7442 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 1997 / Notices

educational programs of State-operated

institutions for neglected or delinquent

(N or D) children, community day

programs for N or D children, and adult

correctional institutions and (2) the

October caseload of N or D children in

local institutions.

[FR Doc. 97–3970 Filed 2–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

SUMMARY: The Energy Information

Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

changes and extensions to Forms EIA–

851, ‘‘Domestic Uranium Mining

Production Report,’’ and EIA–858,

‘‘Uranium Industry Annual Survey,’’ for

the collection of 1997 data. The Form

EIA–254, ‘‘Annual Report on Status of

Reactor Construction,’’ will be

discontinued.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted within 60 days of the

publication of this notice. 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 of your intention to

do so as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Charles

Johnson, Energy Information

Administration, EI–531, Forrestal

Building, U.S. Department of Energy,

Washington, DC 20585, (phone number

(202) 426–1178; e-mail address

CJOHNSON@EIA.DOE.GOV, and FAX

number (202) 426-1280).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the form and instructions

should be directed to Charles Johnson at

the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities

under the Federal Energy

Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No.

93–275) and the Department of Energy

Organization Act (Pub. L. 95–91), the

Energy Information Administration is

obliged to carry out a central,

comprehensive, and unified energy data

and information program. As part of this

program, EIA collects, evaluates,

assembles, analyzes, and disseminates

data and information related to energy

resource reserves, production, demand,

and technology, and related economic

and statistical information relevant to

the adequacy of energy resources to

meet demands in the near and longer

term future for the Nation’s economic

and social needs.

The Energy Information

Administration, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden (required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13)), conducts a presurvey

consultation program to provide the

general public and other Federal

agencies with an opportunity to

comment on proposed and/or

continuing reporting forms. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden is minimized,

reporting forms are clearly understood,

and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Also, EIA will later

seek approval by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for the

collections under Section 3507(h) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13, Title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The Form EIA–254 (discontinued

with this notice) collects data on

nuclear power plants planned or under

construction, including plant

ownership, design capacity, status, cost,

and construction schedules and

milestone dates.

The Form EIA–851 collects data on

uranium production at conventional

mills and nonconventional plants

(byproduct recovery and in-situ leach

plants).

The Form EIA–858 collects data on

uranium raw materials activities

(Schedule A) and uranium marketing

(Schedule B).

Data collected on these forms provide

a comprehensive statistical

characterization of the domestic nuclear

industry in these areas: uranium

reserves, potential future requirements

for uranium production and enrichment

facilities, uranium concentrate

production, status of industry’s annual

activities, and information about

industry plans and commitments.

Published data from these surveys are

used by Congress, Federal and State

agencies, the uranium and electricutility industries, and the general

public. Published data appear in the EIA

publications, ‘‘Nuclear Power

Generation and Fuel Cycle Report,’’

‘‘Uranium Industry Annual,’’ and the

‘‘Annual Energy Review.’

II. Current Actions

The EIA–254 will be discontinued for

1997.

There are no changes to the data

elements collected on the Form EIA–

851; however, a 3-year extension of the

approved OMB expiration date (12/31/

97) is requested.

The only change to the Form EIA–858

(Schedule A and Schedule B) is the

elimination of the certification block on

the cover sheet. A request to extend the

approval expiration date (12/31/97) for

3 years will also be submitted to OMB.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other

interested parties should comment on

the actions discussed in item II. The

following guidelines are provided to

assist in the preparation of responses.

Please indicate to which form(s) your

comments apply.

General Issues

A. Is the proposed collection of

information necessary, taking into

account its accuracy, adequacy, and

reliability, and the agency’s ability to

process the information it collects in a

useful and timely fashion.

B. What enhancements can EIA make

to the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

A. Are the instructions and

definitions clear and sufficient? If not,

which instructions require clarification?

B. Can data be submitted in

accordance with the due date specified

in the instructions?

C. Public reporting burden for these

collections are estimated to average:

Form EIA–851, 3 hours; and Form EIA–

858, 25 hours. Burden includes the total

time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

or disclose or provide the information

including: (1) Reviewing instructions;

(2) developing, acquiring, installing, and

utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating,

verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information;

(3) adjusting the existing ways to

comply with any previously applicable

instructions and requirements; (4)

training personnel to respond to a

collection of information; (5) searching

data sources; (6) completing and

reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise

disclosing the information.

Please comment on (1) the accuracy of

our estimate and (2) how the agency

could minimize the burden of the

collection of information, including the

use of automated collection techniques
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 1997 / Notices 7443

or other forms of information

technology.

D. What are the estimated (1) Total

dollar amount annualized for capital

and start-up costs, and (2) recurring

annual dollar amount of operation,

maintenance, and purchase of service

costs associated with this data

collection? The estimates should take

into account the costs associated with

generating, maintaining, and disclosing

or providing the information. Estimates

should not include purchases of

equipment or services made as part of

customary and usual business practices,

or the cost of any burden hours for

completing the form. EIA estimates that

there are no additional costs other than

those that the respondent incurs in

keeping the information for its own

uses.

E. Do you know of any other Federal,

State, or local agency that collects

similar data? If you do, specify the

agency, the data element(s), and the

methods of collection.

As a Potential User

A. Can you use data at the levels of

detail indicated on the Form EIA–851

and EIA–858?

B. For what purpose would you use

the data? Be specific.

C. Are there alternate sources of data

and do you use them? If so, what are

their deficiencies and/or strengths?

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of the form. They also will

become a matter of public record.

Statutory Authority: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. 104–13).

Issued in Washington, DC, February 12,

1997.

Lynda T. Carlson,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards,

Energy Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–4017 Filed 2–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Agency Information Collection Under

Review by the Office of Management

and Budget

AGENCY: Energy Information

Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request.

SUMMARY: The Energy Information

Administration (EIA) has submitted the

‘‘Residential Energy Consumption

Survey’’ (RECS) (Forms EIA–457A/G) to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for clearance under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Notice of this

submission was published in the

Federal Register on January 21, 1997

(62 FR 3031). This notice supplements

the earlier notice. Unless additional

funding is made available, it will be

necessary to delete the Low Income

Home Energy Assistance Program

(LIHEAP) questions (questions K–1

through K–3). The target sample will

also be reduced from 5,800 cases to

5,000. If necessary, this decrease in the

target sample will reduce the annual

burden by 290 hours from 2,005 to

1,715.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or

before February 20, 1997. If you

anticipate that you will be submitting

comments but find it difficult to do so

within the time allowed by this notice,

you should advise the OMB DOE Desk

Officer listed below of your intention to

do so as soon as possible. The Desk

Officer may be telephoned at (202) 395–

3084. (Also, please notify the EIA

contact listed below.)

ADDRESSES: Address comments to the

Department of Energy Desk Officer,

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 726 Jackson Place, NW,

Washington, DC 20503. (Comments

should also be addressed to the Office

of Statistical Standards at the address

below.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information

should be directed to Jay Casselberry,

Office of Statistical Standards, (EI–70),

Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of

Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Mr.

Casselberry may be telephoned at (202)

426–1116, FAX (202) 426–1081, or email at jcasselb@eia.doe.gov.

Statutory Authority: Section 3506(c)(2)(A)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13).

Issued in Washington, DC February 12,

1997.

Lynda T. Carlson,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards,

Energy Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–4016 Filed 2–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Office of Energy Research

Energy Research Financial Assistance

Program Notice 97–10; Microbial

Genome Program

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting grant

applications.

SUMMARY: The Office of Health and

Environmental Research (OHER) of the

Office of Energy Research, U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE), hereby

announces its interest in receiving

applications for grants in support of the

Microbial Genome Program (MGP). The

MGP focus is on developing and using

high-throughput microbial genome

sequencing that will provide functional

genomic sequence and mapping

information on microorganisms: with

environmental or energy relevance; of

phylogenetic significance; and of

potential commercial importance and

application. Bioinformatics tools

relating to complete genomic sequences

are also of importance to the MGP.

DATES: Preapplications referencing

Program Notice 97–10 should be

received by March 24, 1997. Formal

applications in response to this notice

should be received by 4:30 p.m., E.D.T.,

June 9, 1997, to be accepted for merit

review and funding in early FY 1998.

ADDRESSES: Preapplications referencing

Program Notice 97–10 should be sent to

Dr. Marvin E. Frazier, Office of Health

and Environmental Research, ER–72,

Office of Energy Research, U.S.

Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290; e-mail is acceptable for

submitting preapplications using the

following address:

lana.ahalt@oer.doe.gov. Formal

applications referencing Program Notice

97–10 should be forwarded to: U.S.

Department of Energy, Office of Energy

Research, Grants and Contracts

Division, ER–64, 19901 Germantown

Road, Germantown, MD 20874–1290,

ATTN: Program Notice 97–10. This

address must be used when submitting

applications by U.S. Postal Service

Express Mail or any commercial mail

delivery service, or when hand-carried

by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Marvin E. Frazier, ER–72, Office of

Health and Environmental Research,

Office of Energy Research, U.S.

Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290, telephone: (301) 903–5468,

e-mail: lana.ahalt@oer.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Molecular

biological research on industrially

important microorganisms and on

microorganisms that live in extreme

environments (including the deep

subsurface, geothermal environments,

hypersaline environments, frozen

environments, and toxic waste sites) is

a developing area of great scientific

promise that will impact many DOE

missions, other federal agency missions,

and U.S. industry. The Microbial

Genome Program supports key DOE

business areas by providing microbial