Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices 36041

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping

Hour Burden: Responses: 25,000;

Burden Hours: 2,000.

Abstract: The information collected

will aid in the monitoring of contractors

and non-Federal trainers. It will also

measure the effectiveness of training

offered to financial aid administrators,

counselors, fiscal officers, and other

administrators participating in student

financial aid and other Federal

programs.

[FR Doc. 96–17357 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

Recognition of Accrediting Agencies,

State Agencies for Approval of Public

Postsecondary Vocational Education,

and State Agencies for Approval of

Nurse Education

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Request for Comments on

Agencies applying to the Secretary for

Initial Recognition or Renewal of

Recognition.

DATES: Commentors should submit their

written comments by August 23, 1996,

to the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen W. Kershenstein, Director,

Accreditation and State Liaison

Division, U.S. Department of Education,

600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room

3915 ROB–3, Washington, DC 20202–

5244, telephone: (202) 708–7417.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339

between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Eastern time,

Monday through Friday.

SUBMISSION OF THIRD-PARTY COMMENTS:

The Secretary of Education recognizes,

as reliable authorities as to the qualify

of education offered by institutions or

programs within their scope, accrediting

agencies and State approval agencies for

public postsecondary vocational

education and nurse education that

meet certain criteria for recognition. The

purpose of this notice is to invite

interested third parties to present

written comments on the agencies listed

in this notice that have applied for

initial or continued recognition. All

comments received in response to this

notice will be reviewed by Department

staff as part of its evaluation of the

agencies’ compliance with the criteria

for recognition. In order for Department

staff to give full consideration to the

comments received, the comments must

arrive at the address listed above not

later than August 23 1996. Comments

must relate to the Secretary’s Criteria for

the Recognition of Accrediting

Agencies. Comments pertaining to

agencies whose Interim Reports will be

reviewed must be restricted to the

concerns raised in the Secretary’s letter

for which the report is requested.

The National Advisory Committee on

Institutional Quality and Integrity (the

‘‘Advisory Committee’’) advises the

Secretary of Education on the

recognition of accrediting agencies and

State approval agencies. The Advisory

Committee is scheduled to meet

November 20–22, 1996 in Washington,

DC. All written comments received by

the Department in response to this

notice will be considered by both the

Advisory Committee and the Secretary.

A subsequent Federal Register notice

will announce the meeting and invite

individuals and/or groups to submit

requests for oral presentation before the

Advisory Committee on the agencies

being reviewed. That notice, however,

does not constitute another call for

written comment. This notice is the

only call for written comment.

The following agencies will be

reviewed during the November 1996

meeting of the Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting

Agencies and Associations

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

1. Accrediting Association of Bible

Colleges (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of bible

colleges and institutes offering

undergraduate programs)

2. American Association of Nurse

Anesthetists (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of

generic nurse anesthesia educational

programs/schools)

3. Accrediting Council on Education in

Journalism and Mass

Communications (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of units

within institutions offering

professional undergraduate and

graduate (master’s) degree programs)

4. The American Dietetic Association

(requested scope of recognition: The

accreditation of coordinated

undergraduate programs in dietetics

and post-baccalaureate dietetics

internships)

5. American Physical Therapy

Association (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of

professional programs for the physical

therapist and programs for the

physical therapy assistant)

6. Distance Education and Training

Council (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of home

study schools, including associate,

baccalaureate, or master’s degreegranting home study schools)

7. Liaison Committee on Medical

Education (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation

programs leading to the M.D. degree)

8. Middle States Association of Colleges

and Schools, Commission on Higher

Education (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of

higher education institutions in

Delaware, District of Columbia,

Maryland, New Jersey, New York,

Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the

Virgin Islands)

9. National Environmental Health

Science and Protection Accreditation

Council (requested scope of

recognition: the accreditation of

baccalaureate programs in

environmental health science and

protection)

10. Transnational Association of

Christian Colleges and Schools

(requested scope of recognition: The

accreditation of Christian

postsecondary institutions that offer

certificates, diplomas and associate,

baccalaureate, and graduate degrees)

Interim Reports (An interim report is

a follow-up report on an accrediting

agency’s compliance with specific

criteria for recognition that was

requested by the Secretary when the

Secretary granted recognition to the

agency)—

1. American Academy for Liberal

Education

2. American Association for Marriage

and Family Therapy

3. American Bar Association, Council of

the Section of Legal Education and

Admission to the Bar

4. American Optometric Association

5. American Podiatric Medical

Association

6. Council on Naturopathic Medical

Education

7. Montessori Accreditation Council for

Teacher Education

8. National Accreditation Commission

for Schools and Colleges of

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

9. National Accrediting Commission of

Cosmetology Arts and Sciences

10. National Association of Schools of

Dance

11. National Council for Accreditation

of Teacher Education

12. New York State Board of Regents

State Agencies Recognized for the

Approval of Public Postsecondary

Vocational Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition

1. Oklahoma State Board of Regents for

Higher Education

Interim Report

1. New York State Board of Regents

(Vocational Education Unit)
36042 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices

1 In the U.S./Russia HEU Agreement, the United

States and Russia agreed that USEC, as the United

States’ Executive Agent, would purchase lowenriched uranium derived from 500 metric tons of

highly enriched uranium extracted from nuclear

weapons dismantled in Russia.

2The Suspension Agreement, also referred to as

the ‘‘Agreement to Suspend Investigation on

Uranium from the Russia Federation, as amended,’’

settled an investigation into whether Russia was

dumping uranium into the United States market. It

established a mechanism known as ‘‘matched sales

arrangements’’ in which imports of Russian

uranium are linked with sales of uranium newly

produced in the United States. In a matched sale,

one-half of the uranium sold is Russian and the

other one-half is new domestic production. There

are annual quotas on the amount of matched sales

through 2004, when the Suspension Agreement

expires.

State Agencies Recognized for the

Approval of Nurse Education

Interim Report

1. New York State Board of Regents

(Nursing Education Unit)

In accordance with the Federal policy

governing the granting of academic

degrees by Federal agencies (approved

by letter from the Director, Bureau of the

Budget, to the Secretary, Health,

Education, and Welfare, dated

December 23, 1954), the Secretary of

Education is required to establish a

review committee to advise the

Secretary concerning any legislation

that may be proposed which would

authorize the granting of degrees by a

Federal agency. The review committee

forwards its recommendation

concerning a Federal agency’s proposed

degree-granting authority to the

Secretary, who then forwards the

committee’s recommendation to the

Office of Management and Budget for

review and transmittal to the Congress.

The Secretary uses the Advisory

Committee as the review committee

required for this purpose. Accordingly,

the Advisory Committee will review the

following institution at its November

meeting:

Proposed Bachelor’s Degree-Granting

Authority

1. Joint Military Intelligence College,

Bolling Air Force Base (for Bachelor

of Science in Intelligence)

Public Inspection of Petitions and

Third-Party Comments

All petitions and interim reports, and

those third-party comments received in

advance of this meeting, will be

available for public inspection and

copying at the U.S. Department of

Education, ROB–3, Room 3915, 7th and

D Streets, SW., Washington, DC 20202–

5244, telephone (202) 708–7417

between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30

p.m., Monday through Friday. It is

preferred that an appointment be made

in advance of such inspection or

copying.

Dated: July 2, 1996.

David A. Longanecker,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary

Education.

[FR Doc. 96–17348 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Assessment on the

Proposed Sale of Surplus Natural and

Low-Enriched Uranium

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(DOE) announces its intent to prepare

an Environmental Assessment (EA) on

the sale of natural uranium and lowenriched uranium located at the gaseous

diffusion plants in Portsmouth, Ohio,

and Paducah, Kentucky. DOE will

prepare the EA pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), the Council on Environmental

Quality’s NEPA regulations, and the

Department’s NEPA regulations. The EA

will describe: (1) the purpose and need

for action by the Department; (2) the

Department’s proposed action; (3)

alternatives (including a no-action

alternative) to the proposed action; and

(4) the potential impacts of the proposed

action and alternatives.

ADDRESSES: Questions regarding this

Environmental Assessment should be

addressed to: Mr. John Kotek, Office of

Nuclear Energy, Science and

Technology, NE–1, Department of

Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW,

Washington, DC 20585. Requests to

receive copies of the draft EA, when

available for review, should also be

directed to Mr. Kotek. Mr. Kotek may be

contacted by telephone at (202) 586–

6823, or by facsimile at (202) 586–0698.

DATES: DOE anticipates that it will issue

a draft EA by July 30, 1996, which it

will forward for review by affected

states, Indian tribes, and other parties

who have expressed an interest in the

proposed action or requested a copy of

the draft for review. The Department

will accept comments on the EA for 30

days following issuance of the draft EA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information on DOE’s NEPA

process, contact Ms. Carol M.

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA

Policy and Assistance, EH–42,

Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Ave. SW, Washington,

DC 20585. Ms. Borgstrom may be

contacted by leaving a message at (800)

472–2756 or by calling (202) 586–4600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

DOE owns substantial amounts of

natural uranium and low-enriched

uranium (LEU) in excess of the

Department’s current needs. The

Department has declared about 21.5

million pounds of these materials to be

surplus. About 20.3 million pounds of

these materials contain the uranium

isotope U-235 in concentrations (0.711

percent) equivalent to natural uranium;

about 1.2 million pounds contain U-235

concentration of 4.5 percent, and are

therefore classified as LEU. The LEU is

stored at the gaseous diffusion plant in

Portsmouth, Ohio; the 20.3 million

pounds of natural uranium are stored at

Paducah, Kentucky. In addition to these

21.5 million pounds, the Department

will receive title to another 14.2 million

pounds of natural uranium associated

with the United States/Russia Highly

Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement

(Russian HEU Agreement).1 These 14.2

million pounds are located at the

Paducah gaseous diffusion plant and

will remain under the control and

ownership of the United States

Enrichment Corporation (USEC) until

ownership is transferred to DOE before

the end of 1996.

Congress has imposed a number of

requirements on the sale and use of

these materials. Section 3112(b)(1) of

the United States Enrichment

Corporation Privatization Act of 1996

(USEC Privatization Act, Public Law

104–134) requires that DOE sell within

seven years the 14.2 million pounds of

natural uranium associated with the

U.S./Russia HEU Agreement. Under

section 3112(b)(2), DOE may sell this

natural uranium: (1) for overfeeding of

enrichment operations in the United

States at any time; (2) for end use

outside of the United States at any time;

(3) to the Russian Executive Agent in

1995 and 1996 for use in matched sales

pursuant to the Suspension

Agreement; 2 or (4) in 2001 for end use

in the United States beginning in 2002

in amounts not to exceed 3 million

pounds annually.

As to the 21.5 million pounds of

natural uranium and low-enriched

uranium DOE already has in its

inventory, Congress did not mandate