Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices 70345

The project would have an annual

generation of 60 GWh that would be

sold to a local utility.

l. A copy of the application is

available for inspection and

reproduction at the Commission’s

Public Reference Room, located at 888

First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington,

DC 20426, or by calling (202) 208–1371.

The application may be viewed on

http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm

(call (202) 208–2222 for assistance). A

copy is also available for inspection and

reproduction at the address in item h

above.

Preliminary Permit—Anyone desiring

a file a competing application for

preliminary permit for a proposed

project must submit the competing

application itself, or a notice of intent to

file an application, to the Commission

on or before the specified comment date

for the particular application (see 18

CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely

notice of intent allows an interested

person to file the competing preliminary

permit application no later than 30 days

after the specified comment date for the

particular application. A competing

preliminary permit application must

conform with 18 CFR 4.30(b) and 4.36.

Preliminary Permit—Any qualified

development applicant desiring to file a

competing development application

must submit to the Commission, on or

before a specified comment date for the

particular application, either a

competing development application or a

notice of intent to file such an

application. Submission of a timely

notice of intent to file a development

application allows an interested person

to file the competing application no

later than 120 days after the specified

comment date for the particular

application. A competing license

application must conform with 18 CFR

4.30(b) and 4.36.

Notice of intent—A notice of intent

must specify the exact name, business

address, and telephone number of the

prospective applicant, and must include

an unequivocal statement of intent to

submit, if such an application may be

filed, either a preliminary permit

application or a development

application (specify which type of

application). A notice of intent must be

served on the applicant(s) named in this

public notice.

Proposed Scope of Studies under

Permit—A preliminary permit, if issued,

does not authorize construction. The

term of the proposed preliminary permit

would be 36 months. The work

proposed under the preliminary permit

would include economic analysis,

preparation of preliminary engineering

plans, and a study of environmental

impacts. Based on the results of these

studies, the Applicant would decide

whether to proceed with the preparation

of a development application to

construct and operate the project.

Comments, Protests, or Motions to

Intervene—Anyone may submit

comments, a protest, or a motion to

intervene in accordance with the

requirements of Rules of Practice and

Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214.

In determining the appropriate action to

take, the Commission will consider all

protests or other comments filed, but

only those who file a motion to

intervene in accordance with the

Commission’s Rules may become a

party to the proceeding. Any comments,

protests, or motions to intervene must

be received on or before the specified

comment date for the particular

application.

Filing and Service of Responsive

Documents—Any filings must bear in

all capital letters the title

‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘NOTICE OF INTENT

TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION’’,

‘‘COMPETING APPLICATION’’,

‘‘PROTEST’’, ‘‘MOTION TO

INTERVENE’’, as applicable, and the

Project Number of the particular

application to which the filing refers.

Any of the above-named documents

must be filed by providing the original

and the number of copies provided by

the Commission’s regulations to: The

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426. An additional

copy must be sent to Director, Division

of Hydropower Administration and

Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, at the above-mentioned

address. A copy of any notice of intent,

competing application or motion to

intervene must also be served upon each

representative of the Applicant

specified in the particular application.

Agency Comments—Federal, state,

and local agencies are invited to file

comments on the described application.

A copy of the application may be

obtained by agencies directly from the

Applicant. If an agency does not file

comments within the time specified for

filing comments, it will be presumed to

have no comments. One copy of an

agency’s comments must also be sent to

the Applicant’s representatives.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–29854 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6906–1]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Evaluations of

Project XL Innovations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this document announces

that EPA is planning to submit the

following proposed Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Evaluations of Project XL Innovations

(EPA ICR No. 1993.01). Before

submitting the ICR to OMB for review

and approval, EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the

proposed information collection as

described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before January 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The public may contact Mr.

Eric Marsh in EPA’s Office of

Environmental Policy Innovation for a

paper copy of the ICR (free of charge) or

may download a copy of the ICR from

the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/

ProjectXL/. Mr. Marsh may be reached

by mail at the U.S. EPA Office of

Environmental Policy Innovation (Mail

Code 1802), Ariel Rios Building, 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at

(202) 260–2782, by email at

marsh.eric@epa.gov, or by FAX at 202–

260–1812.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Katherine Dawes in the Office of

Environmental Policy Innovation. Ms.

Dawes may be reached by phone at

(202) 260–8394, by email at

dawes.katherine@epa.gov, or by FAX at

202–260–3125.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action include XL

project sponsors, XL project

stakeholders, state, tribal and local

regulatory agencies, select members of

the business industry, environmental

organizations, industry trade

associations, academics, and

community members.

Title: Evaluations of Project XL

Innovations (EPA ICR No.1993.01).

Abstract: In March 1995, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

initiated Project XL in response to the

challenge to transform the

environmental regulatory system to

70346 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices

better meet the needs of a rapidly

changing society while maintaining the

nation’s commitment to protect human

health and safeguard the natural

environment. Through Project XL,

which stands for eXcellence and

Leadership, EPA enters into project

agreements with public or private sector

sponsors to test regulatory, policy, and

procedural alternatives that will

produce data and experiences to help

the Agency make improvements in the

current system of environmental

protection. The goal of Project XL is to

implement projects that will test ways

of producing superior environmental

performance with improved economic

efficiencies, while increasing public

participation through active stakeholder

processes. EPA currently has 48 XL

projects in implementation and expects

to achieve the milestone of 50 signed

projects by the end of November 2000.

In May 2001, EPA would like to begin

in-depth evaluations of different Project

XL innovations in order to determine

which, if any, innovations have the

potential for national application.

Currently, EPA has identified more than

65 innovations resulting from projects

in implementation. These innovations

center around regulations, permitting,

environmental information

management, compliance and

enforcement, environmental

stewardship, and stakeholder

involvement. From the identified

innovations, EPA plans to evaluate a

select set the Agency believes has

potential for broader application. As

more XL projects move into

implementation and more innovations

emerge, EPA plans to continue this

same process of selecting a set of new

innovations and then evaluating them.

The evaluation of XL innovations will

serve a variety of purposes. First, by

learning which innovations are working

and which are not, EPA management

can better discern which innovations

can be applied on a wider-scale, which

need further testing and refining before

wide-scale adoption, and which should

eventually be retired. Second, the

evaluations will provide information to

state, tribal, and local agencies

attempting their own unique efforts to

transform their regulatory systems.

Third, they will inform industry

representatives and the public, allowing

them to play an active, creative role in

finding solutions to environmental

problems. Finally, the evaluations will

help set the course for future EPA XL

initiatives.

To conduct an evaluation, EPA will

select a particular innovation and then

identify a list of people EPA could

interview to learn more about that

particular innovation. EPA will then

choose from a set of questions preapproved by OMB to develop specific

interview questionnaires for the

different categories of persons to be

interviewed. For instance, one interview

questionnaire will be developed solely

for projects sponsors or persons in

similar positions at different companies/

facilities that would reasonably be

interested in the innovation. Others will

be developed for state and local agency

officials, academia, community

stakeholders, etc. The evaluations will

then be analyzed by EPA with the

results going into a report. Participation

in the evaluations are strictly voluntary

and individual responses will be

confidential.

As a start, EPA intends to begin

evaluating permit innovations from

projects that have been in

implementation for at least a year. In

order to determine which, if any, permit

innovations can be applied on a widerscale, the Agency hopes to learn about

the environmental benefits and other

incentives the permit innovation has

provided; if other facilities/companies

are interested in applying for the same

type of innovation; if the innovation

needs to be tested again before it can be

widely adopted; and if the innovation

addresses the public’s concerns and

stakeholder information needs. All

interviews will be conducted by phone.

The types of innovation questions that

will be asked are discussed in more

detail in the ICR supplementary

statement. Regarding permit

innovations, EPA will use questions to

collect data listed below:

• Description of permit innovation

(extent to which innovation originally

envisioned at start of project matches

innovation in implementation)

• Predictability of permit innovation

• Extent to which permit innovation

has reduced/increased administrative

burden

• Extent to which permit innovation

has resulted in environmental benefits

• Extent to which permit innovation

has resulted in efficiencies

• Extent to which public has

increased access to data as a result of

permit innovation

• Extent to which public accepts

permit innovation

• Extent to which permit innovation

allows for accountability

• Extent to which permit innovation

allows for proper compliance and/or

enforcement

• Extent to which permit accounts for

environmental justice concerns

• Extent to which permit innovation

is transferable to other companies/

sectors

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless it displays a currently valid OMB

control number. The OMB control

numbers for EPA’s regulations are listed

in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter

15.

The EPA would like to solicit

comments to:

(i) Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of information to be collected:

and

(iv) Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology; e.g., permitting

electronic submissions of responses.

Burden Statement: It is estimated that

there will be two hundred respondents

annually to the Project XL innovation

interviews requiring 200 burden hours

at a total cost of $12,800. EPA estimates

that each respondent will spend

approximately two hours reviewing the

questions before participating in the

phone interview, and each respondent

will spend one hour on the phone

participating during the interview. To

fulfill all information collection

requirements for respondents, EPA

estimates that it will cost each

respondent approximately $192 and

take approximately three hours. Divided

by three years, since ICRs are approved

for three year periods, this comes out to

approximately $64 and one hour per

respondent per year. No capital or startup costs will be associated with this

effort.

It is also estimated that there will be

60 respondents annually to the Project

XL permit innovation interviews

requiring 60 burden hours at a total cost

of $3,840. EPA estimates that each

respondent will spend approximately

two hours reviewing the questions

before participating in the phone

interview, and each respondent will

spend one hour on the phone

participating in the interview. To fulfill

all information collection requirements

for respondents, EPA estimates that it

will cost each respondent

approximately $192 and take

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices 70347

approximately three hours. Divided by

three years, since ICRs are approved for

three year periods, this comes out to

approximately $64 and one hour per

respondent per year. No capital or startup costs will be associated with this

effort.

Burden means total time, effort, or

financial resources expended by persons

to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose

or provide information to or for a

Federal agency. This includes the time

needed to review instructions; develop,

acquire, install, and utilize technology

and systems for the purposes of

collecting, validating, and verifying

information, processing and

maintaining information, and disclosing

and providing information; adjust the

existing ways to comply with any

previously applicable instructions and

requirements; train personnel to be able

to respond to a collection of

information; search data sources;

complete and review the collection of

information; and transmit or otherwise

disclose the information.

Dated: November 13, 2000.

Elizabeth A. Shaw,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy

Innovation.

[FR Doc. 00–29881 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6905–8]

Acid Rain NOX Emission Reduction

Program—Permit Modifications for

Alternative Emission Limitations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of draft permit

modifications adopting alternative

emission limitations.

SUMMARY: Under Title IV of the Clean

Air Act, EPA established the Acid Rain

NOX Emission Reduction Program to

reduce the adverse effects of acidic

deposition. EPA adopted nitrogen

oxides ( NOX) emission limits and

issued permits to affected sources. EPA

is issuing and requesting public

comment on draft Acid Rain permit

modifications. These permit

modifications add new NOX emission

limitations (i.e., Alternative Emission

Limitations for NOX emissions for Phase

I units in accordance with the Acid Rain

Program regulations) to the permits. The

Alternative Emission Limitations are

less stringent than the standard limit for

these type of units but are the minimum

rate that the units can achieve during

long-term dispatch operation with low

NOX burners.

DATES: Comments. EPA must receive

comments on this action on or before

the later of December 22, 2000 or 30

days after the date on which a similar

notice is published in a local

newspaper.

Public Hearing. Anyone requesting a

public hearing on this action must

contract the EPA by the later of

December 4, 2000 or 10 days after the

date on which a similar notice is

published in a local newspaper.

ADDRESSES: Comments. Send comments,

requests for a public hearing, and

requests to receive notice of future

actions to EPA Region 3, Air Protection

Division, 1650 Arch Street,

Philadelphia, PA, 19103, Attn: Linda

Miller (3 AP 11). Submit comments in

duplicate and identify the permit to

which the comments apply, the

commenter’s name, address, and

telephone number, and the commenter’s

interest in the matter and affiliation, if

any, to the owners and operators of the

units involved.

Public Hearing. To request a public

hearing, state the issues proposed to be

raised in the hearing. EPA may schedule

a hearing if EPA finds that it will

contribute to the decision-making

process by clarifying significant issues

affecting the draft permit modification.

Administrative Records. The

administrative record for the draft

permit modification, except information

protected as confidential, may be

viewed during normal operating hours

at the following location: EPA Region 3,

1650 Arch Street 14th floor,

Philadelphia, PA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Linda Miller, EPA Region 3, (215) 814—

2068.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In today’s

action, EPA is issuing and requesting

public comment on draft permit

modifications that add to permits an

Alternative Emission Limitations for

NOX emissions for Phase I units in

accordance with Parts 72 and 76 of the

Acid Rain Program regulations. EPA

will consider all timely comments,

except those pertaining to standard

provisions under 40 CFR 72.9 or issues

not relevant to the draft permit

modifications. The units involved are

Morgantown Units 1 and 2 and Mitchell

Units 1 and 2. Morgantown, Units 1 and

2, are in Charles County, Maryland and

will be required to meet an annual

average emissions limit for NOX of 0.63

lb/mmBtu and 0.64 lb/mmBtu,

respectively, instead of the otherwise

applicable standard limit of 0.45 lb/

mmBtu. The Morgantown unit’s

designated representative is James S.

Potts. Mitchell, Units 1 and 2, are in

Marshall County, West Virginia, and

will be required to meet an annual

average emissions limit for NOX of 0.55

lb/mmBtu and 0.53 lb/mmBtu,

respectively, instead of the otherwise

applicable limit of 0.50 lb/mmBtu. The

Mitchell unit’s designated

representative is John M. McManus.

Dated: November 15, 2000.

Brian J. McLean,

Director, Clean Air Markets Division, Office

of Atmospheric Programs, Office of Air and

Radiation.

[FR Doc. 00–29880 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–42078A; FRL–6751–6]

South Dakota State Plan for

Certification of Applicators of

Restricted Use Pesticides; Notice of

Approval

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In the Federal Register of July

14, 2000, EPA issued a notice of intent

to approve an amended South Dakota

Plan for the certification of applicators

of restricted use pesticides. In this

notice EPA solicited comments from the

public on the proposed action to

approve the amended South Dakota

Plan. The amended Certification Plan

South Dakota submitted to EPA

permitted the use of M-44 Sodium

Cyanide Devices by both commercial

and private applicators to control

coyotes (Canis latrans) that prey upon

livestock and poultry. The amendment

establishes new requirements for the

training, certification, recertification,

and recordkeeping of individuals that

use M-44 Sodium Cyanide Devices. No

comments were received and EPA

hereby approves the amended South

Dakota Plan.

ADDRESSES: The amended South Dakota

Certification Plan can be reviewed at the

locations listed under Unit I.B. of the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron

Schiller, Environmental Protection

Agency, Region VIII (8P–P3T), 999 18th

St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202;

telephone number: (303) 312–6017; email address: schiller.ron@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: