Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 34 / Tuesday, February 21, 1995 / Notices 9685

[FRL–5156–3]

Invitation for Submittal to the Vendor

Field Analytical and Characterization

Technologies System (Vendor FACTS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Invitation.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing

an invitation to vendors of innovative

monitoring and measurement

technologies for hazardous waste site

characterization to participate in the

Vendor FACTS database. Vendor

FACTS is being developed by EPA’s

National Exposure Research

Laboratory—Las Vegas (NERL–LV) of

the Office of Research and Development

and the Technology Innovation Office of

the Office of Solid Waste and

Emergency Response. The purpose of

Vendor FACTS is to disseminate much

needed information on innovative

techniques for site characterization, and

to promote the use of more cost effective

methods for on-site monitoring and

measurement. The system contains

information provided by vendors of

technologies that meet the eligibility

criteria for inclusion in the database.

These criteria are listed in the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

below. Vendors will submit information

about their technologies on a Vendor

Information Form (VIF). Information

contained in the database will enable

users to screen technologies for

consideration in the site remediation

process and to identify vendors who

provide monitoring and measurement

services. Most Vendor FACTS users are

expected to be professionals responsible

for the assessment or cleanup of

Superfund sites, RCRA corrective action

sites, state-lead clean-ups, federal

facilities, and leaking underground

storage tank (UST) sites. To make

Vendor FACTS accessible to all system

users, EPA will provide the software

free of charge to the public.

DATES: Completed VIFs submitted by

April 30, 1995, will be considered for

inclusion in Vendor FACTS version 1.0

scheduled to be released in the third

quarter of 1995.

ADDRESSES: Vendors of innovative

monitoring and measurement

technologies who wish to participate in

Vendor FACTS version 1.0 must

complete a Vendor FACTS VIF 1.0

(EPA–542–R–94–007), which can be

obtained by faxing requests to U.S. EPA/

National Center for Environmental

Publications and Information (NCEPI) at

(513) 489–8695. Please include your

name, company name, address, and fax

number, if available. After you have

completed the VIF, send it to: Vendor

FACTS System Operator, PRC

Environmental Management, Inc., 1505

PRC Drive, Suite 220, McLean, VA

22101. The Vendor FACTS database can

be ordered by fax at (513) 489–8695, and

for verification, (513) 891–6561. Please

include your name, company name,

address, and phone number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Vendor FACTS Hotline at (800) 245–

4505 or (703) 883–8448.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Technologies meeting the following

criteria will be included in Vendor

FACTS: (1) fieldable technologies:

portable or transportable equipment for

on-site monitoring, screening, and

analysis of hazardous substances

(equipment used for collecting samples

for off-site analysis will not be

considered); and (2) technologies to

monitor and characterize contaminated

sites, not industrial process waste

streams; and (3) technologies that fall in

one of the categories listed below.

Air Measurement (NAAQS)—This

portable or transportable technology

includes all means to determine

whether air meets the National Ambient

Air Quality Standards issued under the

Clean Air Act and similar laws and

regulations. Target analytes include

carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,

sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, ozone,

photochemical oxidants, and particulate

matter. Some versions of the technology

are designed for point readings, in time,

space, or both, while others are

intended to assess over a period of time

(hours, days, weeks; as averages or as

maxima) or an extent of space (a

metropolitan area or neighborhood).

Analytical Detector—The analytical

detector is the component of any

analytical instrument which senses the

analyte (target) and produces a signal,

usually electrical. The rest of the

instrument consists of (1) a translator

which converts the signal from the

detector into usable form, (2) the output

for the translated signal (meter, digital

display, strip chart), and (3) the power

supply, controls, case, and other

components which support the sensor,

translator, and output.

Analytical Traps—This technology

consists of means to concentrate a

desired target chemical as the sample is

being collected. At present, a few

variations are in use, such as the

charcoal, resins, and bubblers used in

collecting air samples. In addition,

similar techniques are used in the

laboratory for the preparation of

analytical samples, including ionselective (ion-exchange) devices and

molecular sieves (working on molecular

size). For analytical trap technologies

that have been in existence for more

than 10 years, the vendor must provide

an explanation of why the technology is

innovative.

Biosensors—(1) This portable

technology includes devices which use

derivatives of living organisms (such as

enzymes, tissues, microbes, or

antibodies) as a biological sensing

element. The biological sensing agent is

in intimate contact with a physical

transducer (such as electrochemical,

acoustic, or optical) which together

relate the concentrations of an analyte to

a measurable electrical signal. They are

commonly used in the clinical

chemistry laboratory, especially in the

form of electrodes sensitive to a target

enzyme or chemical.

Chemical Reaction-Based Indicators—

This portable technology includes

chemicals which convert an inapparent

change in the chemical state of the

target system to a visible color change

or other easily noted indication. Many

methods look at chemical species other

than the hydrogen atom, such as ferric/

ferrous, chromic/chromate, and

oxidizing/reducing species. Some

versions of the technology give a graded

response, rather than a dichotomous

response, similar to wide-range pH

paper.

Cone Penetrometer—A technology

which uses a cylindrical, cone-tipped

instrument, forced into the ground by

hydraulic pressure. Built-in load cells

measure the forces impinging on the

conical tip and along the cylindrical

section (friction) just behind the tip. In

most instruments, these data are

translated into soil classifications so one

obtains instantaneous information on

the stratigraphy of the soil. The

technology has been used in Europe for

decades and is becoming popular ‘‘in

the U.S.’’ The innovations, some being

tested by the SITE Program, include

additional sensors added to the

instrument to detect pollutants in the

subsurface. Cone penetrometers

themselves are not considered

innovative for the purpose of Vendor

FACTS.

Downhole Sensors—Saturated Zone—

These portable or transportable sensors

can be used to determine subsurface

chemical or physical properties. These

sensors must be capable of operation in

the saturated zone, in either a dynamic

or static mode. The dynamic mode

would produce data in real time as the

sensor was advanced through the

subsurface. The static mode would

involve a sensor that either could not

provide data as it was advanced, or was

not capable of being advanced through
9686 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 34 / Tuesday, February 21, 1995 / Notices

the saturated zone. The static mode

could be used in a borehole with a

maximum diameter of six inches or less.

Downhole sensors that can be used in a

borehole with a diameter of two inches

or less are preferred for the Vendor

FACTS database. The Vendor FACTS

database will not include common

geophysical, gamma, spontaneous

potential, gamma-gamma, caliper, and

neutron logging tools. Vendor FACTS

also will not include TV cameras that

can be inserted down a borehole.

Downhole Sensors—Vadose Zone—

These portable or transportable sensors

can be used to determine subsurface

chemical or physical properties. These

sensors must be capable of operation in

the vadose zone, in either a dynamic or

static mode. The dynamic mode would

produce data in real time as the sensor

was advanced through the subsurface.

The static mode would involve a sensor

that either could not provide data as it

was advanced, or was not capable of

being advanced through the vadose

zone. The static mode could be used in

a borehole with a maximum diameter of

six inches or less. Downhole sensors

that can be used in a borehole with a

diameter of two inches or less are

preferred for the Vendor FACTS

database. The Vendor FACTS database

will not include common geophysical,

gamma, spontaneous potential, gammagamma, caliper, and neutron logging

tools. Vendor FACTS also will not

include TV cameras that can be inserted

down a borehole.

Fiber Optic Chemical Sensors and

Analyzers—These field portable sensors

employ fiber optics to transmit

excitation energy to either a reaction

chamber or directly onto a sample

matrix. Fiber optics also are used to

return the signal produced from either

a fiber coating, a reaction chamber, or a

sample matrix, directly into some type

of detector. Generally colorometric or

spectroscopic detectors are used in this

process. These sensors produce real

time in situ data.

Transportable Technologies—These

technologies require a vehicle or mobile

lab to get on site, alternating current

power source (although not in all cases),

and are operated on site.

Portable Technologies—These

technologies are manually portable

(generally weighing 30 pounds or less),

battery operated (can have alternating

current power), self-contained, and used

on site.

Gas Chromatography (portable only)—

These field portable instruments cause a

chromatographic separation of chemical

constituents. These instruments employ

isothermal or temperature

programmable ovens, and megabore,

capillary, or packed chromatography

columns to separate chemical

constituents. These instruments use

chemical detectors, and data acquisition

and integration software to quantitate

chemical constituent concentrations.

Recent advances in gas chromatography

that are considered innovative are

portable, weather-proof units that have

self-contained power supplies. Highspeed gas chromatography is also a

recent innovation.

Ground Penetrating Radar—This

technology, in use for some years now,

consists of emitting pulses of

electromagnetic energy into the ground,

and measuring its reflection/refraction

by subsurface layers and other features

(such as buried debris). It is analogous

to seismic techniques, but with a pulse

of electromagnetic energy, rather than

sound (physical) energy.

High Frequency Electromagnetic (EM)

Sounding—These technologies, used for

nonintrusive geophysical exploration,

project high frequency electromagnetic

radiation into subsurface and detect the

reflection/refraction of the radiation by

varying soil layers. Unlike ground

penetrating radar, it uses continuous

waves, as opposed to pulses.

High Resolution Seismic Reflection—

The classic technique of seismic

reflection/refraction has been used for

decades, primarily for examining

relatively large features, such as the salt

domes (often containing petroleum) of

the Gulf Coast. This technology includes

means to refine it to determine smaller

scale features, such as debris or the

lenses, buried channels, and other

features found in till deposits. This

technology must be able to measure

features of interest within 100 feet of the

ground surface to be considered

innovative.

Immunoassay—These field portable

test kits use immunochemistry to

produce compound specific reactions

(generally colorometric) to individual

compounds, or classes of compounds.

These reactions are used to detect and

quantify contaminants. The

immunochemical reactions center

around polyclonal antibodies. These

antibodies are engineered to produce

compound specific reactions. The

methods used to bring the antibodies

into contact with a water sample or soil

sample extract are variable.

Infrared (Long Path) Monitors—

Classic infrared techniques involve a

path of one centimeter or less in a solid

or liquid. This technology looks at gases

in longer path lengths, from a few

centimeters to hundreds of meters. In

some cases, the path may be inside the

instrument. Alternatively, the air being

sampled is ambient, not confined to the

instrument. The air being sampled may

represent a point source, such as a stack

being monitored, or it may be an area.

The newest variant involves remote

reading of a source; this may involve

checking the exhaust of a car driving on

the road or the reflection from an

approaching cloud.

Mass Spectrometry (portable only)—

This field portable technology involves

modifying a large, laboratory instrument

so it can be taken into the field. Mass

spectrometry breaks molecules into

fragments and determines the

concentrations and mass/charge ratios

of the fragments. Each molecule

generates a distinct pattern of fragments,

so a sufficiently sensitive system can

provide absolute identification of a

contaminant. Less sensitive systems can

readily determine class characteristics

of molecules by identifying relevant

radicals and other less than molecule

size groups. Mass spectrometry units

that are considered innovative are

portable, weather-proof units that have

self-contained power supplies.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance—This

field portable and transportable

technology involves modifying a large,

laboratory instrument so it can be taken

into the field. Nuclear magnetic

resonance measures the electronic

environment (that is, adjacent and

nearby chemical bonds) of the nuclei of

a particular species of atom. The most

common laboratory and clinical use is

on protons, but it can be used for any

atom with an odd number of protons

(such as the alkali metals, aluminum,

and phosphorus) or an odd number of

neutrons (such as carbon-13,

magnesium-25, silicon-29, and

chromium-53, all significant fractions of

the naturally occurring elements). Thus,

it can determine the chemical

composition, or variation in chemical

composition, throughout the mass of a

sample.

Soil Gas Analyzer Systems—These

portable systems provide on site or

remote monitoring of soil gas

constituents. Their main components

are a soil gas sampling system, soil gas

analyzer, and data storage or

transmission station. All of these

components are microprocessor

controlled and can be programmed to

provide routine periodic sampling and

monitoring, or on demand sampling and

monitoring. These systems also use

some type of standard to provide

periodic checks of accuracy and

precision.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction—These

portable and transportable, self

contained units use supercritical fluids

such as carbon dioxide to extract
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 34 / Tuesday, February 21, 1995 / Notices 9687

chemical constituents from

environmental matrices.

Thermal Desorption Devices—These

portable and transportable, self

contained units use high temperatures

to volatilize and extract volatile and

semivolatile chemical constituents from

environmental matrices.

Transient Electromagnetic (EM)

Geophysics—These technologies are

based on detecting changes in

subsurface electromagnetic

characteristics. Interpretation of this

data provides information on the

subsurface environment. This particular

technology differs from ground

penetrating radar in that it looks more

at the shape of the pulse at the sensor,

rather than at the pulse’s time of arrival.

Voltammetric Stripping—These

portable units use electrochemistry to

detect and quantify metals in

environmental samples. By changing the

potential across an anode or cathode,

these instruments cause metals in

solution to plate-out or be released. By

changing the anode and cathode

material, specific metals can be targeted

for detection and quantitation. This

technology is generally applied to water

samples, however, it may be possible to

use this technology on extracts from soil

samples.

X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzers—

These self-contained, field portable

instruments consist of an energy

dispersive x-ray source, a detector, and

a data processing system. The

combination of a source and data

processing system allow for the

detection and quantitation of individual

metals or groups of metals.

EPA may include additional

categories of monitoring and

measurement technologies in

subsequent versions of Vendor FACTS

depending on feedback from the users.

Suggestions for additional technologies

may be sent to: Vendor FACTS Project

Manager, Technology Innovation Office

(5102W), U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M Street, S.W. Washington,

D.C. 20460.

Walter W. Kovalick,

Director, Technology Innovation Office.

[FR Doc. 95–4188 Filed 2–17–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

Agency Forms Under Review

Background

Notice is hereby given of the

submission of proposed information

collection(s) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for its

review and approval under the

Paperwork Reduction Act (Title 44

U.S.C. Chapter 35) and under OMB

regulations on Controlling Paperwork

Burdens on the Public (5 CFR Part

1320). A copy of the proposed

information collection(s) and supporting

documents is available from the agency

clearance officer listed in the notice.

Any comments on the proposal should

be sent to the agency clearance officer

and to the OMB desk officer listed in the

notice.

DATES: Comments are welcome and

should be submitted on or before March

23, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Federal Reserve Board Clearance

Officer—Mary M. McLaughlin—

Division of Research and Statistics,

Board of Governors of the Federal

Reserve System, Washington, D.C.

20551 (202-452-3829); for the hearing

impaired only, telecommunications

device for the deaf (TTD) (202-452-

3544), Dorothea Thompson, Board of

Governors of the Federal Reserve

System, Washington, D.C. 20551.

OMB Desk Officer—Milo Sunderhauf—

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, New Executive Office

Building, Room 3208, Washington,

D.C. 20503 (202-395-7340)

Request for OMB approval to extend,

with revision, the following report:

1. Report title: Country Exposure

Report.

Agency form number: FFIEC 009.

OMB Docket number: 7100-0035.

Frequency: Quarterly.

Reporters: State member banks and bank

holding companies.

Annual reporting hours: 13,064.

Estimated average hours per response:

23.

Number of respondents: 142.

Small businesses are not affected.

General description of report: This

information collection is mandatory to

obtain or retain a benefit [(12 U.S.C.

248(a), 1844(c), and 3906)] and is given

confidential treatment [(5 U.S.C.

552(b)(4) and (b)(8))].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

interagency report collects information

on international claims of U.S. banks

and bank holding companies that is

used for supervisory and analytical

purposes. The information is used to

monitor country exposure of banks to

determine the degree of risk in their

portfolios and the possible impact on

U.S. banks of adverse developments in

particular countries. The proposed

changes, which would be effective as of

March 31, 1995, are as follows:

(1) A memorandum item,

‘‘Revaluation Gains on Off-BalanceSheet Items Reported in Column 4’’,

would be added as Column 9. This item

contains revaluation gains (i.e. assets)

from the marking to market of interest

rate, foreign exchange rate, and other

commodity and equity contracts held

for trading purposes.

(2) A memorandum item, ‘‘Amounts

Reported in Column (4) after

Adjustments in Columns 10-15 That

Represent Securities Held in Trading

Account,’’ would be added as Column

16. The carrying value of any availablefor-sale securities or of any loans or

leases that are held for sale are not to

be reported in this item.

(3) An existing item, ‘‘Amount of

Claims that Represent Guarantees Issued

by the U.S. Government and its

Agencies’’ (Column 13), would be

deleted.

(4) Three existing items collecting

information on commitments,

‘‘Commercial Letters of Credit’’ (Column

20), ‘‘Standby Letters of Credit and Risk

Participations Purchased’’ (Column 21),

and ‘‘All Other Commitments’’ (Column

22), would be combined into one item,

‘‘All Commitments.’’

(5) An existing memorandum item,

‘‘Trade Financing’’ (Column 20), would

be redefined to include ‘‘Commercial

Letters of Credit’’ (Column 20), with the

resulting item renumbered as Column

23.

(6) The country list would be updated

to replace Belgium-Luxembourg with

two countries, Belgium and

Luxembourg and to replace

Czechoslovakia with two countries,

Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In addition, the instructions would be

modified to state that all claims

consisting of available-for-sale securities

in Columns 1-4 are to be reported at

amortized cost rather than at fair value.

The instructions would also be clarified

to state that the report must be

completed in a manner consistent with

the requirements of Financial

Accounting Standards Board

Interpretation No. 39, ‘‘Offsetting of

Amounts Related to Certain Contracts.’’

Finally, the definition of ‘‘Guaranteed

Claims’’ in the instructions would be

broadened to address the treatment of

off-balance-sheet items.

Request for OMB approval to extend,

without revision, the following report:

2. Report title: Country Exposure

Information Report.

Agency form number: FFIEC 009a.

OMB Docket number: 7100-0035.

Frequency: Quarterly.

Reporters: State member banks and bank

holding companies.

Annual reporting hours: 2,840.

Estimated average hours per response:

5.