Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Notices 67639

Dated: December 19, 1997.

Tudor T. Davies,

Director, Office of Science and Technology.

[FR Doc. 97–33772 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5941–5]

Water Conservation Plan Guidelines

Subcommittee Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: On January 20–21, 1998, the

Water Conservation Plan Guidelines

Subcommittee of the Local Government

Advisory Committee will hold a

meeting in Austin, Texas. The

Subcommittee will discuss the

American Water Works Association’s

proposed guidelines and EPA’s draft

outline of the guidelines. The

Subcommittee meeting is open and all

interested persons are invited to attend

on a space-available basis.

DATES: The Subcommittee meeting will

be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on

Tuesday, January 20, 1998, and from

8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Wednesday,

January 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Waller Creek Center, 625 East 10th

Street, Austin, Texas 78701. On

Tuesday the meeting will be in Room

105, and on Wednesday the meeting

will be in the Training Room.

Requests for a summary of the

meeting can be obtained by writing to

John E. Flowers, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater

Management (Mail Code 4204), 401 M

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Designated Federal Official for this

Subcommittee is John E. Flowers. He is

the point of contact for information

concerning any Subcommittee matters

and can be reached by calling (202)

260–7288.

Dated: December 19, 1997.

Alfred W. Lindsey,

Deputy Director, Office of Wastewater

Management.

[FR Doc. 97–33741 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Public Information Collections

Approved by Office of Management

and Budget

December 18, 1997.

The Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) has received Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

approval for the following public

information collections pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. An agency may not

conduct or sponsor and a person is not

required to respond to a collection of

information unless it displays a

currently valid control number. For

further information contact Shoko B.

Hair, Federal Communications

Commission, (202) 418–1379.

Federal Communications Commission

OMB Control No.: 3060–0745.

Expiration Date: 12/31/2000.

Title: Implementation of the Local

Exchange Carrier Tariff Streamlining

Provisions in the Telecommunications

Act of 1996—CC Docket No. 96–187.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 170

respondents; 25 hours per response

(avg.); 4250 total annual burden hours

for all collections.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $170,000.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Description: In the Report and Order

issued in CC Docket No. 96–187, the

Commission adopts measures to

implement the specific streamlining

tariff filing requirements for local

exchange carriers (LECs) of the

Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996

Act). a. Electronic filing requirement:

The 1996 Act provides that LECs may

file tariffs on seven and fifteen days’

notice (47 U.S.C. § 204(a)). The Common

Carrier Bureau has established an

Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS)

that permits incumbent LECs to submit

federal tariffs and associated documents

electronically, via the Internet. At the

present, use of EFTS by incumbent LECs

for an official filing is voluntary.

Mandatory use of ETFS by incumbent

LECS is scheduled to commence on

February 2, 1998. See Public Notice, DA

97–2491, released 11/25/97. (No. of

respondents: 50; hours per response: 72

hours; total annual burden: 3600 hours).

b. Requirement that carriers desiring

tariffs proposing rate decreases to be

effective in seven days must be filed in

separate transmittals: The 1996 Act

provides that LEC tariffs seeking rate

increases shall be effective in fifteen

days and LEC tariffs seeking rate

decreases shall be effective in seven

days. The 15 day notice period applies

to transmittals that contain both rate

increases and decreases. Carriers

wishing to take advantage of the seven

day notice period must file rate

decreases in separate transmittals. This

result will permit all of the carriers’ rate

changes will still receive streamlined

treatment. Carriers filing a rate decrease

have the opportunity to file on the

shorter seven-day notice period by

transmitting rate decrease in a separate

filing. Any other tariff filed pursuant to

section 204(a)(3) of the Communications

Act, including those that propose a rate

increase or any change in terms and

conditions of service other than a rate

charge, shall be filed on 15 days’ notice.

(No. of respondents: 10; hours per

response: 4 hours; total annual burden:

40 hours). c. Requirement that carriers

identify transmittals filed pursuant to

the streamlined provisions of the 1996

Act: Because of the short notice periods,

the Commission adopts the requirement

that carriers identify specifically

transmittals filed pursuant to Section

204(a)(3), including whether the

transmittals contain rate increases, rate

decreases or both. The Commission

requires that LECs display prominently

in the upper right hand corner of the

tariff transmittal letters a statement

indicating that the tariff is being filed on

a streamlined basis under section

204(a)(3) of the Act and whether the

tariff filing contains a proposed rate

increase, decrease or both. This

requirement will result in minimal

inconvenience to the LECs while

allowing the Commission and public to

identify quickly whether the tariff is

eligible for streamlined treatment and

the notice period to be applied to the

filing. Without such a statement, we

will treat transmittal as filed outside of

section 204(a)(3), i.e., not on a

streamlined basis. (No. of respondents:

50; hours per response: 9 hours; total

annual burden: 350 hours). d.

Requirement that price cap LECs file

their Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) prior to

filing their annual access tariffs: Under

existing Commission rules, LECs are

required to submit revisions to their

annual access tariffs on 90 days’ notice

to be effective on July 1. Because these

revisions are eligible for streamlined

treatment, we will require carriers

subject to price cap regulation to file a

TRP prior to the filing of the annual

access tariff revisions absent any

information on the carriers’ rates

proposed rates, and to make it available

to the public. Early filing of the TRPs
67640 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Notices

will facilitate review of the annual

access filings within the streamlined

notice periods by resolving most of the

major issues currently raised with the

annual access proceedings. (This

requirement does not impose any

additional burden on the respondents

since respondents are already required

to file TRPs). e. Petitions and Replies:

Petitions against LEC tariff transmittals

that are effective 7 days from filing must

be filed within 3 calendar days from the

date of tariff filing, and replies must be

filed within 2 calendar days of service

of petition. Petitions against LEC tariff

transmittals that are effective 15 days

from filing will be filed as currently

specified in sections 1.773(a)(2)(ii) and

1.773(b)(1)(ii). These rules require

petitions to be filed within 4 days of

service of the petition. All tariffs and

associated documents filed on 15 days’

notice or less must include, among other

things, the facsimile number of the

individual designated by the filing

carrier to receive personal or facsimile

service of petitions and that petitions

and replies in connection with such

tariff filings be served by hand or

facsimile. (No. of respondents: 20; hours

per response: 6 hours; total annual

burden: 120 hours). f. Standard

Protective Orders: In the Report and

Order, the Commission issued a

standard protective order for use in

review of LEC tariff filings submitted

pursuant to section 204(a)(3). Reviewing

parties must keep a written record of all

copies made and to provide this record

to the Submitting Party on reasonable

request. (No. of respondents: 20; hours

per response: 2 hours; total annual

burden: 40 hours). The information

collected under the program of

electronic filing will facilitate access to

tariff and associated documents by the

public, especially by interested persons

who do not have ready access to the

Commission’s public reference rooms,

and state and federal regulators. Ready

electronic access to carrier tariffs should

also facilitate the compilation of

aggregate data for industry analysis

purposes without imposing new

reporting requirements on carriers. The

Commission adopts its proposal to

require that carriers desiring tariffs

proposing rate decreases to be effective

in seven days must be filed in separate

transmittal. This requirement will

ensure that a tariff filing proposing a

rate decrease is given the shortest notice

period possible under the 1996 Act. The

Commission also adopts the

requirement that carriers identify

transmittals filed pursuant to the

streamlining provisions of the 1996 Act.

All of the requirements would be used

to ensure that local exchange carriers

comply with their obligations under the

Communications Act and that the

Commission be able to ensure

compliance within the streamlined

timeframes established by the 1996 Act.

Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

Public reporting burden for the

collections of information is as noted

above. Send comments regarding the

burden estimate or any other aspect of

the collections of information, including

suggestions for reducing the burden to

Performance Evaluation and Records

Management, Washington, D.C. 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–33684 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 85–166, Phase I]

Petitions for Reconsideration and

Clarification

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice: Correction.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shari Spivey, (202) 418–0270.

SUMMARY: This document corrects

Report No. 2240 regarding petitions for

reconsideration and clarification

published in the Federal Register on

December 3, 1997, (FR Doc 97–31592).

On page 63951, column two, the

petition should be removed through

lines 4–8.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–33683 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–M

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

[FEMA–1190–DR]

Nebraska; Amendment to Notice of a

Major Disaster Declaration

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice amends the notice

of a major disaster for the State of

Nebraska, (FEMA–1190–DR), dated

November 1, 1997, and related

determinations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Madge Dale, Response and Recovery

Directorate, Federal Emergency

Management Agency, Washington, DC

20472, (202) 646–3260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The notice

of a major disaster for the State of

Nebraska dated November 1, 1997, is

hereby amended to include Category G

under the Public Assistance program,

for state management cost only, for all

areas previously designated for Public

Assistance as a result of the catastrophe

declared a major disaster by the

President in his declaration of

November 1, 1997.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.

83.516, Disaster Assistance.)

Lacy E. Suiter,

Executive Associate Director, Response and

Recovery Directorate.

[FR Doc. 97–33710 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6718–02–P

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

[FEMA–1192–DR]

Commonwealth of the Northern

Mariana Islands; Major Disaster and

Related Determinations

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This is a notice of the

Presidential declaration of a major

disaster for the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands (FEMA–1192–

DR), dated December 8, 1997, and

related determinations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 8, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Magda Ruiz, Response and Recovery

Directorate, Federal Emergency

Management Agency, Washington, DC

20472, (202) 646–3260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is

hereby given that, in a letter dated

December 8, 1997, the President

declared a major disaster under the

authority of the Robert T. Stafford

Disaster Relief and Emergency

Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.),

as follows:

I have determined that the damage in

certain areas of the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), resulting

from Super Typhoon Keith on November 2–

3, 1997, is of sufficient severity and

magnitude to warrant a major disaster

declaration under the Robert T. Stafford

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

(‘‘the Stafford Act’’). I, therefore, declare that

such a major disaster exists in the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands.