27278 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 95 / Monday, May 18, 1998 / Notices

and laws affecting DOE, Western, and

the Colorado River Storage Project

(CRSP).

In the Report, Western provides

methods to replace lost capacity using

spot market, seasonal (6 months), and

mid- to long-term (1 year or more)

resource acquisitions. Western will

consult with firm power customers

periodically about the amount and term

of resource acquisitions to be made on

their behalf, which Western would then

acquire and deliver to them. Western

will evaluate and select resources based

on criteria broadly defined in the Report

and follow a least-cost strategy. Greater

public involvement and more complex

evaluation procedures and acquisition

methods will be used for long-term

acquisitions rather than for seasonal

acquisitions.

Western will use a screening tool and

a production cost computer model to

evaluate future resource offers from

potential suppliers. The Report details

how these evaluation tools are applied

to evaluate five hypothetical resource

purchases. These resource alternatives

were designed to illustrate the screening

and evaluation tools’ abilities to survey

and select from among many diverse

replacement resource options and to

consider transmission system

constraints and possible solutions. The

Report concludes that the screening

criteria and evaluation tools developed

will enable Western to select

economically and technically feasible

replacement power resources.

Public Involvement

Section 1809 of the GCP Act requires

the Secretary of Energy to consult with

representatives of the CRSP power

customers, environmental organizations,

the Colorado River Basin States, and

with the Department of the Interior in

this process. Western published a notice

initiating the formal, public

consultation process on August 8, 1994,

at 59 FR 40357. On October 7, 1994, at

59 FR 51191, Western announced four

regional public consultation meetings.

A 20-page, Replacement Resources

Information Packet was prepared that

included Western’s process to complete

the method identification requirement

of the GCP Act. On October 20, 1994,

Western mailed this information packet,

along with the text of the October

Federal Register notice, to 900-plus

organizations and individuals on

Western’s Replacement Resources

Methods mailing list, including

representatives of organizations with

which Western was required to consult.

In November 1994, Western held four

regional public involvement meetings in

Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado;

Phoenix, Arizona; and Albuquerque,

New Mexico. Comments from

organizations and the public were

accepted through December 19, 1994,

the comment deadline.

Western prepared newsletters in

February and October 1995 that

provided updates on the status of

replacement resources activities. These

newsletters were distributed to

Western’s mailing list. On April 30,

1996, at Western’s CRSP Customer

Service Center’s Annual Customer

Meeting in Salt Lake City, Western

provided an update on replacement

resources activities to CRSP power

customers and to representatives of the

Department of the Interior, Bureau of

Reclamation. This update included a

discussion of public comment received

by Western.

On July 2, 1996, Western published a

notice of availability of a Draft Methods

Report at 61 FR 34433. Notice was made

to those entities who responded to

Western’s mailer and wanted

information or copies of the Draft

Report. Western held public

consultation meetings at Albuquerque,

Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City

between July 23 and July 29, 1996. At

these meetings, Western presented the

proposed replacement resource

methods, which will be implemented

with the Report. A 60-day public

comment period closed on September 3,

1996. Western mailed a subsequent

newsletter in December 1996, updating

changes implemented by Western from

the comments received during the

public comment period.

Environmental Compliance

Western will comply with the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 through an appropriate level of

environmental analysis of the impacts of

specific replacement resources when

such specific resources are identified.

Regulatory Requirements

DOE has determined this is not a

significant regulatory action because it

does not meet the criteria of Executive

Order 12866, 58 FR 51735. Western has

an exemption from centralized

regulatory review under Executive

Order 12866; accordingly, no clearance

of this notice by the Office of

Management and Budget is required.

Dated: May 4, 1998.

Michael S. Hacskaylo,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–13103 Filed 5–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration

Amistad and Falcon Projects—Notice

of Order Confirming and Approving an

Extension of the Power Rate

Formula—WAPA–81

AGENCY: Western Area Power

Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of rate order.

SUMMARY: This action is to extend the

existing Amistad and Falcon Projects’

power rate formula until June 7, 1999.

Without this action, the existing power

rate formula will expire June 7, 1998;

and no rate formula will be in effect for

this service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Dave Sabo, CRSP Manager, CRSP

Customer Service Center, Western Area

Power Administration, P.O. Box 11606,

Salt Lake City, UT 84147–0606,

telephone (801) 524–5493.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By

Amendment No. 3 to Delegation Order

No. 0204–108, published November 10,

1993 (58 FR 59716), the Secretary of

Energy delegated (1) the authority to

develop long-term power and

transmission rates on a nonexclusive

basis to the Administrator of the

Western Area Power Administration

(Western); (2) the authority to confirm,

approve, and place such rates into effect

on an interim basis to the Deputy

Secretary; and (3) the authority to

confirm, approve, and place into effect

on a final basis, to remand, or to

disapprove such rates to the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Pursuant to Delegation Order No.

0204–108 and existing Department of

Energy (DOE) procedures for public

participation in power rate adjustments

at 10 CFR Part 903, the power rate

formula for Western’s Amistad and

Falcon Projects was submitted to FERC

for confirmation and approval on June

10, 1993. On September 29, 1993, in

Docket No. EF93–5101–000 at 64 FERC

¶ 62,225, FERC issued an order

confirming, approving, and placing into

effect on a final basis the power rate

formula for the Amistad and Falcon

Projects. The rate was approved for the

5-year period beginning June 8, 1993,

and ending June 7, 1998.

All of the generation from these

projects is marketed by Western under

the terms of Contract No. 7–07–50–

P0890 dated August 9, 1977, and

amended on April 10, 1986. According

to the terms of the Contract, the

customers, Medina Electric Cooperative,

Inc. and South Texas Electric

Cooperative, Inc., agreed to purchase the
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 95 / Monday, May 18, 1998 / Notices 27279

output of the Amistad and Falcon

Powerplants for a 50-year period,

beginning when electrical service

initially became available. The

Cooperatives agreed to take all Amistad

and Falcon Projects’ power and to pay

the United States annual installments

that are calculated to repay the power

investment costs with interest, within

50 years, and annual operation,

maintenance, replacement, and

administration costs of the projects.

Following review of Western’s

proposal within DOE, I have approved

Rate Order No. WAPA–81, which

extends the existing power rate formula

for Amistad and Falcon Projects until

June 7, 1999.

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Elizabeth A. Moler,

Deputy Secretary.

[Rate Order No. WAPA–81]

In the Matter of: Western Area Power

Administration, Extension for Amistad and,

Falcon Projects Power Rate Formula

Order Confirming and Approving an

Extension of the Amistad and Falcon

Projects’ Power Rate Formula

June 7, 1998

This rate formula was established

pursuant to Section 302(a) of the

Department of Energy (DOE)

Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7152(a),

through which the power marketing

functions of the Secretary of the Interior

and the Bureau of Reclamation

(Reclamation) under the Reclamation

Act of 1902, ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388, as

amended and supplemented by

subsequent enactments, particularly

section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project

Act of 1939, 43 U.S.C. 485h(c), and

other acts specifically applicable to the

Amistad Project and the Falcon Projects

were transferred to and vested in the

Secretary of Energy (Secretary).

By Amendment No. 3 to Delegation

Order No. 0204–108, published

November 10, 1993 (58 FR 59716), the

Secretary delegated (1) the authority to

develop long-term power and

transmission rates on a nonexclusive

basis to the Administrator of the

Western Area Power Administration

(Western); (2) the authority to confirm,

approve, and place such rates into effect

on an interim basis to the Deputy

Secretary; and (3) the authority to

confirm, approve, and place into effect

on a final basis, to remand, or to

disapprove such rates to the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

This disapprove such rates to the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC). This rate extension is issued

pursuant to the Delegation Order and

the DOE rate extension procedures at 10

CFR Part 903.

Background

In the order issued September 29,

1993, at 64 FERC ¶ 62,225, in Docket

No. EF93–5101–000, FERC confirmed,

approved, and placed into effect on a

final basis the power rate formula for

the Amistad and Falcon Projects. The

rate formula was approved for the

period from June 8, 1993, through June

7, 1998.

Discussion

All of the generation from these

projects is marketed by Western under

the terms of Contract No. 7–07–50–

P0890 dated August 9, 1977, and

amended on April 10, 1986. According

to the terms of the Contract, the

customers, Medina Electric Cooperative,

Inc. and South Texas Electric

Cooperative, Inc., agreed to purchase the

output of the Amistad and Falcon

Powerplants for a 50-year period,

beginning when electrical service

initially became available. The

Cooperatives agreed to take all Amistad

and Falcon Projects’ power and to pay

the United States annual installments

that are calculated to repay the power

investment costs with interest, within

50 years, and annual operation,

maintenance, replacement, and

administration costs of the projects.

On June 7, 1998, Western’s Amistad

and Falcon power rate formula will

expire. Pursuant to 10 CFR 903.23,

Western proposes to extend the existing

rate formula until June 7, 1999, to

determine whether it should make any

changes in the present rate formula and

Power Repayment Study presentation.

During the early part of FY 1999,

Western will begin a public rate

adjustment process to this effect with

the publication of a notice in the

Federal Register.

Order

In view of the foregoing and pursuant

to the authority delegated to me by the

Secretary, I hereby extend for a period,

effective June 8, 1998, through June 7,

1999, the existing rate formula for the

Amistad and Falcon Powerplants.

Dated: May 6, 1998.

Elizabeth A. Moler,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13104 Filed 5–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–00537; FRL–5792–4]

EPA–USDA Tolerance Reassessment

Advisory Committee; Notice of Public

Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The EPA-USDA Tolerance

Reassessment Advisory Committee

(TRAC) is being established as a

subcommittee under the auspices of the

EPA National Advisory Council for

Environmental Policy and Technology

(NACEPT). The TRAC is in response to

Vice President Gore’s request for EPA

and the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) to work together to ensure the

smooth implementation of the Food

Quality Protection Act (FQPA).

DATES: The first set of meetings will be

held on Thursday, May 28, 1998, from

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, May 29,

1998, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A

background FQPA information session

is being offered to the TRAC on

Wednesday, May 27, 1998, from 1 p.m.

to 5 p.m. The dates of the three

remaining meetings are: June 22 and 23,

July 13 and 14, and July 27 and 28,

1998.

ADDRESSES: The first set of meetings will

be held at the Washington National

Airport Hilton Hotel (Crystal City), 2399

Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA;

telephone: (703) 418–6800; and fax:

(703) 418–3763. Specific locations and

times of the three remaining meetings

will be announced in the Federal

Register prior to those meetings. The

FQPA information session, with limited

public seating, will be held in room

1126 (the ‘‘Fishbowl’’), Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington,

VA (Crystal City). The permanent record

is available for inspection during

normal business hours, Monday through

Friday, excluding legal holidays at the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Crystal Mall #2, Rm. 101, 1921 Jefferson

Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, telephone:

(703) 305–5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Margie Fehrenbach or Linda

Murray, Office of Pesticide Programs

(7501C), Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington,

DC 20460. Office location, telephone

number, and e-mail address: Crystal

Mall #2, Rm. 1119, 1921 Jefferson Davis

Hwy., Arlington, VA; telephone: (703)

305–7090; e-mail:

fehrenbach.margie@epa.gov or

murray.linda@epa.gov.