operations Office; Office of

Industrial Technologies

Notice of Solicitation for Financial

Assistance Applications for

Cooperative Research and

Development for Advanced Materials

in Advanced Industrial Gas Turbines

AGENCY: Chicago Operations Office,

DOE.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation

availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(DOE) announces its interest in

receiving applications for federal

assistance. The purpose of this research

is to advance the state of development

of one or more advanced material

system(s) for integration into Advanced

Industrial Gas Turbine Systems used in

power generation service. In order to

reach this goal, development, subsystem

testing, and demonstration of optimized

and fully integrated components

comprising advanced material system(s)

must be performed.

DATES: The solicitation document will

be available on or about December 17,

1999. Applications are due on or about

February 4, 2000. Awards are

anticipated by June 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The solicitation will be

available on the internet by accessing

the DOE Chicago Operations Office

Acquisition and Assistance Group home

page at http://www.ch.doe.gov/business/

acq.htm under the heading ‘‘Current

Solicitations’’, Solicitation No. DE–

SC02–00CH11005. Completed

applications referencing Solicitation No.

DE–SC02–00CH11005 must be

submitted to the U.S. Department of

Energy, Chicago Operations Office,

Communications Center, Building 201,

Room 168, 9800 South Cass Avenue,

Argonne, IL 60439–4899, ATTN:

Roberta D. Schroeder, Acquisition and

Assistance Group.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roberta D. Schroeder at 630/252–2708,

U.S. Department of Energy, 9800 South

Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439–4899,

by facsimile at 630/252–5045, or by

electronic mail at

roberta.schroeder@ch.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Scope

of Work covers applied research and

pre-commercial demonstration in five

work areas as described below as Tasks

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In addition to these

tasks the Scope of Work includes

Subtasks A and B. Subtask A will

require the participant to provide a

report covering the potential technical

market and technical/economic barriers.

Subtask B will require the participant to

provide a commercialization plan for

advanced industrial turbines utilizing

advanced material system(s).

The Tasks represent an increasing

progression of maturation stages for

technology development. Tasks 1 and 2

involve research, design, and

development of advanced materials

systems, Tasks 3 and 4 involve

technology systems development

including gas-turbine modifications,

and Task 5 involves pre-commercial

demonstration. Depending on the

current maturation of proposed

technologies, the work may start at any

task if prior work has been performed

that would satisfy completion or

sufficient progress of the previous

task(s). For example, an applicant with

an innovative concept but limited

development experience for that

concept may decide to apply only under

Task 1—whereas applicants with more

developed concepts may elect to bypass

the initial tasks. Applications may

address any combination or portions of

the tasks. While it is not mandatory for

applications to address only

sequentially numbered tasks (e.g.,

applying under Tasks 1, 3 and 4 is

allowable), there must be a logical

sequence of the tasks to be performed

based on the nature of the work to be

performed.

The ultimate maturation of

technologies will be reached upon the

attainment of the solicitation objectives

in a pre-commercial demonstration of

8,000 hours (Task 5). Although it is the

intention of this solicitation to support

development of advanced material

systems that will so culminate, there

also is relevancy in gaining a better

understanding of the advanced

materials systems and their impact on

gas turbines. In such a case,

development of a completed

commercial system may not be feasible.

For example, development may end

prior to the maturation state of Task 5,

or Task 5 may be scheduled to complete

less than the 8,000 hours (but more than

4,000 hours as discussed below)

identified in the solicitation as a goal for

commercialization. Regardless of the

tasks proposed, applications will raise

the maturation level of the concept

relative to the solicitation objectives.

Insofar as Subtask A and B are

concerned, all participants will

complete the program and planning

report required by Subtask A, which

will become a subtask of the lowest

numbered Task proposed. Additionally,

participants performing work under

Tasks 3, 4 and/or 5 will complete the

commercialization plan required by

Subtask B as a part of the lowest

numbered Task proposed that is equal

to or greater than 3.

All work proposed to be performed

under an application must be scheduled

for completion within the three-year life

expectancy of this program.

Under Tasks 1 and 2 that follow, the

work may be performed with respect to

test devices or turbines that could serve

as a logical and cost effective

intermediate basis for developing

technologies for advanced material

systems. However, any such technology

developed under Tasks 1 and 2 must

have applicability to advanced

industrial gas turbines.

Under Tasks 3, 4 and 5 that follow, all

work must be performed with respect to

advanced industrial gas turbines

(including test devices suitable to

characterize aspects of advanced

industrial gas turbines), and the

demonstration required under Task 5

must be performed on an advanced

industrial gas turbine(s). In performing

this work, one or more such turbines

may be used.

Work under all tasks requires the

participation of material processors at

any level (applicant or sub-applicant)

with sufficient responsibility to

accomplish the work proposed. Work

under all tasks also will be enhanced by

the participation of an end user. For

these tasks, this solicitation encourages

the coordination of technical and

administrative activities with an end