65682 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices

is determined that further public

coordination is warranted.

5. Significant Issues. The tentative list

of resources and issues to be evaluated

in the EIS includes tidal wetlands

(marshes and swamps), aquatic

resources, commercial and recreational

fisheries, wildlife resources, essential

fish habitat, water quality, air quality,

threatened and endangered species,

recreation resources, and cultural

resources. Socioeconomic items to be

evaluated in the EIS include navigation,

flood protection, business and industrial

activity, employment, land use,

property values, public/community

facilities and services, tax revenues,

population, community and regional

growth, transportation, housing,

community cohesion, and noise.

6. Environmental Consultation and

Review. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (USFWS) will be assisting in the

documentation of existing conditions

and assessment of effects of project

alternatives through Fish and Wildlife

Coordination Act consultation

procedures. The USFWS will also

provide a Fish and Wildlife

Coordination Act report. Consultation

will also be accomplished with the

USFWS and the National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS) concerning

threatened and endangered species and

their critical habitat. The NMFS will be

consulted on the effects of this proposed

action on Essential Fish Habitat. The

draft EIS or a notice of its availability

will be distributed to all interested

agencies, organizations, and

individuals.

7. Estimated Date of Availability.

Funding levels will dictate the date

when the draft EIS is available. The

earliest that the draft EIS is expected to

be available is summer of 2002.

Dated: December 11, 2001.

Michael R. Burt,

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Acting District

Engineer.

[FR Doc. 01–31358 Filed 12–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Science; Continuation of

Solicitation for the Office of Science

Financial Assistance Program—Notice

02–01

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Annual notice of continuation

of availability of grants and cooperative

agreements.

SUMMARY: The Office of Science of the

Department of Energy hereby announces

its continuing interest in receiving grant

applications for support of work in the

following program areas: Basic Energy

Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear

Physics, Advanced Scientific

Computing, Fusion Energy Sciences,

Biological and Environmental Research,

and Energy Research Analyses. On

September 3, 1992, (57 FR 40582), DOE

published in the Federal Register the

Office of Energy Research Financial

Assistance Program (now called the

Office of Science Financial Assistance

Program), 10 CFR part 605, Final Rule,

which contained a solicitation for this

program. Information about submission

of applications, eligibility, limitations,

evaluation and selection processes and

other policies and procedures are

specified in 10 CFR part 605.

DATES: Applications may be submitted

at any time in response to this Notice of

Availability.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be sent

to: Director, Grants and Contracts

Division, Office of Science, SC–64, U.S.

Department of Energy, 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown, MD

20874–1290. When preparing

applications, applicants should use the

Office of Science Financial Assistance

Program Application Guide and Forms

located on the World Wide Web at

http://www.science.doe.gov/production/

grants/grants.html. Applicants without

Internet access may call 301–903–5212

for information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is published annually and

remains in effect until it is succeeded by

another issuance by the Office of

Science, usually published after the

beginning of the fiscal year. This annual

Notice 02–01 succeeds Notice 01–01,

which was published December 7, 2000.

It is anticipated that approximately

$400 million will be available for grant

and cooperative agreement awards in

FY 2002. The DOE is under no

obligation to pay for any costs

associated with the preparation or

submission of an application. DOE

reserves the right to fund, in whole or

in part, any, all, or none of the

applications submitted in response to

this Notice.

The following program descriptions

are offered to provide more in-depth

information on scientific and technical

areas of interest to the Office of Science:

1. Basic Energy Sciences

The Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

program supports fundamental research

in the natural sciences and engineering

leading to new and improved energy

technologies and to understanding and

mitigating the environmental impacts of

energy technologies. The science areas

and their objectives are as follows:

(a) Materials Sciences

The objective of this program is to

increase the understanding of

phenomena and properties important to

materials behavior that will contribute

to meeting the needs of present and

future energy technologies. It is

comprised of the subfields metallurgy,

ceramics, condensed matter physics,

materials chemistry, and related

disciplines where the emphasis is on

the science of materials.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3427.

(b) Chemical Sciences

The objective of this program is to

expand, through support of basic

research, knowledge of various areas of

chemistry, chemical engineering and

atomic molecular and optical physics

with a goal of contributing to new or

improved processes for developing and

using domestic energy resources in an

efficient and environmentally sound

manner. Disciplinary areas where

research is supported include atomic

molecular and optical physics; physical,

inorganic and organic chemistry;

chemical physics; photochemistry;

radiation chemistry; analytical

chemistry; separations science; actinide

chemistry; and chemical engineering

sciences. Program Contact: (301) 903–

5804.

(c) Engineering Research

This program’s objectives are: (1) To

extend the body of knowledge

underlying current engineering practice

in order to open new ways for

enhancing energy savings and

production, prolonging useful

equipment life, and reducing costs

while maintaining output performance,

and environmental quality; and (2) to

broaden the technical and conceptual

base for solving future engineering

problems in the energy technologies.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3427.

(d) Geosciences

The goal of this program is to develop

a quantitative and predictive

understanding of geologic processes

related to energy and environmental

quality. The program emphasizes crosscutting basic research that will improve

understanding of reactive geochemical

transport and other subsurface processes

and properties and how to image them

using techniques ranging from electrons,

x-rays or neutrons to electromagnetic

and seismic waves. Applications of this

fundamental understanding might

include transport of contaminant fluids,

hydrocarbons, sequestered CO2 or

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices 65683

performance prediction for repository

sites. The emphasis is on the

disciplinary areas of geochemistry,

geophysics, geomechanics, and

hydrogeology with a focus on the upper

levels of the earth’s crust. Particular

emphasis is on processes taking place at

the atomic and molecular scale. Specific

topical areas receiving emphasis

include: high resolution geophysical

imaging; rock physics, physics of fluid

transport, and fundamental properties

and interactions of rocks, minerals, and

fluids.

Program Contact: (301) 903–4061.

(e) Energy Biosciences

The primary objective of this program

is to generate an understanding of

fundamental biological mechanisms in

plants and microorganisms that will

support future technological

developments related to DOE’s mission.

The research serves to provide the basic

information foundation for

environmentally responsible production

and conversion of renewable resources

for fuels, chemicals, and the

conservation of energy. This program

has special requirements for the

submission of preapplications, when to

submit, and the length of the

applications. Applicants are encouraged

to contact the program regarding these

requirements.

Program Contact: (301)–903–2873.

2. High Energy and Nuclear Physics

This program supports about 90% of

the U.S. efforts in high energy and

nuclear physics. The objectives of these

programs are indicated below:

(a) High Energy Physics

The primary objectives of this

program are to understand the ultimate

structure of matter in terms of the

properties and interrelations of its basic

constituents, and to understand the

nature and relationships among the

fundamental forces of nature. The

research falls into three broad

categories: Experimental research,

theoretical research, and technology

R&D in support of the high energy

physics program.

Program Contact: (301)–903–3624.

(b) Nuclear Physics (Including Nuclear

Data Program)

The primary objectives of this

program are an understanding of the

interactions and structures of atomic

nuclei and nuclear matter at the most

elementary level possible, and an

understanding of the fundamental forces

of nature as manifested in nuclear

matter.

Program Contact: (301)–903–3613.

3. Advanced Scientific Computing

Research

This program fosters and supports

fundamental research in advanced

computing research (applied

mathematics, computer science and

networking), and operates

supercomputer, networking, and related

facilities to enable the analysis,

modeling, simulation, and prediction of

complex phenomena important to the

Department of Energy.

Mathematical, Information, and

Computational Sciences

This subprogram supports a spectrum

of fundamental research in applied

mathematical sciences, computer

science, and networking from basic

through prototype development. Results

of these efforts are used to form

partnerships with users in scientific

disciplines to validate the usefulness of

the ideas and to develop them into

tools. Testbeds on important

applications for DOE are supported by

this subprogram. Areas of particular

focus are:

Applied Mathematics: Research on

the underlying mathematical

understanding and numerical

algorithms to enable effective

description and prediction of physical

systems such as fluids, magnetized

plasmas, or protein molecules. This

includes, for example, methods for

solving large systems of partial

differential equations on parallel

computers, techniques for choosing

optimal values for parameters in large

systems with hundreds to hundreds of

thousands of parameters, improving our

understanding of fluid turbulence, and

developing techniques for reliably

estimating the errors in simulations of

complex physical phenomena.

Computer Science: Research in

computer science to enable large

scientific applications through advances

in massively parallel computing such as

very lightweight operating systems for

parallel computers, distributed

computing such as development of the

Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) software

package which has become an industry

standard, and large scale data

management and visualization. The

development of new computer and

computational science techniques will

allow scientists to use the most

advanced computers without being

overwhelmed by the complexity of

rewriting their codes every 18 months.

Networking: Research in high

performance networks and information

surety required to support high

performance applications—protocols for

high performance networks, methods for

measuring the performance of high

performance networks, and software to

enable high speed connections between

high performance computers and

networks. The development of high

speed communications and

collaboration technologies will allow

scientists to view, compare, and

integrate data from multiple sources

remotely.

Program Contact: (301)–903–5800.

4. Fusion Energy Sciences

The mission of the Fusion Energy

Sciences program is to advance plasma

science, fusion science, and fusion

technology—the knowledge base needed

for an economically and

environmentally attractive fusion energy

source. The Office of Fusion Energy

Sciences (OFES) supports basic and

applied research, encourages technical

connectivity with the broader U.S.

science community, and uses

international collaboration to

accomplish this mission.

(a) Research Division

This Division seeks to develop the

physics knowledge base needed to

advance the Fusion Energy Sciences

program toward its goals. Research into

physics issues associated with medium

to large-scale confinement devices is

essential to studying conditions relevant

to the production of fusion energy.

Experiments on this scale of devices are

used to explore the limits of specific

confinement concepts, as well as study

associated physical phenomena.

Specific areas of interest include: (1)

Reducing plasma energy and particle

transport at high densities and

temperatures, (2) understanding the

physical laws governing confinement of

high pressure plasmas, (3) investigating

plasma wave interactions, and (4)

studying and controlling impurity

particle transport and exhaust in

plasmas.

Research is also carried out in the

following areas: (1) Basic plasma

science research directed at furthering

the understanding of fundamental

processes in plasmas; (2) theoretical

research to provide the understanding of

fusion plasmas necessary for

interpreting results from present

experiments, planning future

experiments, and designing future

confinement devices; (3) critical data on

plasma properties, atomic physics and

new diagnostic techniques for support

of confinement experiments; (4)

supporting research on innovative

confinement concepts; and (5) research

on issues that support the development

of Inertial Fusion Energy, for which

target development is carried out by the

65684 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices

Office of Defense Programs in the

Department of Energy’s National

Nuclear Security Agency.

Program Contact: (301) 903–4095.

(b) Facilities and Enabling Technologies

Division

This Division is responsible for

overseeing the facility operations and

enabling research and development

activity budgets within the OFES. Grant

program opportunities are in the

enabling research and development

activity. (Grants for scientific use of the

facilities operated/maintained by this

Division should be addressed to the

Research Division.) The enabling

technologies program supports the

advancement of fusion science in the

nearer-term by carrying out research on

technological topics that: (1) Enable

domestic experiments to achieve their

full performance potential and scientific

research goals; (2) permit scientific

exploitation of the performance gains

being sought from physics concept

improvements; (3) allow the U.S. to

enter into international collaborations

gaining access to experimental

conditions not available domestically;

and (4) explore the science underlying

these technological advances.

The enabling technologies program

supports pursuit of fusion energy

science for the longer-term by

conducting research aimed at innovative

technologies, designs and materials to

point toward an attractive fusion energy

vision and affordable pathways for

optimized fusion development.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3068.

5. Biological and Environmental

Research Program

For over 50 years the Biological and

Environmental Research (BER) Program

has been investing to advance

environmental and biomedical

knowledge connected to energy. The

BER program provides fundamental

science to underpin the business thrusts

of the Department’s strategic plan.

Through its support of peer-reviewed

research at national laboratories,

universities, and private institutions,

the program develops the knowledge

needed (1) To identify, understand, and

anticipate the long-term health and

environmental consequences of energy

production, development, and use, and

(2) to develop biology based solutions

that address DOE and National needs.

(a) Life Sciences Research

Research is focused on using DOE’s

unique resources and facilities to

develop fundamental biological

information and advanced technologies

to understand and mitigate potential

health effects of energy development,

energy use, and waste cleanup, and that

will underpin biotechnology based

solutions to energy challenges. The

objectives are: (1) To create and apply

new technologies and resources in DNA

sequencing, comparative genomics, and

bioinformatics to characterize the

human genome; (2) to develop and

support DOE national user facilities for

use in fundamental structural biology;

(3) to use model organisms to

understand human genome

organization, human gene function and

control, and the functional relationships

between human genes and proteins; (4)

to characterize and exploit the genomes

and diversity of microbes with potential

relevance for energy, bioremediation, or

global climate; (5) to understand and

characterize the risks to human health

from exposures to low levels of

radiation; and (6) to anticipate and

address ethical, legal, and social

implications arising from genome

research.

Program Contact: (301) 903–5468.

(b) Medical Applications and

Measurement Science

The research is designed to develop

beneficial applications of nuclear and

other energy-related technologies for

medical diagnosis and treatment. The

research is directed at discovering new

applications of radiotracer agents for

medical research as well as for clinical

diagnosis and therapy. A major

emphasis is placed on application of the

latest concepts and developments in

genomics, structural biology,

computational biology, and

instrumentation. Much of the research

seeks breakthroughs in noninvasive

imaging technologies such as positron

emission tomography.

The measurement science activities

focus on research in the basic science of

chemistry, physics and engineering as

applied to bioengineering.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3213.

(c) Environmental Remediation

The research is primarily focused on

the fundamental biological, chemical,

geological, and physical processes that

must be understood for the development

and advancement of new, effective, and

efficient processes for the remediation

and restoration of the Nation’s nuclear

weapons production sites. Priorities of

this research are bioremediation and

operation of the William R. Wiley

Environmental Molecular Sciences

Laboratory (EMSL). Bioremediation

activities are centered on the Natural

and Accelerated Bioremediation

Research (NABIR) program, which

provides the fundamental science to

serve as the basis for development of

cost-effective bioremediation and longterm stewardship of radionuclides and

metals in the subsurface at DOE sites.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3281.

(d) Environmental Processes

The program seeks to understand the

basic physical, chemical, and biological

processes of the Earth’s atmosphere,

land, and oceans and how these

processes may be affected by energy

production and use. The research is

designed to provide data that will

enable an objective assessment of the

potential for and the consequences of

human-induced climate change at global

and regional scales. It also provides data

to enable assessments of mitigation

options to prevent such a change. The

program is comprehensive with an

emphasis on understanding and

simulating the radiation balance from

the surface of the Earth to the top of the

atmosphere (including the effect of

clouds, water vapor, trace gases, and

aerosols), on enhancing the quantitative

models necessary to predict possible

climate change at global and regional

scales, and on understanding ecological

effects of climate change.

The Climate Change Technology

(CCT) research seeks the understanding

necessary to exploit the biosphere’s

natural carbon cycling processes to

enhance the sequestration of carbon

dioxide in terrestrial systems and the

ocean, and to understand its potential

environmental implications. The CCT

includes research that can lead to the

development of approaches to reduce or

overcome the environmental and

biological factors or processes that limit

the sequestration of carbon in these

systems to enhance the net

sequestration of carbon. The research

includes studies on terrestrial and ocean

carbon sequestration and disposal,

including research to modify the carbon

sequestration capacity and rate by

marine and terrestrial organisms and to

understand the potential environmental

implications of designed enhancements

of carbon sequestration by terrestrial

systems, and impacts of purposeful CO2

injection in oceans.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3281.

6. Energy Research Analyses

This program supports energy

research analyses of the Department’s

basic and applied research activities.

Specific objectives include assessments

to identify any duplication or gaps in

scientific research activities, and

impartial and independent evaluations

of scientific and technical research

efforts. Consistent with these overall

objectives, this program conducts

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices 65685

numerous research studies to assess

directions in science and to identify and

assess new and improved approaches to

science management.

Program Contact: (202) 586–9942.

7. Experimental Program to Stimulate

Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

The objective of the EPSCoR program

is to enhance the capabilities of EPSCoR

states to conduct nationally competitive

energy-related research and to develop

science and engineering manpower to

meet current and future needs in

energy-related fields. This program

addresses basic research needs across all

of the Department of Energy research

interests. Research supported by the

EPSCoR program is concerned with the

same broad research areas addressed by

the Office of Science programs that are

described in this notice. The EPSCoR

program is restricted to applications,

which originate in twenty-one states

(Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii,

Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska,

Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,

Oklahoma, South Carolina, South

Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and

Wyoming) and the commonwealth of

Puerto Rico. It is anticipated that only

a limited number of new competitive

research grants will be awarded under

this program subject to the availability

of funds.

Program Contact: (301) 903–3427.

Issued in Washington, DC on: December

10, 2001.

John Rodney Clark,

Associate Director of Science for Resource

Management.

[FR Doc. 01–31351 Filed 12–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–02–U

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Nevada

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Nevada Test Site.

The Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. No. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770)

requires that public notice of these

meetings be announced in the Federal

Register.

DATES: Wednesday, January 9, 2002,

6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Grant Sawyer State Office

Building, 555 East Washington Avenue,

Room 4401, Las Vegas, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kevin Rohrer, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of Environmental

Management, P.O. Box 98518, Las

Vegas, Nevada 89193–8513, phone:

702–295–0197, fax: 702–295–5300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of

the Board: The purpose of the Advisory

Board is to make recommendations to

DOE and its regulators in the areas of

environmental restoration, waste

management, and related activities.

Tentative Agenda: 1. Focus on the

results of the recent peer review

conducted on the Nevada Test Site

Underground Test Area project strategy.

Members of the Peer Review Team will

be at the meeting to discuss their

approach to the review and will be

available to address question related to

the technical report.

Copies of the final agenda will be

available at the meeting.

Public Participation: The meeting is

open to the public. Written statements

may be filed with the Committee either

before or after the meeting. Individuals

who wish to make oral statements

pertaining to agenda items should

contact Kevin Rohrer, at the telephone

number listed above. Requests must be

received 5 days prior to the meeting and

reasonable provision will be made to

include the presentation in the agenda.

The Deputy Designated Federal Officer

is empowered to conduct the meeting in

a fashion that will facilitate the orderly

conduct of business. Each individual

wishing to make public comment will

be provided a maximum of five minutes

to present their comments.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting

will be available for public review and

copying at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190, Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20585 between

9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday–Friday,

except Federal holidays. Minutes will

also be available by writing to Kevin

Rohrer at the address listed above.

Issued at Washington, DC, on December 17,

2001.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 01–31348 Filed 12–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Fernald;

Open Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Fernald. The Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No.

92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that

public notice of these meetings be

announced in the Federal Register.

DATES: Saturday, January 12, 2002, 8:30

a.m.–12:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Public Environmental

Information Center 10995 HamiltonCleves Highway, Harrison, OH.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Doug Sarno, Phoenix Environmental,

6186 Old Franconia Road, Alexandria,

VA 22310, at (703) 971–0030 or (513)

648–6478, or e-mail;

djsarno@theperspectivesgroup.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of

the Board: The purpose of the Board is

to make recommendations to DOE in the

areas of environmental restoration,

waste management, and related

activities.

Tentative Agenda:

8:30 a.m., Call to Order

8:30–8:45 a.m., Chair’s Remarks and Ex

Officio Announcements

8:45–9:45 a.m., Current Remediation

Issues, Silos, Efficiency Efforts

9:45–10:00 a.m., Break

10:00–11:15 a.m., Budget and Priority

Issues for FY 2006 Planning

11:15–11:45 a.m., Update and Planning

for Public Records Feasibility Study

11:45–12:00 p.m., Public Comments

12:00 p.m., Adjourn

Public Participation: The meeting is

open to the public. Written statements

may be filed with the Board chair either

before or after the meeting. Individuals

who wish to make oral statements

pertaining to agenda items should

contact the Board chair at the address or

telephone number listed below.

Requests must be received five days

prior to the meeting and reasonable

provision will be made to include the

presentation in the agenda. The Deputy

Designated Federal Officer, Gary

Stegner, Public Affairs Office, Ohio

Field Office, U.S. Department of Energy,

is empowered to conduct the meeting in

a fashion that will facilitate the orderly

conduct of business. Each individual

wishing to make public comment will

be provided a maximum of five minutes

to present their comments.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting

will be available for public review and

copying at the Freedom of Information

Public Reading Room, 1E–190, Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW. Washington, DC, 20585 between

9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday–

Friday, except Federal holidays.