77352 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 238 / Monday, December 11, 2000 / Notices

lower cost has the potential to raise the

standard of living of not only the

citizens of the United States, but of the

world as a whole.

The National Energy Technology

Laboratory (NETL), DOE’s newest

national lab that oversees the

department’s fossil fuel programs, will

manage the program. NETL manages

and implements a broad spectrum of

energy and environmental programs.

NETL employs approximately 1,100

federal personnel and support-service

contractors at its sites in Pittsburgh, PA

and Morgantown, WV.

Prospective applicants who would

like to be notified as soon as the draft

solicitation is available should register

at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business.

Provide your E-mail address and click

on the ‘‘Coal Liquids/Solid Fuels

Feedstocks’’ technology choice located

under the heading ‘‘Fossil Energy.’’

Once you subscribe, you will receive an

announcement by E-mail that the draft

solicitation has been released to the

public. Telephone requests, written

requests, E-mail requests, or facsimile

requests for a copy of the draft

solicitation package will not be accepted

and/or honored. The draft solicitation

will be open for public comments on

December 6. A public meeting will be

held on December 15, 2000 and the draft

solicitation will be closed to public

comments on January 5, 2001.

The final solicitation will be made

available on or about January 31, 2001.

Applications must be prepared and

submitted in accordance with the

instructions and forms contained in the

solicitation. The final solicitation

document will allow for requests for

explanation and/or interpretation.

Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on November 24,

2000.

Dale A. Siciliano,

Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance

Division.

[FR Doc. 00–31437 Filed 12–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Schultz-Hanford Area Transmission

Line Project

AGENCY: Bonneville Power

Administration (BPA), Department of

Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

and notice of floodplain and wetlands

involvement.

SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA’s

intention to prepare an EIS on the

construction, operation, and

maintenance of a 59-mile-long 500-

kilovolt (kV) single-circuit transmission

line in Kittitas, Yakima, Grant, and/or

Benton Counties, State of Washington.

In accordance with DOE regulations for

compliance with floodplain and

wetlands environmental review

requirements, BPA will prepare a

floodplain and wetlands assessment and

will perform this proposed action in a

manner so as to avoid or minimize

potential harm to or within the affected

floodplain and wetlands. The

assessment and a floodplain statement

of findings will be included in the EIS

being prepared for the proposed project

in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act.

DATES: BPA has established a 30-day

scoping period. Written comments are

due to the address below no later than

January 25, 2001. Comments may also

be made at EIS scoping meetings to be

held on January 9, 10, and 11, 2001.

ADDRESSES: BPA invites comments and

suggestions on the proposed scope of

the Draft EIS. To comment, phone tollfree 1–800–622–4519; send an e-mail to

the BPA Internet address

comment@bpa.gov; or mail comments to

Communications, Bonneville Power

Administration—KC–7, P.O. Box 12999,

Portland, Oregon, 97212. To be placed

on the project mail list, call 1–800–622–

4520.

Three EIS scoping meetings will be

held: (1) Tuesday, January 9, 2001, 4

p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Sage Brush Senior

Center, 442 Desert Aire Drive, Desert

Aire, Washington; (2) Wednesday,

January 10, 2001, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the

Yakima County Courthouse, Room 420,

Yakima, Washington; and (3) Thursday,

January 11, 2001, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the

Hal Holmes Community Center, 201

North Ruby Street, Ellensburg,

Washington. At the informal meetings,

several members of the project team will

be available to answer questions and

accept oral and written comments.

Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full

range of issues related to this proposal

is addressed in the EIS, and also will

identify significant or potentially

significant impacts that may result from

the proposed project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou

Driessen, Project Manager, Bonneville

Power Administration—TNP–3, P.O.

Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208–

3621; telephone 503–230–5525; or email lcdriessen@bpa.gov. You may also

contact Nancy Wittpenn, Environmental

Project Manager, Bonneville Power

Administration—KEC–4, P.O. Box 3621,

Portland, Oregon, 97208–3621;

telephone 503–230–3297; fax 503–230–

5699; or e-mail nawittpenn@bpa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

proposed 59-mile-long 500–kV singlecircuit transmission line would be

constructed from the existing Schultz

Substation near Ellensburg, Washington,

to the existing Hanford or Ashe

Substation on the Hanford Nuclear

Reservation or to a new substation west

of the reservation, near Benton Rural

Electric Association’s Blackrock

Substation. The new line is necessary to

relieve constraints on several

transmission paths (lines) that move

electricity across Washington. The new

line would also provide more

operational flexibility and meet market

needs by increasing transmission

capacity for additional interstate

transfer of electricity. BPA has

identified several possible alternative

routes for the new line. The new routes

have the potential to cross private land,

the Yakima Firing Center, the Hanford

Nuclear Reservation, the Columbia

River, and the Saddle Mountain

Wildlife Refuge. BPA is in the process

of contacting the U.S. Department of the

Army, the U.S. Bureau of Land

Management, the U.S. Bureau of

Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service to determine whether

they would like to be cooperating

agencies in the EIS process.

This action may involve floodplain

and wetlands located in Kittitas,

Yakima, Grant, and Benton Counties,

State of Washington. When completed,

the Draft EIS will be circulated for

review and comment, and BPA will

hold several public comment meetings

for the Draft EIS. BPA will consider and

respond in the Final EIS to comments

received on the Draft EIS.

Maps and further information are

available from BPA at the address

above.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on December 1,

2000.

Steven G. Hickok,

Acting Administrator and Chief Executive

Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–31443 Filed 12–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P