Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules 5847

Groundwater (OU5). This decision is

based on the risk assessment that

evaluated Moton School (OU4) and

Groundwater (OU5), which concluded

that no unacceptable risk exists that is

attributable to site related contaminants.

The baseline Human Health Risk

Assessment, conducted as part of the

Remedial Removal Integrated

Investigation for this site, evaluated

potential adverse health effects

associated with site-related

contaminants in the absence of remedial

action. As part of the baseline Risk

Assessment, an extensive evaluation of

exposures to lead was performed, using

EPA’s Integrated Exposure Uptake

Biokinetic (IEUBK) model. For

contaminants other than lead, the

likelihood of adverse public health

impacts associated with long-term

exposure to site-related contaminants

was determined by (a) estimating

potential excess lifetime cancer risks for

carcinogens and (b) by computing

hazard indices (HIs) for noncarcinogens. Federal laws, regulations,

and guidance define a range of

acceptable cancer risks of 1 × 10¥4 (one

in ten thousand) to 1 × 10¥6 (one in one

million), and a Hazard Index of unity (1)

for non-cancer risks.

For Moton School (OU4), the total

excess lifetime cancer risk posed to

children attending the school was

estimated 2 × 10¥5 (or two in one

hundred thousand), which is within the

acceptable risk range specified by

federal law, regulations, and guidance.

Most of this estimated risk was

attributable to inhalation of non-siterelated benzene and chloroform from

indoor and outdoor air. In addition,

none of the HIs exceeded EPA’s

regulatory benchmark of unity.

Given the findings of the Risk

Assessment, no further action for this

operable unit is warranted. Deletion

from the NPL should clear the way for

beneficial utilization of the property of

the City of New Orleans or the New

Orleans School Board.

For the Groundwater Operable Unit,

(OU5), information supplied to EPA by

the Louisiana Department of

Environmental Quality indicates that

the shallow aquifer beneath the site is

not suitable for human consumption, is

not used for any beneficial purpose, and

is not considered a potential future

source of drinking water. Residents at

the site area are connected to the

municipal water supply for domestic

water requirements. There are no on-site

drinking water wells. Site groundwater

presents no other exposure pathway.

Therefore, no further action for this

operable unit is warranted.

Because these no-action remedies will

result in hazardous substances

remaining on-site, a review will be

conducted every five years after

commencement of remedial action in

accordance with CERCLA Section

121(c), 42 U.S.C. 9621(c). Should future

reviews indicate that the site poses an

unacceptable risk to human health or

the environment, then EPA may initiate

response actions under the authority of

CERCLA and in accordance with the

NCP.

D. Community Involvement

Public participation activities have

been satisfied as required in CERCLA

Section 113(k), 42 U.S.C. 9613(k), and

Section 117, 42 U.S.C. 9617. Documents

in the deletion docket which EPA relied

on for recommendation of the Partial

deletion from the NPL are available to

the public in the information

repositories.

E. Proposed Action

The EPA, with concurrence of the

State of Louisiana (LDEQ), has

determined that Operable Unit 4 (Moton

Elementary School, including Mugrauer

Playground) and Operable Unit 5

(Groundwater) pose no significant threat

to public health or the environment;

therefore, no remedial measures are

appropriate. In accordance with EPA

policy on partial deletion of sites listed

on the National Priorities List, EPA

proposes to delete OU4 and OU5 from

the NPL.

Dated: January 26, 2000.

Jerry Clifford,

Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA

Region 6.

[FR Doc. 00–2479 Filed 2–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Parts 567 and 568

[Docket No. NHTSA–99–5673]

RIN 2127–AE27

Vehicles Built in Two or More Stages

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

SUMMARY: This document announces the

dates of the public meetings of the

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on

the development of recommended

amendments to the existing NHTSA

regulations (49 CFR Part 567, 568)

governing the certification of vehicles

built in two or more stages to the

Federal motor vehicle safety standards

(49 CFR Part 571). The Committee was

established under the Federal Advisory

Committee Act.

DATES: The meetings are scheduled as

follows:

1. February 9–10, 2000.

2. March 7–8, 2000.

3. April 11–12, 2000.

4. May 17–18, 2000.

5. June 21–22, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The first meeting of the

advisory committee will take place at

the Hotel Washington, 515 Fifteenth

Street, NW., and will begin at 10 on

February 9th. Information on the

location of subsequent meetings may be

obtained from NHTSA two weeks before

the relevant meeting is to take place.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

non-legal issues, you may call Charles

Hott, Office of Crashworthiness

Standards, at 202–366–4920.

For legal issues, you may call Rebecca

MacPherson, Office of the Chief

Counsel, at 202–366–2992.

You may send mail to both of these

officials at the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St.,

SW., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

On May 20, 1999, the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) published a notice of intent to

establish an advisory committee

(Committee) for a negotiated rulemaking

to develop recommendations for

regulations governing the certification of

vehicles built in two or more stages. The

notice requested comment on

membership, the interests affected by

the rulemaking, the issues that the

Committee should address, and the

procedures that it should follow. The

reader is referred to that notice (64 FR

27499) for further information on these

issues.

On December 14–15, 1999, interested

parties attended a public meeting in

Washington, DC. As part of that

meeting, the schedule of specific dates

for holding meetings of the Advisory

Committee was agreed upon. Meetings

of the Committee will be open to the

public so that individuals who are not

part of the Committee may attend and

observe. Any person attending the

Committee meetings may address the

Committee, if time permits, or file

statements with the Committee.

II. Authority

5 U.S.C. sections 561 et seq., delegation of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

5848 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules

Issued on: February 2, 2000.

Stephen R. Kratzke,

Acting Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 00–2717 Filed 2–2–00; 4:34 pm]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018–AF56

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Notice of Withdrawal of

Released Study, Submission of New

Report, and Opening of Comment

Period on the New Report as it Relates

to the Proposed Rule to List the

Alabama Sturgeon as Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; opening of

comment period.

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife

Service, give notice that we are

withdrawing consideration of Dr. Steven

Fain’s 1999 study, ‘‘The Development of

a DNA Procedure for the Forensic

Identification of Caviar,’’ from the

decision-making process associated

with the proposal to list the Alabama

sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi) as

endangered. We are replacing it with a

report relevant to the Alabama sturgeon

listing process. The report, ‘‘Genetic

Variation in the River Sturgeon

Scaphirhynchus (Acipenseridae) as

Inferred from Partial mtDNA Sequences

of Cytochrome b,’’ summarizes

information from the retracted study

which is specific only to the Alabama

sturgeon and its relevancy to the

proposed listing. We are accepting

comments related specifically to the

relationship of this report, as it pertains

to the proposed listing of the Alabama

sturgeon as endangered. You may also

provide comments concerning our

decision to withdraw Dr. Steven Fain’s

1999 study, ‘‘The Development of a

DNA Procedure for the Forensic

Identification of Caviar’’ from the

decision-making process for listing the

Alabama sturgeon as endangered.

DATES: We will accept comments until

March 8, 2000.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment,

you may submit your comments by any

one of several methods. You may mail

or hand-deliver comments to the Field

Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Mississippi Field Office, 6578

Dogwood View Parkway, Jackson,

Mississippi 39213. You may also

comment via the Internet to paul—

hartfield@fws.gov. See the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for

comment procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Hartfield (see‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section),

telephone 601/321–1125; facsimile 601/

965–4340.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 26, 1999, we published a

rule proposing endangered status for the

Alabama sturgeon in the Federal

Register (64 FR 14676). On January 11,

2000, we published a notice in the

Federal Register (65 FR 1583), to reopen

the comment period through February

10, 2000, to make available for comment

Dr. Steven Fain’s 1999 study, ‘‘The

Development of a DNA Procedure for

the Forensic Identification of Caviar.’’

With this notice, we are withdrawing

from consideration Dr. Steven Fain’s

1999 study, ‘‘The Development of a

DNA Procedure for the Forensic

Identification of Caviar.’’ This study

describes a method for identifying the

species source of sturgeon/paddlefish

caviar in international trade and

includes information that is not relevant

to the decision to list the Alabama

sturgeon as endangered. Nonetheless,

The information contained in that study

that is relevant to the decision to list the

Alabama sturgeon is summarized in this

new report, ‘‘Genetic Variation in the

River Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus

(Acipenseridae) as Inferred from Partial

mtDNA Sequences of Cytochrome b.’’

For clarity and ease of understanding,

we have added this new report, which

describes the amount of genetic

variation observed within and between

species of the genus Scaphirhynchus,

for consideration in the decision-making

process, and retracted the more general

report that covers identification of the

species source of sturgeon/paddlefish

caviar in international trade.

Public Comments Solicited

We request comments or suggestions

from the public, other concerned

governmental agencies, the scientific

community, industry, or any other

interested party concerning this report

and its relation to the proposed rule.

You may also provide comments

concerning our decision to withdraw Dr.

Steven Fain’s 1999 study, ‘‘The

Development of a DNA Procedure for

the Forensic Identification of Caviar’’

from consideration in the decisionmaking process for the listing of the

Alabama sturgeon as endangered.

Comment Procedures

Please submit Internet comments as

an ASCII file, avoiding the use of special

characters and any form of encryption.

Please also include ‘‘Attention:

[Alabama sturgeon]’’ and your name and

return address in your Internet message.

If you do not receive a confirmation

from the system that we have received

your Internet message, contact us

directly at the address given in the

ADDRESSES section or by telephone at

601/965–4900. Finally, you may also

hand-deliver comments to the address

given in the ADDRESSES Section. Our

practice is to make comments, including

names and home addresses of

respondents, available for public review

during regular business hours.

Individual respondents may request that

we withhold their home address from

the rulemaking record, which we will

honor to the extent allowable by law.

There also may be circumstances in

which we would withhold from the

rulemaking record a respondent’s

identity, as allowable by law. If you

wish us to withhold your name and/or

address, you must state this

prominently at the beginning of your

comment. However, we will not

consider anonymous comments. We

will make all submissions from

organizations or businesses, and from

individuals identifying themselves as

representatives or officials or

organizations or businesses, available

for public inspection in their entirety.

Comments and materials received will

be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address. To obtain

copies of either of the aforementioned

reports, you can download or print one

from http://endangered.fws.gov/listing/

index.html (under Announcements) or

contact Kelly Bibb at 404/679–7132

(phone) or 404/679–7081 (facsimile) to

receive a faxed or mailed copy. All

questions related to this notice should

be directed to Paul Hartfield at the

address or phone number listed in the

ADDRESSES section of this notice.

References Cited

Fain, S.R., J.P. Lemay, J. Shafer, R.M.

Hoesch, and B.H. Hamlin. 1999.

Unpublished study. National Fish and

Wildlife Forensics Laboratory,

Ashland, OR. 23 pp. with figures.

Fain, S.R., B. Hamlin, and D. Straughan.

1999. Unpublished report. Genetic

Variation in the River Sturgeon

Scaphirhynchus (Acipenseridae) as

Inferred from Partial mtDNA

Sequences of Cytochrome b. National

Fish and Wildlife Forensics