13364 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 / Notices

the 1930’s. All of these treatments were

based on broad spectra toxicity with

little concern for environmental

implications.

The earliest references to treating

wood for fire retardancy dates back to

the first century AD when the Romans

used alum and vinegar to protect boats

against fire. The science of fire

retardancy started in the first half of the

nineteenth century. In 1820 Gay-Lussac

used ammonium phosphates and borax

as fire retardants. Most of the inorganic

fire retardants used today were

developed between 1800 and 1870.

Protecting wood from moisture

damage also dates back into antiquity.

Waxes, oils, resins, paints, and coatings

have been used to help exclude

moisture since shortly after wood was

first used by humans.

Protecting wood from damage caused

by weathering also dates from the early

use of wood. Stains and coatings have

been used to cover wood from the

degradation caused both by water and

ultraviolet radiation.

The process of protecting wood from

one type of degradation can cause

another type of degradation to take

place. For example, in fire retardant

formulations involving free phosphoric

acid, treated wood has been shown to

lose strength. While the wood is very

effectively treated for fire retardancy,

service life is shortened by the loss in

strength. Similarly, wood decking

treated with chromated-copper-arsenate

(CCA), while having excellent antifungal properties, is being replaced after

a few years due to cracking and splitting

caused by moisture damage.

Since there are only four basic

chemistries involved in the degradation

mechanisms of wood (hydrolysis,

oxidation, dehydration, and reduction),

there are many similarities in the

degradation pathways regardless of the

source of the degradation. Through a

better understanding of these common

degradation chemistries, it should be

possible to protect wood in a more

holistic way. That is, controlling one

degradation chemistry can lead to the

protection of another degradation

mechanism. This leads to the idea of

combined treatments to control several

degradation pathways.

The Forest Products Laboratory is

requesting support for this project. The

support is in the form of membership in

the consortium and funding in the

amount of $15,000.00 per year for the

three-year proposed duration of the

Consortium.

An informational and organizational

meeting of the Consortium will be held

beginning May 5, 1997, 1 p.m. and

ending May 6, 1997, at 12 Noon, at the

USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products

Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive,

Madison, Wisconsin 53705–2398.

Technical questions may be directed

to Roger M. Rowell at the above address,

by fax at (608) 231–9262, or by phone

at (608) 231–9416.

Questions of a business or legal nature

may be directed to John G. Bachhuber

at the above address, by fax at (608)

231–9585, or by phone at (608) 231–

9282.

A copy of the proposed Cooperative

Research and Development Agreement

to be executed by consortium members

may be obtained by writing Joanne M.

Bosch at the above address, by faxing

her at (608) 231–9585, or by phoning

her at (608) 231–9205.

Done at Madison, WI, on March 11, 1997.

Thomas E. Hamilton,

Director.

[FR Doc. 97–7084 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Connecticut Advisory

Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Connecticut Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1:00 p.m.

and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday,

April 16, 1997, at the U.S. Sheraton

Hartford Hotel, Silas Deane Room, 315

Trumbull Street, Hartford, Connecticut

06103. The purpose of the meeting is to

1) provide an orientation for new

Committee members, and 2) plan project

activities for FY 1997.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Dr. Ivor J.

Echols, 860–688–2009, or Ki-Taek

Chun, Director of the Eastern Regional

Office, 202–376–7533 (TDD 202–376–

8116). Hearing-impaired persons who

will attend the meeting and require the

services of a sign language interpreter

should contact the Regional Office at

least five (5) working days before the

scheduled date of the meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, March 12, 1997.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 97–7083 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: Bureau of the Census.

Title: Questionnaire for Building

Permit Official.

Form Number(s): SOC–QBPO.

Agency Approval Number: 0607–

0125.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 209 hours.

Number of Respondents: 835.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 15 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The Bureau of the

Census uses the Questionnaire for

Building Permit Official in conjunction

with the Survey of Housing Starts,

Sales, and Completions (OMB number

0607–0110), also known as the survey of

construction (SOC). Data collected in

the SOC are used to produce statistics

on residential construction and are

needed by economic policy makers to

monitor this sector of the economy.

Census field interviewers use the

Questionnaire for Building Permit

Official to obtain information on the

operating procedures of a sample of the

building permit issuing offices in the

United States in order to locate, classify,

list, and sample building permits for

residential construction. This

information is used to carry out the

sampling for the SOC and to verify and

update the geographic coverage of

permit offices.

In July 1997, we plan to convert to an

electronic form to collect this data. We

have been experimenting with

Computer Assisted Personal

Interviewing (CAPI) and have been

using this technology on a test basis

since November 1995. Currently,

interviewers use a paper form to record

respondents’ answers. We have

improved the CAPI instrument over the

paper form based on a reassessment of

our data capture needs and efforts to

minimize burden. For example, we have

deleted some items that are no longer

used, added others that enhance the

conduct of the SOC, and improve the

flow of questions and overall survey

administration.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Frequency: Annually.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Section

182.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 / Notices 13365

OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202)

395–7314.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

room 5312, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk

Officer, room 10201, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: March 14, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 97–6986 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

DOC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST).

Title: Phase Equilibria Data for

Ceramics.

Form Number(s): None.

Agency Approval Number: None.

Type of Request: New Collection.

Burden: 400 hours.

Number of Respondents: 200.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 2 hours.

Needs and Uses: NIST seeks to assess

the economic impact of its joint program

with the American Ceramic Society on

the evaluation and distribution of

relevant phase equilibria data. The

respondents will be U.S. ceramic

producers and their customers. The

results will be used by NIST for program

evaluation purposes.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit organizations, Not-for-profit

institutions, and the Federal

Government.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Virginia Huth,

(202) 395–3785.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5310, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to Virginia Huth, OMB Desk

Officer, Room 10236, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: March 13, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 97–6987 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Government-owned Invention;

Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of a government-owned

invention available for licensing.

SUMMARY: The invention listed below is

owned by the U.S. Government, as

represented by the Department of

Commerce, and is available for licensing

in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 and 37

CFR part 404 to achieve expeditious

commercialization of results of federally

funded research and development.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Technical and licensing information on

this invention may be obtained by

writing to: National Institute of

Standards and Technology, Industrial

Partnerships Program, Building 820,

Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD 20899; Fax

301–869–2751. Any request for

information should include the NIST

Docket No. and Title for the relevant

invention as indicated below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST may

enter into a Cooperative Research and

Development Agreement (‘‘CRADA’’)

with the licensee to perform further

research on the invention for purposes

of commercialization. The invention

available for licensing is:

NIST Docket Number: 95–029/30

Abstract: A permeation tube sealed

internally in a commercially available

automatic sampler vial provides a

simple and convenient method of

preparing, using, and storing long-term

samples such as retention index

standards. The approach is especially

suited to the handling of volatile organic

compounds (VOCs). Sample can be

dispensed at very low concentration,

even at infinite dilution.

Dated: March 14, 1997.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director, Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97–7032 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 011597A]

Pacific Salmon Fisheries Off the

Coasts of California, Oregon,

Washington, Alaska and in the

Columbia River Basin

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent; scoping

meeting; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY: In the Federal Register of

January 27, 1997, NMFS announced its

intent to hold scoping meetings, prepare

Environmental Assessments (EAs) and

an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) on ocean and in-river fisheries that

may result in the incidental take of

Pacific salmonids currently listed or

proposed for listing under the

Endangered Species Act. In the Federal

Register of March 4, 1997, NMFS

announced the time and place for the

Alaska meeting and extended the

comment period. Due to severe winter

weather conditions the Alaska meeting

was postponed. NMFS is therefore

announcing a new scoping meeting in

Alaska and is also extending the

comment period on the EIS and EAs.

DATES: Written comments will be

accepted through March 31, 1997. The

scoping meeting will be held on March

20, 1997, 1:30–3:30 p.m., Sitka, AK.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests to be included on a mailing list

of persons interested in the EIS should

be sent to Joseph R. Blum, Office of

Protected Resources, Endangered

Species Division (PR3), NMFS, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910.

The scoping meeting for Alaska will

be held at the Sitka Centennial Building,

330 Harbor Drive, Sitka, AK 99835.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph R. Blum (301) 713–1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Background and rationale for this

action were provided in the notice of

intent (62 FR 3873, January 27, 1997)

and are not repeated here.

NMFS announced the time and place

for the Alaska meeting and extended the

comment period (62 FR 9750, March 4,

1997).

Special Accommodations

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Tamra Faris (907)