Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices 4243

10The CERCLA ERA will be used to aid the

determination of a final remedial action at L-Lake.

A final action is typically made only after the lake

bed is characterized in detail using information

such as groundwater hydrogeology, extent of

groundwater contamination, and existing burial

area contamination profiles. Presently, these areas

are under as much as 50 feet of water and cannot

be adequately characterized. As a result, a complete

risk assessment cannot be performed and a final

remedial alternative cannot be selected until L-Lake

returns to the original Steel Creek stream bed.

assessment.’’ To the contrary, DOE

believes the RWEIS ERA was conducted

in accordance with the most current

EPA guidance.

The objective of the RWEIS ERA was

to determine, as accurately as possible

under the existing L-Lake

characteristics, the probable outcome of

a CERCLA ERA.10 The RWEIS ERA is

adequate because it used maximum

contaminant concentrations in its risk

assessments. In fact, all radiological

risks were within dosimetry-based

limits acceptable to the International

Atomic Energy Agency. Where the

maximum concentrations of some nonradiological contaminants showed a risk

potential, either the average

concentration of the contaminant was

compared to background levels or,

alternately, the contaminant

concentration was compared with more

contaminant-specific information

available in accepted scientific

literature. This procedure is part of the

typical process of interpreting the

results and uncertainties of an ERA and

represents the general ERA approach

recommended in the EPA guidance for

Superfund. EPA, Ecological Risk

Assessment for Superfund: Process for

Designing and Conducting Ecological

Risk Assessments, Review Draft, (1996).

DOI also asserted that the

‘‘[c]onclusions of no risk are

inconsistent with actual research

findings.’’ DOI cited specific DOE

studies sent to USFWS during the

formal Endangered Species Act

consultation. The studies DOI cited

assessed DNA changes found in blood

samples of various wildlife species

present on the SRS. In response to this

assertion, DOE notes that, in no case did

any of the studies suggest that an

observable change in a wildlife

population would result from the

exposure to low levels of radionuclides

found in L-Lake. Accordingly, this

supports the RWEIS ERA finding that

significant potential risks to ecological

receptors from contaminants are not

likely.

Finally, DOI commented on various

DOE studies showing the presence of

elevated mercury concentrations in the

SRS environment. However, DOI’s

comment does not reflect the fact that

the presence of mercury in the SRS

environment is not the result of releases

attendant to SRS operations. Indeed,

mercury is elevated throughout areas of

the southeastern United States due to

atmospheric deposition, not due to SRS

operations. Reflecting and restating this

fact, SCDHEC issued a fish consumption

advisory for numerous lakes and rivers

in South Carolina based on mercury

concentrations in fish. Again, the

presence of this mercury was not and

cannot be correlated to any SRS

operations. Accordingly, DOE has no

control over and is not responsible for

the atmospheric deposition of mercury

at SRS, or in other areas of the

southeastern United States.

Consequently, a returning L-Lake water

level to the original Steel Creek stream

bed would not exacerbate this regional

phenomenon or increase ecological risk.

Conclusion

After consideration of all relevant

information and data, DOE selects the

No Action alternative as the most

appropriate action for the future of the

River Water System at the Savannah

River Site at this time. This operational

decision is made in recognition of all

beneficial and adverse environmental

impacts, monetary costs, regulatory

implications and commitments under

the FFA, and dictates of relevant

statutes.

Signed this 23rd day of December, 1997, at

Aiken, South Carolina.

Greg Rudy,

Acting Manager, Savannah River Operations

Office.

[FR Doc. 98–1947 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. No. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770, as

amended), notice is hereby given of the

following advisory committee meeting:

Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel.

Date: Monday, March 2, 1998, 9:00 A.M.–

4:30 P.M., Tuesday, March 3, 1998, 9:00

A.M.–3:30 P.M.

Place: Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons

Corners, 8631 Leesburg Pike, Vienna,

Virginia 22182; Telephone: 800–572–7666.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Russell Eaton, Designated Federal

Official, Department of Energy, Golden

Field Office, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden,

CO 80401, Telephone: 303–275–4740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Panel: The Hydrogen

Technical Advisory Panel (HTAP) will advise

the Secretary of Energy who has the overall

management responsibility for carrying out

the programs under the Matsunaga Hydrogen

Research, Development, and Demonstration

Program Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101–566

and the Hydrogen Future Act of 1996, Public

Law No. 104–271. The Panel will review and

make any necessary recommendations to the

Secretary on the following items: (1) The

implementation and conduct of programs

required by the Act, and (2) the economic,

technological, and environmental

consequences of the deployment of hydrogen

production and use systems.

Tentative Schedule

Monday, March 2, 1998

9:00 AM, Introduction and Opening

Comments—A. Lloyd

9:15, Opening Comments and Introduction of

New Panelists—A. Lloyd/A. Hoffman

9:45, DOE Federal Report—R. Eaton

10:00, Report of the President’s Committee of

Advisors on Science and Technology (P–

CAST), 11-Lab Study—S. Gronich

10:30, Break

10:45, Russian-American Fuel Cell

Consortium (RAFCO)—R. Bradshaw

11:15, DOE’s Fuel Cell Coordination

Committee—R. Bradshaw

12:00 PM, Lunch

1:30, Strategic Directions Draft Plan—Bailey/

Kamal/Zalosh

2:30, DOE Fuel Cell Program for

Transportation—P. Patil

3:00, Break

3:15, California Hydrogen Business

Council—D. Moard

3:30, Public Comments—Audience

4:00, HTAP Panel Comments—Panel

4:30, Adjourn

6:00, Reception

Tuesday, March 3, 1998

9:00 AM, HTAP Report to Congress—A.

Lloyd

12:00 PM, Lunch

1:30, HTAP Report to Congress—Discussion

2:45, Public Comments

3:15, HTAP Panel Discussion and Roundup

Panel

3:30, Adjourn

Public Participation: The meeting is open

to the public. Written statements may be filed

with the Committee either before or after the

meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral

statements pertaining to agenda items should

contact Russell Eaton’s office at the address

or telephone number listed above. Requests

must be received 5 days prior to the meeting

and reasonable provision will be made to

include the presentation in the agenda. The

Designated Federal Official is empowered to

conduct the meeting in a fashion that will

facilitate the orderly conduct of business.

Each individual wishing to make public

comment will be provided a maximum of 5

minutes to present their comments.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting will

be available for public review and copying at

the Freedom of Information Public Reading

Room, 1E–190, Forrestal Building, 1000
4244 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585, between 9:00 A.M. and 4 P.M.,

Monday–Friday, except Federal holidays.

Minutes will also be available by writing to

Russell Eaton, Department of Energy, Golden

Field Office, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO

80401, or by calling (303) 275–4740.

Issued at Washington, DC, on January 23,

1998.

Rachel Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–2047 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board;

Notice of Open Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

SUMMARY: Consistent with the

provisions of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat.

770), notice is hereby given of the

following advisory committee meeting:

Name: Secretary of Energy Advisory

Board—Openness Advisory Panel.

Date and Time: Friday, February 13, 1998,

8:30 A.M.—3:30 P.M.

Place: Doubletree Hotel, Columbia Room,

802 George Washington Way, Richland,

Washington 99352.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard C. Burrow, Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board (AB–1), US Department

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586–

1709.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Openness Advisory

Panel is to provide advice to the

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board

regarding the status and strategic

direction of the Department’s

classification and declassification

policies and programs, and other

aspects of the Department’s ongoing

Openness Initiative. The Panel’s work

will help institutionalize the

Department’s Openness Initiative.

Tentative Agenda

Friday, February 13, 1998

8:30–9:00 AM, Opening Remarks &

Introductions—R. Meserve, Chairman

9:00–9:30 AM, Subgroup Report:

Observations from the February 4

Meeting of the Hanford Openness

Workshop—T. Cotton, OAP Member

9:30–10:15 AM, Presentation & Discussion:

Hanford Openness Workshop

Overview—Objectives, Issues,

Observations & Status—Hanford

Openness Workshop Spokesperson

10:15–10:30 AM, Break

10:30–11:30 AM, Status Report: Records

Management Implementation Strategy &

Status Report—Howard Landon, DOE

Office of Information Management

11:30–12:00 PM, Public Comment Period

12:00–1:00 PM, Lunch

1:00–1:45 PM, Status Report: Declassification

Implementation Strategy & Status—

Richard Lyons, DOE Office of

Declassification

1:45–2:45 PM, Panel Discussion:

Declassification & Records Management

Issues: A Path Forward—Guest Panelists

& OAP Members

2:45–3:15 PM, Public Comment Period

3:15 PM, Adjourn

This tentative agenda is subject to change. A

final agenda will be available at the meeting.

Public Participation: The Chairman of the

Panel is empowered to conduct the meeting

in a way which will, in the Chairman’s

judgment, facilitate the orderly conduct of

business. During its meeting in Richland,

Washington the Panel welcomes public

comment. Members of the public will be

heard in the order in which they sign up at

the beginning of the meeting. The Panel will

make every effort to hear the views of all

interested parties. Written comments may be

submitted to Skila Harris, Executive Director,

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, AB–1,

US Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585.

Minutes: Minutes and a transcript of the

meeting will be available for public review

and copying approximately 30 days

following the meeting at the Freedom of

Information Public Reading Room, 1E–190

Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., between 9:00

A.M. and 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday

except Federal holidays. Information on the

Openness Advisory Panel may also be found

at the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board’s

web site, located at http://www.hr.doe.gov/

seab.

Issued at Washington, D.C., on January 23,

1998.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–2048 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP98–183–000]

ANR Pipeline Company; Notice of

Application

January 22, 1998.

Take notice that on January 14, 1998,

ANR Pipeline Company (ANR), 500

Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan

48243, filed in Docket No. CP98–183–

000, an application pursuant to Section

7(b) of the Natural Gas Act, as amended,

and Sections 157.7 and 157.18 of the

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission’s Regulations for

permission and approval to abandon a

natural gas exchange service with Koch

Gateway Pipeline Company (Koch), all

as more fully set forth in the application

on file with the Commission and open

to public inspection.

ANR states that the exchange service

was originally authorized by

Commission order issued November 15,

1983, in Docket No. CP83–457–000.

ANR further states that under the terms

of the agreement, ANR is authorized to

exchange up to 10,000 Mcf of natural

gas per day with Koch. ANR indicates

that this agreement is designated as Rate

Schedule X–138 in ANR’s FERC Gas

Tariff, Original Volume No. 2.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

make protest with reference to said

application should on or before

February 12, 1998, file with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, a motion to intervene or a protest

in accordance with the requirements of

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211)

and the Regulations under the Natural

Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). All protests

filed with the Commission will be

considered by it in determining the

appropriate action to be taken but will

not serve to make the protestants parties

to the proceeding. Any person wishing

to become a party to a proceeding or to

participate as a party in any hearing

therein must file a motion to intervene

in accordance with the Commission’s

Rules.

Take further notice that, pursuant to

the authority contained in and subject to

the jurisdiction conferred upon the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

by Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas

Act and the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure, a hearing will

be held without further notice before the

Commission or its designee on this

application if no motion to intervene is

filed within the time required herein, if

the Commission on its own review of

the matter finds that permission and

approval for the proposed abandonment

are required by the public convenience

and necessity. If a motion for leave to

intervene is timely filed, or if the

Commission on its own motion believes

that a formal hearing is required, further

notice of such hearing will be duly

given. Under the procedure provided

for, unless otherwise advised, it will be