55250 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 1997 / Notices

will make the presentation, the

organization (if any) they will represent,

any requirements for audio visual

equipment (e.g., overhead projector,

35mm projector, chalkboard, easel, etc),

and at least 35 copies of an outline of

the issues to be addressed or the

presentation itself. Further information

pertaining to the meeting may be

obtained directly from Dr. K. Jack

Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal

Official for the Radiation Advisory

Committee, Science Advisory Board

(1400), U.S. EPA, Washington, DC

20460, phone (202)–260–2560; fax

(202)–260–7118; or via E-mail at:

kooyoomjian.jack@epamail.epa.gov.

For questions pertaining to the review

of uncertainty analysis for estimating

radiogenic cancer risks, and to obtain

copies of the draft document being

reviewed, as well as background

documents provided to the SAB’s RAC,

please contact Dr. Jerome S. Puskin,

(6602J), ORIA/EPA at (202) 233–9212.

To discuss any other aspects of this

review or any supporting or background

information, please contact Mr. Brian

Littleton, (6601J), ORIA, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460,

tel. (202) 233–9216; fax (202) 233–9651;

or E-mail:

littleton.brian@epamail.epa.gov. After

November 1, 1997 please call Mr.

Littleton at (202) 564–9216.

For questions pertaining to the

ERAMS advisory review, and to obtain

copies of the draft document being

reviewed, as well as background

documents provided to the SAB’s RAC,

please contact LT. Rhonda Cook, US

Public Health Service (PHS)/EPA at

(334) 270–3413. The SAB’s RAC

conducted an earlier advisory on

ERAMS on July 13 and 14, 1995 and

produced an SAB advisory (EPA–SAB–

RAC–ADV–96–003, April 5, 1996). For

copies of this earlier SAB report, please

contact the SAB’s Committee Evaluation

Support Staff (CESS) at (202) 260–8414;

FAX (202) 260–7118. For additional

information or to discuss technical

aspects of any of the other ORIA agenda

topics, or any supporting or background

information, please contact Mr. Brian

Littleton, (6601J), Office of Radiation

and Indoor Air (ORIA), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460,

tel. (202) 233–9216; fax (202) 233–9651;

or E-mail:

littleton.brian@epamail.epa.gov. After

November 1, 1997 please call Mr.

Littleton at (202) 564–9216.

Providing Oral or Written Comments at

SAB Meetings

The Science Advisory Board expects

that public statements presented at its

meetings will not be repetitive of

previously submitted oral or written

statements. In general, for meetings,

opportunities for oral comment will

usually be limited to no more than five

minutes per speaker and no more than

thirty minutes total. Written comments

(at least 35 copies) received in the SAB

Staff Office sufficiently prior to a

meeting date (usually one week before

the meeting), may be mailed to the

relevant SAB committee or

subcommittee; comments received too

close to the meeting date will normally

be provided to the committee at its

meeting. Written comments may be

provided to the relevant committee or

subcommittee up until the time of the

meeting.

Information concerning the Science

Advisory Board, its structure, function,

and composition, may be found in The

FY1996 Annual Report of the Staff

Director which is available from the

SAB Committee Evaluation and Support

Staff (CESS) by contacting US EPA,

Science Advisory Board (1400),

Attention: CESS, 401 M Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20460 or via fax (202)

260–1889. Additional information

concerning the SAB can be found on the

SAB Home Page at: http://

www.epa.gov/sab.

Dated: October 17, 1997.

Donald G. Barnes,

Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.

[FR Doc. 97–28145 Filed 10–22–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information

Collection(s) Submitted to OMB for

Review and Approval

October 17, 1997.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications

Commission, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork burden

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on the

following information collection(s), as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. An

agency may not conduct or sponsor a

collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid control

number. No person shall be subject to

any penalty for failing to comply with

a collection of information subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that

does not display a valid control number.

Comments are requested concerning (a)

whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Commission, including whether the

information shall have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s

burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information collected; and (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on the respondents,

including the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

DATES: Written comments should be

submitted on or before November 24,

1997. If you anticipate that you will be

submitting comments, but find it

difficult to do so within the period of

time allowed by this notice, you should

advise the contact listed below as soon

as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Judy

Boley, Federal Communications

Commission, Room 234, 1919 M St.,

N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via

internet to jboley@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

additional information or copies of the

information collection(s) contact Judy

Boley at 202–418–0214 or via internet at

jboley@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval Number: 3060–0370.

Title: Part 32, Uniform System of

Accounts for Telecommunications

Companies.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit.

Number of Respondents: 239.

Estimated Time Per Response: 12,685

hours per recordkeeper/response.

Cost to Respondents: N/A.

Total Annual Burden: 3,028,768

hours.

Needs and Uses: The Uniform System

of Accounts is a historical financial

accounting system which reports the

results of operational and financial

events in a manner which enables both

management and regulators to assess

these results within a specified

accounting period. Subject respondents

are telecommunications companies.

Entities having annual revenues from

regulated telecommunications

operations of less than $100 million are

designated as Class B companies and are

subject to a less detailed accounting

system than those designated as Class A

companies. Part 32 imposes essentially

recordkeeping requirements. The
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 1997 / Notices 55251

reporting requirements contained in the

rulepart are sporadic or initiated by the

carriers. Part 32 has been revised. For

example, in the Report and Order in CC

Docket 95–60, the Commission raised

the expense limit in Section

32.2000(a)(4) from $500 to $200, with

one exception related to personal

computers recorded in Account 2121,

General purpose computers. This will

reduce the Continuing Property Records

required to be maintained by the

carriers. By eliminating the requirement

for detailed property records for certain

items costing less than the new $2,000

threshold amount, the Commission has

provided the carriers with substantial

relief from the administrative cost

previously proposed. Also, in the Report

and Order, the Commission adopted a

five-year amortization period during

which incumbent local exchange

carriers (ILECs) may recover the

undepreciated portion of embedded

assets affected by this rule change. The

parties comments and replies were

carefully considered in the formulation

of the final rule.

Federal Communications Commission.

Shirley S. Suggs,

Chief, Publications Branch.

[FR Doc. 97–28089 Filed 10–22–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[DA 97–2147]

800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio

Service; Minimum Opening Bid

Requirements for Auction of 525

Licenses in Upper 10 MHz Band

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: By this Order, the

Commission establishes minimum

opening bid requirements for the

auction of 525 licenses in the upper 10

MHz of the 800 MHz Specialized Mobile

Radio Service (‘‘SMR’’) set to begin

October 28, 1997. This Order effectuates

directives of the Balanced Budget Act of

1997. Accordingly, the Commission

adopts minimum opening bids subject

to reduction; sets minimum opening

bids equal to the established upfront

payments; and declines to adopt caps on

minimum opening bids.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 23, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: D.

Anthony Mastando or Alice Elder at

202–418–0660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of an Order adopted October

6, 1997, and released October 6, 1997.

The text of the Order is available for

inspection and copying during normal

business hours in the FCC Reference

Center (Room 239), 1919 M Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. and also may be

purchased from the Commission’s copy

contractor, International Transcription

Services, Inc. (ITS, Inc.) 1231 20th

Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036,

(202) 857–3800.

Synopsis of the Order

Background

1. The recently enacted Balanced

Budget Act of 1997 directs the

Commission to prescribe methods by

which to establish reasonable reserve

prices or minimum opening bids for

licenses subject to auction, unless the

Commission determines that such

reserve prices or minimum opening bids

are not in the public interest. The

Commission recently announced the

auction of 525 licenses in the upper 10

MHz of the 800 MHz SMR set to begin

October 28, 1997. On September 5,

1997, the Commission sought comment

by Public Notice regarding the

establishment of reserve prices or

minimum opening bids, 62 FR 49241

(September 19, 1997). The Commission

received six sets of comments.

2. In the September 5th Public Notice,

the Commission proposed that the

licenses in the 800 MHz auction not be

sold for less than the amount of the

upfront payment specified for the

licenses in the Public Notice released

August 6, 1997, 62 FR 49228 (September

19, 1997). The Commission requested

comment on whether the amount of the

upfront payments should be considered

reserve prices or minimum opening bids

for this auction. Commenters were

asked to address whether reserve prices

or minimum opening bids should be

capped to ensure that bidding is not

deterred on high valuation markets.

Assuming reserve prices were

implemented, commenters were also

asked to address whether these prices

should be published.

3. On September 12, 1997, the

Personal Communication Industry

Association (‘‘PCIA’’), Nextel, the

American Mobile Telecommunications

Association (‘‘AMTA’’) Tel/Logic, Pass

Word, Inc. (‘‘Pass Word’’) and Motorola

submitted comments in response to the

Public Notice. All commenting parties

specifically opposed the establishment

of reserve prices and more generally

opposed minimum opening bids.

4. Commenters assert that minimum

opening bids and reserve prices are

inconsistent with the notion that market

forces should determine the value of

auctioned spectrum and are therefore

contrary to the public interest. They

believe that bidders—not the

Commission—are in the best position to

assess the value of the spectrum. Nextel

posits that the spectrum’s value should

be determined by bidders’ evaluations

of each license on the basis of

incumbency, not by what the

Commission sees as the overall market

for 800 MHz SMR spectrum.

5. AMTA contends that overvalued

spectrum and, concomitantly, high

reserve prices will preclude small

businesses from participation in the

auction. Pass Word cautions that reserve

prices either will reduce small business

participation or result in unsound

economic decisions leading to a

scenario similar to the one facing the

Commission and the defaulting C-Block

PCS winners. Nextel believes that a

reserve price is justified where spectrum

is plentiful and the price is therefore

depressed, but that this is not true of the

heavily encumbered 800 MHz spectrum.

The variation in incumbent systems,

according to Motorola, makes

impossible the development of an

arbitrary price floor with sufficient

flexibility. Tel/Logic notes that neither

the Commission nor bidders should be

able to project demand or prices.

6. PCIA considers minimum bids to

be ‘‘inappropriate’’ because incumbent

licensees will be forced to pay

substantial fees for spectrum on which

they already have operating systems and

for which there may be no competing

bidders. Pass Word also believes that

minimum opening bids are

inappropriate and that the spectrum

will be fairly valued by the bidders

because, unlike the Wireless

Communications Service auction,

spectrum, technology and equipment

usage is well-defined for 800 MHz SMR

systems and potential bidders have

received adequate notice of this auction.

7. Were the Commission to establish

minimum opening bids, AMTA

maintains that the Commission should

reserve the right to lower them in the

event it has overestimated the licenses’

value. Tel/Logic adds that minimum

opening bids should not be linked to

upfront payment levels because the two

are based on different policy objectives

and, therefore, should be determined

separately in order to maintain

Commission policy and auction

administration flexibility. It contends

that the upfront payment amount is set

in order to encourage the participation

of smaller entities and to discourage

frivolous bidders, whereas a minimum

opening bid should be established in

order to avoid selling licenses below

value. Pass Word urges the Commission