762 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 4 / Thursday, January 6, 2000 / Notices

Washington (Simpson). The Permit

application includes: (1) the proposed

Habitat Conservation Plan; and (2) the

proposed Implementing Agreement.

Direct mailings have been sent to

affected State and local agencies,

Federal agencies, Tribes, Federal and

State legislators, public interest groups,

and other interest parties, informing

them of the reopening.

DATES: Written comments on the permit

application, DEIS, Plan, and

Implementing Agreement must be

received from interested parties no later

than January 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Requests for documents on

CD ROM should be made by calling the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at

(360)534–9330. Hardbound copies are

also available for viewing, or partial or

complete duplication, at the following

libraries:

Olympia Timberland Library,

Reference Desk, 313 8th Avenue SE,

Olympia, WA, (360)352–0595;

William G. Reed Library, Reference

Desk, 710 West Alder Street, Shelton,

WA, (360)426–1362;

Hoodsport Timberland Library, 40

North Schoolhouse Hill Road,

Hoodsport, WA, (360)877–9339;

Elma Timberland Library, Information

Desk, 118 North 1st Street, Elma, WA,

(360)482–3737;

W.H. Abel Public Library, Information

Desk, 125 Main Street South,

Montesano, WA, (360)249–4211; and,

Aberdeen Timberland Library,

Reference Desk, 121 East Market Street,

Aberdeen, WA, (360)533–2360.

The documents are also available

electronically on the World Wide Web

at http://www.r1.fws.gov/.

Comments and requests for

information should be directed to Linda

Saunders, Project Biologist, Fish and

Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive,

SE., Suite 102, Lacey, Washington,

98503–1273, (telephone: 360/753–5826;

facsimile: 360/534–9331), and Mike

Parton, Project Biologist, National

Marine Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond

Drive, SE., Suite 103, Lacey,

Washington, 98503–1273 (telephone:

360/753–4650; facsimile: 360/753–

9517). Comments and materials received

will also be available for public

inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours by calling (360)

534–9330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

October 29, 1999 (64 FR 57630), the

Services published a document in the

Federal Register announcing the receipt

of an application from Simpson for a

Permit, and opening a comment period

for the project. That document stated

that comments would be accepted

through December 27, 1999. The

Services are reopening the comment

period in order to provide additional

review and comment time, recognizing

that the traditional holiday season

during the latter part of December may

have affected interested parties’ ability

to perform a thorough and

comprehensive review of the

documents.

Dated: December 28, 1999.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife

Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

Dated: December 30, 1999.

Craig Johnson,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–263 Filed 1–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F, 4310–55–F

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice Inviting Financial Assistance

Applications

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE), National Energy Technology Lab

(NETL).

ACTION: Notice Inviting Financial

Assistance Applications.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

announces that it intends to conduct a

competitive Program Solicitation and

award financial assistance (cooperative

agreements) for the program entitled

‘‘Development and Demonstration of

Black Liquor/Biomass Gasification in

the Forest Products Industry.’’ Through

this solicitation, NETL seeks to support

applications to improve the processing

of Black Liquor and Biomass from the

forest industry using Gasification

Systems. Applications will be subjected

to a review by a DOE technical panel,

and awards will be made to a limited

number of applicants based on a

scientific and engineering evaluation of

the responses received to determine the

relative merit of the approach taken in

response to this offering by the DOE,

and funding availability.

FOR FURTHER SOLICITATION INFORMATION

CONTACT: William Mundorf, U.S.

Department of Energy, National Energy

Technology Laboratory, Acquisition and

Assistance Division, PO Box 10940, MS

921–143, Pittsburgh PA 15236–0940,

Telephone: (412) 386–4483, FAX: (412)

386–6137, E-mail:

mundorf@NETL.doe.gov. The

solicitation (available in both

WordPerfect 6.1 and Portable Document

Format (PDF)) will be released on DOE’s

NETL World Wide Web Server Internet

System (http://www.NETL.doe.gov/

business/solicit) on or about January 3,

2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Solicitation: ‘‘Development

and Demonstration of Black Liquor/

Biomass Gasification in the Forest

Products Industry.’’

Objectives: Through Program

Solicitation No. DE–PS26–00FT40772,

the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

seeks applications for cost-shared

demonstration of technologies which

will enhance economic competitiveness,

improve energy efficiency, and reduce

environmental impacts while providing

quality products within the forest

products industry. The focus of the

research will address research priorities

identified by the forest products

industry in the Agenda 2020 The Path

Forward: An Implementation Plan.

Approximately $14,000,000 fiscal year

2000 (FY 2000) federal funds are

expected to be available to support the

first year of a multi-year effort. DOE is

looking for a path forward to

demonstrate cost-effective, energy

efficient, gasification technologies for

integrated gasification combined cycle

or gasification/cogeneration

applications. Competitive development

of combined cycle, gasification

technologies (for both black liquor and

biomass feedstocks) are well underway.

However, large-scale pilot plant or

demonstrations are needed to promote

widespread adoption of advanced

gasification technologies in the Forest

Products industry. DOE anticipates

awarding multiple cooperative

agreements. Projects will be limited to

eight years or less, but it is expected that

successful demonstrations will be

achieved in as early as three years.

Proposals for projects which will both

develop and demonstrate existing

technologies will require a minimum

50% cost share of the total estimated

project cost.

Eligibility: Eligibility for participation

in this Program Solicitation is

considered to be full and open. All

interested parties may apply. The

solicitation will contain a complete

description of the technical evaluation

factors and relative importance of each

factor.

Program Technology Definition: The

Department is interested in obtaining

applications to improve the processing

of Black Liquor and Biomass from forest

products using gasification systems:

(A) Black Liquor Gasification

Systems: Kraft black liquor and semichem caustic-carbonate liquor are

mixtures of dissolved organic

components resulting from the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 4 / Thursday, January 6, 2000 / Notices 763

processing of wood, inorganic cooking

chemicals, and water. Though

concentrated by multiple effects

evaporators, these liquor still contain a

high percentage of water and have

sufficient heating value to be considered

low quality fuels. The technical topic is

for safe, integrated gasification systems

which can permit the separation and

recovery of the inorganic cooking

chemicals while concurrently producing

a combustible product gas from the

organics. This product gas after cleaning

must be a viable low-to-medium caloric

value fuel. Key technical gaps that

require demonstration include:

materials of construction with known

life expectancy, gas clean-up and

demonstration of integrating

gasification, power cycle and pulp mill

systems. For systems employing cold

gas clean-up, the key gaps are physical

scale-up of the gasification processes

under development and commercial

demonstration. For systems with hot gas

clean up, the clean-up system itself

must be added as a serious technology

gap; and

(B) Forest Products Biomass

Gasification Systems: Wood room waste

or hog fuel is conventionally burned in

specifically designed boilers so as to

capture a portion of the valuable energy

sources found in Forest Products mills.

They suffer from low power-to-steam

output ratio and high capital and

maintenance costs. The technical topic

is for gasification systems which can

utilize these fuels being mostly half

water by weight and to produce a higher

quality fuel gas. Such systems are

required to be able to be integrated with

gas turbines and steam turbines for

electric power generation. These

biomass gasification combined cycle

systems must be able to offer a positive

contribution to the reduction of

greenhouse gas emissions. For systems

using low-temperature gasification,

destruction/removal of tars and other

condensible organic compound cleanup, physical scale-up, and commercial

demonstration of the integrated

gasification combined cycle systems is

an issue and must be proven on a pilot

scale.

Awards: DOE anticipates issuing

financial assistance (cooperative

agreements) for each project selected.

DOE reserves the right to support or not

support, with or without discussions,

any or all applications received in

whole or in part, and to determine how

many awards may be made through the

solicitation subject to funds available.

Approximately $100 million of DOE

funding is planned for this solicitation

through the course of the program. The

estimated funding by the DOE is

planned to be shared between three to

four project awards. A 50% cost share

of the total estimated project costs by

the applicant is required, and details of

the cost sharing requirement are

contained in the solicitation.

Solicitation Release Date: The

Program Solicitation is expected to be

ready for release on or about January 3,

2000. Applications must be prepared

and submitted in accordance with the

instructions and forms contained in the

Program Solicitation. Two open periods

will be used to receive qualifying

proposals. Initial proposals will be

evaluated and selections made within

six months of submittal. The proposal

due date for the first evaluation period

is February 29, 2000 and June 1, 2000

for the second and final.

Raymond D. Johnson,

Contracting Officer, Acquisition and

Assistance Division.

[FR Doc. 00–289 Filed 1–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Savannah

River

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River.

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that

public notice of these meetings be

announced in the Federal Register.

DATES: Monday, January 24, 2000: 3:30

p.m.–9:00 p.m.; Tuesday, January 25,

2000: 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: All meetings will be held at:

Hilton Oceanfront Resort, 23 Ocean

Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gerri Flemming, Office of

Environmental Quality, Department of

Energy Savannah River Operations

Office, PO Box A, Aiken, SC 29802 (803)

725–5374.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of

the Board is to make recommendations

to DOE and its regulators in the areas of

environmental restoration, waste

management and related activities.

Tentative Agenda

Monday, January 24, 2000

3:30 p.m.—Executive Committee

6:30 p.m.—Public Comment Session

7:00 p.m.—Subcommittee Meetings

9:00 p.m.—Adjourn

Tuesday, January 25, 2000

8:30 a.m.

Approval of Minutes, Agency Updates

(approximately 15 minutes)

Public Comment Session (5-minute

rule, approximately 10 minutes)

Facilitator Update (approximately 15

minutes)

Long Term Stewardship

(approximately 30 minutes)

Nuclear Materials Management

Subcommittee Report

(approximately 45 minutes)

Environmental Restoration and Waste

Management Subcommittee Report

(approximately 11⁄4 hours)

Public Comment (approximately 10

minutes)

12:00 p.m.

Lunch Break

Environmental Restoration and Waste

Management Subcommittee Report

continued (approximately 1 hour)

Risk Management and Future Use

Subcommittee Report

(approximately 30 minutes)

Administrative Subcommittee Report

(approximately 30 minutes)

Officer and Subcommittee Chair

Elections

Presentation of the year 2000

membership candidates

Board member removal

consideration

Outreach Subcommittee Report

(approximately 10 minutes)

Public Comments (approximately 10

minutes)

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

If needed, time will be allotted after

public comments for items added to the

agenda, and administrative details. A

final agenda will be available at the

meeting.

Public Participation: The meeting is

open to the public. Written statements

may be filed with the Committee either

before or after the meeting. Individuals

who wish to make oral statements

pertaining to agenda items should

contact Gerri Flemming’s office at the

address or telephone number listed

above. Requests must be received 5 days

prior to the meeting and reasonable

provision will be made to include the

presentation in the agenda. The Deputy

Designated Federal Official is

empowered to conduct the meeting in a

fashion that will facilitate the orderly

conduct of business. Each individual

wishing to make public comment will

be provided a maximum of 5 minutes to

present their comments.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting

will be available for public review and

copying at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190, Forrestal