Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices 45645

Location: Middle School Gymnasium,

State Route 126 (near Water Street),

Gardiner, Maine, (207) 582–1326.

The purpose of the scoping meeting is

to obtain additional input from state and

local governments and from the public,

especially about the Northern

Alternative. See the map in Appendix 2.

Federal agencies have formal channels

for input into the Federal process

(including separate meetings where

appropriate) on an interagency basis.

Federal agencies are expected to

transmit their comments directly to the

FERC and not use the scoping meetings

for this purpose. Local agencies are

requested to provide information on

other plans and projects which might

conflict with, or have cumulative

effects, when considered in combination

with the Maritimes Phase II Project.

Interested groups and individuals are

encouraged to attend the meetings and

present oral comments on the

environmental issues which they

believe should be addressed in the Draft

EIS. A list will be available at the public

meetings to allow speakers to sign up.

Priority will be given to those persons

representing groups. A transcript will be

made on the meetings and comments

will be used to help determine the scope

of the Draft EIS.

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EIS

scoping process, you may want to

become an official party to the

proceeding or become an ‘‘intervenor’’.

Among other things, intervenors have

the right to receive copies of caserelated Commission documents such as

data requests and filings by other

intervenors. We will provide our EIS to

anyone who follows the instructions

which appear later in this NOI.

Likewise, each intervenor must provide

copies of its filings to all other parties.

If you want to become an intervenor you

must file a motion to intervene

according to Rule 214 of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214) (see

appendix 3). If you already intervened

in this proceeding you do not need to

do so again because of the amended

routes.

The date for filing timely motions to

intervene in this proceeding has passed.

Therefore, parties now seeking to file

late interventions must show good

cause, as required by section

385.214(b)(3), why this time limitation

should be waived. Environmental issues

have been viewed as good cause for late

intervention. You do not need

intervenor status to have your

comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

This notice is being sent to

individuals, organizations, and

government entities interested and/or

potentially affected by the proposed

project. To solicit focused comments

regarding environmental considerations

related to the proposed project and

alternatives, it is also being sent to all

potential right-of-way grantors (i.e.,

landowners whose property would be

crossed), landowners along the

alternative routes, landowners and

abuttors at the aboveground facility

sites, and abuttors along powerline

rights-of-way that would be used for

installation of the pipeline.

If you do not want to send comments

at this time but still want to remain on

our mailing list and receive a copy of

our Draft and Final EISs, please return

the form in appendix 4. PLEASE NOTE:

IF WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU,

EITHER BY COMMENT LETTER,

RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE TWO

NOIs, OR REGISTERING AT THE

SCOPING MEETINGS, YOU WILL BE

DROPPED FROM THE MAILING LIST.

If you have previously provided us with

your name and address, you do not need

to send in the form in appendix 4.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–22913 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5884–5]

Availability of Guidance for Utilization

of Small, Minority and Women’s

Business Enterprises in Procurement

Under Assistance Agreements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of

guidance document.

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the

availability of its ‘‘Guidance for

Utilization of Small, Minority and

Women’s Business Enterprises in

Procurement Under Assistance

Agreements—6010 1997 Edition.’’ This

document, issued on July 22, 1997,

revises previous Agency guidance dated

May 1996. EPA prepared the Guidance

for use by Agency personnel, State,

Tribal and local government officials,

and business persons interested in

participating in EPA financial assistance

programs. The Guidance provides

information on the use of Small,

Minority and Women’s Business

Enterprises in procurement under EPA

grants and cooperative agreements. It

will assist individuals in their efforts to

understand and implement EPA policies

codified at 40 CFR part 30.31 and 35

and ensure consistency with the

Supreme Court’s decision in Adarand

Constructors. Inc. v. Pena. 115 S. Ct.

2097 (1995).

ADDRESSES: An electronic version of the

Guidance is accessible on EPA’s Office

of Small and Disadvantaged Business

Utilization home page on the Internet at

http://www.epa.gov/osdbu/pubs.htm. A

limited number of paper copies are also

available. Requests for a paper copy

should be addressed to the Office of

Small and Disadvantaged Business

Utilization (1230C), U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Crystal Mall 2, Room

1110, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway.,

Arlington, VA 22202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rebecca D. Neer, Office of Small and

Disadvantaged Business Utilization

(1230C), U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Crystal Mall 2, 1921 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202,

Telephone (703) 305–5030.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Peter D. Robertson,

Chief of Staff, Office of The Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–22946 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5884–3]

Variance and Exemption Regulation

Stakeholder Meeting

Notice is hereby given that a public

meeting of interested stakeholders will

be held concerning the variance and

exemption provisions of the 1996

Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water

Act (SDWA). This meeting will be held

on September 16, 1997 from 8:30 am to

5:15 pm, at the Loews L’Enfant Plaza

Hotel, 480 L’Enfant Plaza, Washington,

DC 20024.

The purpose of this meeting is to

review and discuss the variance and

exemption provisions of the 1996 Safe

Drinking Water Act Amendments

(sections 1415–16) and the requirements

for rulemaking to implement these

provisions. EPA is soliciting input as to

what these regulations should consider

and contain. The 1996 SDWA requires

that EPA promulgate regulations

specifying:

• Procedures to be used by the

Administrator or a State to grant or deny

variances, including requirements

relating to public notification and

hearings prior to issuance of a variance;