11418 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 1997 / Notices

administers, and, to the extent feasible,

to select priorities for action at least 30

days before the beginning of each fiscal

year. Section 4(j) of the CPSA provides

further that before establishing its

agenda and priorities, the Commission

shall conduct a public hearing and

provide an opportunity for the

submission of comments. In addition,

section 306(d) of the Government

Performance and Results Act (GPRA) (5

U.S.C. 306(d)) requires the Commission

to seek comments from interested

parties on the agency’s proposed

strategic plan. The strategic plan is a

GPRA requirement. The plan will

provide an overall guide to the

formulation of future agency actions and

budget requests. A final strategic plan is

required to be submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget and Congress

not later than September 30, 1997. (5

U.S.C. 306(a)).

The Office of Management and Budget

requires all Federal agencies to submit

their budget requests 13 months before

the beginning of each fiscal year. The

Commission is formulating its budget

request for fiscal year 1999, which

begins on October 1, 1998. This budget

request must reflect the contents of the

agency’s strategic plan developed under

GPRA.

The Commission is charged by

Congress with protecting the public

from unreasonable risks of injury

associated with consumer products. The

Commission enforces and administers

the Consumer Product Safety Act (15

U.S.C. 2051 et seq.); the Federal

Hazardous Substances Act (15 U.S.C.

1261 et seq.); the Flammable Fabrics Act

(15 U.S.C. 1191 et seq.); the Poison

Prevention Packaging Act (15 U.S.C.

1471 et seq.); and the Refrigerator Safety

Act (15 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.). Standards

and regulations issued under provisions

of those statutes are codified in the Code

of Federal Regulations, title 16, chapter

II.

Purpose of the Public Hearing

The Commission will conduct a

public hearing on May 13, 1997 to

receive comments from the public

concerning its draft GPRA strategic

plan, and agenda and priorities for fiscal

year 1999. The Commissioners desire to

obtain the views of a wide range of

interested persons including consumers;

manufacturers, importers, distributors,

and retailers of consumer products;

members of the academic community;

consumer advocates; and health and

safety officers of state and local

governments.

While the Commission has broad

jurisdiction over products used by

consumers, its staff and budget are

limited. Section 4(j) of the CPSA

expresses Congressional direction to the

Commission to establish an agenda for

action each fiscal year and, if feasible,

to select from that agenda some of those

projects for priority attention. These

priorities are reflected in the draft

strategic plan developed under GPRA.

Participation in the Hearing

Persons who desire to make oral

presentations at the hearing on May 13,

1997, should call or write Rockelle

Hammond, Office of the Secretary,

Consumer Product Safety Commission,

Washington, D.C. 20207, telephone

(301) 504–0800, telefax (301) 504–0127,

not later than April 29, 1997. Persons

who desire a copy of the draft strategic

plan (available April 1, 1997) may call

or write Rockelle Hammond, office of

the Secretary CPSC, Washington DC

20207, telephone (301) 504–0800, (301)

504–0127.

Presentations should be limited to

approximately ten minutes. Persons

desiring to make presentations must

submit the written text of their

presentations to the Office of the

Secretary not later than May 6, 1997.

The Commission reserves the right to

impose further time limitations on all

presentations and further restrictions to

avoid duplication of presentations. The

hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on May 13,

1997 and will conclude the same day.

Written Comments

Written comments on the

Commission’s draft strategic plan, and

agenda and priorities for fiscal year

1999, should be received in the Office

of the Secretary not later than April 29,

1997.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Sadye E. Dunn,

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety

Commission.

[FR Doc. 97–6229 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Limited Reevaluation Study for the

Deeping of the Arthur Kill/Howland

Hook Navigation Channel

AGENCY: Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: In response to a House of

Representatives, Committee on Public

Works and Transportation Resolution

dated May 9, 1979 to alleviate current

and future navigation restrictions

associated with the Arthur Kill/

Howland Hook navigation channel, The

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New

York District, prepared a feasibility

report and a final environmental impact

statement in October 1995 that

recommended a six foot deepening

(from ¥35 to ¥41 feet) for a distance

of approximately 2.1 miles and a five

foot deepening (¥35 to ¥40 feet) along

another 1.0 mile section of the channel

The New York District suspended

work on the project in 1991. The Final

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

however was completed. The New York

District has now initiated a Limited Reevaluation study to reaffirm the

recommended plan. Upon re-evaluation

of the status of a FEIS which was filed

on July 11, 1986, the New York District

has determined that it is appropriate to

prepare a supplemental environmental

impact statement. This notice of intent

supersedes the earlier notice to prepare

a new environmental impact statement

published in the Federal Register on

September 30, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

more information regarding this notice,

please contact Mr. Mark Burlas, ATTN:

CENAN–PL–EA, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, New York District, 26

Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278–

0090, or phone (212) 264–4663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Arthur Kill navigation channel is a

component of the New York Harbor

Estuarine System connecting Raritan

Bay and Newark Bay. The channel is

situated between New Jersey and Staten

Island, New York. The Arthur Kill/

Howland Hook navigation channel’s

northern limit is the confluence of the

Kill van Kull and Newark Bay channels.

The project area extends south for

approximately 3.1 miles.

Currently, navigation in the project

area is severely constrained. The

existing depth of the Arthur Kill/

Howland Hook channel section is not

sufficient to allow the safe and efficient

passage of fully loaded container and

liquid bulk (tankers) vessels calling on

terminals in the channel. The current

mode of operation calls for tankers to

lighter-off in anchorages and enter the

Arthur Kill/Howland Hook section of

channel during high tides.

Containerships calling on terminals

must be loaded to less than their design
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 48 / Wednesday, March 12, 1997 / Notices 11419

capacities at their home ports and sail

without a full load.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–6155 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–06–M

Corps of Engineers

Availability of the Environmental

Assessment for the Limited

Reevaluation Study for Deepening of

the Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay

Navigation Channels

AGENCY: Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: A Final Environmental

Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Kill Van

Kull and Newark Bay Channel

Deepening Project was prepared and the

project was authorized in the

Supplemental Appropriations Act of

1985. A decision was made to deepen

the channels in two phases and a

Supplemental EIS was prepared to

address disposal and sediment

contamination issues and finalized in

1987. Phase I, the deepening to ¥40 feet

mean low water (MLW) has been

completed. The U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, New York District has

prepared an Environmental Assessment

(EA) for the Phase II deepening of the

channels to their authorized depth of

¥45 feet MLW. The proposed project

extends from the confluence of the Kill

Van Kull and Anchorage Channels to

Station 139+20N, the northern edge of

the Port Elizabeth reach, approximately

eight miles. The non-federal sponsor

prefers to defer portions of the original

project including the Port Newark

Channel, and a portion of the Newark

Bay Channel north of Station 139+20N.

This segment was included in the

economic, engineering, and

environmental analyses, but is not being

recommended for construction at this

time. The New York District has

initiated a Limited Reevaluation Study

to reaffirm the recommended plan. An

EA is being prepared to update the

NEPA process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For more information regarding this

notice, please contact Ms. Mary M.

Browning, ATTN: CENAN–PL–EA, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, New York

District, 26 Federal Plaza, New York,

NY 10278–0090, or phone (212) 264–

2198.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Kill

Van Kull and Newark Bay is a

component of the Hudson-Raritan

Estuarine System which lies below the

confluence of the Hackensack and

Passaic Rivers. The channel is situated

between New Jersey and Staten Island,

New York, and is northwest of the

Upper Bay of New York Harbor.

Currently, navigation in the project

area is severely constrained. The

existing depth of the Kill Van Kull and

Newark Bay Channels are not sufficient

to allow the safe and efficient passage of

fully loaded container and liquid bulk

(tankers) vessels still willing to call on

terminals in the channel. The current

mode of operation calls for tankers to

lighter-off in anchorages and enter the

Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay Channels

during high tides. Container ships

calling on terminals must be loaded to

less than their design capacities at their

home ports and sail without a full load.

This is inefficient, costly, and results in

unnecessary navigational and

environmental risks. Deepening the

channels to their authorized depth of

¥45 feet MLW will provide for more

economically efficient and safe

utilization of these channels by vessels

with drafts greater than 40 feet.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–6156 Filed 3–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–06–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. ETEC–023]

Certification of the Radiological

Condition of Building 023 at the

Energy Technology Engineering

Center Near Chatsworth, CA

AGENCY: Office of Environmental

Restoration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of certification.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(DOE) has completed radiological

surveys and taken remedial action to

decontaminate Building 023 located at

the Energy Technology Engineering

Center (ETEC) near Chatsworth,

California. This property previously was

found to contain radioactive materials

from activities carried out for the

Atomic Energy Commission and the

Energy Research and Development

Administration (AEC/ERDA),

predecessor agencies to DOE. Although

DOE owns the majority of the buildings

and equipment, a subsidiary of

Rockwell International, Rocketdyne,

owned the land. Rocketdyne has

recently been sold to Boeing North

American Incorporated.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don

Williams, Program Manager, Office of

Northwestern Area Programs, Office of

Environmental Restoration (EM–44),

U.S. Department of Energy, Washington,

D.C. 20585.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has

implemented environmental restoration

projects at ETEC (Ventura County, Map

Book 3, Page 7, Miscellaneous Records)

as part of DOE’s Environmental

Restoration Program. One objective of

the program is to identify and clean up

or otherwise control facilities where

residual radioactive contamination

remains from activities carried out

under contract to AEC/ERDA during the

early years of the Nation’s atomic energy

program.

ETEC is comprised of a number of

facilities and structures located within

Administrative Area IV of the Santa

Susana Field Laboratory. The work

performed for DOE at ETEC consisted

primarily of testing of equipment,

materials, and components for nuclear

and energy related programs. These

nuclear energy research and

development programs conducted by

Atomics International under contract to

AEC/ERDA began in 1946. Several

buildings and land areas became

radiologically contaminated as a result

of facility operations and site activities.

An ETEC area that has been designated

for cleanup under the DOE

Environmental Restoration Program is

Building 023. Other areas undergoing

decontamination will be released as

they are completed and verified to meet

established cleanup criteria and

standards for release without

radiological restrictions as established

in DOE Order 5400.5.

Building 023 is located within the

central portion of ETEC and is situated

on B Street near 12th Street among

several adjacent buildings on paved

ground. It is approximately 20 feet

below the general grade of 12th Street.

The facility consists of galvanized steel

walls and roof on a concrete slab floor

with various types of internal walls and

partitions. It is a single floor structure

which was constructed in two phases:

the first section (circa 1962), ‘‘023’’, has

been used for the storage and operation

of a small sodium loop for studies of

radioactive contamination transport; the

second section (circa 1976), ‘‘023A’’,

consists of a storage and setup room and

a well-equipped analytical chemistry

laboratory.

The first Radiological User Permit for

Building 023, Authorization No. 105,

was issued by AEC in November 1976.

This authorization related to the use of

a small section (or sections) of activated

stainless steel Experimental Boiler

Reactor fuel cladding to be used in a

small sodium test loop. The purpose of

this test was to gather data on the