49680 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 206 / Thursday, October 26, 2017 / Notices 

114–113, div. H, § 507(d), 129 Stat. 

2242, 2649 (Dec. 18, 2015). 

Congress has also been particularly 

solicitous of the religious freedom of 

American Indians. In 1978, Congress 

declared it the ‘‘policy of the United 

States to protect and preserve for 

American Indians their inherent right of 

freedom to believe, express, and 

exercise the traditional religions of the 

American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and 

Native Hawaiians, including but not 

limited to access to sites, use and 

possession of sacred objects, and the 

freedom to worship through 

ceremonials and traditional rites.’’ 42 

U.S.C. 1996. Consistent with that policy, 

it has passed numerous statutes to 

protect American Indians’ right of 

access for religious purposes to national 

park lands, Scenic Area lands, and 

lands held in trust by the United States. 

See, e.g., 16 U.S.C. 228i(b), 410aaa– 

75(a), 460uu–47, 543f, 698v–11(b)(11). It 

has specifically sought to preserve lands 

of religious significance and has 

required notification to American 

Indians of any possible harm to or 

destruction of such lands. Id. § 470cc. 

Finally, it has provided statutory 

exemptions for American Indians’ use of 

otherwise regulated articles such as bald 

eagle feathers and peyote as part of 

traditional religious practice. Id. 

§§ 668a, 4305(d); 42 U.S.C. 1996a. 

The depth and breadth of 

constitutional and statutory protections 

for religious observance and practice in 

America confirm the enduring 

importance of religious freedom to the 

United States. They also provide clear 

guidance for all those charged with 

enforcing federal law: The free exercise 

of religion is not limited to a right to 

hold personal religious beliefs or even 

to worship in a sacred place. It 

encompasses all aspects of religious 

observance and practice. To the greatest 

extent practicable and permitted by law, 

such religious observance and practice 

should be reasonably accommodated in 

all government activity, including 

employment, contracting, and 

programming. See Zorach v. Clauson, 

343 U.S. 306, 314 (1952) 

(‘‘[Government] follows the best of our 

traditions . . . [when it] respects the 

religious nature of our people and 

accommodates the public service to 

their spiritual needs.’’). 

[FR Doc. 2017–23269 Filed 10–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4410–13–P; 4410–BB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Notice of Lodging of Proposed 

Consent Decree Under the Oil 

Pollution Act 

On October 19, 2017, the Department 

of Justice lodged a proposed Consent 

Decree (‘‘Consent Decree’’) with the 

United States District Court for the 

District of Massachusetts in the lawsuit 

entitled United States, et al. v. 

Bouchard Transportation Company, 

Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 1:17–cv– 

12046–NMG. 

The proposed Consent Decree will 

settle claims of the United States (on 

behalf of the Department of Commerce/ 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration and the Department of 

the Interior/Fish and Wildlife Service), 

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 

and the State of Rhode Island for 

injuries to birds (other than piping 

plover) under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 

U.S.C. 2701, et seq., (‘‘Trustees’’) against 

Bouchard Transportation Company, 

Inc., and related companies 

(‘‘Defendants’’), caused by an oil spill 

from the tank barge Bouchard No. 120 

which occurred in April 2003 in 

Buzzards Bay. Under the proposed 

Consent Decree, the Defendants will pay 

$13,300,000 to the Trustees as damages 

for injuries to wildlife resources, as 

defined in the Consent Decree. The 

payment will be used to plan for and 

implement the restoration, 

rehabilitation, replacement, or 

acquisition of the equivalent of the 

damaged resources. In addition, the 

Defendants acknowledge payment of 

almost $3,500,000 to the Trustees for 

reimbursement of their assessment 

costs. The proposed Consent Decree is 

the second settlement between the 

Trustees and the Defendants for injuries 

to natural resources caused by the oil 

spill. Under the first settlement, entered 

by the District Court in 2011, the 

Defendants paid the Trustees $6,076,393 

for injuries to other natural resources 

caused by the oil spill. 

The publication of this notice opens 

a period for public comment on the 

proposed Consent Decree. Comments 

should be addressed to the Assistant 

Attorney General, Environment and 

Natural Resources Division, and should 

refer to United States, et al. v. Bouchard 

Transportation Company, Inc., et al., 

D.J. Ref. No. 90–5–1–1–08159/1. All 

comments must be submitted no later 

than thirty (30) days after the 

publication date of this notice. 

Comments may be submitted either by 

email or by mail: 

To submit 

comments: Send them to: 

By email ....... pubcomment-ees.enrd@

usdoj.gov. 

By mail ......... Assistant Attorney General, 

U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. 

Box 7611, Washington, DC 

20044–7611. 

During the public comment period, 

the proposed Consent Decree may be 

examined and downloaded at this 

Justice Department Web site: https://

www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. 

We will provide a paper copy of the 

proposed Consent Decree upon written 

request and payment of reproduction 

costs. Please mail your request and 

payment to: Consent Decree Library, 

U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, 

Washington, DC 20044–7611. 

Please enclose a check or money order 

for $22.75 (25 cents per page 

reproduction cost), payable to the 

United States Treasury. 

Robert E. Maher, Jr., 

Assistant Section Chief, Environmental 

Enforcement Section, Environment and 

Natural Resources Division. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23259 Filed 10–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4410–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Office of Justice Programs 

[OMB Number 1121–0197] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Proposed eCollection 

eComments Requested; Extension of 

Currently Approved Collection 

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, 

Department of Justice. 

ACTION: 60 day notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice, 

Bureau of Justice Assistance, is 

submitting the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and approval in accordance with 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: The Department of Justice 

encourages public comment and will 

accept input until December 26, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have additional comments 

especially on the estimated public 

burden or associated response time, 

suggestions, or need a copy of the 

proposed information collection 

instrument with instructions or 

additional information, please contact 

Michelle Martin, Senior Management 

Analyst, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 


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