77026 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 237 / Friday, December 8, 2000 / Notices

National Forest, Saint Louis County,

MN, Due: January 8, 2001, Contact:

Jim Thompson (218) 666–0020.

EIS No. 000419, DRAFT EIS, MMS, LA,

AL, MS, FL, Eastern Planning Area

Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas

Lease Sale 181 (December 2001), Gulf

of Mexico, Offshore Marine

Environment and Coastal Counties/

Parishes of LA, MI, AL and

northwestern FL, Due: January 22,

2001, Contact: Archie Melancon (703)

787–1547.

EIS No. 000420, THIRD DRAFT

SUPPLEM, NOA, Atlantic Sea Scallop

Fishery Management Plan (FMP),

Updated Information, Framework

Adjustment 14 to adjust the annual

Amendment 7 day-at-sea allocation

for 2001 and 2002 and to re-open

portions of the Hudson Canyon and

Virginia/North Carolina Areas for

Scallop Fishing, Due: January 24,

2001, Contact: Patricia Churchill (202)

482–5916.

EIS No. 000421, DRAFT EIS, COE, CA,

Guadalupe Creek Restoration Project,

Restore Riparian Vegetation and

Native Anadromous Fish Habitat,

From Almaden Expressway to Masson

Dam, Implementation, Guadalupe

River, Santa Clara County, CA, Due:

January 22, 2001, Contact: Brad

Hubbards (916) 557–7054.

EIS No. 000422, FINAL EIS, USN, NY,

Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve

Plant Bethpage to Nassau County,

Transfer and Reuse, Preferred Reuse

Plan for the Property, Town of Oyster

Bay, Nassau County, NY, Due: January

2, 2001, Contact: Robert K.

Ostermueller (610) 595–0759.

This Notice of Availability should

have appeared in the 12/1/2000 Federal

Register. The Official Wait Period began

on 12/1/2000 and ends on 1/2/2001.

Dated: December 5, 2000.

Joseph C. Montgomery,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office

of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 00–31349 Filed 12–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[ER–FRL–6613–5]

Environmental Impact Statements and

Regulations; Availability of EPA

Comments

Availability of EPA comments

prepared pursuant to the Environmental

Review Process (ERP), under section

309 of the Clean Air Act and section

102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act as amended. Requests for

copies of EPA comments can be directed

to the Office of Federal Activities at

(202) 564–7167. An explanation of the

ratings assigned to draft environmental

impact statements (EISs) was published

in Federal Register dated April 14, 2000

(65 FR 20157).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D–COE–C35014–NJ Rating

EU2, Meadowlands Mills Project,

Construction of a Mixed-Use

Commercial Development, Permit

Application Number 95–07–440–RS for

Issuance of a USCOE Section 404

Permit, Boroughs of Carlstadt and

Monnachie, Township of South

Hackensack, Bergen County, NJ.

Summary: EPA raised significant

objections to the applicant’s preferred

alternative and other alternatives due to

adverse impacts to wetlands and

availability of less damaging

alternatives. EPA requested additional

information regarding alternatives, air

quality impacts and compensatory

mitigation plans.

ERP No. DR–IBR–K39049–CA Rating

EC2, Coachella Canal Lining Water

Project, Revised and Updated

Information, Approval of the Transfers

and Exchanges of Conserved Coachella

Canal Water, Construction, Operation

and Funding, Riverside and Imperial

Counties, CA.

Summary: EPA requested formal

responses to comments sent on the

original Draft EIS in 1994, and raised

additional concerns involving

monitoring of water quality, modeling of

area-wide impacts, and consultation

with tribal governments.

ERP No. DS–IBR–K28019–CA Rating

EO2, East Bay Municipal Utility District

Supplemental Water Supply Project and

Water Service Contract Amendment,

New and Additional Information on

Alternatives, American River Division

of the Central Valley Project (CVP),

Sacramento County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed objections

regarding the level of detail and analysis

of Alternatives 4 and 8, insufficient

information on the impacts of wetlands,

the potential growth inducing effects of

the project, the absence of an analysis of

how this project ties into the broader

water allocation and ecosystem

protection goals of CALFED and CVPIA,

and how the water quality of the

selected drinking water source will be

protected. EPA requested that a greater

level of detail and analysis be provided

on these issues.

Final EISs

ERP No. F–COE–E30041–NC, Dare

County Beaches (Bodie Island Portion)

Hurricane Wave Protection and Beach

Erosion Control, The towns of Nags

Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Dare

County, NC.

Summary: EPA continues to express

concern regarding the adverse effect on

the nearshore ecosystem caused by

maintaining a given beach profile.

ERP No. F–COE–K36129–CA, Santa

Ana River Mainstem Project Including

Santiago Creek, Proposal to Complete

Channel Improvements along San

Timoteo Creek Reach 3B to provide

Flood Protection, San Bernardino

County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed continuing

concerns regarding analysis of an

alternative that would have less adverse

impacts to San Timoteo Creek, the full

extent of cumulative impacts to San

Timoteo Creek from Corps of Engineers’

flood control projects, and mitigation to

compensate for unavoidable losses to

aquatic resources.

Dated: December 05, 2000.

Joseph C. Montgomery,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office

of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 00–31350 Filed 12–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPPTS–00300; FRL–6747–6]

Proposed National Action Plan for

Hexachlorobenzene; Notice of

Availability and Solication of Public

Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

SUMMARY: EPA has developed a draft

National Action Plan to promote further

voluntary reductions of releases and

exposure to Hexachlorobenzene (HCB).

This Notice announces the availability

of the draft HCB National Action Plan

for public review and comment.

Hexachlorobenzene is currently formed

as an inadvertent by-product at trace

levels in the production of chlorinated

solvents, pesticides, and in other

chlorinated processes. This chemical is

a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic

halogenated compound that persists in

the environment and bioaccumulates in

animal tissue. It is considered a

probable human carcinogen and is toxic

by all routes of exposure. The general

population appears to be exposed to

very low concentrations of HCB,

primarily through ingestion of meat,

dairy products, poultry and fish. The

strategic approach of the Agency,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 237 / Friday, December 8, 2000 / Notices 77027

therefore, will involve voluntary

initiatives to reduce releases and

minimize media transfers, collect

information to verify sources and sinks,

and increase involvement with and

assistance to international groups and

other countries to reduce atmospheric

deposition in the United States. This

plan was developed pursuant to the

Agency’s Multimedia Strategy for

Priority PBT Pollutants.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket

control number OPPTS–00300, must be

received on or before January 8, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted by mail, electronically, or in

person. Please follow the detailed

instructions for each method as

provided in Unit I. of the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure

proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative

that you identify docket control number

OPPTS–00300 in the subject line on the

first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information contact: Barbara

Cunningham, Director, Office of

Program Management and Evaluation,

Office of Pollution Prevention and

Toxics (7401), Environmental Protection

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460; telephone

number: (202) 554–1404; e-mail address:

TSCA–Hotline@epa.gov.

For technical information contact:

Paul Matthai, Pollution Prevention

Division, Mail Code 7409, Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxics,

Environmental Protection Agency, 1200

Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,

DC 20460; telephone number: (202)

260–3385; e-mail address:

matthai.paul@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

This action is directed to the public

in general. This action may, however, be

of interest to persons who are involved

in the production of chlorinated

solvents, pesticides and in other

chlorinated processes which could form

HCB as an inadvertent by product at

trace levels. This Action Plan may also

be of interest to persons involved in the

use of hexachloroethane in secondary

aluminum operations which could

release HCB. Since other entities may

also be interested, the Agency has not

attempted to describe all the specific

entities that may be affected by this

action. If you have any questions

regarding the applicability of this action

to a particular entity, consult the

technical person listed in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional

Information, Including Copies of this

Document or Other Related Documents?

1. Electronically. You may obtain

electronic copies of this document, and

certain other related documents that

might be available electronically, from

the EPA Internet Home Page at http://

www.epa.gov/pbt. To access this

document, on the PBT Home Page,

select ‘‘What’s new.’’ You can also go

directly to the FEDERAL REGISTER listings

at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.

2. In person. The Agency has

established an official record for this

action under docket control number

OPPTS–00300. The official record

consists of the documents specifically

referenced in this action, any public

comments received during an applicable

comment period, and other information

related to this action, including any

information claimed as confidential

business information (CBI). This official

record includes the documents that are

physically located in the docket, as well

as the documents that are referenced in

those documents. The public version of

the official record does not include any

information claimed as CBI. The public

version of the official record, which

includes printed, paper versions of any

electronic comments submitted during

an applicable comment period, is

available for inspection in the TSCA

Nonconfidential Information Center,

North East Mall Rm. B–607, Waterside

Mall, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC. The Center is open

from noon to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, excluding legal holidays. The

telephone number for the Center is (202)

260–7099.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit

Comments?

You may submit comments through

the mail, in person, or electronically. To

ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is

imperative that you identify docket

control number OPPTS–00300 in the

subject line on the first page of your

response.

1. By mail. Submit your comments to:

Document Control Office (7407), Office

of Pollution Prevention and Toxics

(OPPT), Environmental Protection

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460.

2. In person or by courier. Deliver

your comments to: OPPT Document

Control Office (DCO) in East Tower Rm.

G–099, Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC. The DCO is open from

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, excluding legal holidays. The

telephone number for the DCO is (202)

260–7093.

3. Electronically. You may submit

your comments electronically by e-mail

to: oppt.ncic@epa.gov, or mail your

computer disk to the address identified

in this unit. Do not submit any

information electronically that you

consider to be CBI. Electronic comments

must be submitted as an ASCII file

avoiding the use of special characters

and any form of encryption. Comments

and data will also be accepted on

standard disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or

ASCII file format. All comments in

electronic form must be identified by

docket control number OPPTS–00300.

Electronic comments may also be filed

online at many Federal Depository

Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI

Information that I Want to Submit to the

Agency?

Do not submit any information

electronically that you consider to be

CBI. You may claim information that

you submit to EPA in response to this

document as CBI by marking any part or

all of that information as CBI.

Information so marked will not be

disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

In addition to one complete version of

the comment that includes any

information claimed as CBI, a copy of

the comment that does not contain the

information claimed as CBI must be

submitted for inclusion in the public

version of the official record.

Information not marked confidential

will be included in the public version

of the official record without prior

notice. If you have any questions about

CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI,

please consult the technical person

identified under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare

My Comments for EPA?

We invite you to provide your views

on the various options we propose, new

approaches we have not considered, the

potential impacts of the various options

(including possible unintended

consequences), and any data or

information that you would like the

Agency to consider during the

development of the final action. You

may find the following suggestions

helpful for preparing your comments:

1. Explain your views as clearly as

possible.

2. Describe any assumptions that you

used.

3. Provide copies of any technical

information and/or data you used that

support your views.

77028 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 237 / Friday, December 8, 2000 / Notices

4. If you estimate potential burden or

costs, explain how you arrived at the

estimate that you provide.

5. Provide specific examples to

illustrate your concerns.

6. Offer alternative ways to improve

the rule or collection activity.

7. Make sure to submit your

comments by the deadline in this

notice.

8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA,

be sure to identify the docket control

number assigned to this action in the

subject line on the first page of your

response. You may also provide the

name, date, and FEDERAL REGISTER

citation.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

On November 16, 1998, EPA released

its draft Agency-wide Multimedia

Strategy for Priority Persistent,

Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT)

Pollutants (PBT Strategy). The goal of

the PBT Strategy is to identify and

reduce risks to human health and the

environment from current and future

exposures to priority PBT pollutants.

This document serves as the Draft

National Action Plan for

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), one of the 12

Level 1 priority PBT pollutants

identified for the initial focus of action

in the PBT Strategy.

Hexachlorobenzene (CAS number

118–74–1) is a white, crystalline solid.

It has been synthesized and used from

the 1940s to the late 1970s as a

fungicide on grain seeds such as wheat.

HCB was also used in the past as a

solvent and as an intermediate and/or

additive in various manufacturing

processes, including the production of

PVC, pyrotechnics and ammunition,

dyes, and pentachlorophenol. Although

HCB is no longer used directly as a

pesticide, it is currently formed as an

inadvertent by-product at trace levels in

the production of chemical solvents,

chlorine-containing compounds, and

several currently used pesticides.

HCB is a highly persistent

environmental toxin that degrades

slowly in air and remains in the

atmosphere through long range

transport. It bioaccumulates in the fatty

tissues and its presence in fish, plants,

and wild game species can be a source

of ingestion exposure for humans. HCB

is considered a probable human

carcinogen and is toxic by all routes of

exposure. Short-term high exposures

can lead to kidney and liver damage,

central nervous system excitation and

seizures, circulatory collapse, and

respiratory depression. Based on studies

conducted on animals, long-term low

exposures may damage a developing

fetus, cause cancer, lead to kidney and

liver damage, and cause fatigue and skin

irritation.

The general population appears to be

exposed to very low concentrations of

HCB. Ingestion of HCB-contaminated

fish and other wildlife is potentially the

most significant source of exposure.

Additional, although significantly less,

exposure may occur through inhalation

or dermal contact. However, certain

subpopulations may be exposed to

higher levels of HCB than the general

population. These include: workers

occupationally exposed to HCB;

individuals living near facilities where

HCB is produced as a by-product;

individuals living near current or former

hazardous waste sites where HCB is

present; recreational and subsistence

fishermen who consume higher

amounts of locally caught fish and

bivalves (mussels, oysters, clams) from

contaminated waters, and native

populations (including Native American

populations such as the Inuits of

Alaska) who consume caribou and other

game species. Finally, nursing infants in

these areas may also be particularly

susceptible to effects due to the singular

nature of their diet.

The goal of the Action Plan is to

identify and further reduce risks to

human health and the environment

from existing and future exposure to

HCB. However, there are information

gaps related to the magnitude of known

and suspected sources of HCB, the

extent of pollution resulting from longrange transport, and the content of HCB

in sinks such as sediments and sewage

sludge that may contribute to

environmental cycling within Unites

States boundaries. Therefore, the

strategic approach of the Agency will

involve voluntary initiatives to reduce

releases and minimize media transfers,

collect information to verify sources and

sinks, and increase involvement with

and assistance to international groups

and other countries to reduce

atmospheric deposition in the United

States.

EPA considers stakeholder

involvement essential to reaching the

goals of the PBT Strategy. Therefore, the

Agency is seeking stakeholder input and

invites comment on this draft National

Action Plan on the following three areas

related to HCB.

1. The identification and

implementation of voluntary initiatives

and outreach opportunities to reduce

releases of and exposure to HCB, while

minimizing controlled and uncontrolled

(e.g., volatilization from water to air,

deposition onto soil or plants) multimedia transfers.

2. Continued information collection

and integration of data across media

regarding sources, sinks, releases,

environmental trends, and human food

and tissue levels for HCB. Data

collection will occur through Binational

Toxics Strategy (BNS) efforts, Maximum

Achievable Control Technology (MACT)

standard development, various EPA

permitting and reporting processes, and

industry involvement.

3. Collaborate (or partner) with

international organizations and foreign

governments to assess the significance

of long-range transport from other

countries and to foster the proliferation

of pollution prevention or control

technology measures that will reduce

inputs of HCB to the environment.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, PBT,

National Action Plan, and HCB.

Dated: November 27, 2000.

Susan H. Wayland,

Assistant Administrator for Office of

Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 00–31336 Filed 12–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–S

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 96–45; DA 00–2661]

The Minnesota Public Utilities

Commission Petitions For Agreement

To Redefine The Service Area Of

Frontier Communications of

Minnesota, Inc.

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In this document, the

Common Carrier Bureau provides notice

that the Minnesota Public Utilities

Commission has filed a petition

requesting the Commission’s consent to

its proposed alternative ‘‘service area’’

definition for Frontier Communications

of Minnesota, Inc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard D. Smith, Attorney, Accounting

Policy Division, Common Carrier

Bureau, (202) 418–7400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of a Commission’s Public

Notice in CC Docket No. 96–45 released

on November 29, 2000. The full text of

this document is available for public

inspection during regular business

hours in the FCC Reference Center,

Room CY–A257, 445 Twelfth Street,

SW., Washington, DC, 20554.

The Common Carrier Bureau provides

notice that the Minnesota Public