Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 111 /Wednesday, June 10, 1998 / Notices 31761

5122, or send e-mail to

BrentJ%EMD%BNGlDPW@benningemh2.army.mil. Comments and

suggestions should be received no later

than 30 days following the publication

of this notice to be considered in the

preparation of the Draft EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions regarding this proposal may

be directed to Mr. John Brent at (706)

545–4766.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since the

1994 scoping effort, the land exchange

was separated into two distinct

exchanges: (1) A landfill land exchange,

and (2) a North-South tract land

exchange. On June 26, 1996, Fort

Benning conveyed 346 acres from the

3,106 acres to the City for landfill

development in exchange for 380 acres

of the City’s 3,228 acres. An

Environmental Assessment was

prepared pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

1969, and a Finding of No Significant

Impact was published in the ‘‘Columbus

Ledger-Enquirer’’ on October 25, 1995,

for the landfill land exchange.

This NOI pertains only to the

proposed North-South tract land

exchange, involving the remaining 2,760

acres of Fort Benning land (the North

tract) and 2,848 acres of the City land

(the South tract). An EIS will be

prepared and will include an analysis of

the Cumulative environmental impacts

from both the North-South tract

exchange and the landfill land

exchange.

The general study areas for

environmental concerns will be the

North and South-tracts plus any

additional surrounding areas necessary

to satisfy the requirements of NEPA, as

well as any relevant environmental laws

and regulations to include (as a

minimum but not necessarily limited to)

the following: Endangered Species Act,

Migratory Birds Treaty Act, National

Historic Preservation Act, Clean Air Act,

Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation

Recovery Act, Environmental Justice

Executive Order, etc. The information

developed will identify, evaluate,

analyze and compare the potential

individual and cumulative impacts of

the North-South tract land exchange

alternatives. The cumulative impact

analysis will include an environmental

assessment of other recent or reasonably

anticipated similar actions in the area of

concern, including the landfill land

exchange.

Dated: June 3, 1998.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army,

(Environment, Safety and Occupational

Health), OASA (I, L&E).

[FR Doc. 98–15352 Filed 6–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Proposed Implementation of the

Defense Table of Official Distances

(DTOD) in the DoD Personal Property

Program

AGENCY: Military Traffic Management

Command, DoD.

ACTION: Notice (Request for Comments).

SUMMARY: The Military Traffic

Management Command (MTMC), as

Program Director for the Department of

Defense (DoD) Personal Property

Program, intends to utilize a new

automated distance calculation product

known as the Defense Table of Official

Distances (DTOD) in the DoD personal

property program. The DTOD will

replace existing distance calculation

products used within the DoD such as

the Rand McNally TDM Milemaker

System, and Household Goods Carriers’

Mileage Guide. The DTOD will become

the DoD standard source for distance

information worldwide. Commercially,

DTOD is known as PC*MILER by ALK

Associates, Inc. The DTOD/PC*MILER

will be used by the DoD for all distance

calculations, analysis, and for

transportation payments/audits. Carriers

and third party providers may continue

to use other mileage sources for their

own business purposes. However,

carriers and third party providers

participating in the DoD personal

property program must agree to be

bound by the DTOD/PC*MILER

distance calculations for payment and

audit purposes.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed

to: Headquarters, Military Traffic

Management Command, ATTN: MTOP–

T, Room 617, 5611 Columbia Pike, Falls

Church, VA 22041–5050.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning the

DTOD for MTMC Personal Property

Program can be provided by contacting

Mr. Alex Moreno (Domestic solicitation)

(703) 681–6190 or Ms. Shelia R.

Woodson (International solicitation)

(703) 681–9383. Information regarding

DTOD Compliant Commercial Software

and Other Technical Information can be

provided by contacting ALK Associates,

Inc. at 1 (800) 377–MILE or on the

Internet at www.pcmiler.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. The proposed effective dates for use

of the DTOD in the DoD personal

property program will be: (A) 1 April

1999 for the international thru

government bill of lading (ITGBL) rate

solicitation; and (B) 1 May 1999 for the

domestic rate solicitation. All shipments

picked up on or after the effective dates

will be governed by the DTOD.

2. In accordance with this

implementation process, the ITGBL Rate

Solicitation, Item 405 (Governing

Regulations), paragraph a, will be

revised as follows: a. ITGBL shipments

made under this solicitation are subject

to the terms and conditions of the

PPGBL, the rules and regulations

contained herein, and the carrier Tender

of Service on file with HQMTMC.

Where rates or other services are based

on mileage, the distance or mileage

computations shall be those provided in

the Defense Table of Official Distances

(DTOD).

3. The Domestic Rate Solicitation,

Item 10, (Governing mileage guide),

paragraph 1 and 4, will be revised as

follows: paragraph 1. Where rates or

other services are based on mileage, the

distance or mileage computations shall

be those provided in the Defense Table

of Official Distances (DTOD); paragraph

4 will be deleted.

4. DTOD and PC*MILER will produce

identical distance calculations. Carriers

and other parties who seek more

information about PC*MILER may

contact ALK Associates Inc. at

telephone 1–800–377–MILE, or via

Internet at www.pcmiler.com.

5. Proposed Implementation Dates.

The schedule for use of the DTOD/

PC*MILER in distance calculations,

payment, and post payment audits for

shipments under the DoD International

Government Bill of Lading Rate

Solicitation is 1 April 1999 and for the

DoD Domestic Rate Solicitation is 1 May

1999.

6. Background. Currently, several

sources for highway distance

information are being used to support

various DoD transportation programs,

such as travel, travel entitlement

reimbursement, freight and personal

property movements. Moreover,

separate products are used to calculate

overseas distances. The result is a

variance in distance computations

produced by different products and a

high cost to DoD of licensing and

maintaining multiple mileage sources.

a. Until 1996, DoD was required by

law to maintain an official mileage table
31762 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 111 /Wednesday, June 10, 1998 / Notices

for payment of travel and transportation

allowances, known as the Official Table

of Distances. The FY96 Defense

Authorization Act deleted this

requirement, thus providing the

opportunity to use a commercial

mileage product. MTMC announced a

plan to convert to a new automated

mileage standard calculation product in

the previous Federal Register notice

(Vol. 62, No. 218, page 60692)

Wednesday, November 12, 1997. In

seeking a single integrated source of

automated highway distance

calculations, the MTMC contracted with

Science Applications International

Corporation (SAIC) to perform a market

survey of available products (Phase I)

and to provide a product that would

support DoD transportation programs

(Phase II). SAIC in turn conducted a

commercial competition to identify and

acquire a commercial-off-the-shelf,

point-to-point distance calculation

source that would meet all the DoD

requirements. PC*MILER was chosen by

SAIC to be that source. PC*MILER,

developed specifically to serve the

trucking industry, will contain Standard

Point Location Codes, military locations

and other worldwide locations required

by DoD. Updates and version control of

DTOD and PC*MILER will be consistent

with industry practices.

b. In surveying and evaluating

vendors and products, SAIC’s criteria

focused on compatibility with existing

and planned automated systems,

consistency in calculation, and

adaptability to various DoD network

applications and transportation program

uses. SAIC also compared commercially

available distance calculation products

to identify viable candidates for the

competitive selection process. That

comparison resulted in finding a

variance of 2.0%+/¥ amongst the

vendors of evaluated products. A copy

of this comparison will be provided,

upon written request, sent to the point

of contract identified above.

c. The DTOD/PC*MILER product will

calculate both ‘‘shortest’’ and

‘‘practical’’ mileage. Currently, the DoD

and the household goods carrier

industry use ‘‘shortest’’ mileage to

calculate the distances used for payment

purposes. ‘‘Shortest’’ routes represent

distances and routes that a driver would

take to minimize total distance traveled

while still following a truck-navigable

route. DoD will continue to use the

‘‘shortest’’ routes. Carriers and/or other

parties who choose to use PC*MILER

will have opportunities to provide

feedback to ALK Associates, Inc., the

provider of DTOD software, regarding

routings, database suggestions such as

distance differences, road preference

suggestions, road reclassifications, new

locations, etc. ALK Associates, Inc., will

provide all interested parties the

capability to license PC*MILER, to

ensure the ability to consistently

determine the exact mileage that the

DoD uses for payments and auditing.

d. It is anticipated that transition to

DTOD will have no significant impact

on small businesses since those

businesses currently use one or more

similar distance calculation products.

All offerors will be free to establish their

rates based on applicable distance

information.

e. Interested parties are invited to

provide comments concerning the use of

the DTOD in the DoD Personal Property

Program and the proposed

implementation dates to the address

provided above. Comments will be

accepted for a period of 60 days from

the publication date of this notice.

7. Regulatory Flexibility Act. This

change is related to public contracts and

is designed to standardize distance

calculations for line-haul transportation.

This change is not considered rule

making within the meaning of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601–

612.

8. Paperwork Reduction Act. The

Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq., does not apply because no

information collection requirements or

recordskeeping responsibilities are

imposed on offerors, contractors, or

members of the public.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register, Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–15465 Filed 6–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Protective Exclusive License

Announcement

AGENCY: U.S. Army CommunicationsElectronics Command.

AGENCY: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with 37 CFR

404.7(a)(1)(i), announcement is made of

prospective exclusive license for U.S.

Patent Number 5,665,970.

DATES: Written objections must be filed

not later than August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written objections should

be directed to Mr. George B. Tereschuk,

Intellectual Property Law Division, U.S.

Army Communications-Electronics

Command, ATTN: AMSEL–LG–L, Fort

Monmouth, New Jersey 07703–5010,

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Gorge B. Tereschuk, U.S. Army,

Communications-Electronics Command,

ATTN: AMSEL–LG–L, Fort Monmouth,

New Jersey 07703–5010, Telephone

(732) 523–9795, or E-mail:

terschu@doim6.monmouth.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S.

Patent Number 5,665,970, filed on July

3, 1996, entitled, ‘‘Directional Radiation

Detector and Imager,’’ was issued to

Kronenberg et al on September 9, 1997.

This U.S. Patent was assigned to the

United States of America, as represented

by the Secretary of the Army.

Accordingly, under the authority of

Section 11(a)(2) of the Federal

Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub L.

99–502) and Title 35, United States

Code, section 207, the Department of the

Army, as represented by the

Communications-Electronics Command,

intends to grant an exclusive license for

the above identified U.S. Patent to

Canberra Industries, A Division of

Packard BioScience.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i) any

interested party may file written

objections to this prospective exclusive

license agreement at the above address.

Written objections must be filed on or

before August 10, 1998.

Gregory D. Showalter

Army Federal Register, Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–15464 Filed 6–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP98–572–000]

NorAm Gas Transmission Company;

Notice of Application for Abandonment

June 4, 1998.

Take notice that on May 29, 1998,

NorAm Gas Transmission Company

(NGT), 1111 Louisiana, Houston, Texas

77002 filed an application pursuant to

Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act and

Part 157 of the Commission’s

Regulations requesting permission and

approval to abandon exchange services

with Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Company

(AOG). The application is on file with

the Commission and open to public

inspection.

NGT states that Arkla Energy

Resources Company, now NGT, entered

into exchange transactions in 1973 and

1979 with AOG. NGT states that the

1973 and 1979 exchange agreements

were certificated in Docket No. CP87–

458 by Order Issuing Certificate and

Authorizing Abandonment issued June

8, 1989 (47 FERC ¶ 61,342). As of July

1, 1990 the 1973 and 1979 exchanges