58058 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 27, 2000 / Notices

meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 4

pm. The meeting is open to the public.

Any interested person may attend,

appear before, or file statements with

the committee at the time and in the

manner permitted by the committee.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Norman T. Edwards, Headquarters, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, CECW–PD,

Washington, DC 20314–1000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–24834 Filed 9–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–92–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Meeting of the Board of Visitors to the

U.S. Naval Academy

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Naval Academy

Board of Visitors will meet to make such

inquiry as the Board shall deem

necessary into the state of morale and

discipline, the curriculum, instruction,

physical equipment, fiscal affairs, and

academic methods of the Naval

Academy. During this meeting inquiries

will relate to the internal personnel

rules and practices of the Academy, may

involve on-going criminal

investigations, and include discussions

of personal information the disclosure

of which would constitute a clearly

unwarranted invasion of personal

privacy. The executive session of this

meeting will be closed to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Monday, October 2, 2000 from 9:00 a.m.

to 12:00 p.m. The closed Executive

Session will be from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00

p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

Room SDG–11 of the Senate Dirksen

Office Building, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lieutenant Commander Thomas E.

Osborn, Executive Secretary to the

Board of Visitors, Office of the

Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy,

Annapolis, MD 21402–5000, (410) 293–

1503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

meeting was originally scheduled for

September 15, 2000, (65 FR 55007) and

was postponed to October 2, 2000. This

notice of meeting is provided per the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

U.S.C. App. 2). The executive session of

the meeting will consist of discussions

of information which pertain to the

conduct of various midshipmen at the

Naval Academy and internal Board of

Visitors matters. Discussion of such

information cannot be adequately

segregated from other topics, which

precludes opening the executive session

of this meeting to the public. In

accordance with 5 U.S.C. App. 2,

section 10(d), the Secretary of the Navy

has determined in writing that the

special committee meeting shall be

partially closed to the public because

they will be concerned with matters as

outlined in section 552(b)(2), (5), (6),

and (7) of title 5, U.S.C. Due to

unavoidable delay in administrative

processing, the normal 15 calendar days

notice could not be provided.

Dated: September 22, 2000.

J.L. Roth,

Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Navy,

Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–24896 Filed 9–25–00; 1:03 pm]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Science; Office of Science

Financial Assistance Program Notice

00–21: Bioremediation and Its Societal

Implications and Concerns (BASIC)

Research Program

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE).

ACTION: Notice inviting grant

applications.

SUMMARY: The Office of Biological and

Environmental Research (OBER) of the

Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department

of Energy (DOE) hereby announces its

interest in receiving applications for

research grants in Bioremediation and

its Societal Implications and Concerns

(BASIC). BASIC is a key element of the

Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation

Research (NABIR) program that

provides the fundamental science

underlying bioremediation of

radionuclides and metals in subsurface

environments at DOE sites. Research is

encouraged that identifies critical

societal, cultural, legal, policy,

regulatory or other issues that could

enhance or complicate the development

and utilization of bioremediation

methods or approaches. Educational

activities that enhance the dialogue

among scientists, regulators and

community members about plausible

implementation of bioremediation of

radionuclides and metals are also being

sought. Partnerships between social

scientists and physical/biological

scientists in the development of BASIC

projects are strongly encouraged.

DATES: Researchers are strongly

encouraged to submit a pre-application

for programmatic review. Early

submission of pre-applications is

encouraged, to allow time for review for

programmatic relevance. The deadline

for receipt of pre-applications is

November 6, 2000. A brief preapplication should consist of one or two

pages of narrative describing the

research objectives and methods.

The deadline for receipt of formal

applications is 4:30 p.m., E.S.T.,

December 21, 2000 to be accepted for

merit review and to permit timely

consideration for award in Fiscal Year

2001 or in early Fiscal Year 2002. An

original and seven copies of the

application must be submitted;

however, applicants are requested not to

submit applications using more than

one delivery or mail service.

ADDRESSES: If submitting a preapplication, it should reference Program

Notice 00–21, and may be sent by e-mail

to: daniel.drell@science.doe.gov. Hard

copies can be sent to Daniel Drell, Ph.D.,

Life Sciences Division, SC–72/GTN,

Office of Biological and Environmental

Research, Office of Science, U.S.

Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290.

Formal applications referencing

Program Notice 00–21 on the cover page

must be forwarded to: U.S. Department

of Energy, Office of Science, Grants and

Contracts Division, SC–64, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290, ATTN: Program Notice 00–

21. This address must also be used

when submitting applications by U.S.

Postal Service Express Mail or any other

commercial overnight delivery service,

or when hand-carried by the applicant.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Daniel Drell, Life Sciences Division,

SC–72, Office of Biological and

Environmental Research, Office of

Science, U.S. Department of Energy,

19901 Germantown Road, Germantown,

MD 20874–1290, telephone: (301) 903–

4742, e-mail:

daniel.drell@science.doe.gov, fax: (301)

903–8521. The full text of Program

Notice 00–21 is available via the World

Wide Web at the following address:

http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/

grants/grants.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Approximately 50 years of U.S.

production of nuclear weapons have left

a legacy of radioactive, chemical and

other hazardous waste at DOE sites.

Much of this legacy consists of mixtures

of these waste components. Cleanup or

stabilization of contaminated sites using

conventional technologies such as

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 27, 2000 / Notices 58059

landfilling, vitrification or incineration

carries a very high price tag, estimated

to be in excess of $100 billion. This high

cost has sparked interest in the

development of innovative and

potentially cost-saving technologies

such as bioremediation. Bioremediation

of metals and radionuclides involves the

use of microorganisms to remove these

contaminants from the aqueous phase

by precipitation or complexation, thus

reducing the risk to humans and the

environment. Such approaches may

involve stabilizing the radionuclides

and metals by immobilizing them in

place, and long-term stewardship to

ensure that they are not re-mobilized

over time.

The Natural and Accelerated

Bioremediation Research (NABIR)

Program provides the fundamental

science to serve as the basis for

development of cost-effective

bioremediation of radionuclides and

metals in subsurface environments at

DOE sites. NABIR research encompasses

both intrinsic bioremediation by

naturally occurring microbial

communities, as well as accelerated

bioremediation through the use of

nutrient amendments or addition of

microorganisms. At present, the

program is exploring the use of

naturally occurring microorganisms as

amendments; however, genetically

engineered microorganisms may also be

considered in the future. The program

consists of seven interrelated scientific

research elements (Biogeochemical

Dynamics, Biotransformation,

Community Dynamics and Microbial

Ecology, Assessment, Biomolecular

Science and Engineering, Bacterial

Transport, and Systems Integration/Data

Management). A Field Research Center

(FRC) for NABIR research has recently

been established in Bear Creek Valley

near the Y–12 site at the Oak Ridge

National Laboratory in Oak Ridge,

Tennessee. The FRC provides an area

containing both contaminated and

uncontaminated subsurface

environments for performing field-scale,

hypothesis-driven research and for

collecting field samples for laboratory

based studies. Additional information

about NABIR and the Field Research

Center may be found on the NABIR

homepage: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR

or on the FRC homepage: http://

www.esd.ornl.gov/BCV-FieldSite.

The NABIR program also includes an

element addressing educational, legal

and societal issues of bioremediation

called Bioremediation and its Societal

Implications and Concerns (BASIC)

which is the subject of this solicitation.

The BASIC element is directed at

defining and understanding the societal

implications of implementing in situ

bioremediation approaches for metals

and radionuclides. Stabilization of

radionuclides and metals in place

through biologically mediated

immobilization is a bioremediation

approach under investigation by NABIR

researchers. Such an approach,

however, necessitates long term

stewardship to ensure the contaminants

remain immobilized. Communities and

other stakeholders may have concerns

regarding this potential bioremediation

strategy. The introduction of non-native

microorganisms or the manipulation of

the environment to change its microbial

composition or chemical characteristics

may raise concerns among those who

live or work nearby. Even the

reintroduction of native microorganisms

into their natural environment can raise

concerns. Although it might be many

years before genetically engineered

microorganisms may be considered for

limited release to clean up DOE sites, it

is wise to begin now to consider some

of the issues involved. It is a

fundamental principle of the NABIR

program that stakeholders associated

with affected communities must be

involved in any discussions about the

possible use of novel approaches and/or

processes to remediate a contaminated

site and that identifying issues of

potential concern to stakeholders

should be done well in advance of any

possible deployment decisions.

DOE seeks applications for research to

investigate societal issues and to inform

stakeholders and the general public on

bioremediation issues related to NABIR.

Applications should address effective

ways to:

(1) Define the societal, legal, ethical,

cultural and regulatory concerns

associated with plausible application of

in situ bioremediation of radionuclides

and metals. Concerns to be addressed

might include: (1) Introduction of

chemical additives to the subsurface to

enhance immobilization of

radionuclides or metals and to reduce

risk; (2) introduction of naturally

occurring but non-indigenous

microorganisms to enhance

bioremediation; (3) introduction of

genetically engineered microorganisms

to stabilize radionuclides and metals at

contaminated sites; and (4) public

attitudes toward long term stewardship

for sites where radionuclides and metals

are left in place in an immobile,

biologically unavailable form, following

bioremediation. Research and

conferences are encouraged that identify

critical regulatory, policy, societal, legal

and other issues that could enhance or

complicate the development and

plausible implementation of NABIR

bioremediation approaches or methods.

Partnerships between social scientists

and physical/biological scientists in the

development of BASIC projects are

strongly encouraged.

(2) Develop and promote greater

understanding of the science and

societal implications of bioremediation.

DOE solicits applications for the

preparation and dissemination of

educational materials, in any

appropriate medium, that will enhance

understanding of the scientific as well

as the societal aspects of bioremediation

among the general public or specified

groups. Educational efforts that target

specific groups should include a

detailed description of the relationship

between NABIR and that group or

community in addition to assessment

measures for determining the

effectiveness of the educational effort.

DOE also encourages applications for

the support of conferences focusing on

the legal and societal implications of

NABIR.

Applicants should demonstrate their

knowledge of any relevant literature and

should include detailed plans for the

gathering and analysis of factual

information and its societal

implications. Applicants are encouraged

to make use of NABIR relevant activities

or field sites, such as the DOE Field

Research Center at the Oak Ridge

National Laboratory, where

bioremediation experiments are planned

or underway. All research applications

should address the issue of efficient

dissemination of results to the widest

appropriate audience; free availability

via the World Wide Web is strongly

encouraged, where appropriate.

Examples of possible BASIC research

topics include, but are not limited to:

Cultural risks and concerns about

bioremediation—Applications are

sought to identify and explore cultural

concerns relating to bioremediation and

its possible implementation. Of

particular interest is understanding the

potential impacts of bioremediation.

Would bioremediation be viewed in a

positive or negative way in light of its

impact on, and potential future uses of,

the land? If so, what are the cultural

bases for these views? What are the

cultural positions or attitudes on the

potential need for long term

stewardship of sites, where

contaminants are stabilized, and what

are its impacts? What variation can be

described in attitudes towards the risks

that might be associated with the use of

bioremediation?

Legal issues—Research should

address the potential legal issues

surrounding the use of naturally

occurring or genetically engineered

58060 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 27, 2000 / Notices

microorganisms for in situ

bioremediation of radionuclides and

metals. Such issues might include

intellectual property rights, community

consent for the use of bioremediation

strategies, and adjudication scenarios

involving controversies over the use of

bioremediation. Potential legal issues

involving the need for long term

stewardship of sites where

contaminants have been stabilized are of

special interest. Also, while risk

assessments are not a subject of this

solicitation, legal perspectives on the

implications of potential bioremediation

strategies compared to other strategies

could be explored.

Education of stakeholders and the

general public on bioremediation—

Educational activities that promote

interactions and communications

between NABIR scientists and involved

stakeholders, as well as enhance the

knowledge base of scientists, regulators

and community members are strongly

encouraged. Of particular interest are

communities adjacent to DOE sites.

Relevant activities could include (1) the

development, deployment and

implementation of educational

curriculum units on bioremediation and

its implications; (2) the development of

educational materials using diverse

media; or (3) the sponsoring of

educational forums bringing together

bioremediation scientists, stakeholders,

and members of other interested

communities (e.g., judges, regulators,

etc.). Applications in response to this

element of this solicitation should

include discussion of dissemination

plans as well as ways to assess the

impact of the proposed educational

activities on the targeted group

following completion of the grant

period.

Program Funding

It is anticipated that up to $500,000

per year will be available for multiple

awards to be made in late FY 2001 and

early FY 2002 in the categories

described above, contingent on

availability of appropriated funds.

Applications may request project

support up to three years, with out-year

support contingent on availability of

funds, progress of the research and

programmatic needs. Annual budgets

for projects in the BASIC Program are

expected to range from $50,000 to

$200,000 total costs. DOE may

encourage collaboration among

prospective investigators to promote

joint applications or joint research

projects by using information obtained

through the preliminary applications or

through other forms of communication.

Merit Review

Applications will be subjected to

formal merit review (peer review) and

will be evaluated against the following

evaluation criteria, which are listed in

descending order of importance codified

at 10 CFR 605.10(d):

1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of

the Project;

2. Appropriateness of the Proposed

Method or Approach;

3. Competency of Applicant’s

personnel and Adequacy of Proposed

Resources;

4. Reasonableness and

Appropriateness of the Proposed

Budget.

Also, as part of the evaluation,

program policy factors become a

selection priority. External peer

reviewers are selected with regard to

both their scientific expertise and the

absence of conflict-of-interest issues.

Non-federal reviewers will often be

used, and submission of an application

constitutes agreement that this is

acceptable to the investigator(s) and the

submitting institution.

Submission Information

Information about the development,

submission of applications, eligibility,

limitations, evaluation, the selection

process, and other policies and

procedures may be found in 10 CFR Part

605, and in the Application Guide for

the Office of Science Financial

Assistance Program.

Electronic access to SC’s Financial

Assistance Application Guide is

possible via the World Wide Web at:

http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/

grants/grants.html. DOE is under no

obligation to pay for any costs

associated with the preparation or

submission of applications if an award

is not made. In addition, for this notice,

the research description must be 20

pages or less, exclusive of attachments,

and must contain an abstract or

summary of the proposed research (to

include the work to be undertaken or

the hypotheses being tested, the

proposed approach(s) and method(s),

and the names of all investigators and

their affiliations). Attachments should

include short curriculum vitae for all

key personnel, a QA/QC plan, a listing

of all current and pending federal

support and letters of intent when

collaborations are part of the proposed

research. Curriculum vitae should be

submitted in a form similar to that of

NIH or NSF (two to three pages), see for

example: http://www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/

cpo/gpg/fkit.htm#forms-9.

Additional information on the NABIR

Program is available on the World Wide

Web at: http://www.lbl.gov/NABIR/. For

researchers who do not have access to

the world wide web, please contact

Karen Carlson, Environmental Sciences

Division, SC–74, U.S. Department of

Energy, 19901 Germantown Road,

Germantown, MD 20874–1290, phone:

(301) 903–3338, fax: (301) 903–8519, Email: karen.carlson@science.doe.gov, for

hard copies of background material

mentioned in this solicitation.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number for this program is 81.049, and the

solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 CFR

Part 605.

Issued in Washington, DC on September

19, 2000.

John Rodney Clark,

Associate Director of Science for Resource

Management.

[FR Doc. 00–24811 Filed 9–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP00–548–000]

Gulf States Transmission Corporation;

Notice of Tariff Filing

September 21, 2000.

Take notice that on September 15,

2000, Gulf States Transmission

Corporation (Gulf States), tendered for

filing as part of its FERC Gas Tariff,

Original Volume No. 1 the revised tariff

sheets listed in Appendix A to the

filing, with an effective date of October

1, 2000.

Gulf States states that this filing is

made in compliance with the

Commission’s mandate under Order No.

637 that pipelines file to remove any

tariff provisions that are inconsistent

with the temporary removal of the

maximum rate ceiling for short term

capacity releases.

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