8856 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2008 / Notices 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take final action to address the 

emergency. 

Except for advertised (scheduled) 

public hearings and public comment, 

the times and sequence specified on this 

agenda are subject to change. 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to the Council office 

(see ADDRESSES) by February 29, 2008. 

Dated: February 12, 2008. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2888 Filed 2–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING 

COMMISSION 

Notice; Establishment of Energy 

Markets Advisory Committee 

The Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission has determined to establish 

a new advisory committee, the Energy 

Markets Advisory Committee. The 

purpose of the committee is to conduct 

public meetings, to submit reports and 

recommendations to the Commission, 

and otherwise to serve as a vehicle for 

discussion and communication on 

matters of concern to exchanges, firms, 

end users and regulators regarding 

energy markets and their regulation by 

the Commission. The Energy Markets 

Advisory Committee will have no 

operational responsibilities. The 

Commission will seek to achieve a 

balanced membership by appointing 

representatives of a cross section of the 

groups and interests involved in or 

affected by the Commission’s actions in 

the energy area. 

The charter of the Energy Markets 

Advisory Committee will become 

effective upon its filing pursuant to 5 

U.S.C. App. 2 § 9(c). The Commission 

expects to file the charter promptly 

upon completion of the 15 day notice 

period specified by 41 CFR 102–3.65(b). 

The Commission has determined that 

establishment of the Energy Markets 

Advisory Committee is in the public 

interest and is necessary to enable the 

Commission to carry out its 

responsibilities in the most effective and 

responsive manner. Since the enactment 

of the Commodity Futures 

Modernization Act of 2000, there have 

been important new developments in 

energy markets that create a need for 

consideration of adjustments in current 

regulatory and legislative approaches to 

ensure that the Commission has the 

means to protect market integrity and 

competition, while preserving 

opportunities for innovation and 

increases in efficiency. This is 

particularly true in light of evidence 

that some of the newer energy markets 

that have emerged since the 

Modernization Act have taken on some 

of the characteristics and pricediscovery functions of traditional 

futures markets. Moreover, there is 

every reason to expect that both the 

importance of markets for managing 

risks associated with the price and 

availability of energy and innovation in 

the structure and operation of such 

markets will continue to expand, raising 

new regulatory issues in the future. In 

these circumstances, an advisory 

committee focused on energy markets 

will significantly advance the 

Commission’s ability to carry out its 

mission. 

Interested persons may obtain 

information by writing to the 

Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission, Three Lafayette Centre, 

1155 21st Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20581. 

Issued in Washington, DC on February 11, 

2008, by the Commission. 

David A. Stawick, 

Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. E8–2953 Filed 2–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6351–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

Strategic Environmental Research and 

Development Program, Scientific 

Advisory Board 

AGENCY: Department of Defense. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Notice is published in 

accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. 

L. 92–463). The topic of the meeting on 

March 11–12, 2008 is to review new 

start and continuing research and 

development projects requesting 

Strategic Environmental Research and 

Development Program funds in excess 

of $1 M. This meeting is open to the 

public. Any interested person may 

attend, appear before, or file statements 

with the Scientific Advisory Board at 

the time and in the manner permitted by 

the Board. 

DATES: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 from 9 

a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 12, 

2008 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: SERDP Program Office 

Conference Center, 901 North Stuart 

Street, Suite 804, Arlington, VA 22203. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Sharee Malcolm, SERDP Program Office, 

901 North Stuart Street, Suite 303, 

Arlington, VA or by telephone at (703) 

696–2119. 

Dated: February 8, 2008. 

L.M. Bynum, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, Department of Defense. 

[FR Doc. 08–677 Filed 2–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Public Hearings for the Atlantic Fleet 

Active Sonar Training Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969 and regulations 

implemented by the Council on 

Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 

1500 to 1508), and Presidential 

Executive Order 12114, the Department 

of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and 

filed with the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS/OEIS) on February 8, 

2008, which evaluates the potential 

environmental effects associated with 

the use of mid- and high-frequency 

active sonar technology and the 

improved extended echo ranging (IEER) 

system during Atlantic Fleet Active 

Sonar Training (AFAST) activities 

within and adjacent to existing Navy 

Operating Areas (OPAREAs) located 

along the East Coast of the United States 

and in the Gulf of Mexico. Navy 

OPAREAs include designated ocean 

areas near fleet concentration areas (i.e., 

homeports). OPAREAs are where the 

majority of routine Navy training and 

research, development, test, and 

evaluation (RDT&E) activities occur. 

However, Navy training exercises are 

not confined to the OPAREAs. Some 

training exercises or portions of 

exercises are conducted seaward of the 

OPAREAs and a limited amount of 

active sonar use is conducted in water 

areas shoreward of the OPAREAs. A 

Notice of Intent for this Draft EIS/OEIS 

was published in the Federal Register 

on 29 September 2006 (71 FR 57489). 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES