Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices 46247 

be closed to the public pursuant to 

subsection (c)(6) of section 552b of Title 

5, United States Code. 

Any person may observe meetings, or 

portions thereof, of advisory panels that 

are open to the public, and if time 

allows, may be permitted to participate 

in the panel’s discussions at the 

discretion of the panel chairman. If you 

need special accommodations due to a 

disability, please contact the Office of 

AccessAbility, National Endowment for 

the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC 20506, 202/682–

5532, TDY–TDD 202/682–5496, at least 

seven (7) days prior to the meeting. 

Further information with reference to 

these meetings can be obtained from Ms. 

Kathy Plowitz-Worden, Office of 

Guidelines & Panel Operations, National 

Endowment for the Arts, Washington, 

DC 20506, or call 202/682–5691. 

Dated: August 13, 2007. 

Kathy Plowitz-Worden, 

Panel Coordinator, Panel Operations, 

National Endowment for the Arts. 

[FR Doc. E7–16178 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7537–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Notice of Availability for Public 

Comment of the Draft Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the United States Implementing 

Organization’s Participation in the 

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 

AGENCY: National Science Foundation. 

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA). 

SUMMARY: The National Science 

Foundation (NSF) announces the 

availability for comment of the Draft 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)/Oversees EIS (OEIS) 

evaluating potential environmental 

impacts associated with the NSF 

funding of the United States 

Implementing Organization’s (USIO) 

participation in the Integrated Ocean 

Drilling Program (IODP). This EIS was 

prepared in accordance with 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, regulations of the President’s 

Council on Environmental Quality (40 

CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and 

NSF’s National Environmental Policy 

Act Implementing Procedures (45 CFR 

640.1–640.5). The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), a part of the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), is a 

cooperating agency in the preparation of 

the Programmatic EIS. 

Public comments are invited and 

encouraged concerning the analysis of 

environmental issues associated with 

IODP–USIO activities as presented in 

the Draft Programmatic EIS/OEIS. 

Addresses and Dates: Electronic 

copies of the Draft Programmatic EIS 

may be obtained from the Internet at 

http://joiserver.joiscience.org/ 

Downloads/draft_peis. Written 

comments on the Draft EIS should be 

sent to Dr. James Allen, Program 

Director, Ocean Drilling Program, 

Division of Ocean Sciences, National 

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 

Boulevard, Suite 725, Arlington, VA 

22230; voice (703) 292–8581 or e-mail at 

jallan@nsf.gov. If the draft Programmatic 

EIS cannot be obtained from the 

Internet, an electronic copy on CD or a 

paper copy may be obtained by emailing or writing Dr. Allan at the above 

address. 

The public comment period starts 

with the publication of this Notice of 

Availability in the Federal Register and 

will continue for 45 days until October 

1, 2007. NSF will address all comments 

received or postmarked by that date in 

the Final Programmatic EIS. Comments 

received or postmarked after that date 

will be considered to the extent 

practicable. Public meetings will 

provide the public with an opportunity 

to present comments, ask questions, and 

discuss concerns regarding the EIS with 

NSF officials. The public meetings will 

be held at NOAA, September 21, 2007, 

2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Silver Spring 

Metro Center Building 4, Science 

Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver 

Spring, MD, and at Joint Oceanographic 

Institutions, Lobby Conference Center, 

1201 New York Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC, September 28, 2007, 1 

p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Written comments will be accepted at 

these public meetings as well as during 

the comment period. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Written statements and questions 

regarding the review process for the 

Draft Programmatic EIS should be 

submitted by mail to Dr. James Allan, 

Program Director, Ocean Drilling 

Program, Division of Ocean Sciences, 

National Science Foundation, 4201 

Wilson Boulevard, Suite 725, Arlington, 

VA 22230; voice (703) 292–8581 or by 

e-mail at jallan@nsf.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1975, 

the National Science Foundation (NSF) 

prepared an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) on the International 

Phase of Ocean Drilling (IPOD) of the 

Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP). The 

1975 EIS addressed scientific ocean 

drilling carried out globally in major 

and minor ocean basins. 

In 1985, the NSF prepared an EIS for 

the new Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) 

to address the more complicated aspects 

of proposed drilling techniques and of 

drilling in high latitudes and Antarctic 

seas that were not previously addressed 

in the DSDP/IPOD EIS. Drilling modes 

that were analyzed in the DSDP/IPOD 

EIS were reviewed in the 1985 EIS 

including the use of the research vessel 

(RV) JOIDES Resolution. Additionally, 

aspects of drilling in deep-ocean 

trenches, on active spreading centers, 

and in or near environmentally sensitive 

regions were considered in the 1985 

environmental review. Drilling in both 

DSDP/IPOD and ODP was riserless, 

where drill cuttings were typically 

removed from the borehole by pumped 

seawater without return circulation to 

the drillship via an external pipe or 

riser. 

The ODP was formally completed on 

September 30, 2003. In order to 

facilitate the seamless continuation of 

research during the transition from the 

ODP to the Integrated Ocean Drilling 

Program (IODP), the JOIDES Resolution 

was selected as the platform to continue 

to conduct riserless drilling activities 

during Phase 1 of the USIO 

participation in the IODP. 

Environmental Assessments (EAs) were 

prepared in 2004 and 2005 to 

supplement the 1985 EIS and address 

the environmental and operating 

conditions that were specific to the 

IODP–USIO Phase 1 expeditions that 

would be performed during 2004 

through 2006. 

The IODP is an international research 

program that explores the history and 

structure of the earth as recorded in 

seafloor sediments, fluids, and rocks. 

IODP builds upon the earlier successes 

of the DSDP and the ODP, which 

revolutionized our view of Earth history 

and global processes through ocean 

basin exploration. IODP seeks to greatly 

expand the reach of these previous 

programs by forming a collaborative 

union between the United States, Japan, 

and the European Union, each of whom 

will be responsible for providing 

drilling platforms appropriate for 

achieving the scientific objectives 

outlined in the IODP Initial Science 

Plan. China and the interim Asian 

Consortium (South Korea) have joined 

as additional members. Based on 

international agreements, the United 

States is responsible for providing and 

operating a light, riserless drilling 

vessel, Japan will provide and operate a 

heavy, riser drilling-capable vessel, and 

a European-led consortium will provide 

and operate Mission Specific Platforms 

capable of drilling in shallow and Arctic 


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46248 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices 

environments unsuitable for the other 

drilling vessels. 

Joint Oceanographic Institutions, 

Incorporated (JOI) and its partners, the 

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of 

Columbia University (LDEO) and Texas 

A&M University (TAMU) through the 

Texas A&M Research Foundation 

(TAMRF), have been selected by NSF to 

be the IODP USIO for the light drilling 

vessel and related activities. These three 

partners comprise the JOI Alliance. JOI 

is responsible to NSF for the overall 

program leadership, technical, 

operational, and financial management, 

and delivery of services. TAMU is 

responsible for providing a full array of 

science services, ranging from vessel 

and drilling operations to ship- and 

shore-based science laboratories, core 

repositories, and publication. LDEO is 

responsible for logging-related 

shipboard and shore-based science 

services and for leading an international 

logging consortium to participate in 

scientific ocean drilling operations. The 

objectives of the USIO are to provide 

leadership regarding the U.S. interests 

in IODP as the challenges and demands 

of a multiplatform drilling program 

present themselves. The USIO also 

seeks to ensure that services for the light 

drilling vessel and other program 

aspects are provided in a cost-effective, 

holistic, and responsive manner to 

facilitate comprehensive, integrated, 

and flexible management that involves a 

broad array of stakeholders. 

The JOI Alliance completed IODP 

Phase 1 operations in 2006 using the RV 

JOIDES Resolution, which is the same 

vessel used for two decades during ODP 

(1985–2003). Concurrent with Phase 1 

activities (2004–2006), the JOI Alliance 

planned for Phase 2 operations, which 

required procuring and converting an 

appropriate ship into a Scientific Ocean 

Drilling Vessel (SODV). The RV JOIDES 

Resolution was selected as the SODV 

and will be completely modernized to 

serve as the IODP’s light drilling vessel. 

This Programmatic EIS addresses the 

use of the SODV and the USIO’s 

participation in IODP Phase 2 drilling 

operations for at least the next 20 years. 

Depending upon the specific research 

objectives of each IODP USIO 

expedition, typical aspects of the 

proposed action that have the potential 

to affect the surrounding environment 

and are reviewed in the Programmatic 

EIS include: 

Site Selection and Expedition Planning 

• Review and evaluate research 

proposals (multi-phase, international 

process). 

• Logistically prepare for expedition 

and schedule. 

Vessel Deployment and Maximum Days 

at Sea per Expedition 

• Transit from port call to expedition 

site; may require days or weeks of travel 

at a nominal speed of 10 knots 

(depending on sea conditions). 

• Remain at sea for 60 days. 

Number of Drill Sites and Boreholes 

• One or more drill sites may be 

selected in a specific area for each 

expedition as needed to meet research 

objectives. 

• One or more boreholes may be 

advanced at each drill site as needed to 

meet specific research objectives. 

Typical Extent of Operations 

• Water Depth (m) 75–7,000. 

• Seafloor Penetration (m) 1–2,500. 

Drilling and Casing Deployment 

• Depending upon the specific 

application, drill bits will be advanced 

into the seafloor to produce nominallysized boreholes 37.5, 44.5, 50.8, or 61 

cm (145⁄8, 173⁄8, 20, 24 in) in diameter 

(alternate sized boreholes may be drilled 

as needed). 

• Depending on the specific 

application, boreholes may be lined 

with 27.3, 34, 40, and 50.8 cm (105⁄8, 

133⁄8, 16, 20 in) casings (alternate size 

casing may be installed as needed). 

Core Sampling 

• Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA); the 

primary drilling system used to advance 

boreholes. 

• Rotary Core Barrel (RCB); used to 

obtain continuous cores from hard rock 

formations. 

• Advanced Piston Corer (APC); used 

to obtain continuous and relatively 

undisturbed cores from very soft to firm 

sediments. 

• Extended Core Barrel (XCB); used to 

obtain continuous cores from soft to 

moderately hard formations. 

• Pressure Core Sampler (PCS); used 

to retrieve core samples from the 

seafloor while maintaining insitu 

pressures. 

• Advanced Diamond Core Barrel 

(ADCB); used to obtain continuous cores 

from firm to well lithified sedimentary 

or ingenious formations. 

• Drill-In-Casing (DIC) System: Used 

to drill in a short casing string 

simultaneously with the bit to support 

an unstable sediment zone to prevent 

premature loss of the hole or drill string. 

• Underreamer, used to drill an 

enlarged hole to provide clearance for 

additional casing strings and cement. 

• Other coring and sampling 

capability as developed. 

Deployment of Reentry Hardware and 

Observatories 

• Free Fall Funnel (FFF): Used to 

provide a quick method to reenter the 

hole to facilitate bit and bottom-hole 

assembly (BHA) changes; typically 

installed with seafloor support plate and 

glass flotation marker balls. 

• Hard Rock Reentry System (HRRS): 

Used to install casing with reentry 

capability on a sloping or rough hard 

rock seafloor, typically consisting of a 

metal funnel and casing. 

• Reentry Cone and Casing (RECC): 

Used as a permanent seafloor 

installation (or legacy hole) able to 

support nested casing strings; typically 

consisting of metal cone; seafloor 

support plate; transition pipe. 

• Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit 

(CORK), used to provide a method to 

characterize temperature and pressure 

of sub-seafloor hydrology over an open 

formation interval typically consisting 

of a reentry cone and casing system; 

sensor string (pressure gauges, 

thermistors); and additional scientific 

instruments. 

• Advanced CORK (ACORK) 

Borehole Observatory, provides a 

method to isolate multiple zones in a 

borehole for independent zone 

investigations. 

In Situ Sampling and Testing 

• Temperature, pore pressure, gas and 

fluid compositions, permeability, 

microbial with instruments such as: 

* Advanced Piston Corer 

Temperature (APCT), an instrumented 

version of the coring shoe used to obtain 

formation temperatures to determine the 

heat flow gradient. 

* Davis-Villinger Temperature Probe 

(DVTP), used to take heat-flow 

measurements in semi consolidated 

sediments that are too stiff for the 

APCT. 

* Water Sampling Temperature Probe 

(WSTP), used to measure temperatures 

while deployed in the BHA. 

* Azimuthal Density Neutron Tool 

(AND), used to characterize formation 

porosity and lithology while drilling. 

Downhole Logging 

• The Multi-Sensor Spectral Gamma 

Ray Tool (MGT), used to measure 

natural gamma-ray logs. 

• Dipole Sonic Imager (DSI), used to 

produce a full set of compressional and 

shear waveforms, cross-dipole shear 

wave velocities and amplitudes. 

• Formation MicroScanner Tool; used 

to measure formation acoustic velocity, 

natural gamma ray, and borehole 

diameter. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices 46249 

• Triple Combo Geophysical Tool 

String, used to measure standard 

geophysical parameters. 

• Sonic (Isonic) Tool, used to acquire 

acoustic waveforms. 

• Ultrasonic Borehole Imager (UBI), 

used to provide acoustic images of the 

borehole. 

• Vibration isolation television (VIT) 

camera system. 

• The Well Seismic Tool (WST) is a 

single axis check shot tool used for zero 

offset vertical seismic profiles (VSP). 

• Kuster Sampler, used to sample 

fluids. 

• Measurement While Drilling 

(MWD), including Logging While 

Drilling (LWD, formation resistivity 

images and density/porosity). 

• Pressure-While-Drilling (PWD) Tool 

String, used to measure formation 

pressure. 

• Conical Sidewall Entry Sub (CSES), 

used to deploy logging tools along the 

drill string. 

Geophysical Surveying 

• Occasional use of geophysical 

techniques such as limited singlechannel seismic surveying to 

characterize the seafloor and 

supplement or verify existing 

geophysical data. 

The Programmatic EIS addresses U.S. 

laws and regulations, as appropriate, 

including but not necessarily limited to 

NEPA; the Marine Mammal Protection 

Act of 1972 (MMPA); the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973 (ESA); and 

Executive Order (EO) 12114 (1979), 

Environmental Effects Abroad of Major 

Federal Actions. In addition, the 

assessment addreses foreign regulations, 

especially where research will be 

carried out entirely or partially within 

territorial waters or Exclusive Economic 

Zone waters surrounding a foreign 

nation or in international waters subject 

to the United Nations Law of the Sea or 

other international agreements. 

The Programmatic EIS is designed to 

view the USIO drilling program as a 

whole and thereby assembles and 

analyzes the broadest range of direct, 

indirect, and cumulative impacts 

associated with the entire program 

rather than assessing individual cruises 

separately. This approach also addresses 

possible concerns that NSF evaluates 

regarding each expedition’s contribution 

to the cumulative impacts of the entire 

program. Further, the Programmatic EIS 

provides a broad analytical baseline 

within which NSF, using tiered 

documents, will be able to analyze and 

decide upon various cruise-specific 

activities which could potentially affect 

biologically sensitive areas. This process 

enables the NSF to streamline the 

preparation of subsequent 

environmental documents for the 

individual cruises, if needed, and 

enable NSF to identify any prudent 

conservation practices and mitigation 

measures that may be applied across the 

entire program or applicable to a 

particular expedition. 

Major environmental issues addressed 

in the Programmatic EIS include the 

release of any substances from the ship 

during vessel transit, drilling, and 

research operations which may affect 

marine water quality, sea bottom and 

sediment quality, air quality, acoustic 

environment, marine biological 

resources including marine mammals, 

fish, sea turtles, invertebrates, Essential 

Fish Habitats (EFH), and threatened and 

endangered species, commercial and 

recreational fisheries, marine vessel 

transportation, and cultural resources. 

NSF has evaluated three alternatives 

in the EIS: (1) The proposed action as 

dictated by specific scientific research 

needs and consistent with robust IODP 

policies; (2) riserless ocean drilling 

expeditions designed and conducted to 

meet site-specific scientific objectives, 

however without input from the IODP 

Science Advisory Structure process 

including the review of environmental 

conditions at each drillsite that may be 

adversely affected by drilling activities; 

and (3) the no action alternative. 

NSF welcomes comments on 

mitigation measures to be considered 

and included in the program that could 

be used to avoid or substantially reduce 

the environmental consequences of the 

proposed action. 

NSF will hold public meetings as 

identified in the DATES AND ADDRESSES

section of this notice. These meetings 

will also be advertised in area 

newspapers. NSF and NMFS 

representatives will be available at these 

meetings to receive comments from the 

public regarding issues of concern to the 

public. Federal, state, and local agencies 

and interested individuals are 

encouraged to take this opportunity to 

comment on environmental concerns 

that should be addressed in the Draft 

Programmatic EIS. Agencies and the 

public are also invited and encouraged 

to provide written comments on the 

Draft Programmatic EIS in addition to, 

or in lieu of, oral comments at the 

public meetings. To be most helpful, 

comments should clearly reference a 

particular section or pages of the Draft 

Programmatic EIS and describe issues or 

topics that the commenter believes 

should be addressed. 

We invite you to learn about NSF’s 

funding of the USIO’s role in the 

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program at the 

public meeting and provide comments 

on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The 

public meeting locations are 

wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to 

attend a public meeting and need 

special assistance such as sign language 

interpretation or other reasonable 

accommodation, please notify NSF (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at 

least 3 business days in advance. 

Include your contact information as 

well as information about your specific 

needs. 

We request public comments or other 

relevant information on environmental 

issues related to the NSF drilling 

program. The public meetings are not 

the only opportunity you have to 

comment. In addition to or in place of 

attending a meeting, you can submit 

comments to Dr. James Allan by October 

1, 2007. (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT). We request that you include 

in your comments: 

• Your name and address (noting if 

you would like to receive a copy of the 

Final Programmatic EIS/OEIS upon 

completion); 

• An explanation for each comment; 

and 

• Include any background materials 

to support your comments, as you feel 

necessary. 

You may mail or e-mail your comments 

to NSF (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT). All comment submissions 

must be unbound, no larger than 81⁄2 by 

11 inches, and suitable for copying and 

electronic scanning. Please note that 

regardless of the method used for 

submitting comments or material, all 

submissions will be publicly available 

and, therefore, any personal information 

you provide in your comments will be 

open for public review. No decision will 

be made to implement any alternative 

until the NEPA process is completed. 

Dated: August 7, 2007. 

James Allan, 

Program Director, Ocean Drilling Program, 

Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science 

Foundation. 

[FR Doc. 07–3949 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. 030–36974] 

Notice of Availability of Final 

Environmental Assessment and 

Finding of No Significant Impact for 

Proposed Pa’ina Hawaii, LLC Irradiator 

in Honolulu, HI 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 


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