70800 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2005 / Notices 

in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate 

of burden accurate; (4) how might the 

Department enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the 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. 

Dated: November 18, 2005. 

Angela C. Arrington, 

Leader, Information Management Case 

Services Team, Regulatory Information 

Management Services, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

Office of Elementary and Secondary 

Education 

Type of Review: Revision. 

Title: Consolidated State Application/ 

Consolidated State Annual Report. 

Frequency: Annually. 

Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal 

Gov’t, SEAs or LEAs. 

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour 

Burden: 

Responses: 52. 

Burden Hours: 7,800. 

Abstract: This information collection 

package describes the proposed criteria 

and procedures that govern the 

consolidated State application under 

which State educational agencies will 

apply to obtain funds for implementing 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act (ESEA) programs. The option of 

submitting a consolidated application 

for obtaining federal formula program 

grant funds is provided for in the 

reauthorized ESEA (No Child Left 

Behind—NCLB) Sections 9301–9306. 

This information collection package will 

guide the States in identifying the 

information and data required in the 

application. 

Requests for copies of the proposed 

information collection request may be 

accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, 

by selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending 

Collections’’ link and by clicking on 

link number 2886. When you access the 

information collection, click on 

‘‘Download Attachments’’ to view. 

Written requests for information should 

be addressed to U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, 

DC 20202–4700. Requests may also be 

electronically mailed to the Internet 

address OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov or faxed to 

202–245–6621. Please specify the 

complete title of the information 

collection when making your request. 

Comments regarding burden and/or 

the collection activity requirements 

should be directed to Kathy Axt at her 

e-mailKathy.Axt@ed.gov. Individuals 

who use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339. 

[FR Doc. 05–23165 Filed 11–22–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy 

Request for Member Nominations; 

Hydrogen Technical and Fuel Cell 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of request for member 

nominations for the Hydrogen Technical 

and Fuel Cell Advisory Committee. 

SUMMARY: The Hydrogen Technical and 

Fuel Cell Advisory Committee (HTAC or 

Committee) was established by section 

807 of Title VIII, Hydrogen (‘‘Spark M. 

Matsunaga Act of 2005’’), of the 2005 

Energy Policy Act (Pub. L. 109–58). In 

order to ensure a wide range of 

candidates for HTAC and a balanced 

committee, DOE is using this public 

announcement as an avenue to solicit 

nominations for this Committee. 

DATES: Nominations should be 

submitted by January 23, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be 

submitted in electronic format. 

Nominations should be sent via e-mail 

to htac.nominees@ee.doe.gov. Any 

requests for further information should 

also be sent via e-mail to 

htac.nominees@ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Committee will provide advice 

and recommendations to the Secretary 

of Energy (Secretary) on the program 

authorized by the Spark M. Matsunaga 

Hydrogen Act of 2005 (‘‘the Act’’). This 

Committee supersedes the Hydrogen 

Technical Advisory Panel established 

by the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen 

Research, Development, Demonstration 

Program Act of 1990, Public Law 101–

566, and reauthorized by the Hydrogen 

Future Act of 1996, Public Law 104–

271. 

The Committee’s scope is to review 

and make recommendations to the 

Secretary on (1) The implementation of 

programs and activities under the Act 

(42 U.S.C. 16151 et seq.), (2) the safety, 

economical, and environmental 

consequences of technologies for the 

production, distribution, delivery, 

storage, or use of hydrogen energy and 

fuel cells and (3) the plan under section 

804 of the Act. The Secretary shall 

consider, but need not adopt, any 

recommendations of HTAC. 

DOE is hereby soliciting nominations 

for members of the Committee. The 

Committee is expected to be continuing 

in nature. The Secretary of Energy will 

appoint 12 to 25 Committee members. 

Members will be selected with a view 

toward achieving a balanced committee 

of representatives of domestic industry, 

academia, professional societies, 

government agencies, Federal 

laboratories, previous advisory panels, 

and financial, environmental and other 

appropriate organizations based on the 

needs of the Committee and DOE. 

Committee members will serve for a 

term of three years or less and may be 

reappointed. Appointments may be 

made in a manner that allows the terms 

of the members serving at any time to 

expire at spaced intervals, so as to 

ensure continuity in the functioning of 

the Committee. The Committee 

members will elect a chairperson from 

among their number. The Committee is 

expected to meet twice per year. 

Subcommittees to address specific 

agenda items are anticipated and may 

meet more frequently. Some Committee 

members may be appointed as special 

Government employees (SGEs) and will 

be subject to certain ethical restrictions 

as a result. Such members will also be 

required to submit certain information 

in connection with the appointment 

process. 

Process and Deadline for Submitting 

Nominations 

Qualified individuals can selfnominate or be nominated by any 

individual or organization. Nominators 

should submit (via e-mail to 

htac.nominees@ee.doe.gov) a 

description of the nominee’s 

qualifications, including matters that 

would enable the Department to make 

an informed decision, such as but not 

limited to the nominee’s education and 

professional experience. Should more 

information be needed, DOE staff will 

contact the nominee, obtain information 

from the nominee’s past affiliations, or 

obtain information from publicly 

available sources, such as the internet. 

A selection team will review the 

nomination packages. This team will be 

comprised of representatives from 

several DOE Offices, as well as at least 

one representative from the Department 

of Transportation. DOE is seeking a 

balance of appropriate stakeholder 

viewpoints to address the broad 

statutory mandate. (Note that the 

Committee will address implementation 

of the Hydrogen Program activities 

covered in the Act; the Committee will 

not address whether there should be a 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2005 / Notices 70801 

1Pub. L. No. 109–58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005). 

2 15 U.S.C. 717n (2000). 

3NGA section 3 applies to projects designed to 

import or export natural gas; NGA section 7 applies 

to projects designed to transport or sell natural gas 

in interstate commerce. 

4 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq. (2000). 

5 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(A) (2000). 

6 33 U.S.C. 1341 (2000). 

Hydrogen Program.) The selection team 

will consider many criteria, including 

and not limited to: (a) Scientific or 

technical expertise, knowledge, and 

experience; (b) stakeholder 

representation as described in the Act; 

(c) availability and willingness to serve; 

and (d) skills working in committees, 

subcommittees and advisory panels. 

Structured interviews with some 

candidates may also occur. 

The selection team will make 

recommendations regarding 

membership to the Assistant Secretary 

for Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy (EERE). The Assistant Secretary 

for EERE will submit a list of 

recommended candidates to the 

Secretary for review and selection of 

Committee members. 

Candidates selected by the Secretary 

of Energy to serve as SGEs will be 

required to fill out the Confidential 

Financial Disclosure Form for Special 

Government Employees Serving on 

Federal Advisory Committees at the 

U.S. Department of Energy and other 

forms incidental to Federal 

appointment. The confidential financial 

disclosure form allows government 

officials to determine whether there is a 

conflict between the special 

Government employee’s public 

responsibilities and private interests 

and activities, or the appearance of a 

lack of impartiality, as defined by 

statute and regulation. The form may be 

viewed from the following URL address: 

http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/ 

advisory_panels.html. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 

17, 2005. 

Douglas L. Faulkner, 

Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy. 

[FR Doc. 05–23174 Filed 11–22–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. PL06–2–000] 

Coordinated Processing of NGA 

Section 3 and 7 Proceedings; Order 

Delegating Authority 

Issued November 17, 2005. 

Before Commissioners: Joseph T. Kelliher, 

Chairman; Nora Mead Brownell, and 

Suedeen G. Kelly. 

1. Section 313 of the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) 1 amends 

section 15 of the Natural Gas Act 

(NGA) 2 to provide the Commission with 

additional authority to ensure the 

expeditious processing of natural gas 

project proposals. The Commission 

anticipates initiating a rulemaking 

proceeding in the near future to 

promulgate regulations in response to 

the EPAct 2005 amendments. In the 

interim, this order delegates to staff the 

authority to execute certain of the 

responsibilities vested with the 

Commission by EPAct 2005 section 313. 

Introduction 

2. EPAct 2005 section 313(c)(1) 

directs the Commission to establish a 

schedule for all federal permits, 

authorizations, certificates, opinions, or 

other approvals required for an NGA 

section 3 or 7 proposal.3 Section 

313(b)(2) then declares that ‘‘[e]ach 

Federal and State agency considering an 

aspect of an application for Federal 

authorization shall cooperate with the 

Commission and comply with the 

deadlines established by the 

Commission.’’ In addition, section 

313(b)(1) designates the Commission ‘‘as 

the lead agency for the purposes of 

coordinating all applicable Federal 

authorizations and for the purposes of 

complying with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969’’

(NEPA).4

3. Pending issuance of regulations 

implementing these provisions of EPAct 

2005, the Commission is delegating to 

the Director of the Office of Energy 

Projects (OEP) the authority to establish 

deadlines for all federal authorizations 

necessary for NGA section 3 and 7 

proposals. 

Background 

4. Under NGA sections 3 and 7, the 

Commission grants or denies 

applications for proposed natural gas 

projects. The construction or operation 

of natural gas projects typically require 

additional permits, authorizations, 

certificates, opinions, and approvals 

issued by other federal agencies and by 

state agencies acting pursuant to 

delegated federal authority. Approval by 

the Commission to proceed with a 

proposal is contingent on favorable 

findings by these other agencies. EPAct 

2005 section 313(c)(1) directs the 

Commission to establish a schedule for 

all federal authorizations required with 

respect to an application under NGA 

section 3 or 7. 

5. In this role, EPAct 2005 section 

313(c)(1)(A) compels the Commission to 

‘‘ensure expeditious completion’’ of 

NGA section 3 and 7 proceedings, while 

section 313(c) (1)(B) directs the 

Commission to ‘‘comply with applicable 

schedules established by Federal law.’’

Thus, the Commission is responsible for 

(1) coordinating the actions of those 

federal and state agencies with authority 

to issue federal authorizations for an 

NGA section 3 or 7 proposal, and (2) 

setting deadlines for decisions on 

federal authorizations which will 

‘‘comply with applicable schedules 

established by Federal law.’’

6. Commission authorizations under 

NGA sections 3 and 7 normally trigger 

NEPA. NEPA aspires to ‘‘utilize a 

systematic, interdisciplinary approach 

which will insure the integrated use of 

the natural and social sciences and the 

environmental design arts in planning 

and in decisionmaking which may have 

an impact on man’s environment.’’ 5

EPAct 2005 section 313(b) clarifies the 

Commission’s role in this collective, 

multi-agency effort, by designating the 

Commission as lead agency for the 

purpose of NEPA compliance for NGA 

section 3 and 7 proposals. 

Commission Response to EPAct 2005 

Amendments to NGA Section 15 

7. As noted, the Commission 

anticipates initiating a rulemaking to 

implement the EPAct 2005 section 313 

amendments to NGA section 15. 

However, the Commission believes that 

the processing of section 3 and 7 project 

proposals filed prior to the effective date 

of a final rule, including proposals filed 

prior to the enactment of EPAct 2005, 

may benefit by the immediate 

application of the additional authority 

conferred by EPAct 2005. Therefore, by 

this order, the Commission delegates the 

authority described below to the 

Director of OEP. 

8. The Director of OEP is granted the 

authority to coordinate with federal and 

state agencies for the purpose of 

scheduling the completion of the 

analyses and decisionmaking necessary 

for federal authorization of section 3 

and 7 proposals. Deadlines shall be no 

shorter than any applicable schedules 

established by federal law. For example, 

under section 401 of the Clean Water 

Act (CWA),6 an applicant for federal 

authorization for any activity that may 

result in a discharge to navigable waters 

must obtain certification from the state 

in which the discharge originates that 

the discharge will comply with the 

CWA. The CWA provides the state up