62 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 1998 / Notices

Issued in Washington, D.C., on December

23, 1997.

Joseph Arango,

Acting Departmental Representative to the

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

December 12, 1997.

The Honorable John T. Conway,

Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety

Board, 625 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Suite

700, Washington, D.C. 20004.

Dear Mr. Chairman: We are pleased to

forward the Department’s Implementation

Plan for Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety

Board’s Recommendation 97–2, Criticality

Safety. This Plan addresses the need for

improved criticality safety practices and

coherent programs to alleviate the potential

adverse impacts on safety and productivity of

Department of Energy operations. It builds

upon the successful actions taken in response

to Board Recommendation 93–2, The Need

for Critical Experiment Capability, which is

being implemented through the Nuclear

Criticality Predictability Program. Because

the Implementation Plan for

Recommendation 97–2 incorporates ongoing

Nuclear Criticality Predictability Program

activities, I propose closure of

Recommendation 93–2.

To continue successful implementation of

Recommendation 93–2 and implement

Recommendation 97–2 in an integrated

fashion, the Department is taking steps to

ensure stable funding for these important

crosscutting safety activities now and in the

outyears. We have established a responsible

line manager and identified necessary

funding for fiscal years 1998 and 1999.

The Implementation Plan was prepared by

a cross-organizational response team

reporting to the Assistant Secretary for

Defense Programs in coordination with other

affected Headquarters and Field offices. Dr.

Robin Staffin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Research and Development, Office of Defense

Programs, will be the responsible manager for

implementing this plan. He can be reached

at (202) 586–7590.

Sincerely,

Federico Pen ̃ a.

[FR Doc. 97–34196 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management Advisory

Board

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Public Law 92–463, 86 Stat. 770),

notice is hereby given of the following

Advisory Committee meeting:

Name: Environmental Management

Advisory Board.

Date and Times: Wednesday, January

21, 1998, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Place: U.S. Department of Energy/

Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence

Avenue, S.W.; Room 1E–245,

Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586–

4400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James T. Melillo, Special Assistant to

the Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Management;

Environmental Management Advisory

Board (EMAB), EM–22, 1000

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586–4400.

The Internet address is:

James.Melillo@em.doe.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of

the Board. The purpose of the Board is

to provide the Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Management (EM) with

advice and recommendations on issues

confronting the Environmental

Management program, from the

perspectives of affected groups and

state, local, and tribal governments. The

Board will help to improve the

Environmental Management Program by

assisting in the process of securing

consensus recommendations, and

providing the Department’s numerous

publics with opportunities to express

their opinions regarding the

Environmental Management Program.

Tentative Agenda

Wednesday, January 21, 1998

8:30 a.m. Co-Chairmen Open Public

Meeting

8:45 a.m. Opening Remarks, Assistant

Secretary for Environmental

Management

9:00 a.m. Technology Development

and Transfer Committee Report

9:30 a.m. Privatization Committee

Report

10:00 a.m. Science Committee Report

10:45 a.m. 2006 Strategic Planning

Committee Report

11:15 a.m. Long-Term Stewardship

Committee Report

11:45 a.m. Worker Health and Safety

Committee Report

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Board Business

2:15 p.m. Public Comment Session

3:00 p.m. Meeting Adjourns

A final agenda will be available at the

meeting.

Public Participation

The meeting is open to the public.

Written statements may be filed with

the Board either before or after the

meeting. Members of the public who

wish to make oral statements pertaining

to agenda items should either contact

James T. Melillo at the address or

telephone number listed above, or call

1–(800) 736–3282, the Center for

Environmental Management

Information and register to speak during

the public comment session of the

meeting. Individuals may also register

on January 21, 1998 at the meeting site.

Every effort will be made to hear all

those wishing to speak to the Board, on

a first come, first serve basis. Those who

call in and reserve time will be given

the opportunity to speak first. The

Board Co-Chairs are empowered to

conduct the meeting in a fashion that

will facilitate the orderly conduct of

business.

Transcripts and Minutes

A meeting transcript and minutes will

be available for public review and

copying at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190, Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

S.W., Washington, DC 20585 between

9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Issued at Washington, DC on December 23,

1997.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–34195 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP98–149–000]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Application

December 24, 1997.

Take notice that on December 19,

1997, El Paso Natural Gas Company (El

Paso), Post Office Box 1492, El Paso,

Texas 79978, filed in Docket No. CP98–

149–000 an application pursuant to

Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for

a certificate of public convience and

necessity to construct and operate the

Bondad Expansion Project to alleviate a

capacity constraint on El Paso’s system

north of the Blanco plant in San Juan

County, New Mexico, all as more fully

set forth in the application which is on

file with the Commission and open to

public inspection.

El Paso states that it proposes to

construct and operate additional

compression facilities, with

appurtenances, at the existing Bondad

compressor station located on the

Ignacio to Blanco Line and Loop Line

(Line Nos. 1205 and 1218, respectively)

(Ignacio Lines), in La Plata County,

Colorado, in order to restage the three

existing Solar Centaur centrifugal

compressor units and to replace each of

the three gas turbine engines comprising
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 1998 / Notices 63

10,740 (ISO) horsepower with three gas

turbine engines comprising 15,900 (ISO)

horsepower.

El Paso contends that the Bondad

Expansion Project has been designed to

permit El Paso to transport 116,500 Mcf

per day of additional quantities of gas

from receipt points along the Ignacio

Lines to an existing point near the

existing Blanco plant located in San

Juan County, New Mexico.

El Paso estimates the cost of

constructing the Bondad Expansion

Project to be $3.6 million. El Paso

proposes to place the proposed facilities

in service by October 1, 1998.

It is stated that based on the cost of

the proposed compression facilities, El

Paso has calculated a separate

incremental rate attributable to the cost

of service for the proposed Bondad

Expansion Project. It is stated that the

incremental reservation rate for the

proposed project, which is referred to as

the Bondad Facilities Reservation

Charge, is $0.67734 per dth, on a

monthly basis. El Paso proposes the

calculated incremental rate (the

recourse rate) as the tariff rate

applicable to firm transportation service

on the Bondad Expansion Project.

In addition, it is stated that El Paso

has calculated a separate incremental

fuel charge, referred to as the Bondad

Facilities Fuel Charge, in which

shippers receiving firm service on the

Bondad Expansion Project will be

assessed a proposed incremental fuel

charge of 0.75 percent of quantities of

gas transported.

El Paso states that in support of the

Bondad Expansion Project, it has

entered into final, firm Transportation

Service Agreements (TSAs) with Enron

Capital & Trade Resources Corp., Elm

Ridge Resources, Inc. and Conoco, Inc.,

for the transportation of an additional

116,500 mcf per day of gas from any

point of receipt on the Bondad System,

including the Ignacio Receipt Point, to

the Blanco Delivery Pont.

El Paso states that the executed firm

TSAs applicable at the Bondad

Expansion Project are subject to the

provisions of Rate Schedule FT–1

contained in El Paso’s Volume No. 1–A,

FERC Gas Tariff; however, pursuant to

Section 4.5 of the Tariff, the executed

TSAs each contain a separate negotiated

rate, rather than the proposed tariff rate,

applicable to the Bondad Expansion

Project. El Paso further states that the

rate negotiated with each of the three

shippers on the Project is a Total Daily

One-Part Rate per dth.

Any person desiring to participate in

the hearing process or to make any

protest with reference to said

application should on or before January

14, 1998, file with the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

D.C. 20426, a motion to intervene or a

protest in accordance with the

requirements of the Commission’s Rules

of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR

385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations

under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR

157.10). All protests filed with the

Commission will be considered by it in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken but will not serve to make the

protestants parties to the proceeding.

The Commission’s rules require that

protestors provide copies of their

protests or the party or parties directly

involved. Any person wishing to

become a party to a proceeding or to

participate as a party in any hearing

therein must file a motion to intervene

in accordance with the Commission’s

Rules.

A person obtaining intervene status

will be placed on the service list

maintained by the Secretary of the

Commission and will receive copies of

all documents filed by the applicant and

by every one of the intervenors. An

intervenor can file for rehearing of any

Commission order and can petition for

court review of any such order.

However, an intervenor must submit

copies of comments or any other filing

it makes with the Commission to every

other intervenor in the proceeding, as

well as 14 copies with the Commission.

A person does not have to intervene,

however, in order to have comments

considered. A person, instead, may

submit two copies of comments to the

Secretary of the Commission.

Commenters will be placed on the

Commission’s environmental mailing

list, will receive copies of

environmental documents and will be

able to participate in meetings

associated with the Commission’s

environmental review process.

Commenters will not be required to

serve copies of filed documents on all

other parties. However, commenters

will not receive copies of all documents

filed by other parties or issued by the

Commission and will not have the right

to seek rehearing or appeal the

Commission’s final order to a federal

court.

The Commission will consider all

comments and concerns equally,

whether filed by commenters or those

requesting intervenor status.

Take further notice that, pursuant to

the authority contained in and subject to

jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission by

Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas Act

and the Commission’s Rules of Practice

and procedure, a hearing will be held

without further notice before the

Commission or its designee on this

application if no motion to intervene is

filed within the time required herein, if

the Commission on its own review of

the matter finds that a grant of the

certificate is required by the public

convenience and necessity. If a motion

for leave to intervene is timely filed, or

if the Commission on its own motion

believes that a formal hearing is

required, further notice of such hearing

will be duly given.

Under the procedure herein provided

for, unless otherwise advised, it will be

unnecessary for El Paso to appear or be

represented at the hearing.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–34175 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP90–1512–001]

Mountain Fuel Supply Company;

Notice of Petition To Amend

December 24, 1997.

Take notice that on December 19,

1997, Mountain Fuel Supply Company

(Mountain Fuel), 180 East First South

Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145, filed

in Docket No. CP90–1512–001 a petition

pursuant to Section 7(f) of the Natural

Gas Act to amend its certificate issued

in Docket No. CP90–1512, authorizing a

service area determination, all as more

fully set forth in the petition on file with

the Commission and open to public

inspection.

Mountain Fuel proposes to modify its

service area by adding Box Elder, Weber

Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah

Counties, all located in Utah, and the

remainder of Cache County, Utah, that

is not part of Mountain Fuel’s existing

service area. It is stated that the service

area presently consists of Franklin

County, Idaho, and most of Cache

County, Utah. It is explained that the

additional counties are located along the

Wasatch Front of northern Utah and

incorporate the Sunset, Porter’s Lane

(Centerville), Little Mountain and

Payson gate-station interconnects with

Questar Pipeline Company (Questar), an

interstate pipeline company, and the

Hunter Park interconnect with Kern

River Gas Transmission Company, an

interstate pipeline company.

Mountain Fuel asserts that the

additions to the service area are

required to improve its operating

flexibility for meeting customer

requirements in its northern Utah and