64474 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 209 / Friday, October 27, 2000 / Notices

initiate a limited testing program to

begin to explore the interference

potential of UWB to GPS. Working with

the National Telecommunications and

Information Administration, the Federal

Aviation Administration, the

Interdepartment Radio Advisory

Committee, RTCA, Inc., and others, a

test plan was devised to develop data in

a technically sound and controlled

manner. The Department contracted

with Stanford University to perform the

tests. In addition, because of the

potential for wide public and industry

interest in this matter, the Department

distributed the test plan broadly and

formally solicited comment on the plan

through a notice in the Federal Register.

65 FR 38874 (June 22, 2000). Only one

party submitted comments in response

to this notice—Time Domain

Corporation (TDC).

TDC criticized the test plan and

concluded that it would not produce

valid data about the potential for

interference from UWB signals. DOT

appreciates the TDC comments.

Although DOT disagrees with TDC’s

assessment of the efficacy of the test

plan, it is clear that additional

clarification of certain points in the plan

description and an explanation of the

rationale for the plan’s basic approach

are warranted. DOT remains confident

that the test plan is methodologically

sound and will develop data that will

help support a determination about

whether and to what extent UWB

emissions will interfere with GPS

applications.

DOT’s complete response will be sent

to TDC, and to other interested parties

upon request. DOT will provide all data

and analyses available from the test

program to the FCC by October 30, 2000,

the filing date for test results in FCC ET

Docket No. OST–98–153. The test

program will be incomplete at that time

and further results will continue to be

developed into the first quarter of 2001.

Dated: October 19, 2000.

Joseph Canny,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Navigation

Systems Policy.

[FR Doc. 00–27645 Filed 10–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Hillsborough and Rockingham

Counties, NH

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this

notice to advise the public that an

environmental impact statement (EIS) is

being prepared for a proposed highway

project in Hillsborough and Rockingham

Counties, New Hampshire. A Notice of

Intent for the project was previously

published on February 21, 1992.

Subsequently the project was put on

hold pending development of a

Statewide Transportation Model.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

William F. O’Donnell, P.E.,

Environmental Program Manager,

Federal Highway Administration, 279

Pleasant Street, Suite 204, Concord,

New Hampshire, 03301–7502,

Telephone: (603) 228–0417, or Mr.

William R. Hauser, Administrator,

Bureau of Environment, New

Hampshire Department of

Transportation, P.O. Box 483, John O.

Morton Building, Concord, New

Hampshire 03302–0483, Telephone:

(603) 271–3226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the New

Hampshire Department of

Transportation (NHDOT), is in the

process of preparing an environmental

impact statement (EIS) for a proposal for

construction on a section of an existing

highway facility (I–93 extending from

the Massachusetts/New Hampshire

State Line in Salem to just south of Exit

6 in Manchester) that serves as a major

transportation link for the State of New

Hampshire.

The proposed action would relieve

traffic congestion, reduce travel time,

improve safety and accommodate

projected increases in traffic demand.

Alternatives to be considered include

(1) taking no action; (2) upgrading the

existing route (approximately 18 miles

in length) to add capacity; (3)

constructing high occupancy vehicle

lanes, as well as other Transportation

Demand Management (TDM) measures

such as carpool parking lots; (4)

constructing mass transportation

facilities in or adjacent to the existing

corridor; and (5) combinations of these

alternatives. Various designs of grade,

alignment, geometry and access will be

evaluated. An Advisory Task Force has

been established with representation

from the regional planning agencies,

state and local officials, business and

industry and local citizens.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments were

previously sent to appropriate federal,

state and local agencies, and to private

organizations and citizens who have

interest in this proposal. Public

informational, community and Advisory

Task Force meetings have been held in

study area and will continue as the

project progresses, in order to include

public input in the project development

process. A public hearing will be held

following distribution of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Public notice will be given regarding the

time and location of this hearing. The

DEIS will be available for review and

comment by the public and interested

agencies prior to the public hearing.

Because this project has been on hold

for a substantial period of time, a second

formal scoping meeting will be held at

4:00 pm. on December 6, 2000, the 3rd

floor Auditorium of the University of

NH-Manchester Campus, 3000

Commercial Street in Manchester, New

Hampshire. The purpose of this meeting

is to (1) reaffirm the limits of the project

study area; (2) refine the study

framework and the impacts to be

analyzed; and (3) redefine a reasonable

range of alternatives to be considered.

Agencies participating as cooperating

agencies are the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers (ACOE), the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), the New Hampshire State

Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and

the New Hampshire Wetlands Bureau.

To ensure the full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposal and the EIS should be directed

to the FHWA or the NHDOT at the

addresses provided above. (Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance Program

Number 20.205, Highway Planning and

Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental

consultation on federal programs and

activities apply to this program.)

Issued on: October 20, 2000.

Kathleen O. Laffey,

Division Administrator, Concord, New

Hampshire.

[FR Doc. 00–27669 Filed 10–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement;

Rutland County, VT

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this

notice to advise the public that an

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 209 / Friday, October 27, 2000 / Notices 64475

1The line serves the intermediate stations of

Lebanon, Crabtree, and Lyons, OR. The verified

notice indicates that a milepost equation near

Tallman, OR, 684.87=697.37, makes the line 12.50

miles longer than would appear from the terminal

mileposts.

2WVRY was authorized to lease and operate the

line pursuant to Willamette Valley Railway

Company—Acquisition, Lease and Operation

Exemption—Southern Pacific Transportation

Company, Finance Docket No. 32249 (ICC served

Mar. 5, 1993).

1The line is a continuous rail line consisting of

two segments: (1) Between milepost 80.8, at or near

Spooner, and milepost 87.6, at or near Trego, a

distance of 6.8 miles; and (2) between milepost

83.32, at or near Trego, and milepost 96.0, at

Hayward Junction, a distance of 12.68 miles. WGNR

currently provides rail passenger service over the

line.

environmental impact statement is no

longer being prepared for a previously

proposed highway project [FEGC 419–

3(44)] in Rutland County, Vermont.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Sikora, Jr., FHWA

Environmental Program Manager, P.O.

Box 568, Montpelier, Vermont 05601,

telephone: (802) 828–4423; or David J.

Scott, P.E., Director of Project

Development, Vermont Agency of

Transportation, National Life Building,

Drawer 33, Montpelier, Vermont 05633–

5001, telephone: (802) 828–2663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice

of Intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement for a bypass or

upgrade of U.S. Routes 4 and 7 in

Rutland, Vermont, was published by

FHWA in the March 22, 1993 Federal

Register. A Notice of Availability for the

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for the proposed project was

issued in the December 19, 1997

Federal Register. The DEIS was

circulated with the comment period

ending on March 6, 1998.

Because of the many environmental

issues associated with the preferred

alternative, the Vermont Legislature

terminated the environmental impact

study for the project in Section 1(c)(2)

of Act 156 of the 1999–2000 Legislative

Session. Accordingly, FHWA has

determined that a Final Environmental

Impact Statement will not be prepared.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway

Planning and Construction. The

regulations implementing Executive

Order 12372 regarding

intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities apply to

this program.)

Issued on October 19, 2000.

Kenneth R. Sikora, Jr.,

Environmental Program Manager, Montpelier,

Vermont.

[FR Doc. 00–27603 Filed 10–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33949]

Albany & Eastern Railroad Company—

Acquisition and Operation

Exemption—Union Pacific Railroad

Company

Albany & Eastern Railroad Company

(AERC), a Class III carrier, has filed a

verified notice of exemption under 49

CFR 1150.41 to acquire by lease from

Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP)

and operate the Mill City Branch

extending from milepost 689.64, at Page,

and milepost 725.71, at Mill City, a

distance of 48.57 miles in Marion and

Linn Counties, OR (line).1 AERC will

replace the Willamette Valley Railway

Company (WVRY) as the lessee and

operator of the line.2

The transaction is expected to be

consummated on or after October 20,

2000.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to reopen the

proceeding to revoke the exemption

under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed

at any time. The filing of a petition to

revoke will not automatically stay the

transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33949, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Fritz R.

Kahn, Esq., Fritz R. Kahn, P.C., 1920 N

Street, N.W., 8th Floor, Washington, DC

20036.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: October 19, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–27561 Filed 10–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33947]

Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad,

Inc.—Operation Exemption—State of

Wisconsin and Washburn County

Transit Commission

Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad,

Inc. (WGNR), a noncarrier, has filed a

verified notice of exemption (notice)

under 49 CFR 1150.31 to operate a

19.48-mile rail line (line) in Washburn

County, WI, owned by the State of

Wisconsin and the Washburn County

Transit Commission. The line extends

between milepost 80.8, at or near

Spooner, and milepost 96.0, at a point

of connection with Wisconsin Central,

Ltd (WC), at Hayward Junction,

including approximately .8 miles of

incidental trackage rights over WC’s line

between milepost 95.2 and milepost

96.0.1

The transaction is expected to be

consummated no earlier than the

October 20, 2000 effective date of the

exemption.

If the notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to reopen the

proceeding to revoke the exemption

under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed

at any time. The filing of a petition to

reopen will not automatically stay the

transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33947, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Thomas F.

McFarland, Jr., Esq., McFarland &

Herman, 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite

1330, Chicago, IL 60606–2902.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: October 19, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–27560 Filed 10–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

Office of the General Counsel;

Appointment of Members of the Legal

Division to the Performance Review

Board

Under the authority granted to me as

Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue

Service by the General Counsel of the

Department of the Treasury by General

Counsel Order No. 21 (Rev. 4), pursuant

to the Civil Service Reform Act, I have

appointed the following persons to the