50338 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 8, 2021 / Notices 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: Trends in 

International Mathematics and Science 

Study (TIMSS 2023) Field Test Data 

Collection and Main Study Sampling, 

Recruitment, and Data Collection. 

OMB Control Number: 1850–0695. 

Type of Review: A revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals and households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 50,996. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 20,336. 

Abstract: The Trends in International 

Mathematics and Science Study 

(TIMSS), conducted by the National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 

within the U.S. Department of 

Education (ED), is an international 

assessment of fourth and eighth grade 

students’ achievement in mathematics 

and science. Since its inception in 1995, 

TIMSS has continued to assess students 

every 4 years (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 

2011, 2015, and 2019), with the next 

TIMSS assessment, TIMSS 2023, being 

the eighth iteration of the study. In 

TIMSS 2023, approximately 65 

countries or education systems will 

participate. The United States will 

participate in TIMSS 2023 to continue 

to monitor the progress of its students 

compared to that of other nations and to 

provide data on factors that may 

influence student achievement. 

TIMSS is led by the International 

Association for the Evaluation of 

Educational Achievement (IEA), an 

international collective of research 

organizations and government agencies 

that create the frameworks used to 

develop the assessment, the survey 

instruments, and the study timeline. 

IEA decides and agrees upon a common 

set of standards, procedures, and 

timelines for collecting and reporting 

data, all of which must be followed by 

all participating countries. As a result, 

TIMSS is able to provide a reliable and 

comparable measure of student skills in 

participating countries. In the U.S., 

NCES conducts this study in 

collaboration with the IEA and a 

number of contractors to ensure proper 

implementation of the study and 

adoption of practices in adherence to 

the IEA’s standards. Participation in 

TIMSS is consistent with NCES’s 

mandate of acquiring and disseminating 

data on educational activities and 

student achievement in the United 

States compared with foreign nations 

[The Educational Sciences Reform Act 

of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9543)]. 

A previous request to conduct 

sampling and recruitment activities 

associated with the TIMSS 2023 field 

test, which will be conducted in March 

and April 2022, was approved by OMB 

in May 2021 (OMB #1850–0695 v.16). 

Because TIMSS is a collaborative effort 

among many parties, the United States 

must adhere to the international 

schedule set forth by the IEA, including 

the availability of final field test and 

main study plans as well as draft and 

final questionnaires. In order to meet 

the international data collection 

schedule, to align with recruitment for 

other NCES studies (e.g., the National 

Assessment of Education Progress, 

NAEP), and for schools to put the 

TIMSS 2023 field test assessment on 

their Spring 2022 calendars, recruitment 

activities for the field test will begin in 

June of 2021. This package requests 

approval for the field test data collection 

materials and the main study sampling, 

recruiting, and data collection plans. 

Recruitment activities for the main 

study will begin in January 2022, with 

the data collection activities currently 

scheduled to begin in March 2023. 

Dated: September 2, 2021. 

Stephanie Valentine, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19330 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board Chairs 

AGENCY: Office of Environmental 

Management, Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of open virtual meeting 

SUMMARY: This notice announces an 

online virtual meeting of the 

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) 

Chairs. The Federal Advisory 

Committee Act requires that public 

notice of this online virtual meeting be 

announced in the Federal Register. 

DATES: Wednesday, October 6, 2021; 

12:00 p.m.–4:15 p.m. EDT, and 

Thursday, October 7, 2021; 12:00 p.m.– 

4:00 p.m. EDT 

ADDRESSES: Online Virtual Meeting. To 

attend, please contact Alyssa Harris by 

email, Alyssa.Harris@em.doe.gov, no 

later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, 

October 4, 2021. 

To Submit Public Comment: Public 

comments will be accepted via email 

prior to and after the meeting. 

Comments received no later than 5:00 

p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 29, 

2021 will be read aloud during the 

virtual meeting. Comments will also be 

accepted after the meeting by no later 

than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, 

October 13, 2021 to be included in the 

official meeting record. Please send 

comments to Alyssa Harris at 

Alyssa.Harris@em.doe.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alyssa Harris, EM SSAB Federal 

Coordinator. U.S. Department of Energy, 

1000 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20585. Email: 

Alyssa.Harris@em.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of 

the Board is to make recommendations 

to DOE–EM and site management in the 

areas of environmental restoration, 

waste management, and related 

activities. 

Tentative Agenda Topics 

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 

• Update from Principal Deputy 

Assistant Secretary 

• Chairs Round Robin 

• Public Comment 

• EM–4 Update 

• Membership Recruitment and Package 

Education 

• Board Business/Open Discussion 

Thursday, October 7, 2021 

• FY 2022 Budget Update 

• Office of Technology Development 

Overview 

• Public Comment 

• Charge #1 Discussion and Path 

Forward 

• Charge #2 Discussion and Path 

Forward 

• Board Business/Open Discussion 

Public Participation: The online 

virtual meeting is open to the public. 

Written statements may be filed with 

the Board either before or after the 

meeting by sending them to Alyssa 

Harris at the aforementioned email 

address. The Designated Federal Officer 

is empowered to conduct the conference 

call in a fashion that will facilitate the 

orderly conduct of business. Individuals 

wishing to make public comments 

should email them as directed above. 

Minutes: Minutes will be available by 

writing Alyssa Harris at the email 

address listed above. Minutes will also 

be available at the following website: 

https://energy.gov/em/listings/chairsmeetings. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 8, 2021 / Notices 50339 

1See National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, 

Request for Extension of Time, filed July 20, 2020 

and Commission October 21, 2020 unpublished 

letter to National Fuel order granting National 

Fuel’s request. 

2Only motions to intervene from entities that 

were party to the underlying proceeding will be 

accepted. Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 

FERC ¶ 61,144, at P 39 (2020). 

3Contested proceedings are those where an 

intervenor disputes any material issue of the filing. 

18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019). 

4Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 

¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020). 

5 Id. at P 40. 

6Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate 

the issuance of an NGA section 3 authorization, 

including whether a proposed project is not 

inconsistent with the public interest and whether 

the Commission’s environmental analysis for the 

permit order complied with NEPA. 

7Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 

¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020). 

Signed in Washington, DC, on September 

2, 2021. 

LaTanya Butler, 

Deputy Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19353 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP17–443–000] 

National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Time 

Take notice that on July 22, 2021, 

National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation 

(National Fuel) requested that the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

(Commission) grant an extension of 

time, until December 31, 2024, to 

complete the Wharton WH23 Storage 

Well Abandonment Project (Project), as 

authorized after the 60-day deadline of 

National Fuel’s prior notice issued by 

the Commission on May 25, 2017. By 

that process, National Fuel was initially 

required to abandon the facilities in one 

year, by July 24, 2018. 

On July 27, 2018, the Office of Energy 

Projects, by delegated order, extended 

the deadline through July 24, 2019. On 

July 12, 2019, the Office of Energy 

Projects, by delegated order, extended 

the deadline through July 24, 2020. The 

Commission granted this extension 

request on October 21, 2020.1 National 

Fuel now requests an extension of this 

deadline, through December 31, 2024. 

National Fuel states that it needs to replug Well WH23 and monitor the well 

to ensure that well has been plugged 

successfully. 

This notice establishes a 15-calendar 

day intervention and comment period 

deadline. Any person wishing to 

comment on National Fuel’s request for 

an extension of time may do so. No 

reply comments or answers will be 

considered. If you wish to obtain legal 

status by becoming a party to the 

proceedings for this request, you 

should, on or before the comment date 

stated below, file a motion to intervene 

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).2

As a matter of practice, the 

Commission itself generally acts on 

requests for extensions of time to 

complete construction for Natural Gas 

Act facilities when such requests are 

contested before order issuance. For 

those extension requests that are 

contested,3 the Commission will aim to 

issue an order acting on the request 

within 45 days.4 The Commission will 

address all arguments relating to 

whether the applicant has demonstrated 

there is good cause to grant the 

extension.5 The Commission will not 

consider arguments that re-litigate the 

issuance of the certificate order, 

including whether the Commission 

properly found the project to be in the 

public convenience and necessity and 

whether the Commission’s 

environmental analysis for the 

certificate complied with the National 

Environmental Policy Act.6 At the time 

a pipeline requests an extension of time, 

orders on certificates of public 

convenience and necessity are final and 

the Commission will not re-litigate their 

issuance.7 The OEP Director, or his or 

her designee, will act on all of those 

extension requests that are uncontested. 

In addition to publishing the full text 

of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

www.ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. At this 

time, the Commission has suspended 

access to Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, due to the 

proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued 

by the President on March 13, 2020. For 

assistance, contact FERC at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call 

toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 

502–8659. 

The Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filings of comments, protests 

and interventions in lieu of paper using 

the ‘‘eFile’’ link at http://www.ferc.gov. 

Persons unable to file electronically may 

mail similar pleadings to the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. 

Hand delivered submissions in 

docketed proceedings should be 

delivered to Health and Human 

Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, Maryland 20852. 

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time on September 17, 2021. 

Dated: September 2, 2021. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19455 Filed 9–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP20–48–000] 

Iroquois Gas Transmission System, 

L.P.; Notice of Revised Schedule for 

Environmental Review of the 

Enhancement by Compression Project 

This notice identifies the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission staff’s 

revised schedule for the completion of 

the environmental impact statement 

(EIS) for Iroquois Gas Transmission 

System, L.P.’s (Iroquois) Enhancement 

by Compression Project. The Notice of 

Intent to Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Proposed 

Enhancement by Compression Project 

and Schedule for Environmental 

Review, issued on May 27, 2021, 

identified September 3, 2021 as the final 

EIS issuance date. However, we are 

modifying this issuance date because of 

the number and complexity of 

comments received on the draft EIS. 

Further, staff will require additional 

information from Iroquois to respond to 

several of these comments in the final 

EIS, and is currently preparing a data 

request to obtain that information. 

Schedule for Environmental Review 

Issuance of the final EIS—November 12, 

2021 

90-day Federal Authorization Decision 

Deadline—February 9, 2022 

If a schedule change becomes 

necessary, an additional notice will be 

provided so that the relevant agencies 

are kept informed of the project’s 

progress. 

Additional Information 

In order to receive notification of the 

issuance of the EIS and to keep track of 


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