13652 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / Proposed Rules

1Published in the Federal Register on January 13,

1995 at 60 FR 3111 and 3141, respectively.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard A. White, Office of the General

Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 825 North Capitol Street,

NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–

0491.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

addition to publishing the full text of

this document in the Federal Register,

the Commission also provides all

interested persons an opportunity to

inspect or copy the contents of this

document during normal business hours

in Room 3104, 941 North Capitol Street,

NE., Washington, DC 20426.

The Commission Issuance Posting

System (CIPS), an electronic bulletin

board service, provides access to the

texts of formal documents issued by the

Commission. CIPS is available at no

charge to the user and may be accessed

using a personal computer with a

modem by dialing (202) 208–1397. To

access CIPS, set your communications

software to 19200, 14400, 12000, 9600,

7200, 4800, 2400, 1200, or 300 bps, full

duplex, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop

bit. The full text of this rule will be

available on CIPS for 60 days from the

date of issuance in ASCII and

WordPerfect 5.1 formats. After 60 days,

the rule will be archived, but still

accessible. The complete text on

diskette in Wordperfect format may also

be purchased from the Commission’s

copy contractor, La Dorn Systems

Corporation, also located in Room 3104,

941 North Capitol Street, NE.,

Washington, DC 20426.

Take notice that on Tuesday, April 4,

1995 and, if necessary, Wednesday,

April 5, 1995, an informal technical

conference will be convened to begin

designing modifications to the

electronic filing requirements

necessitated by proposed Rulemaking

issued on December 16, 1994, in Docket

Nos. RM95–3–000 and RM95–4–000,1

the Commission directed its Staff to

convene a technical conference to

obtain the participation of the industry

and others for this purpose.

The conference is a preliminary step

in the process of modifying the

Commission’s electronic filing

requirements to complement the

proposed revisions to the regulations set

forth in the December 16, 1994 notices.

Objectives to be achieved by

modifying the electronic filing

requirements include:

• To employ user-friendly form fill, word

processing, or spreadsheet applications as

much as possible.

• To minimize the burden of the reporting

requirements for regulated entites.

• To eliminate unnecessary processing

steps by the Commission and the companies.

• To facilitate access to the information by

the public.

• To the greatest extent possible, electronic

data should be capable of being linked to

related data in other filings.

• To ensure that electronically submitted

data contains the same information as the

paper copy of the filing.

• To ensure that electronic data can be

easily correlated with the data in the paper

filing.

• To ensure that all spreadsheets contain

the underlying formulae and links.

The specific objectives of this conference

are:

• To provide a form within which Staff

can gain a better understanding of how the

industry stores and processes the data

required in the Commission’s forms and

filings.

• To determine the most efficient

electronic means for the preparation and

submittal of data.

• To determine the most efficient

electronic means for the dissemination of

data to the public.

• To determine whether additional

conferences are desirable; and, if so, the

format, agenda, and dates.

In light of these objectives,

Commission Staff anticipates

considering the following topics at the

conference:

• An appropriate filing format for each

type of submittal.

• How companies store data (mainframe,

PCs, paper only) that the Commission

proposes to be filed electronically.

• How companies prepare Form 2, Form

11, discount rate reports, index of customers,

and section 4 rate cases (using commercial

software, proprietary software, spreadsheets,

databases, wordprocessing software).

Whether companies use different hardware

and software for different parts of the

submittal. What spreadsheet, database, and

wordprocessing software is used

predominantly.

• Those aspects of the Commission’s

current electronic filing requirements that

should not be changed.

• The use of form fill software for

submitting each filing.

• Whether the Commission’s form fill

software for submitting FERC Form No. 1

would be useful for submitting other filings.

(The Commission’s form fill software for

submitting FERC Form No. 1 is available on

the Commission Issuance Posting System

(CIPS) under option ‘‘FERC Form No. 1

Forum.’’ The bulletin board number is (202)

208–1397.)

• What information from electronic filings

should be accessible to the public. In what

form would such data be most useful

(spreadsheet, database, wordprocessing,

ASCII).

• Transmission of electronic data to the

Commission through telecommunication.

• Any special concerns of state

commissions, small businesses, customers,

consumer groups, and nonindustry users of

electronically filed data.

• Participants should also be prepared to

discuss any other relevant matter.

Commission Staff is currently

preparing an agenda for the conference.

In order that the conference be as

productive as possible, Staff invites

comments on the goals, issues, and

topics of discussion. Such comments

should be addressed to Richard A.

White, Office of the General Counsel,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

825 North Capitol Street, NE.,

Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–0491.

Comments should be received by March

28, 1995. Commenters are encouraged to

submit comments on a 31⁄2 inch diskette

in ASCII format.

The conference will begin at 9:00 a.m.

on April 4, 1995, in a hearing or

conference room of the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, 810 First

Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. The

conference room will be designated in a

subsequent notice. All interested

persons are invited to attend.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–6168 Filed 3–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Part 254

Response Plans for Facilities Seaward

of the Coast Line

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of public

comment period.

SUMMARY: This notice extends, by 62

days, the comment period for a notice

of proposed rulemaking (NPR) that the

Minerals Management Service

published in the Federal Register on

January 13, 1995. The NPR is concerned

with requirements for spill-response

plans for oil handling facilities located

seaward of the coast line.

DATES: The comment period is extended

to May 15, 1995. Comments should be

received or postmarked by that date.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

mailed or hand delivered to the

Department of the Interior, Minerals

Management Service, Mail Stop 4700;

381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia

22070–4817; Attention: Chief,

Engineering and Standards Branch.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John Mirabella or Lawrence Ake,

Engineering and Standards Branch,

telephone (703) 787–1600.
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / Proposed Rules 13653

Dated: March 7, 1995.

Thomas Gernhofer,

Associate Director for Offshore Minerals

Management.

[FR Doc. 95–6184 Filed 3–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[CGD13–93–031]

Drawbridge Operation Regulation;

Columbia River, OR and WA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of

proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY: This notice supplements a

notice of proposed rulemaking

concerning the drawbridge operation

regulations for the twin Interstate 5

drawbridges across the Columbia River,

mile 106.5, between Portland, Oregon,

and Vancouver, Washington. Previous

notices of proposed rulemaking which

proposed the extension of the morning

and afternoon time periods when the

bridge need not open did not contain

language needed to distinguish the

proposed rule’s applicability to

commercial and noncommercial vessels.

This supplemental notice adds the

omitted language and clearly states the

proposed rule’s applicability by vessel

type and river flow conditions.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before May 15, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

mailed to Commander (oan), Thirteenth

Coast Guard District, 915 Second

Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98174–

1067. The comments and other

materials referenced in this notice will

be available for inspection and copying

at 915 Second Avenue, Room 3410,

Seattle, Washington. Normal office

hours are between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

holidays. Comments may also be handdelivered to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John E. Mikesell, Chief, Plans and

Programs Section, Aids to Navigation

and Waterways Management Branch,

(Telephone: (206) 220–7272).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages

interested persons to participate in this

rulemaking by submitting written data,

views, and arguments. Persons

submitting comments should include

their names and addresses, identify this

notice, specify the section of this notice

to which each comment applies, and

give the reason for each comment. Two

copies of each comment should be

provided in an unbound format. All

comments should be on paper no larger

than 81⁄2 by 11 inches and should be

suitable for copying and electronic

filing. Persons wanting acknowledgment

of receipt of comments should enclose

stamped, self-addressed postcards or

envelopes.

The proposed regulations may be

changed in light of comment received.

All comments received before the

expiration of the comment period will

be considered before final action is

taken on this proposal.

The Coast Guard plans no public

hearings. Persons may request a public

hearing by writing to the above address.

The request should include the reasons

why a hearing would be beneficial. If

the Coast Guard determines that the

opportunity for oral presentation will

aid this rulemaking, it will hold a public

hearing at a time and place announced

by a later notice in the Federal Register.

Drafting Information: The principal

persons involved in drafting this document

are John E. Mikesell, Chief, Plans and

Programs Section, Aids to Navigation and

Waterways Management Branch, Thirteenth

Coast Guard District, Seattle, WA, and LCDR

John Odell, project attorney, Thirteenth Coast

Guard District Legal Office, Seattle, WA.

Background and Purpose

This notice proposes drawbridge

operation regulations for the twin

Interstate 5 drawbridges across the

Columbia River, mile 106.5, between

Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver,

Washington. The proposed rule would

extend the morning and afternoon time

periods when the draws of the bridges

need not open for the passage of vessels

while delineating clear exceptions based

on the river flow conditions and the

type of vessel traffic involved.

Regulatory History

This notice is the second

supplemental notice of proposed

rulemaking published for this proposed

rule. The original notice of proposed

rulemaking, published in the Federal

Register on November 26, 1993 (58 FR

62302), proposed an extension of the

morning and afternoon time periods

when the draws need not open for the

passage of vessels without regard to

vessel type or river flow condition. A

supplemental notice, published in the

Federal Register on October 4, 1994 (59

FR 50531), provided for relatively

uninterrupted vehicular flow during

peak traffic times while being less

restrictive to vessel traffic by adding

provisions which would apply during

periods of high river flow conditions.

However, that first supplemental notice

of proposed rulemaking omitted

language distinguishing the rule’s

applicability to commercial and

noncommercial vessels. This second

supplemental notice of proposed

rulemaking adds the language to clearly

state the proposal’s applicability to

commercial and noncommercial vessel

traffic.

Discussion of Proposed Regulation

The twin Interstate 5 vertical lift

bridges across the Columbia River

between Portland, Oregon, and

Vancouver, Washington, are currently

required to open on signal, except that

from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and from

3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through

Friday (except Federal holidays), the

draws need not open. These closed

periods are necessary to accommodate

peak morning and afternoon vehicular

commute traffic across the bridges. Both

bridges also provide alternate mid-level

fixed spans which provide greater

vertical clearance than do the

drawspans in the closed position. The

alternate fixed spans are routinely used

by tug and barge traffic except at higher

water surface elevations. Because the

number of vehicles crossing the

interstate bridges has increased

dramatically, particularly during

commute times, any opening in close

proximity to these commute times,

before or after, results in unacceptable

vehicular traffic delays. Therefore,

Oregon State Department of

Transportation (ORDOT) has requested

an extension of the weekday closed

periods.

Subsequent to publication of a

previous supplemental notice of

proposed rulemaking on October 4,

1994 (59 FR 50531), the Coast Guard

recognized the need for clarification

concerning the rule’s applicability to

commercial and noncommercial vessels.

After reevaluation, the Coast Guard

determined that the proposed rule’s

provisions for high water conditions

(when the river gauge indicates 6.0 feet

or more) were only required in order to

meet the reasonable needs of

commercial vessel traffic. The needs of

noncommercial vessel traffic will be

adequately met during high water

conditions despite the extended closed

periods.

Therefore, based on this reevaluation,

this second notice of proposed

rulemaking further amends the

proposed rule, making the high water

provisions applicable only to

commercial vessels. During low water