5624 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices

environmental and regulatory issues

and alternatives to be addressed in the

EIS will be accepted. The Corps will

hold public meetings to receive public

input, either verbal or written, on

relevant environmental and regulatory

issues that should be addressed in the

EIS. The locations and starting times of

the public meetings will be announced.

In accordance with 40 CFR 1506.5(c)

and 33 CFR Part 325, Appendix B,

(8)(f)(2), it is our understanding that

Hobet will secure the services of a

contractor for the preparation of an EIS.

Hobet solicited bids for prospective

contractors. Hobet will employ Michael

Baker, Jr., Inc. to prepare the EIS for the

proposed mining activities associated

with the Spruce No. 1 Surface Mine.

The Corps and its cooperating

agencies implement Federal and State

laws with which mining operations and

associated discharges to waters of the

United States must comply. The

cooperating agencies involved in this

NEPA process are the Office of Surface

Mining (OSM), U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS), and the West

Virginia Division of Environmental

Protection (WVDEP). Each of the

cooperating Federal and State agencies

will provide their expertise in

compiling information and evaluating

potential impacts of the proposed

project. OSM is responsible for national

administration of the Surface Mining

Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA);

it has delegated the authority for the

SMCRA programs for surface mining

operations in West Virginia to the State

of West Virginia DEP. Discharges of fill

material into waters of the United States

are regulated under Section 404 of the

Clean Water Act, administered by the

Corps and applicable 404 regulations

issued by the Corps and EPA. Other

discharges to waters of the United States

are subject Section 402 of the Clean

Water Act, administered nationally by

the EPA with authority for the program

delegated to the State of West Virginia

(DEP). Coordination with the FWS will

be accomplished in compliance with the

Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

(FWCA). Coordination required by other

laws and regulations will also be

conducted.

This EIS will evaluate potentially

significant environmental impacts

associated with Hobet’s proposed

Spruce No. 1 Surface mine on water

quality, streams, aquatic and terrestrial

habitat, habitat fragmentation, the

hydrological balance, and other

individual and cumulative effects.

Cumulative environmental impacts may

include the efficacy of stream

restoration; the viability of reclaimed

streams compared to natural waters; the

impact of valley fills on aquatic life,

wildlife and nearby residents; biological

and habitat analyses; and practicable

alternatives for in-stream placement of

excess overburden; measures to

minimize stream filling to the maximum

extent practicable; and the effectiveness

of mitigation and reclamation measures.

The activity is to remove overburden

to expose coal seams in order conduct

surface mining activities on the Spruce

No. 1 mining area. The proposed action

is to issue a 404 permit to authorize the

discharge of overburden into the

streams in the surrounding project area.

The scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7

and 33 CFR Part 325, Appendix B) will

consist of determining the extent to

which potentially significant issues

shall be analyzed. It shall define the

study area based on the resources

potentially affected, opportunities, and

geographic areas likely affected by

alternative plans. It shall identify

current and potential future planning

related activities to and not part of the

study under consideration. The process

shall identity and review consultation

requirements, so that cooperating

agencies (as defined in 40 CFR 15 CFR

1508.12) may prepare required analyses

and studies concurrently with the study

under consideration. Coordination of

such agencies will be in accordance

with Executive Order 12372 and 33 CFR

384. The process shall also indicate

tentative planning and a decision

making schedule.

Comments received in response to

this solicitation, including names and

address of those who comment, will be

considered part of the public record on

this proposed action and will be

available for public inspection.

Comments submitted anonymously will

be accepted and considered.

To assist the Corps in identifying and

considering issues and concerns on the

proposed action, comments should be as

specific as possible. These comments

will assist in early scoping and later

development of alternatives for the

DEIS.

Michael D. Gheen,

Chief, Regulatory Branch.

[FR Doc. 00–2546 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–GM–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board;

Notice of Open Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

SUMMARY: This notice announces an

open meeting of the Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board. The Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Public Law 92–463, 86

Stat. 770), requires that agencies publish

these notices in the Federal Register to

allow for public participation.

DATES AND TIMES: Friday, February 11,

2000, 9:00 am–3:00 pm.

ADDRESSES: Conference Rooms A–106/

A–107, U.S. Department of Energy,

Nevada Operations Office, 232 Energy

Way, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030–

4199. Note: Members of the public who

plan to attend this open meeting are

requested to contact Mr. Darwin

Morgan, Director of the Office of Public

Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy,

Nevada Operations Office in advance of

the meeting in order to facilitate access

to the meeting site. Mr. Morgan may be

reached at (702) 295–3521 or via e-mail

at morgan@nv.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Betsy Mullins, Executive Director, or

Richard Burrow, Deputy Director,

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board

(AB–1), U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586–7092

or (202) 586–6279 (fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board (The Board) is to

provide the Secretary of Energy with

essential independent advice and

recommendations on issues of national

importance. The Board and its

subcommittees provide timely,

balanced, and authoritative advice to

the Secretary of Energy on the

Department’s management reforms,

research, development and technology

activities, energy and national security

responsibilities, environmental cleanup

activities, and economic issues relating

to energy.

Tentative Agenda

Friday, February 11, 2000

9:00 am–9:15 am—Welcome & Opening

Remarks—SEAB Chairman Andrew Athy

9:15 am–9:35 am—Opening Remarks—

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson

9:35 am–9:45 am—Introduction of New

Board Members

9:45 am–10:15 am—Briefing on the DOE’s

Racial Profiling Task Force Report

10:15 am–11:00 am—Board Action on the

Laboratory Operations Board’s External

Members’ Report on Laboratory Directed

Research and Development.

11:00 am–11:45 am—Updates on SEAB

Subcommittees and Working Group

Activities:

—Russia Task Force

—Education Working Group

11:45 am–1:00 pm—Lunch

1:10 pm–1:30 pm—Updates on SEAB

Subcommittees and Working Group

Activities:

—Openness Advisory Panel

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices 5625

—NIF Task Force

1:30 pm–2:45 pm—Update on DOE

Activities:

—National Nuclear Security

Administration

—Energy Efficiency

2:45 pm–3:00 pm—Public Comment Period

3:00 pm–Closing Remarks & Adjourn

This tentative agenda may change. We will

have a final agenda available at the meeting.

Public Participation

The Chairman of the Secretary of

Energy Advisory Board is empowered to

conduct the meeting in a way that will,

in the Chairman’s judgment, facilitate

the orderly conduct of business. During

its meeting in North Las Vegas, Nevada,

the Board welcomes public comment.

Members of the public will be heard in

the order in which they sign up at the

beginning of the meeting. The Board

will make every effort to hear the views

of all interested parties. You may submit

written comments to Betsy Mullins,

Executive Director, Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board, AB–1, US Department

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, D.C. 20585. This

notice is being published less than 15

days before the date of the meeting due

to the programmatic issues that needed

to be resolved prior to publication.

Minutes

We will make minutes and a

transcript of the meeting available for

public review and copying

approximately 30 days following the

meeting at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190 Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, D.C., between 9:00 am

and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday

except Federal holidays. You can find

more information on the Secretary of

Energy Advisory Board at the Board’s

web site, located at http://

www.hr.doe.gov/seab

Issued at Washington, D.C., on January 31,

2000.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–2542 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP00–167–000]

Florida Gas Transmission Company;

Notice of Proposed Changes in FERC

Gas Tariff

January 31, 2000.

Take notice that on January 27, 2000,

Florida Gas Transmission Company

(FGT) tendered for filing to become part

of its FERC Gas Tariff, Third Revised

Volume No. 1, effective February 1,

2000, the following tariff sheets:

Thirty-Seventh Revised Sheet No. 8A

Twenty-Eighth Revised Sheet No. 8A.01

Twenty-Ninth Revised Sheet No. 8A.02

Thirty-Third Revised Sheet No. 8B

Twenty-Sixth Revised Sheet No. 8B.01

FGT states that in Docket No. TM00–

1–34–000 filed on August 27, 1999, FGT

filed to establish a Base Fuel

Reimbursement Charge Percentage (Base

FRCP) of 2.75% to become effective for

the six-month Winter Period beginning

October 1, 1999. In the instant filing,

FGT states that it is filing a flex

adjustment of 0.25% to be effective

February 1, 2000, which, when

combined with the proposed Base FRCP

of 2.75%, results in an Effective Fuel

Reimbursement Charge Percentage of

3.00%.

FGT states that the tariff sheets listed

above are being filed pursuant to

Section 27.A.2.b of the General Terms

and Conditions of FGT’s Tariff, which

provides for flex adjustments to the Base

FRCP. Pursuant to the terms of Section

27.A.2.b, a flex adjustment shall become

effective without prior FERC approval

provided that such flex adjustment does

not exceed 0.50%, is effective at the

beginning of a month, is posted on

FGT’s EBB at least five working days

prior to the nomination deadline, and is

filed no more than sixty and at least

seven days before the proposed effective

date. FGT states that the instant filing

comports with these provisions and

FGT has posted notice of the flex

adjustment prior to the instant filing.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest said filing should file a motion

to intervene or a protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC

20426, in accordance with Sections

385.214 or 385.211 of the Commission’s

Rules and Regulations. All such motions

or protests must be filed in accordance

with Section 154.210 of the

Commission’s Regulations. Protests will

be considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceedings.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of this filing are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection in the Public Reference

Room. This filing may be viewed on the

web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/

rims.htm (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance).

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–2459 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP97–431–000]

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of

America; Notice of Rescheduling of

Conference

January 31, 2000.

Take notice that due to closure of the

Federal Government because of

inclement weather, the conference in

the above-captioned proceeding

originally scheduled for Tuesday,

January 25, 2000, has been rescheduled

for Thursday, February 10, 2000,

beginning at 10:00 a.m., in Hearing

Room No. 1, at the offices of the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–2458 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. EG00–84–000, et al.]

Panda Gila River, L.P., et al., Electric

Rate and Corporate Regulation Filings

January 27, 2000.

Take notice that the following filings

have been made with the Commission:

1. Panda Gila River, L.P.

[Docket No. EG00–84–000]

Take notice that on January 20, 2000,

Panda Gila River, L.P. (Panda Gila

River), with its principal offices at 4100

Spring Valley Road, Suite 1001, Dallas,

Texas 75244, filed with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, an

application for determination of exempt

wholesale generator status pursuant to