5392 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 24 / Wednesday, February 5, 1997 / Notices

Energy, P.O. Box 1619, Tulsa, Oklahoma

74101, (918) 595–6696.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following

Department of Energy (DOE) guidance

in its response to the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission’s April 24,

1996, Order No. 888 (Promoting

Wholesale Competition Through Open

Access Non-Discriminatory

Transmission Services by Public

Utilities), Southwestern Power

Administration (Southwestern) is

reviewing its rate design structure to

ensure compliance with the intent of

Order 888 for open access wholesale

electric transmission rates. A Public

Forum was convened Tuesday, October

29, 1996, in Southwestern’s offices in

Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Forum was held

to explain the goals of the rate design

review process and identify areas of

specific concern. At the Forum and

through a formal comment period,

Southwestern sought comments and

opinions regarding potential approaches

to the rate design of ancillary services

and the unbundling of the generation

and transmission rates.

A transcript of the Public Forum was

made. For a fee, copies of the transcript

may be obtained from the transcribing

service.

An interested parties list was also

developed for those parties that were

unable to attend the Public Forum, but

wanted to receive any mailings

regarding this issue in the future.

It was anticipated that a Technical

Conference would need to be convened

before the end of February 1997 to

review specific comments and

encourage discussions to help ensure a

better understanding of the

technicalities of the issues being

reviewed (e.g. Development of Ancillary

Services). In October 15, 1996, Federal

Register Notice (61 FR 53732),

Southwestern provided notification of

its plan to convene a conference to

review, in detail, the technical

comments received to help determine

how the technicalities could best be

incorporated into the rates for

transmission services. The Comments

received were not technical in nature

and virtually all are consistent with

Southwestern’s anticipated approach to

unbundling transmission and generation

rates. Therefore, with only minimal

benefits expected to be gained from

holding a technical conference,

Southwestern will not conduct such a

conference.

Southwestern proposes to pursue the

unbundling of its transmission services

in conjunction with its normal

repayment process. As part of this

process, a formal comment period will

be provided to allow interested parties

to provide comments and suggestions

regarding the rates being developed.

We look forward to your continued

interest and participation in the ongoing

process of rate development.

Issued in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this 27th day

of January, 1997.

Michael A. Deihl,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–2826 Filed 2–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5685–4]

Proposed Settlement, Acid Rain Optin-Rule Litigation

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed settlement;

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

113(g) of the Clean Air Act (‘‘Act’’),

notice is hereby given of a proposed

settlement of Alcoa Generating

Corporation v. United States

Environmental Protection Agency, No.

95–1292 (D.C. Cir.).

This case involves a challenge to the

final rule, entitled ‘‘Opting into the Acid

Rain Program,’’ which, inter alia,

established provisions that allow certain

sulfur dioxide emitting combustion

sources that are not otherwise subject to

the Acid Rain Program to voluntarily

become subject to, or ‘‘opt into,’’ the

Acid Rain Program and receive

marketable emission allowances.

For a period of thirty (30) days

following the date of publication of this

notice, the environmental Protection

Agency will receive written comments

relating to the settlement from persons

who were not named as parties to the

litigation in question. The Agency or the

Department of Justice may withhold or

withdraw consent to the proposed

settlement if the comments disclose

facts or circumstances that indicate that

such consent is inappropriate,

improper, inadequate, or inconsistent

with the requirements of the Act. Copies

of the settlement are available from

Jacqueline Jordan, Cross-Cutting Issues

Division (2322), Office of General

Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20460, (202) 260–

7622. Written comments should be sent

to Jonathan Averback, Air and Radiation

division (2344), Office of General

Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20460 and must be

submitted on or before March 7, 1997.

Dated: January 27, 1997.

Scott C. Fulton,

Acting General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 97–2842 Filed 2–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–M

[FRL–5683–2]

Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Total

Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program;

Draft TMDL Program Implementation

Strategy

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: EPA’s Assistant

Administrator for Water hereby makes

available for public comment a Draft

TMDL Program Implementation

Strategy. The TMDL program addresses

waters that do not meet State water

quality standards even after pollution

sources have implemented required

pollution controls. CWA section 303(d)

requires States to identify these waters

and develop TMDLs for them, with

oversight from the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA). A TMDL

allocates pollutant loadings among

pollution sources in a watershed, and is

a basis for taking the actions needed to

restore a waterbody.

The Draft TMDL Program

Implementation Strategy explains EPA’s

vision, priorities and the steps the

Agency will take to help States meet

TMDL program requirements. The

Strategy identifies issues for which EPA

may develop guidance and/ or make

regulatory changes. The Strategy also

describes activities that are currently

underway, have been recently initiated,

or for which EPA will direct a greater

portion of its available program

resources.

EPA will use this Draft Strategy to

explain the Agency’s current plans to

fully implement the TMDL program and

to facilitate broad-based public

discussion on how the TMDL program

can be improved. EPA has provided the

Draft Strategy as background

information to the recently formed

TMDL Federal Advisory Committee Act

(FACA) Committee. The Committee will

develop recommendations concerning

needed changes to this Draft Strategy as

well as all TMDL related policies,

guidance regulations, and priorities.

DATES: EPA is accepting comments on

the Draft TMDL Program

Implementation Strategy for 90 days

following the date of publication of this

notice.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 24 / Wednesday, February 5, 1997 / Notices 5393

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments on,

and requests for, the Draft TMDL

Program Implementation Strategy to the

following: Environmental Protection

Agency, Assessment and Watershed

Protection Division, Office of Water

(4503F), 401 M Street, SW, Washington,

DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theresa G. Tuan ̃ o, Assessment and

Watershed Protection Division,

Watershed Branch, at the address given

above; telephone 202/260–7059. The

Draft TMDL Program Implementation

Strategy is also available on the EPA

Office of Water Home Page on the

Internet at the following address: http:/

/www.epa.gov/owowwtr1/tmdl/

index.html. Please refer to the Home

Page for instructions on submitting

electronic comments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251

et seq.

Robert Perciasepe,

Assistant Administrator for Water.

[FR Doc. 97–2575 Filed 2–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 6560–50–P

[OPPTS–00208; FRL–5582–5]

Notice of Availability of FY 1997 Grant

Funds for the Establishment of a

Pollution Prevention Information

Network

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting grant

proposals to establish a national

network of pollution prevention

information centers. EPA anticipates

that between $750,000 and $1 million

will be available. The purpose of this

request for proposals is threefold: (1) To

create new centers for the collection,

synthesis and dissemination of

pollution prevention information for

States not currently served by a

pollution prevention regional center, (2)

to support existing regional pollution

prevention information centers and (3)

to coordinate work among new and

existing centers in order to: minimize

duplication of effort in information

collection and synthesis, and training

for the promotion of pollution

prevention technologies, and establish

information standards and peer review

that will facilitate information exchange

among centers. Grants/cooperative

agreements will be awarded under the

authority of the Pollution Prevention

Act of 1990.

DATES: Applications must be

postmarked by April 28, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To

obtain copies of the grant guidance and

application package or to obtain more

information regarding this program,

please contact Beth Anderson at (202)

260–2602. You may also forward your

requests and questions via the Internet

to: anderson.beth@epamail.epa.gov or

mail your request to Beth Anderson at

the Office of Pollution Prevention and

Toxics, Mail Code 7409, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scope and Purpose of this Grant

Competition

1. The Pollution Prevention Act of

1990. This solicitation is made under

the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990

(the Act) (Pub. L. 101-508), which

established as national policy that

pollution should be prevented or

reduced at the source whenever feasible.

Section 6603 of the Act defines source

reduction as any practice that:

(1) Reduces the amount of any

hazardous substance, pollutant, or

contaminant entering any waste stream

or otherwise released into the

environment (including fugitive

emissions) prior to recycling, treatment,

or disposal; and

(2) Reduces the hazards to public

health and the environment associated

with the release of such substances,

pollutants, or contaminants.

EPA further defines pollution

prevention (P2) as the use of other

practices that reduce or eliminate the

creation of pollutants through: increased

efficiency in the use of raw materials,

energy, water or other resources, or

protection of natural resources, or

protection of natural resources by

conservation.

Section 6605 of the Act authorizes

EPA to make matching grants to States

to promote the use of source reduction

techniques by businesses. In evaluating

grant applications, the Act directs EPA

to consider whether the proposed State

program will:

(1) Make technical assistance

available to businesses seeking

information about source reduction

opportunities, including funding for

experts to provide on-site technical

advice and to assist in the development

of source reduction plans.

(2) Target assistance to businesses for

whom lack of information is an

impediment to source reduction.

(3) Provide training in source

reduction techniques.

Section 6606 of the Act authorizes

EPA to establish a source reduction

clearinghouse to compile information

on management, technical and

operational approaches to source

reduction. The Act States that EPA

should use the clearinghouse to:

(1) Serve as a center for source

reduction technology transfer.

(2) Mount active outreach and

education programs by the States to

further the adoption of source reduction

technologies.

(3) Collect and compile information

reported by States receiving grants

under section 6605 on the operation and

successes of State source reduction

programs.

2. Purpose of national pollution

prevention information network.

Currently there are few limited

mechanisms or systems to coordinate

the development, review, and

dissemination of pollution prevention

information among Federal, State, local

agencies, and universities involved in

promoting source reduction

technologies. Access to pollution

prevention (P2) information and

assistance varies across the United

States. In addition, not all programs

providing assistance to small businesses

have access to pollution prevention

information that may be useful and

relevant to their clientele. As a result,

the purpose of this request for proposals

is three fold: (1) To create new centers

for the collection, synthesis and

dissemination of pollution prevention

information for States not currently

served by a pollution prevention

regional center, (2) to support existing

regional pollution prevention

information centers, and (3) to

coordinate work among new and

existing centers in order to: minimize

duplication of effort in information

collection and synthesis, and training

for the promotion of pollution

prevention technologies, and establish

information standards and peer review

that will facilitate information exchange

among centers.

The development of a P2 information

network of centers would allow State P2

information needs to be addressed on a

regional basis and allow for improved

information exchange. A coordinated

network would facilitate information

exchange and decrease duplicative

research that might be conducted in

each State by standardizing formats for

P2 information (such as case studies or

vendors) and developing systems to:

coordinate information needs,

determine types of P2 information that

need to be developed, coordinate the

production of relevant P2 information,

disseminate this information among

small business assistance providers, and

evaluate the effectiveness of the