64210 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 233 / Thursday, December 4, 1997 / Notices

site could be irreparably damaged by

continued deterioration in as little as

one to five years. The draft plan is in

keeping with the National Marine

Sanctuaries Program’s Strategic Plan for

the 21st Century. The Program’s primary

goal is to protect sanctuary resources,

making our sanctuaries world-class

models for effective, innovative

management of protected areas

(Sanctuaries and Reserves Division

1997).

III. Summary of Options

The options in the draft plan are

summarized as follows:

A. Non-intervention. With this option,

NOAA would continue to manage the

Sanctuary in accordance with the

current policy but would take no action

to prevent continuing deterioration.

This option would allow nature to take

its course, likely resulting in the

ultimate collapse of the MONITOR’s

hull.

B. In Situ Preservation by

Encapsulation. With this option, the

MONITOR would be entombed in some

acceptable manner (i.e. covering with

sand, grass mats, etc.). Possible impacts

on the MONITOR and its environment

might include additional damage to the

wreck due to the weight of the covering

material and the loss of access to the

wreck.

C. In Situ Preservation by Shoring.

This option would be accomplished

through the use of approved methods

and materials, such as sand bags, grout

bags, or jacks, to support portions of the

hull that are suspended above the

bottom by the position of the turret.

Impact to the MONITOR and its

environment would be negligible and

some portions of the wreck would be

given improved support.

D. In Situ Preservation by Cathodic

Protection. This option would involve

the installation of a passive (sacrificial

anode) or active (impressed current)

cathodic protection system to reduce the

corrosive action from the marine

environment. Impact to the MONITOR

and its environment is uncertain, and

would not prevent inevitable collapse.

E. Selective Recovery. This option

includes a selective approach to

recovering hull components and

artifacts that are of significant historic

value. Objects being considered for

selective recovery include the propeller,

turret, cannons, engine and small

artifacts. Possible impact to the

MONITOR and its environment might

include unavoidable damage to other

portions of the wreck and contents

during recovery operations.

F. Full Recovery. In this option, the

entire hull, turret, cannons and all

contents would be recovered,

conserved, and, eventually displayed.

This could include recovery of the

entire hull as a single unit or a series of

smaller recoveries. Possible impact to

the MONITOR might include damage

during recovery of portions of the hull

and contents; however, if raised, the

MONITOR could be conserved and

reconstructed for display.

G. Selective Recovery Followed by

Encapsulation. This option combines

selective recovery with in situ

preservation by encapsulation.

Following recovery of all selected hull

components and artifacts, the site would

be encapsulated for protection of the

remaining cultural material. Possible

impact to the MONITOR might include

unavoidable damage to other portions of

the wreck and contents during recovery

operations and additional damage to the

wreck due to the weight of the covering

material and the loss of access to the

wreck.

H. Selective Recovery Combined with

Shoring. This option combines selective

recovery with in situ preservation by

shoring of the remaining material,

which would provide improved

support. Possible impact to the

MONITOR and its environment might

include unavoidable damage to other

portions of the wreck and contents

during recovery operations.

I. Expanded Enforcement of

Sanctuary Regulations. This option

addresses evidence of increased illegal

encroachment on the Sanctuary by

increasing enforcement activities at the

site to prevent further damage from

illegal activities. Unless combined with

one or more of the other options, the

only impact might be a reduction of

damage from human causes.

Because of the MONITOR’s

significance in American history and its

status as a National Historic Landmark,

NOAA is making this draft plan

available to the public and invites

comments and other pertinent

information.

Dated: November 28, 1997.

Captain Evelyn J. Fields,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for

Ocean Services and Coastal Zone

Management.

[FR Doc. 97–31748 Filed 12–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Assessment Governing

Board; Meeting

AGENCY: National Assessment

Governing Board; Education.

ACTION: Notice of closed meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the

schedule and proposed agenda of a

forthcoming meeting of the National

Assessment Governing Board’s Special

Committee to Review the Voluntary

National Tests Development Contract.

This notice also describes the functions

of the Board. Notice of this meeting is

required under Section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Date: December 16, 1997.

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: St. Louis Airport Marriott;

I–70 at Lambert International Airport;

St. Louis, Missouri, 63134.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Ann Wilmer, Operations Officer,

National Assessment Governing Board,

Suite 825, 800 North Capitol Street, NW,

Washington, DC, 20002–4233,

Telephone: (202) 357–6938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Assessment Governing Board

is established under section 412 of the

National Education Statistics Act of

1994 (Title IV of the Improving

Americas Schools Act of 1994) (Pub. L.

103–382).

The Board is established to formulate

policy guidelines for the National

Assessment of Educational Progress.

The Board is responsible for selecting

subject areas to be assessed, developing

assessment objectives, identifying

appropriate achievement goals for each

grade and subject tested, and

establishing standards and procedures

for interstate and national comparisons.

Under Public Law 105–78, the National

Assessment Governing Board is granted

exclusive authority over developing

Voluntary National Tests pursuant to

contract number RJ97153001 and is

required to review within 90 days (i.e.,

by February 11, 1998) and modify the

contract to the extent the Board

determines necessary; if the contract

cannot be modified to the extent the

Board determines necessary, the

contract shall be terminated, and a new

contract negotiated.

On December 16, 1997 the National

Assessment Governing Board’s Special

Committee to Review the Voluntary

National Tests Development Contract

will hold a closed meeting. The purpose

of the meeting is for the NAGB Special

Committee to review the Test

Development Contract, to formulate its

recommendations to the NAGB for

modification or termination and

recompetition of the Development

Contract for the Voluntary National

Tests. This information relates to the

source selection criteria by which

government contracts may be modified
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 233 / Thursday, December 4, 1997 / Notices 64211

or awarded. Not only would the

disclosure of such data implicate

proscriptions set forth in the Federal

Acquisition Regulations, but also such

disclosure would significantly frustrate

a proposed agency action. Specifically,

disclosure of the Subcommittee’s

discussion prematurely, including

contract specifications and government

cost estimates, could affect private

decisions made by the contractor which

might damage the financial interests of

the government as a whole, by, for

example, increasing the costs to the

government, and might make it

impossible for the two sides to reach

agreement. Such matters are protected

by exemption 9B of Section 552b(c) of

Title 5 U.S.C.

A summary of the activities of this

closed meeting and other related

matters, which are informative to the

public and consistent with the policy of

the Section 5 U.S.C. 552b, will be

available to the public within 14 days

after the meeting. Records are kept of all

Board proceedings and are available for

public inspection at the U.S.

Department of Education, National

Assessment Governing Board, Suite 825,

800 North Capitol Street, NW,

Washington, D.C., from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00

p.m.

Dated: December 1, 1997.

Roy Truby,

Executive Director, National Assessment

Governing Board.

[FR Doc. 97–31774 Filed 12–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy

State Energy Program Special Projects

Financial Assistance

AGENCY: The Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice for 1998 State Energy

Program special projects.

SUMMARY: As options offered under the

State Energy Program (SEP) for fiscal

year 1998, the Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy is

announcing the availability of financial

assistance to States for a group of

special project activities. Funding is

being provided by a number of end-use

sector programs in the Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy. States

may apply to undertake any of the

projects being offered by these

programs. States that are awarded

funding for special projects will carry

out their projects in conjunction with

their efforts under SEP, with the special

projects funding and activities tracked

separately so that the end-use sector

programs may follow the progress of

their projects.

The projects must meet the relevant

requirements of the programs providing

the funding, as well as of SEP, as

specified in the program guidance/

solicitation. Among the goals of the

special projects activities are to assist

States to: Accelerate deployment of

energy efficiency and renewable energy

technologies; facilitate the acceptance of

emerging and underutilized energy

efficiency and renewable energy

technologies; and increase the

responsiveness of Federally funded

technology development efforts to

private sector needs.

DATES: The program guidance/

solicitation is expected to be December

5, 1997. Applications must be received

by February 14, 1998.

ADDRESSES AND FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Faith

Lambert at the U.S. Department of

Energy Headquarters, 1000

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586–

2319, for referral to the appropriate DOE

Regional Support Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fiscal year

1998 is the third year special project

activities are funded in conjunction

with the State Energy Program (10 CFR

part 420). Most of these State-oriented

special projects are related to or based

on similar efforts that have been funded

separately by the various DOE end-use

sector programs that are now providing

funding for these optional SEP

activities.

Availability of Fiscal Year 1998 Funds

With this publication, DOE is

announcing the availability of $11.825

million in financial assistance funds for

fiscal year 1998. The awards will be

made through a competitive process.

The end-use sector programs that are

participating in the SEP special projects

for fiscal year 1998, with the estimated

minimum amount of funding available

for each, are as follows:

• Clean Cities: Accelerating the

introduction and increasing the use of

alternative fuels and alternative fueled

vehicles through the development of

infrastructure and clean corridors ($2.0

million).

• Federal Energy Management

Program: Developing Federal/State

partnerships to increase technical

capability and funding for energy

efficiency, renewable energy, and water

conservation measures for Federal and

State buildings ($975,000).

• Industrial Programs: Accelerating

industrial and clean production

opportunities with regional industries

through the programs of the Industrial

Alliance (Inventions and Innovation,

NICE3, Industrial Assessment Centers,

Motor Challenge, Climate Wise, and

Steam Partnership. ($2.35 million)

• Rebuild America: Helping

community and regional partnerships

improve commercial and multifamily

building energy efficiency ($1.0

million).

• Codes and Standards: Supporting

States’ actions to update, implement,

and enforce residential and commercial

building energy codes ($4.0 million).

• Utility Technologies: Projects to

demonstrate and increase utilization of

renewable energy sources, such as

biomass, geothermal heat pumps,

hydrogen technology, photovoltaics for

utility scale applications, and wind

energy ($1.5 million).

Restricted Eligibility

Eligible applicants for purposes of

funding under this program are limited

to the 50 States, the District of

Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any territory

or possession of the United States,

specifically, the State energy or other

agency responsible for administering the

State Energy Program pursuant to 10

CFR part 420. For convenience, the term

State in this notice refers to all eligible

State applicants.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance number assigned to the State

Energy Program is 81.041.

Requirements for cost sharing or

matching contributions will be

addressed in the program guidance/

solicitation for each special project

activity, as appropriate. Cost sharing or

matching contributions beyond any

required percentage are desirable.

Any application must be signed by an

authorized State official, in accordance

with the program guidance/solicitation.

Evaluation Review and Criteria

A first tier review for completeness

will occur at the appropriate DOE

Regional Support Office. Applications

found to be complete will undergo a

merit review process by panels

comprised of members representing the

respective participating end-use sector

programs in DOE’s Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy. A

decision as to the applications selected

for funding will then be made by the

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Building

Technology, State and Community

Programs, or designee, based on the

findings of the technical merit review

and any stated program policy factors.

DOE reserves the right to fund, in whole