65306 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 204 / Friday, October 22, 2010 / Notices 

required by Section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act and is 

intended to notify the public of their 

opportunity to attend the open portion 

of the meeting. The public is being 

given less than 15 days’ notice due to 

the need to accommodate the members’ 

schedules. 

DATES: November 1, 2010 

TIMES: Open session: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The meeting will be closed from 4 p.m. 

to 4:45 p.m. for the election of a Chair 

and Vice Chair. 

ADDRESSES: 80 F Street, NW., Room 100, 

Washington, DC 20208. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mary Grace Lucier, Designated Federal 

Official, National Board for Education 

Sciences, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW., 

Room 602 I, Washington, DC 20208; 

phone: (202) 219–2253; fax: (202) 219– 

1466; e-mail: Mary.Grace.Lucier@ed.gov. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Board for Education Sciences 

is authorized by Section 116 of the 

Education Sciences Reform Act of 

2002(ESRAa0, 20 U.S.C 9516. The Board 

advises the Director of the Institute of 

Education Sciences (IES) on, among 

other things, the establishment of 

activities to be supported by the 

Institute, on the funding for applications 

for grants, contracts, and cooperative 

agreements for research after the 

completion of peer review, and reviews 

and evaluates the work of the Institute. 

At this time, the Board consists of ten 

of fifteen appointed members due to the 

expirations of the terms of former 

members. The Board shall meet and can 

carry out official business because the 

ESRA states that a majority of the voting 

members serving at the time of a 

meeting constitutes a quorum. 

On November 1, 2010, starting at 8:30 

a.m. the Board will approve the agenda 

and hear remarks from the chair, 

followed by further remarks from John 

Easton, IES director. The Board is 

expected to consider and approve 

priorities proposed by the director to 

guide the work of the Institute. A break 

will take place from 9:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. 

A presentation on the Privacy Technical 

Assistance Center will take place from 

10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by an 

overview of the proposed agenda for the 

Regional Educational Laboratories 

program. 

The meeting will break for lunch from 

12 noon to 1:15 p.m., following which 

there will be a presentation and 

discussion of state of the art approaches 

to research implementation. A 

discussion of recently released IES 

reports will be held from 2:30 p.m. until 

4 p.m. The meeting will close to the 

public from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. for the 

election of Chair and Vice Chair. The 

new officers will have a brief 

opportunity to address the membership 

about their vision for the Board’s role 

for the next two years, and adjournment 

is expected at 5 p.m. 

A final agenda will be available from 

Mary Grace Lucier (see contact 

information above) on October 25 and 

will be posted on the Board Web site 

http://ies.ed.gov/director/board/ 

agendas/index.asp. Individuals who 

will need accommodations for a 

disability in order to attend the meeting 

(e.g., interpreting services, assistance 

listening devices, or materials in 

alternative format) should notify Mary 

Grace Lucier no later than October 20. 

We will attempt to meet requests for 

accommodations after this date but 

cannot guarantee their availability. The 

meeting site is accessible to individuals 

with disabilities. 

Records are kept of all Committee 

proceedings and are available for public 

inspection at 555 New Jersey Ave., NW., 

Room 602 K, Washington, DC 20208, 

from the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Eastern Standard Time Monday through 

Friday. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

You may 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) on the Internet at the 

following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/ 

fed-register/index.html. 

To use PDF you must have Adobe 

Acrobat Reader, which is available free 

at this site. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1–888– 

293–6498; or in the Washington, DC, 

area at (202) 512–1530. 

Note: 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 and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: October 19, 2010. 

John Q. Easton, 

Director, Institute of Education Sciences. 

[FR Doc. 2010–26782 Filed 10–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for a 

Proposed Federal Loan Guarantee To 

Support Construction of the Topaz 

Solar Farm, San Luis Obispo County, 

CA 

AGENCY: Loan Guarantee Program, 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement and 

conduct a public scoping meeting and 

notice of proposed floodplain action. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) announces its intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA), the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA 

regulations, and the DOE NEPA 

implementing procedures, to assess the 

potential environmental impacts of its 

proposed action of issuing a Federal 

loan guarantee to Topaz Solar Farms, 

LLC (Topaz) (DOE/EIS–0458). Topaz 

submitted an application to DOE under 

the Federal loan guarantee program 

pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 

2005 (EPAct 2005) to support 

construction of the Topaz Solar Farm 

Project located in San Luis Obispo 

County, California (the Project). 

Topaz is a limited liability company 

that is owned by First Solar, Inc. Topaz 

proposes to develop the Project on 

approximately 4,000 acres of land. As 

proposed, the approximately 550- 

megawatt electric generation project 

would include the installation of about 

nine million photovoltaic (PV) solar 

modules within approximately 437 

arrays and associated electric 

equipment. At full capacity, the Project 

would generate enough electricity to 

power an estimated 160,000 California 

homes annually. Generated electricity 

would be sold to Pacific Gas and 

Electric (PG&E) under a long-term 

power purchase agreement. The Project 

would be interconnected into PG&E’s 

existing Morro Bay-Midway 230-kilovolt 

(kV) transmission line, which runs in an 

east-to-west direction through the site. 

The EIS will evaluate the potential 

environmental impacts of the issuance 

of a DOE Loan Guarantee for Topaz’s 

proposed Project and the range of 

reasonable alternatives. The purposes of 

this Notice of Intent are to inform the 

public about DOE’s proposed action; 

invite public participation in the EIS 

process; announce plans for a public 

scoping meeting; and solicit public 

comments for consideration in 

establishing the scope and content of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 204 / Friday, October 22, 2010 / Notices 65307 

the EIS. DOE is hereby providing notice 

of a proposed action in a floodplain and 

that DOE will include a floodplain 

assessment in the EIS. DOE invites those 

agencies with jurisdiction by law or 

special expertise to be cooperating 

agencies. 

DATES: The public scoping period will 

begin with publication of this Notice of 

Intent and end on November 22, 2010. 

To ensure that all of the issues related 

to this proposal are addressed, DOE 

invites comments on the proposed 

scope and content of the EIS from all 

interested parties. Comments must be 

postmarked or e-mailed by November 

22, 2010 to ensure consideration. Late 

comments will be considered to the 

extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Public comments can be 

submitted electronically or by U.S. Mail. 

Written comments on the proposed EIS 

scope should be signed and addressed 

to the NEPA Document Manager for this 

project: Ms. Angela Colamaria, Loan 

Guarantee Program (LP–10), U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585. Electronic 

submission of comments is encouraged 

due to processing time required for 

regular mail. Comments can be 

submitted electronically by sending an 

e-mail to: Topaz-EIS@hq.doe.gov. All 

electronic and written comments should 

reference DOE/EIS–0458. 

In addition to receiving written 

comments, DOE will conduct a public 

scoping meeting in the vicinity of the 

proposed Project at which government 

agencies, private-sector organizations, 

and the general public are invited to 

provide comments or suggestions with 

regard to the alternatives and potential 

impacts to be considered in the EIS. The 

date, time, and location of the public 

scoping meeting will be announced in 

local news media and on the DOE Loan 

Guarantee Program’s ‘‘NEPA Public 

Involvement’’ Web site (http:// 

lpo.energy.gov/?page_id=1502) and the 

DOE NEPA Web site ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ Calendar (http:// 

nepa.energy.gov/calendar.htm) at least 

15 days prior to the date of the meeting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

obtain additional information about this 

EIS, the public scoping meeting, or to 

receive a copy of the draft EIS when it 

is issued, contact Angela Colamaria by 

telephone: 202–287–5387; toll-free 

number: 800–832–0885 ext. 75387; or 

electronic mail: 

Angela.Colamaria@hq.doe.gov. For 

general information on the DOE NEPA 

process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. 

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA 

Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585; telephone: 202– 

586–4600; facsimile: 202–586–7031; 

electronic mail: askNEPA@hq.doe.gov; 

or leave a toll-free message at 800–472– 

2756. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Title XVII of EPAct 2005 established 

a Federal loan guarantee program for 

eligible energy projects, and was 

amended by the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009, (the Recovery 

Act) to create Section 1705 of Title XVII 

(42 U.S.C. 16516), authorizing a new 

program for rapid deployment of 

renewable energy projects and related 

manufacturing facilities, electric power 

transmission projects, and leading edge 

biofuels projects. The primary purposes 

of the Recovery Act are job preservation 

and creation, infrastructure investment, 

energy efficiency and science, assistance 

to the unemployed, and State and local 

fiscal stabilization. The Section 1705 

Program is designed to address the 

current economic conditions of the 

nation, in part, through financing 

renewable energy, transmission and 

leading edge biofuels projects. 

On March 29, 2010, the Royal Bank of 

Scotland plc, as Lender-Applicant, with 

Topaz as the borrower, submitted the 

first part (Part I) of a two-part 

application to DOE for a Federal loan 

guarantee under the Solicitation 

entitled, ‘‘Federal Loan Guarantees for 

Commercial Technology Renewable 

Energy Generation Projects under the 

Financial Institution Partnership 

Program’’ (Solicitation No. DE–FOA– 

0000166), issued on October 7, 2009. 

Topaz submitted Part II of its 

application on August 10, 2010. 

Purpose and Need for Agency Action 

The purpose and need for action by 

DOE is to comply with its mandate 

under EPAct 2005 by selecting eligible 

projects that meet the goals of the Act, 

as summarized above. The EIS will 

inform DOE’s decision on whether to 

issue a loan guarantee to Topaz to 

support the proposed Project. 

Proposed Action 

DOE’s proposed action is to issue a 

loan guarantee to Topaz to support 

construction of the Topaz Solar Farm. 

The Project would be located in an 

unincorporated portion of eastern San 

Luis Obispo County, California, adjacent 

to Highway 58 and east of Bitterwater 

Road. Topaz has options to purchase 

approximately 10,000 acres of land in 

the Project area. The Project would be 

developed on approximately 4,000 to 

4,100 acres of land within one of two 

overlapping study areas: 

Study Area A, the southernmost study 

area, includes approximately 8,000 

acres. If the Project is located within 

Study Area A, the fenced area would be 

approximately 4,100 acres. 

Study Area B, the northernmost study 

area, includes approximately 6,300 

acres. If the Project is located within 

Study Area B, the fenced area would be 

approximately 4,000 acres. 

The study areas are larger than what 

would be needed to develop the project 

in order to allow flexibility in the final 

project design. The proposed Project 

would consist of: A solar field of 

ground-mounted PV modules that 

collect solar radiation to produce 

electricity; an electrical collection 

system that converts generated power 

from direct current (DC) to alternating 

current (AC) and delivers it to the 

Project substation; the aforementioned 

Project substation that collects and 

converts the generated power from 34.5 

kV to 230 kV for delivery via a new 

PG&E switching station to PG&E’s 

existing Morro Bay-Midway 230–kV 

transmission line; and the 

aforementioned PG&E switching station 

that interconnects the Project to PG&E’s 

existing transmission line. After 

construction, PG&E would own and 

operate the switching station. 

The Project’s solar field would consist 

of 437 solar arrays. Each solar array 

would generate 1.3 megawatts 

alternating current of power and would 

consist of up to 20,000 PV modules and 

one power conversion station. Each 

power conversion station would consist 

of two inverters in an air-conditioned 

enclosure and one adjacent transformer. 

Each array would cover approximately 

seven acres of land. 

Eight to twelve miles of overhead 

34.5–kV high-capacity collection system 

lines, with two to four circuits each, 

would connect the power output from 

each of the solar arrays to the on-site 

Project substation. Wooden poles 

approximately 43 feet high would 

support these overhead lines. 

The Project substation would collect 

the output and transform it from 34.5 kV 

to 230 kV. The substation would occupy 

approximately 4.5 acres and would be 

adjacent to the PG&E switching station, 

where the 230–kV output of the 

substation would be connected and 

delivered to the Morro Bay-Midway 

230–kV transmission line. 

The new PG&E switching station 

would be adjacent to the existing PG&E 

Morro Bay-Midway 230–kV 

transmission line. The Morro BayMidway 230–kV transmission line 

traverses the Project site just south of 


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65308 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 204 / Friday, October 22, 2010 / Notices 

the PG&E switching station. Two new 

100- to 125-foot-high double-circuit 

lattice steel transmission towers and 

four steel poles would be installed to 

accommodate the looping of PG&E’s 

230–kV line into the switching station. 

The towers and poles would be within 

or adjacent to the existing PG&E 

transmission line right-of-way as well as 

located on either side of the new PG&E 

switching station to position the 

transmission conductors for proper 

ingress and egress to the station. 

Construction of the interconnection 

between the existing Morro Bay– 

Midway 230–kV line and the new PG&E 

switching station would be undertaken 

by PG&E. 

Topaz has interconnection agreements 

in place for the first 400 MW of Project 

capacity. The California Independent 

System Operator has determined that 

network upgrades would be required to 

accommodate the Project’s remaining 

150 MW, as well as other generation 

projects in the region. Network upgrades 

could include the reconductoring of the 

230–kV transmission lines between the 

new PG&E switching station and the 

Midway Substation. 

As part of the proposed Project, Topaz 

would construct and operate a solar 

energy learning center within the 

Project’s site boundary. Topaz would 

work with local educators to develop 

exhibits, tours, and educational 

programs for the center that would 

complement existing science and 

sustainability curricula. The center 

would be able to accommodate several 

class field trips per day, as well as 100 

to 200 visitors per month. The center 

would be a 30-foot-by-30-foot enclosed 

building, compliant with the Americans 

with Disabilities Act, with restrooms, a 

scale model of the solar facilities, and 

exhibits on solar power. 

Alternatives 

In determining the range of reasonable 

alternatives to be considered in the EIS 

for the proposed Project, DOE identified 

the reasonable alternatives that would 

satisfy the underlying purpose and need 

for agency action. DOE currently plans 

to analyze in detail the Project proposed 

by Topaz and the No Action alternative. 

Topaz’s site selection criteria for the 

Project included environmental 

sensitivity, topography, electrical grid 

system integration, high solar 

production potential, and disturbed 

land availability. Topaz determined that 

the Project area met these criteria 

because it has a strong solar resource, is 

adjacent to a transmission line with 

available capacity, contains relatively 

flat terrain and consists of previously 

disturbed, available land. Within the 

Project area, Topaz identified two Study 

Areas (Study Area A and Study Area B) 

that would be suitable for the Project, 

although construction of the Project 

would take place on only one Study 

Area if the Project is approved. DOE 

will analyze both Study Areas (Study 

Area A and Study Area B) available to 

Topaz as options, within the scope of 

the Project and mitigation measures as 

appropriate. 

Under the No Action alternative, DOE 

would not provide the loan guarantee to 

Topaz. In this case, Topaz may have 

greater difficulty obtaining financing for 

the Project, which may result in a delay 

in the start of construction, construction 

in smaller phases over a longer time 

period, potentially increased project 

cost, or could possibly result in the 

Project not being built. Although Topaz 

may still pursue the Project without the 

loan guarantee, as defined above, for 

purposes of this NEPA analysis, it is 

assumed that the No Action alternative 

would include a no Project or no build 

scenario. 

Notice of Proposed Floodplain Action 

DOE is hereby providing notice of a 

proposed DOE action in a floodplain 

pursuant to DOE Floodplain and 

Wetland Environmental Review 

Requirements (10 CFR Part 1022). 

Overhead electrical lines would need to 

cross 100-year floodplains (unnamed 

drainages within the Carrizo Plain, 

northwest of Soda Lake). Since some of 

the floodplains on the project site are 

greater than 200 feet wide and posts are 

needed every 200 feet to support 

overhead lines, the installation of some 

posts within the floodplain is 

anticipated. DOE will prepare a 

floodplain assessment as required by 

DOE regulations. The floodplain 

assessment will be included as part of 

the EIS that DOE is preparing for this 

project. Interested parties may comment 

during the scoping period following the 

publication of this NOI and will also be 

able to comment on the floodplain 

assessment when the Draft EIS is 

published. 

Preliminary Identification of 

Environmental Issues 

DOE has tentatively identified the 

following environmental resource areas 

for consideration in the EIS. This list is 

neither intended to be all-inclusive nor 

a predetermined set of potential 

environmental impacts: 

Air quality. 

Greenhouse gas emissions and climate 

change. 

Energy use and production. 

Water resources, including groundwater 

and surface waters. 

Wetlands and floodplains. 

Geological resources. 

Ecological resources, including species 

of special concern and threatened and 

endangered species such as the San 

Joaquin kit fox, longhorn fairy shrimp 

and vernal pool fairy shrimp. 

Cultural resources, including historic 

structures and properties; sites of 

religious and cultural significance to 

Tribes; and archaeological resources. 

Land use. 

Visual resources and aesthetics. 

Transportation and traffic. 

Noise and vibration. 

Hazardous materials and solid waste 

management. 

Human health and safety. 

Accidents and terrorism. 

Socioeconomics, including impacts to 

community services. 

Environmental justice. 

Cumulative impacts. 

DOE invites comments on whether 

other resource areas or potential issues 

should be considered in the EIS. 

Public Scoping Process 

To ensure that all issues related to 

DOE’s proposed action are addressed, 

DOE seeks public input to define the 

scope of the EIS. The public scoping 

period will begin with publication of 

this Notice of Intent and end on 

November 22, 2010. Interested 

government agencies, private-sector 

organizations, and the general public are 

encouraged to submit comments 

concerning the content of the EIS, issues 

and impacts that should be addressed, 

and alternatives that should be 

considered. Scoping comments should 

clearly describe specific issues or topics 

that the EIS should address to assist 

DOE in identifying significant issues for 

analysis. Comments must be 

postmarked or e-mailed by November 

22, 2010 to ensure consideration. (See 

ADDRESSES above). Late comments will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

DOE invites those agencies with 

jurisdiction by law or special expertise 

to be cooperating agencies in the 

preparation of this EIS. 

A public scoping meeting will be held 

during the scoping period, at a date, 

time, and location to be determined. 

Notice of this meeting will be provided 

in local news media and on the DOE 

Loan Guarantee Program’s ‘‘NEPA 

Public Involvement’’ Web site (http:// 

loanprograms.energy.gov/?page_id=337) 

and the DOE’s NEPA Web site ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ Calendar (http:// 

nepa.energy.gov/calendar.htm) at least 

15 days prior to the date of the meeting. 

Members of the public and 

representatives of groups and Federal, 

State, local, and Tribal agencies are 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 204 / Friday, October 22, 2010 / Notices 65309 

invited to attend. The meeting will 

include both a formal opportunity to 

present oral comments and an informal 

session during which DOE and Topaz 

personnel will be available for 

discussions with attendees. Displays 

and other forms of information about 

the proposed agency action, the EIS 

process, and Topaz’s proposed Project 

will also be available for review. DOE 

requests that anyone who wishes to 

present oral comments at the meeting 

contact Ms. Colamaria by phone or email (see ADDRESSES above). Individuals 

who do not make advance arrangements 

to speak may register at the meeting. 

Speakers who need more than five 

minutes should indicate the length of 

time desired in their request. DOE may 

need to limit speakers to five minutes 

initially, but will provide additional 

opportunities as time permits. Written 

comments regarding the scoping process 

can also be submitted to DOE officials 

at the scoping meeting. 

The DOE will use and coordinate the 

NEPA commenting process to satisfy the 

public involvement process for Section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as 

provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 

Because the Topaz project site is 

expected to impact waters subject to the 

jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, the project will require a 

Section 404 Permit. In addition, because 

the proposed Topaz project may affect 

listed species under the Endangered 

Species Act (ESA), DOE will also 

initiate consultation regarding the 

project with the U.S. Department of the 

Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service 

under Section 7 of the ESA. DOE will 

also invite Federally-recognized 

American Indian Tribes that have 

historic interests in the area to 

government-to-government consultation 

regarding the project. Government-togovernment consultation will be offered 

to Indian Tribes, and Tribal concerns, 

including impacts on Indian trust assets, 

will be given appropriate consideration. 

Federal, State, and local governments— 

along with other stakeholders who may 

be interested or affected by the DOE’s 

decision on this Project—are invited to 

participate in the scoping process and, 

if eligible, may request or be requested 

by the DOE to participate as a 

cooperating agency. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 18, 

2010. 

Jonathan M. Silver, 

Executive Director, Loan Programs Office. 

[FR Doc. 2010–26712 Filed 10–21–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

National Commission on the BP 

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and 

Offshore Drilling 

AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of 

Fossil Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces an 

open meeting of the National 

Commission on the BP Deepwater 

Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling 

(the Commission). The Commission was 

organized pursuant to the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 

463, 86 Stat. 770) (the Act). The Act 

requires that agencies publish these 

notices in the Federal Register. The 

Charter of the Commission can be found 

at: http://www.OilSpillCommission.gov. 

DATES: November 8, 2010, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 

and November 9, 2010, 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Grand Hyatt Washington, 

1000 H St., NW., Washington, DC 

20001; telephone number: 1–202–582– 

1234. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christopher A. Smith, Designated 

Federal Officer, Mail Stop: FE–30, U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585; telephone (202) 

586–0716 or facsimile (202) 586–6221; 

e-mail: BPDeepwaterHorizon

Commission@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: The President directed 

that the Commission be established to 

examine the relevant facts and 

circumstances concerning the root cause 

of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion, 

fire, and oil spill and to develop options 

to guard against, and mitigate the 

impact of, any oil spills associated with 

offshore drilling in the future. 

The Commission is composed of 

seven members appointed by the 

President to serve as special 

Government employees. The members 

were selected because of their extensive 

scientific, legal, engineering, and 

environmental expertise, and their 

knowledge of issues pertaining to the oil 

and gas industry. Information on the 

Commission can be found at its Web 

site: http:// 

www.OilSpillCommission.gov. 

Purpose of the Meeting: Inform the 

Commission about the progress of the 

Chief Counsel’s investigation into the 

Macondo well blowout. The 

Commission will hear a presentation 

from the Chief Counsel and statements 

from industry and academic experts. 

The Commission will also have the 

opportunity to hear from representatives 

of companies involved in the events 

leading to the blowout. 

Tentative Agenda: The meeting is 

expected to start on November 8, 2010 

at 9 a.m. Presentations to the 

Commission are expected to begin 

shortly thereafter and will conclude at 

approximately 5 p.m. The meeting will 

continue on November 9, 2010 at 9 a.m. 

with presentations to the Commission. 

Public comments can be made on 

November 9, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 

5:30 p.m. The final agenda will be 

available at the Commission’s Web site: 

http://www.OilSpillCommission.gov. 

Public Participation: The meeting is 

open to the public, with capacity and 

seats available on a first-come, firstserve basis. The Designated Federal 

Officer is empowered to conduct the 

meeting in a fashion that will facilitate 

the orderly conduct of business. 

Approximately one-half hour will be 

reserved for public comments on the 

second day of the hearing. Time allotted 

per speaker will be three minutes. 

Opportunity for public comment will be 

available on November 9, 2010 

tentatively from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Registration for those wishing to request 

an opportunity to speak opens onsite on 

November 9, 2010 at 8 a.m. Speakers 

will register to speak on a first-come, 

first-serve basis. Members of the public 

wishing to provide oral comments are 

encouraged to provide a written copy of 

their comments for collection at the 

time of onsite registration. 

Those not able to attend the meeting 

may view the meeting live on the 

Commission Web site: http:// 

www.OilSpillCommission.gov. Those 

individuals who are not able to attend 

the meeting, or who are not able to 

provide oral comments during the 

meeting, are invited to send a written 

statement to Christopher A. Smith, Mail 

Stop FE–30, U.S. Department of Energy, 

1000 Independence Ave., SW., 

Washington, DC 20585, or e-mail: 

BPDeepwaterHorizion

Commission@hq.doe.gov. 

Minutes: The minutes of the meeting 

will be available at the Commission’s 

Web site: http:// 

www.OilSpillCommission.gov or by 

contacting Mr. Smith. He may be 

reached at the postal or e-mail addresses 

above. 

Accommodation for the hearing 

impaired: A sign language interpreter 

will be onsite for the duration of the 

meeting. 


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