This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

40775 

Vol. 72, No. 142 

Wednesday, July 25, 2007 

1Sewage means human body wastes and the 

wastes from toilets and other receptacles intended 

to receive or retain body wastes (40 CFR 140.1(a)). 

2 ‘‘Large vessel’’ is used herein to mean any vessel 

of 300 GRT or more. 300 GRT is an established state 

and federal size class threshold for vessel discharge 

regulation purposes. This includes oceangoing 

ships and cruise ships. ‘‘Oceangoing ship’’ means 

a private, commercial, government, or military 

vessel of 300 GRT or more, not including cruise 

ships. ‘‘Cruise ship’’ means a vessel with 250 or 

more passenger berths for hire. 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

15 CFR Part 922 

Notice of Intent to Prepare a 

Supplemental Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Channel 

Islands National Marine Sanctuary 

Management Plan Review 

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuary 

Program, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s (NOAA) National 

Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) is 

preparing a Supplemental Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement 

(SDEIS) to supplement and/or replace 

information contained in the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

for the Channel Islands National Marine 

Sanctuary (CINMS or Sanctuary) 

management plan review. The SDEIS 

will analyze revisions to the Sanctuary’s 

proposed action that would, in effect, 

prohibit the following discharges within 

the Sanctuary: (1) All sewage from 

vessels 300 gross registered tons (GRT) 

or more, including cruise ships and 

oceangoing ships; and (2) graywater 

from vessels 300 GRT or more, 

including from cruise ships, and from 

oceangoing ships with the capability to 

hold graywater while within the 

Sanctuary. 

DATES: Because the NMSP has 

previously requested (64 FR 31528 and 

71 FR 29096) and received extensive 

information from the public on issues to 

be addressed in the SDEIS, and because 

the Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations for implementing the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) do not require additional 

scoping for this SDEIS process (40 CFR 

1502.9(c)(4)), the NMSP is not asking for 

further public scoping information and 

coment at this time. Upon release of the 

SDEIS the NMSP will provide a 45-day 

public review/comment period. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the 2006 DEIS are 

available at Channel Islands National 

Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, 

Suite 150, Santa Barbara, California and 

on the Web at http:// 

channelislands.noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Murray at (805) 884–1464 or 

michael.murray@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the 

DEIS public review period (May 15 

through July 21, 2006) NOAA received 

a wide range of comments, including 

substantial public and agency comments 

about changes proposed for Sanctuary 

regulation of sewage 1 and graywater 

discharges from large vessels.2 The DEIS 

provided three regulatory alternatives: 

The preferred alternative, alternative 1, 

and the no-action alternative. The DEIS 

preferred alternative and NOAA’s thenproposed action would clarify that a 

type I or II marine sanitation device 

(MSD) is required for discharge of 

treated sewage within the Sanctuary and 

proposes that graywater discharge from 

all vessels be excepted from the 

discharge prohibition. Alternative 1 also 

proposes a graywater exception from the 

prohibition for all vessels, but would 

prohibit discharge into the Sanctuary of 

treated or untreated sewage from large 

vessels (greater than or equal to 300 

GRT). The no action alternative would 

retain the status quo regulation on 

discharge, which is ambiguous with 

regard to graywater and imprecise with 

regard to the type of MSD required for 

vessel sewage discharge within the 

sanctuary. 

Comments included a request that 

NOAA adopt the discharge regulation 

under alternative 1, which would 

prohibit any sewage discharges from 

large vessels, whether treated or 

untreated. Comments also included a 

request that NOAA prohibit cruise ship 

discharges in Sanctuary waters. In 

addition, there were suggestions that 

NOAA implement recommendations 

contained in the water quality needs 

assessment developed by a working 

group of the Sanctuary Advisory 

Council (available at http:// 

www.channelislands.noaa.gov/sac/pdf/ 

10-17-05.pdf), which provides a 

comprehensive evaluation of water 

quality threats and provides a broad 

range of management advice. This 

assessment includes a recommendation 

that NOAA prohibit cruise ship 

discharges in Sanctuary waters. In 

addition, comments from State agencies 

and a suite of environmental nongovernmental organizations indicated 

that NOAA’s proposed exception for 

graywater discharges is inconsistent 

with the California Clean Coast Act 

(California Public Resources Code Sec 

72420–72422) that prohibits graywater 

discharges from vesels 300 gross 

registered tons or more within state 

waters. The types of comments 

described above were the only types of 

comments received on the issues of 

graywater and sewage discharge from 

large vessels. 

In May 2006 NOAA submitted its 

Coastal Zone Management Act 

consistency finding to the California 

Coastal Commission (Commission), in 

compliance with Federal consistency 

regulations (15 CFR part 930). In July 

2006 the Commission conditionally 

concurred with the finding that the 

proposed revised Sanctuary 

management plan and regulations are 

fully consistent with the enforceable 

policies of the California Coastal 

Management Program. The Commission 

voted to concur with the consistency 

finding on the condition that NOAA 

revise the proposed discharge and 

deposit regulation to prohibit vessels of 

300 GRT or more from discharging 

sewage or graywater into the waters of 

the Sanctuary. 

After reviewing these public 

comments, considering the 

Commission’s action, and further 

analyzing the vessel discharge issues 

raised, NOAA proposes to revise its 

proposed action with regard to 

prohibition of graywater and sewage 

discharges from large vessels. NOAA 

also proposes to define the terms 

‘‘oceangoing ship‘‘ and ‘‘cruise ship’’ 

within the Sanctuary regulations. The 

SDEIS, in conjunction with the 

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40776 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 142 / Wednesday, July 25, 2007 / Proposed Rules 

concomitant supplemental proposed 

rule, will evaluate the revised proposed 

action and provide the public with an 

opportunity for additional review and 

comment. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. 

Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Number 

11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program. 

Dated: July 18, 2007. 

William Corso, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Ocean 

Services and Coastal Zone Management, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 07–3608 Filed 7–24–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

18 CFR Parts 260 and 284 

[Docket Nos. RM07–10–000 and AD06–11– 

000] 

Transparency Provisions of Section 23 

of the Natural Gas Act; Transparency 

Provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 

2005 

July 17, 2007. 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

notice of workshop and program. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission is holding an 

informal workshop to discuss 

implementation and other technical 

issues associated with the proposals set 

forth in the Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking issued April 14, 2007, in 

Commission Docket Nos. RM07–10–000 

and AD06–11–000. 72 FR 20791 (April. 

26, 2007). 

DATES: July 24, 2007, 9:30 a.m. until 

3:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 

Rooms 3M–2A and B, Washington, DC 

20426. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee 

Choo, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20426. 202–502–6334, 

lee-ken.choo@FERC.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

announced on June 1, 2007, the staff of 

the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission (Commission) will hold an 

informal workshop in the abovereferenced proceedings on July 24, 2007, 

at the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20426 in Meeting Room 

3M–2A&B from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. 

(EST). The staff is holding this 

workshop to discuss implementation 

and other technical issues associated 

with the proposals set forth in the 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), 

Transparency Provisions of Section 23 

of the Natural Gas Act, 72 FR 20791 

(Apr. 26, 2007), FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶

32,614 (2007). 

All interested persons are invited, and 

there is no registration fee to attend. As 

stated in the first notice, this workshop 

will neither be web-cast nor transcribed. 

Reply comments should be filed in 

Docket No. RM07–10–000, in 

accordance with the dates set in the 

rulemaking docket. The workshop will 

be held on the third floor in Conference 

rooms 3M–2A & B. 

Commission conferences are 

accessible under section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For 

accessibility accommodations please 

send an e-mail to accessibility@ferc.gov 

or call toll free 1–866–208–3372 (voice) 

or 202–208–1659 (TTY), or send a FAX 

to 202–208–2106 with the required 

accommodations. 

The workshop will consist of two 

sessions to be organized as follows: 

In the morning, staff plans to discuss 

issues related to implementing the 

proposal that intrastate pipelines post 

flow and capacity information of a daily 

basis. Participants are invited to bring 

up their implementation questions and 

issues. Some of the questions of interest 

to staff include: 

1. Under the proposal, what are 

workable definitions of the terms 

‘‘intrastate Docket Nos. RM07–10–000 

and AD06–11–000 pipeline,’’ ‘‘major’’

and ‘‘segments?’’

2. How can posting requirements be 

adjusted to accommodate particular 

pipeline operational characteristics? 

3. What and at what locations do 

intrastate pipelines already collect 

information for use in day-to-day 

operations? Can the proposal be 

modified to make effective use of 

existing information? 

4. Which types of pipelines should be 

exempt (e.g., pipelines with a single 

customer)? Others? 

5. What should be the de minimis 

criterion? (Criteria proposed in the 

comments include, e.g., three 

customers, 50,000 Dth/d, less than 110 

miles, and less-than 24 inch diameter.) 

6. What is a realistic turnaround time 

for posting? 

7. Are there strategies to develop the 

same or similar information that would 

impose less of a burden on intrastate 

pipelines? 

After a lunch break, staff plans to 

discuss implementing the proposal to 

collect aggregated annual data from 

buyers and sellers of physical natural 

gas. Again, the focus is to be on 

implementation issues. The following 

are possible questions to address at the 

workshop. Some of the questions of 

interest to staff include: 

1. Do the questions set forth in the 

Appendix of the NOPR elicit sufficient 

data to assess the overall size of the 

physical wholesale markets as well as 

the relative portion that form price 

indices versus the portion that use or 

depend on price indices? 

2. What specific formats, definitions 

and submittal technology should be 

used to ensure consistency of data for 

accurate aggregation and analysis? 

3. What information should be made 

public? When? 

4. Given various annual reporting 

obligations, what is a reasonable annual 

report date? 

5. Is any additional information 

needed? 

Questions regarding the conference 

should be directed to Lee Choo by email at lee-ken.choo@FERC.gov or by 

phone at 202–502–6334. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E7–14341 Filed 7–24–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 

[EPA–R03–OAR–2007–0476; FRL–8445–3] 

Approval and Promulgation of Air 

Quality Implementation Plans; 

Pennsylvania; Redesignation of the 

Erie 8-hour Ozone Nonattainment Area 

to Attainment and Approval of the 

Associated Maintenance Plan and 2002 

Base-Year Inventory 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to approve 

a redesignation request and State 

Implementation Plan (SIP) revision 

submitted by the Commonwealth of 

Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania 

Department of Environmental Protection 

(PADEP) is requesting that the Erie 

ozone nonattainment area (‘‘Erie Area’’

or ‘‘Area’’) be redesignated as 

attainment for the 8-hour ozone national 

ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). 

The Erie Area is comprised of Erie 

County, Pennsylvania. EPA is proposing 

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