73996 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 239 / Wednesday, December 12, 2012 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department of Education (ED), in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general 

public and Federal agencies with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed, 

revised, and continuing collections of 

information. This helps the Department 

assess the impact of its information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. It also 

helps the public understand the 

Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. ED is 

soliciting comments on the proposed 

information collection request (ICR) that 

is described below. The Department of 

Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: Title I State Plan 

for Vocational Rehabilitation Services 

and Title VI–Part B Supplement for 

Supported Employment Services. 

OMB Control Number: 1820–0500. 

Type of Review: Extension without 

change of an existing collection of 

information, 

Respondents/Affected Public: State, 

Local, or Tribal Governments, 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 80, 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 1,002,000, 

Abstract: The Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, as amended, requires each state to 

submit to the Commissioner of the 

Rehabilitation Services Administration 

(RSA) a State Plan for the Vocational 

Rehabilitation (VR) Services program, 

and the State Supported Employment 

(SE) Services program, that meets 

requirements of Sections 101(a) and 625 

of the Act. Program funding is 

contingent on Departmental approval of 

the State Plan and its supplement. 

Dated: December 6, 2012. 

Tomakie Washington, 

Acting Director, Information Collection 

Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and 

Records Management Services, Office of 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2012–29922 Filed 12–11–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability for the Draft 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment for the Recycling of Scrap 

Metals Originating From Radiological 

Areas 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy 

(DOE) announces the availability for 

public review and comment of the Draft 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment (PEA) for the Recycling of 

Scrap Metals Originating from 

Radiological Areas. On September 28, 

2011, the Secretary of Energy approved 

a recommendation, contingent on the 

completion of the appropriate National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

review, to delegate authority to manage 

radiological clearance and release of 

scrap metal from radiological areas to 

each Under Secretary for sites under his 

or her cognizance, in accordance with 

the processes contained in DOE Order 

458.1 (which replaces the order 

previously governing release 

procedures). This Draft PEA for the 

Recycling of Scrap Metals Originating 

from Radiological Areas analyzes the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with resuming the clearance 

of scrap metal, originating from DOE 

radiological areas, for recycling 

pursuant to improved procedures 

designed to assure that clearance for 

release is limited to metals meeting 

stringent criteria. This Draft PEA also 

analyzes the reasonable alternatives to 

this proposal. Metals with volumetric 

radiological contamination, and scrap 

metals resulting from Resource 

Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 

and Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation, and Liability 

Act (CERCLA), are not included in the 

scope of this PEA. 

DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, 

state and local governments, Native 

American tribes, industry, other 

interested organizations, and members 

of the public to submit comments on the 

Draft PEA during the public comment 

period which starts with the publication 

of the Notice of Availability in the 

Federal Register and extends for 30 

days until January 11, 2013. DOE will 

consider comments received after this 

date to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft PEA for the 

Recycle of Scrap Metal Originating from 

Radiological Areas is available for 

review on the DOE NEPA Web site at: 

http://www.energy.gov/nepa and on the 

National Nuclear Security 

Administration (NNSA) NEPA Web site 

at: http://nnsa.energy.gov/nepa. 

Comments on the Draft PEA for the 

Recycle of Scrap Metal Originating from 

Radiological Areas may be submitted 

electronically via email to Scrap_PEA 

comments@hq.doe.gov. Alternatively, 

written comments may be sent by postal 

mail to: Dr. Jane Summerson, DOE 

NNSA, P.O. Box 5400, Bldg 401, K.AFB 

East, Albuquerque, NM 87185. 

For general information about the 

DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. 

Carol 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, or leave a message at 1–800– 

472–2756. Additional information 

regarding DOE NEPA activities and 

access to many of DOE’s NEPA 

documents are available on the Internet 

through the DOE NEPA Web site at 

http://www.energy.gov/nepa. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has 

prepared the Draft PEA for Recycling of 

Scrap Metals Originating from 

Radiological Areas in accordance with 

Council on Environmental Quality 

regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500—1508) 

that implement NEPA and DOE’s NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 

1021). 

Background: On July 13, 2000, the 

Secretary of Energy imposed an agencywide suspension on the unrestricted 

release of scrap metal originating from 

radiological areas at DOE facilities for 

the purpose of recycling. The 

suspension was imposed in response to 

public concerns about the potential 

effects of radioactivity in or on metal 

recycled from the Department’s 

facilities. Other materials continued to 

be controlled and cleared for release 

under the requirements of DOE Order 

5400.5, Radiation Protection of the 

Public and the Environment. Initially, 

the suspension was to remain in effect 

until December 31, 2000, while the 

Department developed and 

implemented improvements, revised its 

directives and associated guidance 

documents applicable to scrap metal 

releases, and engaged the public in a 

dialogue regarding DOE radiological 

release practices through the NEPA 

process. In 2001, DOE announced its 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with 

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 239 / Wednesday, December 12, 2012 / Notices 73997 

intention to prepare a Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 

on the policy alternatives for disposition 

of metals from its sites. Although the 

suspension was considered to be a 

temporary measure, it has been in force 

since 2000, and the PEIS was not 

completed. From 2008 through 2010, 

the Department, through an effort lead 

by the NNSA and supported by the 

Offices of Health, Safety and Security; 

Science; and Environmental 

Management, reviewed numerous DOE 

programs across the complex that 

involved improved monitoring and 

proposed release practices to determine 

how these practices could be 

implemented. In April 2010, NNSA 

hosted an inter-site workshop that 

developed a DOE wide consensus 

regarding how sites would implement 

these practices. In February 2011, in 

part to implement the improved 

monitoring and release practices 

recommended in 2001, DOE replaced 

DOE Order 5400.5 with DOE Order 

458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public 

and the Environment, which 

incorporated an improved scrap metals 

clearance process. Consequently, DOE 

has determined that a Programmatic 

Environmental Assessment (PEA) is 

appropriate to consider the alternatives 

for the disposition of uncontaminated 

scrap metal originating from these areas. 

Purpose and Need for Agency Action: 

The purpose and need for agency action 

is to allow DOE to better manage 

materials no longer needed by the 

Department and to allow for the recycle, 

where appropriate, of materials 

originating from DOE radiological areas. 

These scrap metals have, and continue 

to be, accumulated at DOE sites since 

the 2000 Department-wide suspension 

on any unrestricted release for recycle of 

scrap metals originating from 

radiological areas at DOE facilities (DOE 

2000). The proposed action is consistent 

with the principles of sustainable 

materials management as presented in 

Executive Order (E.O.) 13423, 

Strengthening Federal Environmental, 

Energy, and Transportation 

Management (January 27, 2007) and 

E.O. 13514, Federal Leadership in 

Environmental Energy, and Economic 

Performance (October 5, 2009). 

Alternatives Analyzed: This PEA 

analyzes the potential human health 

and environmental impacts associated 

with the proposed action, a disposal 

alternative, and a no-action (continued 

storage) alternative. 

Potential Outcome: The proposed 

action would allow DOE to modify its 

policy to allow the delegation of 

authority from the Secretary to the 

Under Secretaries to manage the 

radiological clearance process for 

uncontaminated scrap metals 

originating in DOE radiological areas for 

sites demonstrated to have robust 

monitoring and release practices in 

place. Scrap metal that meets these 

robust practices for unrestricted release 

would be candidates for recycle. Scrap 

metal that does not meet these 

requirements would be identified as 

contaminated and maintained by DOE 

or disposed of as waste in an 

appropriate manner. This PEA also 

evaluates potential human health and 

environmental impacts associated with 

a disposal alternative, and a no-action 

(continued storage) alternative. 

Metal with volumetric radiological 

contamination, and scrap metal 

resulting from RCRA and CERCLA 

clean-up activities, are not included in 

the scope of the PEA. Impacts associated 

with scrap metal releases from any such 

clean-up activities would be evaluated 

separately under NEPA as appropriate. 

In addition, sites under the Office of 

Legacy Management are not included 

since these facilities do not generate 

potentially radiologically contaminated 

scrap metal that would be recycled. 

Following the end of the public 

comment period, DOE will consider all 

comments received while completing 

the PEA, and as appropriate, issue a 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) or prepare a PEIS prior to 

deciding whether to implement a 

revision to the policy for clearance and 

release of scrap metal from radiological 

areas. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 6, 

2012. 

Thomas P. D’Agostino, 

Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and 

Administrator, National Nuclear Security 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–30028 Filed 12–11–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings 

Take notice that the Commission has 

received the following Natural Gas 

Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: 

Filings Instituting Proceedings 

Docket Numbers: RP98–25–000. 

Applicants: West Texas Gas, Inc. 

Description: Monthly Spot Index Price 

of WEST TEXAS GAS INC. 

Filed Date: 12/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20121204–5137. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/17/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP13–369–000. 

Applicants: Eastern Shore Natural Gas 

Company. 

Description: Tariff Revisions— 

General Terms and Conditions to be 

effective 1/4/2013. 

Filed Date: 12/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20121204–5074. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/17/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP13–370–000. 

Applicants: Iroquois Gas 

Transmission System, L.P. 

Description: Iroquois Gas 

Transmission System, L.P. submits tariff 

filing per 154.204: 12/04/12 HUB 

Negotiated Rate Blanket Filing— 

ConocoPhillips to be effective 12/4/ 

2012. 

Filed Date: 12/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20121204–5099. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/17/12. 

Any person desiring to intervene or 

protest in any of the above proceedings 

must file in accordance with Rules 211 

and 214 of the Commission’s 

Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

Filings in Existing Proceedings 

Docket Numbers: RP12–1075–001. 

Applicants: Arlington Storage 

Company, LLC. 

Description: Arlington Storage 

Company, LLC—Compliance with Order 

Accepting 587–V Filing to be effective 

12/1/2012. 

Filed Date: 12/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20121204–5075. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/17/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP12–1080–002. 

Applicants: Steuben Gas Storage 

Company. 

Description: Steuben Gas Storage 

Company submits tariff filing per 

154.203: Steuben Gas Storage Co.— 

Compliance with Order Accepting 

Order No. 587–V Filing to be effective 

12/1/2012. 

Filed Date: 12/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20121204–5100. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/17/12. 

Any person desiring to protest in any 

the above proceedings must file in 

accordance with Rule 211 of the 

Commission’s Regulations (18 CFR 

385.211) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system by 

clicking on the links or querying the 

docket number. 

eFiling is encouraged. More detailed 

information relating to filing 

requirements, interventions, protests, 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with