25020 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 87 /Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / Notices

May 28, 1996), NMFS released an EA

that addressed the impacts on the

human environment from issuance of

the authorization and the alternatives to

the proposed action. No comments were

received on that document and, on July

18, 1996, NMFS concluded that neither

implementation of the proposed

authorization to BPXA for the

harassment of small numbers of several

species of marine mammals incidental

to conducting seismic surveys during

the open water season in the U.S.

Beaufort Sea nor the alternatives to that

action would significantly affect the

quality of the human environment. As a

result, the preparation of an

environmental impact statement on this

action is not required by section 102(2)

of NEPA or its implementing

regulations. A copy of the EA is

available upon request (see ADDRESSES).

This year’s activity is a continuation

of the seismic work conducted in 1996

and 1997. For BPXA’s 1998 application,

NMFS has conducted a review of the

impacts expected from the issuance of

an Incidental Harassment Authorization

in comparison to those impacts

evaluated in 1996. As assessed in detail

in this document, NMFS has

preliminarily determined that there will

be no more than a negligible impact on

marine mammals from the issuance of

the harassment authorization and that

there will not be any unmitigable

impacts to subsistence communities,

provided the mitigation measures

required under the authorization are

implemented. Because the activity is

substantially the same as the one

conducted in 1996 and no new impacts

on the environment have been

identified, a new EA is not warranted.

Conclusions

NMFS has preliminarily determined

that the short-term impact of conducting

seismic surveys in the U.S. Beaufort Sea

will result, at worst, in a temporary

modification in behavior by certain

species of cetaceans and possibly

pinnipeds. While behavioral

modifications may be made by these

species to avoid the resultant noise, this

behavioral change is expected to have a

negligible impact on the animals.

As the number of potential incidental

harassment takes will depend on the

distribution and abundance of marine

mammals (which vary annually due to

variable ice conditions and other

factors) in the area of seismic

operations, due to the distribution and

abundance of marine mammals during

the projected period of activity and the

location of the proposed seismic activity

in waters generally too shallow and

distant from the edge of the pack ice for

most marine mammals of concern, the

number of potential harassment takings

is estimated to be small. In addition, no

take by injury and/or death is

anticipated, and the potential for

temporary or permanent hearing

impairment will be avoided through the

incorporation of the mitigation

measures mentioned in this document.

No rookeries, mating grounds, areas of

concentrated feeding, or other areas of

special significance for marine

mammals occur within or near the

planned area of operations during the

season of operations.

Because bowhead whales are east of

the seismic area in the Canadian

Beaufort Sea until late August/early

September, seismic activities are not

expected to impact subsistence hunting

of bowhead whales prior to that date.

After August 31, 1998, BPXA will

initiate aerial survey flights for bowhead

whale assessments. Appropriate

mitigation measures to avoid an

unmitigable adverse impact on the

availability of bowhead whales for

subsistence needs will be the subject of

consultation between BPXA and

subsistence users.

Also, while open-water seismic

exploration in the U.S. Beaufort Sea has

some potential to influence seal hunting

activities by residents of Nuiqsut,

because (1) the peak sealing season is

during the winter months, (2) the main

summer sealing is off the Colville Delta),

and (3) the zone of influence by seismic

sources on belukha and seals is fairly

small, NMFS believes that BPXA’s

seismic survey will not have an

unmitigable adverse impact on the

availability of these stocks for

subsistence uses.

Proposed Authorization

NMFS proposes to issue an incidental

harassment authorization for the 1998

Beaufort Sea open water season for a

seismic survey provided the above

mentioned mitigation, monitoring, and

reporting requirements are incorporated.

NMFS has preliminarily determined

that the proposed seismic activity

would result in the harassment of only

small numbers of bowhead whales, gray

whales, and possibly belukha whales,

bearded seals, and largha seals; would

have a negligible impact on these

marine mammal stocks; and would not

have an unmitigable adverse impact on

the availability of marine mammal

stocks for subsistence uses.

Information Solicited

NMFS requests interested persons to

submit comments, and information,

concerning this request (see ADDRESSES).

Dated: May 1, 1998.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–12001 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

TIME AND DATE: 2:00 p.m., Thursday,

May 28, 1998.

PLACE: 1155 21st St., N.W., Washington,

D.C., 9th Floor Conference Room.

STATUS: Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Enforcement Matters.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jean A. Webb, 202–418–5100.

Jean A. Webb,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–12118 Filed 5–4–98; 10:46 am]

BILLING CODE 6351–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Submission for OMB review; comment

request

ACTION: Notice.

The Department of Defense has

submitted to OMB for clearance, the

following proposal for collection of

information under the provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35).

Title and OMB Number: Defense

Federal Acquisition Regulation

Supplement (DFARS) Appendix I,

Department of Defense Pilot MentorProte ́ge ́ Program; OMB Number 0704–

0332.

Type of Request: Extension.

Number of Respondents: 124.

Responses Per Respondent: 2.

Annual Responses: 248.

Average Burden Per Response: 1 hour

response; 2 recordkeeping hours.

Annual Burden Hours: 496 (Includes

248 recordkeeping hours.)

Needs and Uses: In order to evaluate

whether the purposes of the DoD Pilot

Mentor-Prote ́ge ́ Program (established

under Section 831 of Public Law 101–

510, National Defense Authorization Act

for Fiscal Year 1991, as amended) have

been attained, Appendix I of the DFARS

requires that companies participating in
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 87 /Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / Notices 25021

the Program as mentors, keep records

and report on progress in achieving the

developmental assistance objectives

under each mentor-prote ́ge ́ agreement.

Participation in the program is

voluntary and is open to companies

with at least one active subcontracting

plan negotiated with DoD or another

Federal agency. The report is used by

the Government to assess whether the

purposes of the Program have been

attained. It requires mentor firms to

report semiannually by attaching to

their SF 295, Summary Subcontract

Report,: (1) A statement that includes

the number of active mentor-prote ́ge ́

agreements in effect and the progress in

achieving development assistance

objectives under each agreement; and

(2) a copy of the SF 294, Subcontracting

Report for Individual Contracts, for each

contract where developmental

assistance was credited, with a

statement identifying the amount of

dollars credited to the small

disadvantaged business subcontract goal

as a result of developmental assistance;

an explanation as to the relationship

between the developmental assistance

provided the prote ́ge ́ firm(s) under the

Program and the activities under the

contract covered by the SF 294(s); and

the number and dollar value of

subcontractors awarded to the prote ́ge ́

firm(s).

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency: Semiannually.

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to

obtain or retain benefits.

OMB Desk Officer: Mr. Peter N. Weiss.

Written comments and

recommendations on the proposed

information collection should be sent to

Mr. Weiss at the Office of Management

and Budget, Desk Officer for DoD, Room

10236, New Executive Office Building,

Washington, DC 20503.

DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Robert

Cushing.

Written request for copies of the

information collection proposal should

be sent to Mr. Cushing, WHS/DIOR,

1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite

1204, Arlington, VA 22202–4302.

Dated: April 30, 1998.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 98–11985 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Defense Science Board Task Force on

Defense Acquisition Reform (Phase

IV), R&D Subpanel

ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee

meetings.

SUMMARY: The Defense Science Board

Task Force on Defense Acquisition

Reform (Phase IV), R&D Subpanel will

meet in closed session on May 14–15,

June 10–11, July 15–16, September 2–3,

and October 20, at the Pentagon,

Arlington, Virginia; and on August 10–

11, 1998 at the Beckman Center, Irvin,

California. The mission of the Defense

Science Board is to advise the Secretary

of Defense through the Under Secretary

of Defense for Acquisition and

Technology on scientific and technical

matters as they affect the perceived

needs of the Department of Defense. At

these meetings the Task Force will

review the current status of reform

implementation and appropriate set of

metrics, and recommend further actions

for the Department to accelerate

progress. A particular focus of this effort

should be the development and

implementation of metrics that could be

used by the DoD to periodically measure

success in the effectiveness of the

overall acquisition reform efforts.

In accordance with Section 10(d) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act,

Public Law 92–463, as amended (5

U.S.C. App. II, (1994)), it has been

determined that these DSB Task Force

meetings, concerns matters listed in 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) (1994), and that

accordingly these meetings will be

closed to the public.

Dated: May 1, 1998.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 98–12049 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Defense Science Board Task Force on

Defense Acquisition Reform (Phase IV)

ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee

meetings.

SUMMARY: The Defense Science Board

Task Force on Defense Acquisition

Reform (Phase IV) will meet in closed

session on May 13, June 12, July 17,

September 4, October 19, December 14,

1998, and January 22, 1999 at the

Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.

The mission of the Defense Science

Board is to advise the Secretary of

Defense through the Under Secretary of

Defense for Acquisition and Technology

on scientific and technical matters as

they affect the perceived needs of the

Department of Defense. At these

meetings the Task Force will review the

current status of reform implementation

and appropriate set of metrics, and

recommend further actions for the

Department to accelerate progress. A

particular focus of this effort should be

the development and implementation of

metrics that could be used by the DoD

to periodically measure success in the

effectiveness of the overall acquisition

reform efforts.

In accordance with Section 10(d) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act,

Public Law 92–463, as amended (5

U.S.C. App. II, (1994)), it has been

determined that these DSB Task Force

meetings, concerns matters listed in 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) (1994), and that

accordingly these meetings will be

closed to the public.

Dated: May 1, 1998.

L.M. Bynum,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison

Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 98–12050 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Acting Deputy Chief

Information Officer, Office of the Chief

Information Officer, invites comments

on the proposed information collection

requests as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on or before July 6,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests for copies of the proposed

information collection requests should

be addressed to Patrick J. Sherrill,

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Room

5624, Regional Office Building 3,

Washington, DC 20202–4651.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick J. Sherrill (202) 708–8196.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information