Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 46 / Friday, March 8, 2013 / Proposed Rules 14947 

adopting these rules as final regulations 

in the Federal Register. 

Steven T. Miller, 

Deputy Commissioner for Services and 

Enforcement. 

[FR Doc. 2013–05200 Filed 3–7–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

34 CFR Chapter III 

Proposed Priorities—National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research—Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Program—Rehabilitation 

Engineering Research Centers 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Proposed priorities. 

[CFDA Numbers: 84.133E–5, 84.133E–6, 

84.133E–7, and 84.133E–8.] 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services proposes four priorities for the 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program 

administered by the National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this 

notice proposes a priority for a 

Rehabilitation Engineering Research 

Center (RERC) on each of: Rehabilitation 

Strategies, Techniques, and 

Interventions (priority 1); Information 

and Communication Technologies 

(priority 2); Individual Mobility and 

Manipulation (priority 3); and Physical 

Access and Transportation (priority 4). 

The Assistant Secretary may use one or 

more of these priorities for competitions 

in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. 

We take this action to focus research 

attention on areas of national need. We 

intend the priorities to improve 

rehabilitation services and outcomes for 

individuals with disabilities. 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

on or before April 8, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about 

this notice to Marlene Spencer, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 5133, Potomac 

Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 

20202–2700. 

If you prefer to send your comments 

by email, use the following address: 

marlene.spencer@ed.gov. You must 

include ‘‘Proposed Priorities for RERCs’’ 

and the priority title in the subject line 

of your electronic message. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marlene Spencer. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7532 or by email: 

marlene.spencer@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice of proposed priorities is in 

concert with NIDRR’s approved LongRange Plan (Plan). The Plan, which was 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be 

accessed on the Internet at the following 

site: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ 

osers/nidrr/policy.html. 

Through the implementation of the 

Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve the 

quality and utility of disability and 

rehabilitation research; (2) foster an 

exchange of expertise, information, and 

training methods to facilitate the 

advancement of knowledge and 

understanding of the unique needs of 

traditionally underserved populations; 

(3) determine best strategies and 

programs to improve rehabilitation 

outcomes for underserved populations; 

(4) identify research gaps; (5) identify 

mechanisms for integrating research and 

practice; and (6) disseminate findings. 

This notice proposes four priorities, 

each of which NIDRR intends to use for 

one or more RERC competitions in FY 

2013 and possibly in later years. 

However, nothing precludes NIDRR 

from publishing additional priorities, if 

needed. Furthermore, NIDRR is under 

no obligation to make an award using 

these priorities. The decision to make an 

award will be based on the quality of 

applications received and available 

funding. 

Invitation to Comment: We invite you 

to submit comments regarding this 

notice. To ensure that your comments 

have maximum effect in developing the 

notice of final priorities, we urge you to 

identify clearly the specific topic that 

each comment addresses. 

We invite you to assist us in 

complying with the specific 

requirements of Executive Orders 12866 

and 13563 and their overall requirement 

of reducing regulatory burden that 

might result from these proposed 

priorities. Please let us know of any 

further ways we could reduce potential 

costs or increase potential benefits 

while preserving the effective and 

efficient administration of the program. 

During and after the comment period, 

you may inspect all public comments 

about this notice in room 5140, 550 12th 

Street SW., PCP, Washington, DC, 

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 

p.m., Washington, DC time, Monday 

through Friday of each week except 

Federal holidays. 

Assistance to Individuals with 

Disabilities in Reviewing the 

Rulemaking Record: On request we will 

provide an appropriate accommodation 

or auxiliary aid to an individual with a 

disability who needs assistance to 

review the comments or other 

documents in the public rulemaking 

record for this notice. If you want to 

schedule an appointment for this type of 

accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research Projects and Centers Program 

is to plan and conduct research, 

demonstration projects, training, and 

related activities, including 

international activities, to develop 

methods, procedures, and rehabilitation 

technology that maximize the full 

inclusion and integration into society, 

employment, independent living, family 

support, and economic and social selfsufficiency of individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities, and to 

improve the effectiveness of services 

authorized under the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation 

Act). 

Rehabilitation Engineering Research 

Centers (RERCs) Program 

The purpose of NIDRR’s RERCs 

program, which is funded through the 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program, is to 

improve the effectiveness of services 

authorized under the Rehabilitation Act. 

It does so by conducting advanced 

engineering research, developing and 

evaluating innovative technologies, 

facilitating service delivery system 

changes, stimulating the production and 

distribution of new technologies and 

equipment in the private sector, and 

providing training opportunities. RERCs 

seek to solve rehabilitation problems 

and remove environmental barriers to 

improvements in employment, 

community living and participation, 

and health and function outcomes of 

individuals with disabilities. 

The general requirements for RERCs 

are set out in subpart D of 34 CFR part 

350 (What Rehabilitation Engineering 

Research Centers Does the Secretary 

Assist?). 

Additional information on the RERCs 

program can be found at: www.ed.gov/ 

rschstat/research/pubs/index.html. 

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 

764(b)(3). 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
14948 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 46 / Friday, March 8, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 

CFR part 350. 

Proposed Priorities 

This notice contains four proposed 

priorities. These include a priority for a 

RERC on ech of: Rehabilitation 

Strategies, Techniques, and 

Interventions (priority 1); Information 

and Communication Technologies 

(priority 2); Individual Mobility and 

Manipulation (priority 3); and Physical 

Access and Transportation (priority 4). 

Background 

NIDRR’s mission is to generate new 

knowledge and promote its effective use 

to improve the abilities of people with 

disabilities to perform activities of their 

choice in the community, and also to 

expand society’s capacity to provide full 

opportunities and accommodations for 

its citizens with disabilities (NIDRR 

Long-Range Plan, 2006). In support of 

this mission, NIDRR sponsors RERCs to 

address the barriers confronted by 

individuals with disabilities in all 

aspects of their lives. 

NIDRR-sponsored RERCs engage in 

the systematic application of 

engineering sciences to design, develop, 

adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and 

distribute technological solutions to 

problems confronted by individuals 

with disabilities in functional areas, 

such as mobility, communications, 

hearing, vision, and cognition, and in 

activities associated with employment, 

independent living, education, and 

integration into the community 

(Rehabilitation Act of 1973). RERCs may 

focus their efforts at the individual 

level, for example, to develop assistive 

technology devices that enhance the 

physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities 

of individuals with disabilities. RERCs 

may also focus on the systems level, for 

example, by mitigating or eliminating 

barriers found in large social systems 

such as public transportation, 

telecommunications, information 

technology, and the built environment. 

RERCs conduct research and 

development that leads to the transfer of 

technology into commercialized or noncommercialized products that can be 

readily accessed and used to improve 

the lives of individuals with disabilities. 

NIDRR seeks to establish RERCs that 

will address topics in four broad areas 

of rehabilitation engineering. These four 

areas, outlined in NIDRR’s proposed 

Long-Range Plan for 2013–2017 (NIDRR 

Long-Range Plan, 2013), include: (1) 

Rehabilitation strategies, techniques, 

and interventions; (2) information and 

communication technologies; (3) 

individual mobility and manipulation; 

and (4) physical access and 

transportation. By holding fieldinitiated RERC grant competitions in 

these four broad areas, we aim to 

increase competition for NIDRR’s RERC 

grants, and draw upon the field’s 

expertise, knowledge, and creativity to 

optimize the quality and relevance of 

the rehabilitation engineering grants 

that we fund. 

In the area of rehabilitation strategies, 

techniques, and interventions (priority 

1), NIDRR seeks to fund research and 

development that leads to rehabilitation 

practices and services that improve the 

health, and the physical, cognitive, 

sensory, and communication abilities, of 

individuals with a wide range of 

disabling conditions. Rehabilitation 

engineering in this area should result in 

new or improved products, devices, and 

technological advances that enhance 

rehabilitation services in clinical or 

community settings. In this broad area, 

NIDRR has previously funded RERCs on 

successful aging, low vision and 

blindness, hearing enhancement, 

communication enhancement, cognitive 

technologies, recreational technologies, 

rehabilitation robotics, and 

telerehabilitation, among others. 

In the area of information and 

communication technologies (priority 

2), NIDRR seeks to fund research and 

development that reduces the digital 

divide between people with and 

without disabilities (Vicente & Lopez, 

2010). Rehabilitation engineering in this 

area should optimize accessibility and 

usability of telecommunications 

products, wireless technologies, 

technology interfaces, computer 

systems, software, and networks for 

individuals with disabilities. In this 

broad area, NIDRR has previously 

funded RERCs on universal interface 

and information technology access, 

wireless technologies, and 

telecommunications access, among 

others. 

In the area of individual mobility and 

manipulation (priority 3), NIDRR seeks 

to fund research and development to 

enhance mobility, physical movement, 

and manipulation of the environment, 

and to accommodate limitations in 

manual dexterity among individuals 

with a variety of disabling conditions. 

Rehabilitation engineering in this area 

should result in new or improved 

products, devices, or technological 

advances to allow individuals with 

disabilities to be more mobile and to 

manipulate their environments more 

easily and effectively, increasing the 

independence of individuals with 

disabilities and allowing them to 

participate fully in their communities. 

In this broad area, NIDRR has 

previously funded RERCs on prosthetics 

and orthotics, wheeled mobility, and 

children with orthopedic disabilities, 

among others. 

In the area of physical access and 

transportation (priority 4), NIDRR seeks 

to fund research and development that 

leads to greater accessibility of the built 

environment and better access to safe 

and accessible transportation options for 

individuals with disabilities. There is a 

need for more accessibility in 

commercial and private facilities, 

outdoor environments, and housing to 

increase independence and promote 

community integration for individuals 

with disabilities. In addition, easy-touse, safe, and accessible transportation 

systems allow individuals with 

disabilities to move around, and 

participate more fully, in their 

communities and neighborhoods. 

Rehabilitation engineering in this area 

should result in the continued 

promotion of universal design and the 

planning of accessible buildings, parks, 

neighborhoods, transportation options, 

and cities. In this broad area, NIDRR has 

previously funded RERCs on accessible 

medical instrumentation, workplace 

accommodations, universal design in 

the built environment, accessible public 

transportation, and wheelchair 

transportation safety, among others. 

References 

NIDRR (2006). Notice of Final Long-Range 

Plan. 71 FR 8165. Available at: 

www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/ 

nidrr/policy.html. 

NIDRR (2013). Notice of Proposed LongRange Plan. 77 FR 23231. Available at: 

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-04-18/ 

html/2012-9365.htm. 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, PL 93–112. 

Vicente, M. R., & Lopez, A. J. (2010). A 

multidimensional analysis of the 

disability digital divide: Some evidence 

for Internet use. The Information Society, 

26(1), 48–64. 

Proposed Priorities 

The Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services 

proposes the following priorities for the 

establishment of a Rehabilitation 

Engineering Research Center (RERC) on 

each of: (1) Rehabilitation Strategies, 

Techniques, and Interventions; (2) 

Information and Communication 

Technologies; (3) Individual Mobility 

and Manipulation; and (4) Physical 

Access and Transportation. Each RERC 

will focus on innovative technological 

solutions, new knowledge, and concepts 

that will improve the lives of 

individuals with disabilities. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 46 / Friday, March 8, 2013 / Proposed Rules 14949 

Proposed Priority 1—RERC on 

Rehabilitation Strategies, Techniques, 

and Interventions 

Under this priority, the RERC must 

research, develop, and evaluate 

innovative technologies and strategies 

that will result in new or improved 

products, devices, and technological 

advances that are integrated into 

rehabilitation services in clinical or 

community settings. The RERC must be 

designed to improve outcomes of 

individuals with disabilities in one or 

more of the following domains: 

Employment, community living and 

participation, or health and function. 

Research and development topics under 

this priority may include but are not 

limited to: Virtual reality; therapy 

robots; telerehabilitation; recreational 

technology; health-related products and 

equipment; and cognitive, sensory, and 

communication aids. 

Proposed Priority 2—RERC on 

Information and Communication 

Technologies 

Under this priority, the RERC must 

research, develop, and evaluate 

innovative technologies and strategies 

that will optimize accessibility and 

usability of one or more of the 

following: Telecommunications 

products, wireless technologies, 

technology interfaces, computer 

systems, software, and networks for 

individuals with disabilities. The RERC 

must be designed to improve outcomes 

of individuals with disabilities in one or 

more of the following domains: 

Employment, community living and 

participation, or health and function. 

Research and development topics under 

this priority may include but are not 

limited to: Telecommunication access in 

emergency situations; interoperability 

between current and next generation 

telecommunication access; access to and 

use of wireless technologies; universal 

design approaches in future generations 

of wireless technologies; and 

accessibility of information technologies 

and electronic products by people with 

disabilities. 

Proposed Priority 3—RERC on 

Individual Mobility and Manipulation 

Under this priority, the RERC must 

research, develop, and evaluate 

innovative technologies and strategies 

that will result in new or improved 

products, devices, or technological 

advances that allow individuals with 

disabilities to be more mobile and to 

manipulate their environments more 

efficiently and effectively. The RERC 

must be designed to improve outcomes 

of individuals with disabilities in one or 

more of the following domains: 

Employment, community living and 

participation, or health and function. 

Research and development topics under 

this priority may include but are not 

limited to: Equipment for personal 

mobility; assistive technology for 

manipulation; and prosthetics and 

orthotics. 

Proposed Priority 4—RERC on Physical 

Access and Transportation 

Under this priority, the RERC must 

research, develop, and evaluate 

innovative technologies and strategies 

that will result in one or more of the 

following: The continued promotion of 

universal design and the planning of 

accessible buildings, homes, parks, 

neighborhoods, and cities, or the 

accessibility and safety of transportation 

options. The RERC must be designed to 

improve outcomes of individuals with 

disabilities in one or more of the 

following domains: Employment, 

community living and participation, or 

health and function. Research and 

development topics under this priority 

may include but are not limited to: 

Design and modification of the built 

environment; and the accessibility, 

safety, affordability and independent 

use of transportation options (including 

public transportation, commercial 

transportation, and personal vehicles). 

Requirements Applicable to All Four 

Proposed Priorities 

Under each priority, the RERC must 

be designed to contribute to the 

following outcomes: 

(1) Increased technical and scientific 

knowledge relevant to its research area. 

The RERC must contribute to this 

outcome by conducting high-quality, 

rigorous research and development 

projects. 

(2) Increased innovation in 

technologies, products, environments, 

performance guidelines, and monitoring 

and assessment tools applicable to its 

research area. The RERC must 

contribute to this outcome through the 

development and testing of these 

innovations. 

(3) Improved research capacity in its 

research area. The RERC must 

contribute to this outcome by 

collaborating with the relevant industry, 

professional associations, institutions of 

higher education, health care providers, 

or educators, as appropriate. 

(4) Improved usability and 

accessibility of products and 

environments in its research area. The 

RERC must contribute to this outcome 

by emphasizing the principles of 

universal design in its product research 

and development. For this purpose, 

‘‘universal design’’ means the design of 

products and environments to be usable 

by all people, to the greatest extent 

possible, without the need for 

adaptation or specialized design. 

(5) Improved awareness and 

understanding of cutting-edge 

developments in technologies within its 

research area. The RERC must 

contribute to this outcome by 

identifying and communicating with 

relevant stakeholders, including NIDRR, 

individuals with disabilities, their 

representatives, disability organizations, 

service providers, professional journals, 

manufacturers, and other interested 

parties regarding trends and evolving 

product concepts related to its research 

area. 

(6) Increased dissemination of 

research in the research area. The RERC 

must contribute to this outcome by 

providing technical assistance to 

relevant public and private 

organizations, individuals with 

disabilities, employers, and schools on 

policies, guidelines, and standards 

related to its research area. 

(7) Increased transfer of RERCdeveloped technologies to the 

marketplace. The RERC must contribute 

to this outcome by developing and 

implementing a plan for ensuring that 

all technologies developed by the RERC 

are made available to the public. The 

technology transfer plan must be 

developed in the first year of the project 

period in consultation with the NIDRRfunded Disability Rehabilitation 

Research Project, Center on Knowledge 

Translation for Technology Transfer. 

In addition, under each priority, the 

RERC must— 

• Have the capability to design, build, 

and test prototype devices and assist in 

the technology transfer and knowledge 

translation of successful solutions to 

relevant production and service delivery 

settings; 

• Evaluate the efficacy and safety of 

its new products, instrumentation, or 

assistive devices; 

• Provide as part of its proposal, and 

then implement, a plan that describes 

how it will include, as appropriate, 

individuals with disabilities or their 

representatives in all phases of its 

activities, including research, 

development, training, dissemination, 

and evaluation; 

• Provide as part of its proposal, and 

then implement, a plan to disseminate 

its research results to individuals with 

disabilities and their representatives; 

disability organizations; service 

providers; professional journals; 

manufacturers; and other interested 

parties. In meeting this requirement, 

each RERC may use a variety of 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
14950 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 46 / Friday, March 8, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

mechanisms to disseminate information, 

including state-of-the-science 

conferences, webinars, Web sites, and 

other dissemination methods; and 

• Coordinate research projects of 

mutual interest with relevant NIDRRfunded projects, as identified through 

consultation with the NIDRR project 

officer. 

Types of Priorities 

When inviting applications for a 

competition using one or more 

priorities, we designate the type of each 

priority as absolute, competitive 

preference, or invitational through a 

notice in the Federal Register. The 

effect of each type of priority follows: 

Absolute priority: Under an absolute 

priority, we consider only applications 

that meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3)). 

Competitive preference priority: 

Under a competitive preference priority, 

we give competitive preference to an 

application by (1) awarding additional 

points, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets the priority 

(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting 

an application that meets the priority 

over an application of comparable merit 

that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(ii)). 

Invitational priority: Under an 

invitational priority, we are particularly 

interested in applications that meet the 

priority. However, we do not give an 

application that meets the priority a 

preference over other applications (34 

CFR 75.105(c)(1)). 

Final Priorities 

We will announce the final priorities 

in a notice in the Federal Register. We 

will determine the final priorities after 

considering responses to this notice and 

other information available to the 

Department. This notice does not 

preclude us from proposing additional 

priorities, requirements, definitions, or 

selection criteria, subject to meeting 

applicable rulemaking requirements. 

Note: This notice does not solicit 

applications. In any year in which we choose 

to use this priority, we invite applications 

through a notice in the Federal Register. 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

Regulatory Impact Analysis 

Under Executive Order 12866, the 

Secretary must determine whether this 

regulatory action is ‘‘significant’’ and, 

therefore, subject to the requirements of 

the Executive order and subject to 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive 

Order 12866 defines a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ as an action likely to 

result in a rule that may— 

(1) Have an annual effect on the 

economy of $100 million or more, or 

adversely affect a sector of the economy, 

productivity, competition, jobs, the 

environment, public health or safety, or 

State, local, or tribal governments or 

communities in a material way (also 

referred to as an ‘‘economically 

significant’’ rule); 

(2) Create serious inconsistency or 

otherwise interfere with an action taken 

or planned by another agency; 

(3) Materially alter the budgetary 

impacts of entitlement grants, user fees, 

or loan programs or the rights and 

obligations of recipients thereof; or 

(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues 

arising out of legal mandates, the 

President’s priorities, or the principles 

stated in the Executive order. 

This proposed regulatory action is not 

a significant regulatory action subject to 

review by OMB under section 3(f) of 

Executive Order 12866. 

We have also reviewed this proposed 

regulatory action under Executive Order 

13563, which supplements and 

explicitly reaffirms the principles, 

structures, and definitions governing 

regulatory review established in 

Executive Order 12866. To the extent 

permitted by law, Executive Order 

13563 requires that an agency— 

(1) Propose or adopt regulations only 

upon a reasoned determination that 

their benefits justify their costs 

(recognizing that some benefits and 

costs are difficult to quantify); 

(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the 

least burden on society, consistent with 

obtaining regulatory objectives and 

taking into account—among other things 

and to the extent practicable—the costs 

of cumulative regulations; 

(3) In choosing among alternative 

regulatory approaches, select those 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety, 

and other advantages; distributive 

impacts; and equity); 

(4) To the extent feasible, specify 

performance objectives, rather than the 

behavior or manner of compliance a 

regulated entity must adopt; and 

(5) Identify and assess available 

alternatives to direct regulation, 

including economic incentives—such as 

user fees or marketable permits—to 

encourage the desired behavior, or 

provide information that enables the 

public to make choices. 

Executive Order 13563 also requires 

an agency ‘‘to use the best available 

techniques to quantify anticipated 

present and future benefits and costs as 

accurately as possible.’’ The Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs of 

OMB has emphasized that these 

techniques may include ‘‘identifying 

changing future compliance costs that 

might result from technological 

innovation or anticipated behavioral 

changes.’’ 

We are issuing these proposed 

priorities only upon a reasoned 

determination that their benefits would 

justify their costs. In choosing among 

alternative regulatory approaches, we 

selected those approaches that would 

maximize net benefits. Based on the 

analysis that follows, the Department 

believes that these proposed priorities 

are consistent with the principles in 

Executive Order 13563. 

We also have determined that this 

regulatory action would not unduly 

interfere with State, local, and tribal 

governments in the exercise of their 

governmental functions. 

In accordance with both Executive 

orders, the Department has assessed the 

potential costs and benefits, both 

quantitative and qualitative, of this 

regulatory action. The potential costs 

are those resulting from statutory 

requirements and those we have 

determined as necessary for 

administering the Department’s 

programs and activities. 

The benefits of the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Program have been well 

established over the years. Projects 

similar to the RERCs have been 

completed successfully, and the new 

RERCs, established consistently with 

the proposed priorities, are expected to 

improve the lives of individuals with 

disabilities and generate through 

research and development, disseminate, 

and promote the use of new information 

that would improve the outcomes for 

individuals with disabilities in the areas 

of community living and participation, 

employment, and health and function. 

Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is not subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or compact disc) by 

contacting the Grants and Contracts 

Services Team, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7363. If you use a TDD or TTY, call the 

FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the 

official edition of the Federal Register 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 46 / Friday, March 8, 2013 / Proposed Rules 14951 

and the Code of Federal Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 

can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dated: March 5, 2013. 

Michael Yudin, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2013–05490 Filed 3–7–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 147 

[EPA–HQ–OW–2012–0186; FRL 9787–8] 

State of Washington; Underground 

Injection Control (UIC) Program 

Revision 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of public comment 

period and of public hearing. 

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is 

to announce that the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) has received a 

complete program revision package 

from the State of Washington requesting 

approval of its revised Underground 

Injection Control (UIC) program; the 

EPA has determined the application 

contains all the required elements; the 

application is available for inspection 

and copying at the address appearing 

below; public comments are requested; 

and a public hearing will be held. 

The purpose of this notice is to inform 

the public that the State of Washington 

has revised its UIC regulations, 

including the transfer of oversight 

authority from the Department of 

Ecology to the Energy Facility Site 

Evaluation Council to issue UIC permits 

at energy facilities and other minor 

technical corrections. 

DATES: Comments will be accepted until 

April 22, 2013. A Public Hearing will be 

held on April 8, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at 

EPA Region 10, 1200 6th Ave., Seattle 

WA; visitor check in is on the 12th 

Floor. Requests to testify may be mailed 

to: David Tetta, Ground Water Unit, 

EPA Region 10, Suite 900 M/S OCE– 

082, 1200 6th Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. 

For additional information regarding the 

public hearing, please contact David 

Tetta, (206) 553–1327 or 

tetta.david@epa.gov. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– 

OW–2012–0186, by one of the following 

methods: 

• www.regulations.gov: Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Email: tetta.david@epa.gov. 

• Fax: (206) 553–6984. 

• Mail: State of Washington; 

Underground Injection Control (UIC) 

Program Primacy, Environmental 

Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20460. 

• Hand Delivery: Water Docket, EPA 

Docket Center (EPA/DC) EPA West, 

Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. 

NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries 

are only accepted during the Docket’s 

normal hours of operation, and special 

arrangements should be made for 

deliveries of boxed information. 

Instructions: Requests to testify may 

be mailed to David Tetta, Ground Water 

Unit, Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 

900 M/S OCE–082, Seattle, WA 98101. 

Direct your comments to Docket ID No. 

EPA–HQ–OW–2012–0186. EPA’s policy 

is that all comments received will be 

included in the public docket without 

change and may be made available 

online at www.regulations.gov, 

including any personal information 

provided, unless the comment includes 

information claimed to be Confidential 

Business Information (CBI) or other 

information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Do not submit 

information that you consider to be CBI 

or otherwise protected through 

www.regulations.gov or email. The 

www.regulations.gov Web site is an 

‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which 

means EPA will not know your identity 

or contact information unless you 

provide it in the body of your comment. 

If you send an email comment directly 

to EPA without going through 

www.regulations.gov your email address 

will be automatically captured and 

included as part of the comment that is 

placed in the public docket and made 

available on the Internet. If you submit 

an electronic comment, EPA 

recommends that you include your 

name and other contact information in 

the body of your comment and with any 

disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA 

cannot read your comment due to 

technical difficulties and cannot contact 

you for clarification, EPA may not be 

able to consider your comment. 

Electronic files should avoid the use of 

special characters, any form of 

encryption, and be free of any defects or 

viruses. For additional information 

about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA 

Docket Center homepage at http:// 

www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm or 

the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

of this document. 

Docket: All documents in the docket 

are listed in the www.regulations.gov 

index. Although listed in the index, 

some information is not publicly 

available, e.g., CBI or other information 

whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 

Certain other material, such as 

copyrighted material, will be publicly 

available only in hard copy. Publicly 

available docket materials are available 

either electronically in 

www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at 

the following locations: 

(1) Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 10, Library, 10th Floor, 1200 

Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. The 

Library is open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 

p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Monday 

through Friday, excluding legal 

holidays. The telephone number for the 

Library is (206) 553–1289. 

(2) Washington Department of 

Ecology, Water Quality Program, 300 

Desmond Drive SE., Lacey, WA 98503. 

The Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 

5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 

excluding legal holidays. Please contact 

Mary Shaleen Hansen at (360) 407– 

6143. 

(3) State of Washington; Underground 

Injection Control (UIC) Program Primacy 

Docket: EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 

Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, 

DC. The Public Reading Room is open 

from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, excluding legal 

holidays. The telephone number for the 

Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, 

and the telephone number for the OW 

Docket is (202) 566–2426; and 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Tetta, Ground Water Unit, 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 

900 M/S OCE–082, Seattle, WA 98101; 

telephone number: (206) 553–1327; Fax 

number: (206) 553–6984; email address: 

tetta.david@epa.gov. Comments should 

also be sent to this address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The UIC 

program revision package from the State 

of Washington includes a description of 

the State Underground Injection Control 

program, copies of all applicable rules 

and forms, a statement of legal 


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