44908 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 153 / Thursday, August 9, 2007 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 5878] 

60-Day Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection: Form DS–1998E, Foreign 

Service Officer Test Registration Form, 

OMB Control Number 1405–0008 

ACTION: Notice of request for public 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State is 

seeking Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval for the 

information collection described below. 

The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 

days for public comment in the Federal 

Register preceding submission to OMB. 

We are conducting this process in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. 

• Title of Information Collection: 

Registration for the Foreign Service 

Officer Test. 

• OMB Control Number: 1405–0008. 

• Type of Request: Extension of a 

Currently Approved Collection. 

• Originating Office: Human 

Resources, HR/REE/BEX. 

• Form Number: DS–1998E. 

• Respondents: Registrants for the 

Foreign Service Officer Test. 

• Estimated Number of Respondents: 

20,000. 

• Estimated Number of Responses: 

20,000. 

• Average Hours Per Response: 3 

hours. 

• Total Estimated Burden: 60,000 

hours. 

• Frequency: Annually. 

• Obligation to Respond: Required to 

Obtain or Retain a Benefit. 

DATES: The Department will accept 

comments from the public up to 60 days 

from August 9, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: blakesj@state.gov. 

• Mail (paper, disk, or CD–ROM 

submissions): Stephen Blake, HR/REE/ 

BEX, SA–1, 2401 E Street, NW., H–518, 

Washington, DC 20522. 

• Fax: (202) 261–8843, Attn: Stephen 

Blake. 

You must include the DS form 

number (if applicable), information 

collection title, and OMB control 

number in any correspondence. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct requests for additional 

information regarding the collection 

listed in this notice, including requests 

for copies of the proposed information 

collection and supporting documents, to 

Stephen Blake, HR/REE/BEX, SA–1, 

2401 E Street, NW., H–518, Washington, 

DC 20522, who may be reached on (202) 

261–8898 or at blakesj@state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are 

soliciting public comments to permit 

the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper performance of our 

functions. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of technology. 

Abstract of Proposed Collection 

Individuals registering for the Foreign 

Service Officer Test will complete a 

Registration Form that consists of an 

application form and six personal 

narrative questions about experience 

and qualifications. This includes 

information about their name, age, 

Social Security Number, contact 

information, ethnicity, education and 

work history, military experience, and 

their knowledge, skills and abilities they 

would bring to the Foreign Service. The 

information will be used to prepare and 

issue admission to the Foreign Service 

Officer Test, to assess registrants’

qualifications for selection as a Foreign 

Service Officer, to provide data useful 

for improving future tests, and to 

conduct research studies based on the 

test results. 

Methodology 

Responses can be submitted 

electronically. 

Dated: July 16, 2007. 

Ruben Torres, 

Executive Director, HR/EX, Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. E7–15574 Filed 8–8–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed TransCanada Keystone 

Pipeline Project 

August 3, 2007. 

AGENCY: Department of State. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for the Proposed TransCanada 

Keystone Pipeline Project. 

SUMMARY: The staff of the Department of 

State has prepared a draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Proposed TransCanada Keystone 

Pipeline Project. On April 19, 2006, 

TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LLC 

(‘‘Keystone’’) filed an application for a 

Presidential permit for the construction, 

operation, and maintenance of pipeline 

facilities at the border of the U.S. and 

Canada for the transport of crude oil 

across the U.S.-Canada international 

boundary. According to the application, 

Keystone has requested authorization to 

construct and operate the border 

crossing facilities at the U.S.-Canadian 

border at Cavalier County, North 

Dakota, in connection with its proposed 

international pipeline project (the 

‘‘Keystone Pipeline Project’’), which is 

designed to transport incremental 

Canadian crude oil production from the 

Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin 

(‘‘WCSB’’) to existing terminals in 

Missouri, Illinois, and potentially 

Oklahoma. 

The Secretary of State is designated 

and empowered to receive all 

applications for Presidential permits, as 

referred to in Executive Order 13337, as 

amended, for the construction, 

connection, operation, or maintenance, 

at the borders of the United States, of 

facilities for the exportation or 

importation of petroleum, petroleum 

products, coal, or other fuels to or from 

a foreign country. any person wishing to 

comment on the draft EIS may do so. To 

ensure consideration prior to a 

Department of State decision on the 

Keystone proposal, it is important that 

we receive your comments by no later 

than September 24, 2007. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft 

EIS was prepared to satisfy the 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

to evaluate the potential environmental 

impacts of the proposed pipeline 

project. The document also evaluates 

alternatives to the proposal, including 

system alternatives and pipeline route 

alternatives. 

The Federal cooperating agencies for 

the development of this EIS are: U.S. 

Department of Energy; U.S. Army Corp. 

of Engineers; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service; U.S. Department of 

Agriculture—Farm Service Agency, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

and Rural Utility Service; U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency; and 

the Advisory Council of Historic 

Preservation. Cooperating agencies 

either have jurisdiction by law or 

special expertise with respect to the 

environmental impacts assessed in 

connection with the proposal and are 

involved in the Department’s analysis of 

those environmental impacts. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 153 / Thursday, August 9, 2007 / Notices 44909 

The draft EIS addresses the potential 

environmental effects of the 

construction and operation of the 

United States portion of the Keystone 

Pipeline Project. The Keystone Project 

initially would have nominal transport 

capacity of 435,000 barrels per day 

(bpd) of crude oil from the oil supply 

hub near Hardisty, Alberta to an existing 

terminal and refinery at Wood River, 

Illinois, and on to an existing terminal 

at Patoka, Illinois. According to 

Keystone, additional pumping capacity 

could be added to increase the average 

throughput to 591,000 bpd, if warranted 

by future shipper demand and market 

conditions. 

Two pipeline extensions are proposed 

by Keystone and would be built, if 

deemed feasible by Keystone, based on 

shipper demand. The extensions would 

provide for transporting crude oil from 

terminals in Ft. Saskatchewan, Alberta 

to existing facilities in Cushing, 

Oklahoma. With these extensions, the 

pipeline would interconnect with 

existing crude oil pipelines that supply 

U.S. Gulf Coast refinery markets. 

TransCanada announced on July 3, 

2007, that the proposed Keystone Oil 

Pipeline project had secured 155,000 

bpd of additional firm shipper contracts 

from Hardisty, Alberta, to Cushing, 

Oklahoma, with a contract duration 

averaging 16 years. These commitments 

were obtained through the successful 

completion of a binding Open Season 

held to support an expansion of the 

proposed pipeline to 590,000 bpd and 

an extension of the proposed pipeline to 

Cushing, Oklahoma. According to 

TransCanada, it has now secured long 

term contracts for the Keystone project 

for a total of 495,000 bpd with average 

contract duration of 18 years. 

In total, the Keystone Project would 

consist of the Mainline Project 

(approximately 1,845 miles of pipeline, 

including about 767 miles in Canada 

and 1,078 miles in the United States) 

and the Cushing Extension (293.5 miles 

of pipeline in the United States). 

Including the Cushing Extension, the 

total length of pipeline in the United 

States would be 1,371.5 miles. 

In Canada, the Keystone Project 

would involve the purchase of an 

existing 537-mile, 34-inch-diameter 

pipeline currently owned by 

TransCanada Limited, a related 

TransCanada entity, and conversion of 

that pipeline to crude oil service; 

construction of a new 230-mile pipeline 

extension from Hardisty to the existing 

537-mile pipeline, and construction of a 

pipeline extension from the existing 

pipeline to the U.S./Canada border. On 

February 12, 2007, the Canadian 

National Energy Board (NEB) approved 

the transfer at net book value of a 

portion of TransCanada’s Canadian 

Mainline natural gas transmission 

facilities to TransCanada Keystone 

Pipeline GP Ltd. Appropriate regulatory 

authorities in Canada are conducting an 

independent environmental review 

process for the proposed Canadian 

facilities. The Canadian NEB began 

public hearings addressing the Canadian 

portion of the Keystone Pipeline in June 

2007. 

In the United States, the Mainline 

Project would comprise a 1,023-mile 

segment of 30-inch-diameter pipe from 

the Canadian border to Wood River, 

Illinois and an approximately 56-mile 

segment of 24-inch-diameter pipe 

between Wood River and Patoka, 

Illinois. The Cushing Extension would 

consist of 293.5 miles of 36-inchdiameter pipe extending from Steele 

City, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma. 

Keystone has advised the Department of 

State that construction of the Cushing 

Extension could occur, if warranted by 

future shipper demand and market 

conditions. The draft EIS prepared by 

the Department of State describes and 

evaluates the U.S. portion of the 

proposed Keystone Project, including 

both the Mainline Project and Cushing 

Extension, and the additional facilities 

required to increase throughput capacity 

to 591,000 bpd. 

Keystone intends to construct the 30- 

and 36-inch-diameter pipelines within a 

110-foot-wide corridor, consisting of a 

temporary 60-foot-wide construction 

right-of-way (ROW) and a 50-foot-wide 

permanent ROW. In Illinois, the 24- 

inch-diameter pipeline segment would 

be constructed within a 95-foot-wide 

corridor, consisting of a temporary 45- 

foot-wide construction ROW and a 50- 

foot-wide permanent ROW. 

The Keystone Project would require 

construction of pump stations, pigging 

(cleaning) facilities, delivery facilities, 

and densitometer sites (for detection of 

crude oil batch interfaces). Mainline 

valves (MLVs) would be placed along 

the pipeline at locations necessary to 

maintain adequate flow through the 

pipeline. Keystone has advised the State 

Department that valves would be 

installed and located as dictated by the 

hydraulic characteristics of the pipeline 

and as required by federal regulations, 

with the intent to provide for public 

safety and environmental protection as 

part of pipeline integrity management 

practices. 

Densitometer sites for detection of 

crude oil batch interfaces would be 

located at Steele City (at the junction of 

the Mainline Project and Cushing 

Extension), as well as at Wood River 

and Patoka, Illinois, and Ponca City and 

Cushing, Oklahoma, where delivery 

metering and power facilities also 

would be located. According to 

Keystone, electrical transmission lines 

and associated substation upgrades 

required for Keystone Project would be 

constructed by local providers, who 

would be responsible for obtaining any 

necessary Federal, State, and local 

approvals or authorizations. 

Construction and operation of these 

facilities are considered connected 

actions under NEPA and therefore are 

evaluated within this draft EIS. 

U.S. States and counties that could 

possibly be affected by construction of 

the proposed pipeline, including the 

proposed Cushing extension, are: 

• North Dakota: Pembina, Cavalier, 

Walsh, Nelson, Steele, Barnes, Ransom, 

Dickey, and Sargent; 

• South Dakota: Marshall, Brown, 

Day, Clark, Beadle, Kingsbury, Miner, 

Hanson, McCook, Hutchinson, and 

Yankton; 

• Nebraska: Cedar, Wayne, Stanton, 

Platte, Colfax, Butler, Seward, Saline, 

Jefferson, and Gage; 

• Kansas: Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, 

Washington, Clay, Dickinson, Marion, 

Butler, Cowley, and Doniphan; 

• Missouri: Buchanan, Clinton, 

Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Randolph, 

Audrain, Montgomery, Lincoln, and St. 

Charles; 

• Illinois: Madison, Bond, Fayette, 

Marion, and Clinton; and 

• Oklahoma (under a possible future 

extension): Kay, Noble, and Payne. 

Comment Procedures and Public 

Meetings: Any person wishing to 

comment on the draft EIS may do so. To 

ensure consideration prior to a 

Department of State decision on the 

proposal, it is important that we receive 

your comments by no later than 

September 24, 2007. 

Options for submitting comments on 

the Draft EIS are as follows: 

• By mail to: Elizabeth Orlando, 

Keystone Project Manager, U.S. 

Department of State, OES/ENV Room 

2657, Washington, DC 20520. Please 

note that Department of State mail can 

be delayed due to security screening. 

• Fax to: (202) 647–5947, attention 

Betsy Orlando. 

• E-mail to: keystoneEIS@state.gov. 

• Comment over the internet via the 

Keystone EIS Web site: http:// 

www.keystonepipeline.state.gov. 

Comments received will be included 

in the public docket without change and 

may be made available on-line at 

http://www.keystonepipeline.state.gov, 

including any personal information 

provided, unless the commenter 

indicates that the comment includes 

information claimed to be Confidential 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

44910 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 153 / Thursday, August 9, 2007 / Notices 

Business Information (CBI) or other 

information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Do not submit 

information that you consider to be CBI, 

or otherwise protected, through e-mail. 

If you send by e-mail, your e-mail 

address will be automatically captured 

and included as part of the comment 

that is placed in the public docket and 

made available on the Internet. If you 

submit an electronic comment, we 

recommend that you include your name 

and other contact information in the 

body of your comment and with any 

disk or CD–ROM you submit. If we 

cannot read your comment because of 

technical difficulties and cannot contact 

you for clarification, we may not be able 

to consider your comment. Electronic 

comments should avoid the use of any 

special characters, any form of 

encryption, and be free of any defects or 

viruses. 

In addition to or in lieu of sending 

written comments, the Department of 

State invites you to attend the public 

meetings in the project area to receive 

comments on the draft EIS. The public 

meetings will be conducted in a 

workshop style. A court reporter will be 

present and will accept comments for 

the record. Dates and locations for the 

public meetings are: 

• Tuesday, September 4, 2007, 7 to 9 

p.m., Carrolton, Missouri, Rupe 

community Building (Behind Fire 

Station, park on north side of building, 

do not block fire station), 710 Harvest 

Hills Road, Carrollton. 

• Wednesday, September 5, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., St. Charles, Missouri, Days Inn 

Meeting Room, 2781 Veterans Memorial 

Parkway (off I–70 South Service Road), 

St. Charles. 

• Thursday, September 6, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Collinsville, Illinois, Gateway 

Center Marquette Room, One Gateway 

Drive (Highway 157 & Eastport Plaza 

Drive), Collinsville. 

• Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Yankton, South Dakota, Minerva 

Convention Centre at the Best Western 

Kelly Inn, 1607 East Highway 50, 

Yankton. 

• Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Michigan, North Dakota, 

Michigan Civic Center, 113 Broadway 

N., Michigan. 

• Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 7 

to 9 p.m., Stanton, Nebraska, VFW 

Meeting Hall, 1106 Veteran’s Avenue, 

Stanton. 

• Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 7 

to 9 p.m., Lisbon, North Dakota, 

Commons Room, Lisbon High School, 

502 Ash Street, Lisbon. 

• Thursday, September 13, 7 to 9 

p.m., Seward, Nebraska, Seward Civic 

Center Auditorium, 616 Bradford Street, 

Seward. 

• Thursday, September 13, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Clark, South Dakota, Clark 

Community Center, 120 N. Commercial 

Street, Clark. 

• Monday, September 17, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Seneca, Kansas, Nemaha 

Community Center, 1500 Community 

Drive, Seneca. 

• Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, Abilene, 

Kansas, 100 N. Elm, Abilene. 

• Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 7 

to 9 p.m., El Dorado, Kansas, El Dorado 

Civic Center Main Meeting Room, 201 E. 

Central, El Dorado. 

• Thursday, September 20, 2007, 7 to 

9 p.m., Ponca City, Oklahoma, Econo 

Lodge Meeting Room, 212 S. 14th Street, 

Ponca City. 

After comments are reviewed, any 

significant new issues are investigated, 

and modifications are made to the draft 

EIS, a final EIS will be published and 

distributed by the Department of State. 

The final EIS will contain the 

Department’s response to timely 

comments received on the draft EIS. 

Copies of the draft EIS have been 

mailed to interested Federal, State and 

local agencies; public interest groups; 

individuals and affected landowners 

who requested a copy of the draft EIS 

or who provided comments during the 

scoping process; libraries; newspapers; 

and other stakeholders. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

TransCanada Keystone Pipeline 

application for a Presidential Permit, 

including associated maps and 

drawings; the draft EIS; a list of libraries 

where the draft EIS may be viewed; and 

other project information is available for 

viewing and download at the project 

Web site: http// 

www.keystonepipeline.state.gov. 

For information on the proposed 

project or the draft EIS, contact 

Elizabeth Orlando, OES/ENV Room 

2657, U.S. Department of State, 

Washington, DC 20520, or by telephone 

(202) 647–4284, or by fax at (202) 647–

5947. 

David Brown, 

Director, Bureau of Oceans and International 

Environmental and Scientific Affairs/Office 

of Environmental Policy, U.S. Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. 07–3872 Filed 8–8–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–07–M 

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY 

Notice of Determinations on the 

PURPA Standards Set Forth in the 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 

SUMMARY: At its meeting on August 1, 

2007, in Knoxville, Tennessee, the TVA 

Board made its determinations on the 

PURPA Standards set forth in the Public 

Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 

(Pub. L. 95–617) as amended by the 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–

58) (EPAct 2005). The standards 

considered are listed in subsections 

111(d)(11)–(14) of PURPA as amended 

by EPAct 2005. The TVA Board 

considered the standards in accordance 

with PURPA and the objectives and 

requirements of the Tennessee Valley 

Authority Act of 1933 (TVA Act), 48 

Stat. 58, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 831–

831dd (2007). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl 

Seigenthaler, Tennessee Valley 

Authority, 1 Century Place, 26 Century 

Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37214, (615) 

232–6629. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 

1978 (Pub. L. 95–617) (PURPA), as 

amended by the Energy Policy Act of 

2005 (Pub. L. 109–58) (EPAct 2005), 

requires TVA to consider adopting for 

itself and the distributors of TVA power 

five new PURPA standards. These five 

standards are identified as Net Metering, 

Fuel Sources, Fossil Fuel Generation 

Efficiency, Time-based Metering and 

Communications (or Smart Metering), 

and Interconnection. The TVA Board 

was charged with considering and 

making determinations on whether or 

not it is appropriate to implement each 

standard. 

Data, views, and comments were 

requested from the public as to the need 

and desirability of adopting the 

standards. Open house informational 

sessions were conducted at 5 locations 

throughout the Valley. In addition to 

posting notices in the Federal Register 

on August 17, 2006 (71 FR 475567), and 

January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2721) , which 

described the standards and solicited 

public input on the standards, TVA also 

provided a PURPA Web site (http:// 

www.tva.com/purpa) for purposes of 

educating the public on the standards 

and soliciting public input. All public 

input received on the standards was 

submitted to the official record and 

made available to the public through the 

Web site. 

TVA’s process for considering and 

making determinations on the new 

PURPA standards was carried out 

pursuant to the provisions of (a) 

PURPA, under which TVA is identified 

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