24998 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 97 / Friday, May 17, 1996 / Notices

transportation with a capacity for

approximately 56, barrels per day. The

pipeline will facilitate crude oil imports

from Canada.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42

U.S.C. 4231 et seq., The Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations, 40 CFR 1500–1508, and

Department’s regulations for

implementation of NEPA (22 CFR Part

161), the Department of State has

conducted an environmental assessment

of the proposed construction by Portal

Pipe Line Company of a crude oil

pipeline across the international

boundary near Portal, North Dakota. The

Department of State is charged with the

issuance of Presidential Permits

authorizing construction of such

international pipelines under Executive

Order 11423 (1968), as amended by

Executive Order 12847 (1993). Several

federal agencies cooperated in

preparation of the environmental

assessment, reviewing and commenting

on the analysis and conclusions

presented therein. Agencies

participating in this process together

with the Department of State included:

the Environmental Protection Agency,

the Departments of Defense, Treasury,

Interior, Commerce, Transportation, the

Attorney General, the Chairman of the

Surface Transportation Safety Board,

and the Director of the Federal

Emergency Management Agency.

Interested parties were invited to

comment on the proposed application

in a Federal Register Notice, 60 FR

56384 (November 8, 1995).

Based on the final environmental

assessment, which included a

preliminary environmental assessment,

comments received from interested

agencies and responses to those

comments, the Department of State has

concluded that issuance of a

Presidential Permit authorizing

construction of the proposed pipeline

(as described in the final environmental

assessment) will not have a significant

effect on the quality of the human

environment within the United States.

Therefore, in accordance with CEQ’s

NEPA regulations 40 CFR 1501.4 and

1508.13 and with State Department

Regulations, 22 CFR 161.8 (c) an

environmental impact statement will

not be prepared.

Factors Considered

The environmental assessment

carefully considered the route

alternative that minimized

environmental and human impacts

while offering the most direct and

economic route. The proposed pipeline

would allow the U.S. to move an

additional 30,000 barrels a day of oil to

major population centers in the

Midwest through the construction of an

8 mile pipeline. The pipeline is also

being constructed along an existing

pipeline right-of-way for most of its

length. The proposed pipeline also

offers likely advantages over a no action

alternative. The U.S. depends heavily

on oil imports and other means of

importing an additional 30,000 barrels

of oil per day could involve greater

incremental environmental risks than

the proposed pipeline, such as

increased shipments by tanker or new

pipeline capacity of greater length or

through more heavily populated or

environmentally sensitive areas.

Further analysis and reasoning

supporting the pipeline routing are

presented in the original pipeline

application. Copies of supporting

information for this finding and the

final environmental assessment can be

obtained from the State Department’s

Office of International Energy and

Commodities Policy, 202–647–2875.

Environmental Justice

In addition to the analysis conducted

in accordance with NEPA, the

Department of State addressed

environmental justice considerations

pursuant to Executive Order 12898 of

February 11, 1994 (‘‘Federal Actions to

Address Environmental Justice in

Minority Populations and Low-Income

Populations’’). Based on its examination

of environmental justice considerations,

the Department has determined that the

proposed pipeline will not have

disproportionately high and adverse

human health or environmental effects

on minority and low-income

populations. The analysis supporting

this determination can be obtained from

the State Department, Office of

International Energy and Commodities

Policy, 202–647–2887.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE

PIPELINE PERMIT APPLICATION CONTACT:

Susan Phillips, Office of International

Energy and Commodities Policy, Room

3529, U.S. Department of State,

Washington, DC, 20520, (20) 647–2887.

Dated: April 4, 1996.

Stephen J. Gallogly,

Acting Director, International Energy and

Commodities Policy.

[FR Doc. 96–12367 Filed 5–16–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–07–M

[Public Notice 2390]

Advisory Committee on Historical

Diplomatic Documentation; Notice of

Meeting

The Advisory Committee on

Historical Diplomatic documentation

will meet in the Department of State,

June 6–7, 1996 in Conference Room

1205.

The Committee will meet in open

session from 9:00 a.m. on the morning

of Thursday, June 6, 1996, until 12:00

noon. The remainder of the Committee’s

sessions from 1:30 p.m. on Thursday,

June 6, until 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 7,

will be closed in accordance with

Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act (P.L. 92–463). It has

been determined that discussions

during these portions of the meeting

will involve consideration of matters

not subject to public disclosure under 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(1), and that the public

interest requires that such activities will

be withheld from disclosure.

Questions concerning the meeting

should be directed to William Z. Slany,

Executive Secretary, Advisory

Committee on Historical Diplomatic

Documentation, Department of State,

Office of the Historian, Washington, DC,

20520, telephone (202) 663–1123, (email histoff@ix.netcom.com).

Dated: May 7, 1996.

William Z. Slany,

Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–12366 Filed 5–16–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–11–M

[Public Notice 2379]

Bureau of Oceans and International

Environmental and Scientific Affairs;

Certifications Pursuant to Section 609

of Public Law 101–162

SUMMARY: On April 30, 1996, the

Department of State certified, pursuant

to Section 609 of Public Law 101–162

(‘‘Section 609’’), that 13 nations have

adopted programs to reduce the

incidental capture of sea turtles in

shrimp fisheries comparable to the

program in effect in the United States.

In addition, the Department certified

that the fishing environment in 23 other

countries does not pose a threat of the

incidental taking of sea turtles protected

under Section 609. Shrimp imports from

any nation not certified were prohibited

effective May 1, 1996, pursuant to

Section 609.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 17, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Hollis Summers, Office of Marine

Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and