[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68302-68303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34038]



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Modification Request Received Under the 
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit modification request received under the 
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, P.L. 95-541.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the National Science Foundation 
(NSF) has received a request to modify a permit issued to conduct 
activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 
(Public Law 95-541; Code of Federal Regulations Title 45, Part 670).

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or vies with respect to the permit modification on or before January 
30, 1998. The permit modification request may be inspected by 
interested parties at the Permit Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce A. Jatko or Nadene G. Kennedy at 
the above address or (703) 306-1030.

[[Page 68303]]

Description of Permit Modification Requested

    1. On December 27, 1996, the National Science Foundation issued a 
permit (97WM-4) to Dr. Rennie S. Holt at the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Antarctic Marine Living Resources 
(AMLR) Program after posting a notice in the November 21, 1996 Federal 
Register. Public comments were not received. The issued permit was for 
the use and release of designated pollutants associated with the 
construction and operation of a research field camp at Camp Shirreff, 
Livingston Island, Antarctica (62 deg.28'S60 deg.47'W). During the 
first season at Cape Shirreff, only limited research activities were 
conducted as most of the effort was focused on camp construction. In 
the coming seasons, the AMLR Program proposes to expand research 
activities, providing a more comprehensive research program. One 
project of this expanded program proposes to use the doubly labeled 
water (tritiated and oxygen-18) method to measure the free-ranging 
foraging energetics of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella). Use 
of tritium labeled water was not included in the original permit 
request. The scope of this application for a permit modification 
pertains to waste management issues involved with the use and handling 
of the radioactive isotope tritium. The duration of the requested 
modification is coincident with the current permit which expires on 
April 30, 2001.
    All radioisotope materials will be handled only by researchers 
trained in their proper handling and use. For each season it is 
anticipated that approximately 55 mCi <SUP>3</SUP>H<INF>2</INF>O will 
be used for research purposes. All wastes generated from the research 
activities will be double bagged, packaged in appropriate containers 
lined with absorbent pads, and will be returned to the University of 
California Environmental Health and Safety Office, Santa Cruz for 
disposal. Conditions of the permit modification would include an annual 
report of all activities involving the tritium and a declaration by the 
institutional radiation safety officer that all materials returned from 
the Antarctic have been received.
Joyce A. Jatko,
Acting Permit Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-34038 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M