Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Notices 11183

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submission of

responses.

III. Current Action

This notice requests comments on the

extension of the ICR included in PTE

82–63. The Department is not proposing

or implementing changes to the existing

ICR at this time.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection of

information.

Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration, Department of Labor.

Titles: Prohibited Transaction Class

Exemption 82–63.

OMB Number: 1210–0062.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households; Business or other for-profit;

Not-for-profit institutions.

Respondents: 42,000.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Responses: 42,000.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,500.

Total Burden Cost (Operating and

Maintenance): $0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of the information collection

request; they will also become a matter

of public record.

Dated: February 15, 2001.

Gerald B. Lindrew,

Deputy Director, Office of Policy and

Research, Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration.

[FR Doc. 01–4409 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–29–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans’ Employment and Training

Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request: Federal Contractor

Veterans’ Employment Report VETS–

100

AGENCY: Veterans’ Employment and

Training Service, Labor.

ACTION: Extend current collection for

three years.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden,

conducts a pre-clearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506 C (2)(A)). This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed.

DATES: Comments are to be submitted by

April 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be

submitted to the Veterans’ Employment

and Training Service, U.S. Department

of Labor, Room S–1316, 200

Constitution Ave., NW., Washington,

DC 20210, telephone (202) 693–4701.

Written comments limited to 10 pages

or fewer may also be transmitted be

facsimile to (202) 693–4755. Receipt of

submissions, whether by U.S.mail, email or FAX transmittal, will not be

acknowledged; however, the sender may

request confirmation that a submission

has been received, by telephoning VETS

at (202) 693–4717 (VOICE) or (877) 670–

7008 (TY/TDD).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Ron

Bachman, Office of Operations and

Programs, Veterans’ Employment and

Training Service, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room S–1316, 200 Constitution

Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210,

telephone: (202) 693–4707. Copies of

the referenced information collection

request are available for inspection and

copying through VETS and will be

mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Ron Bachman at (202) 693–

4707.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Federal Contractor Veterans

Employment Report VETS–100 is

administered by the U.S. Department of

Labor, is used to facilitate Federal

contractor and subcontractor reporting

of their employment and new hiring

activity. Title 38 U.S.C., section 4212 (d)

was amended by the Veterans’

Employment Opportunities Act on

October 31, 1998, and now requires the

collection of information from entities

holding contracts of $25,000 or more

with Federal Departments or agencies to

report annually on (a) the number of

current employees in each job category

and at each hiring location who are

special disabled veterans, the number

who are veterans of the Vietnam era,

and the number who are other eligible

veterans who served on active duty

during a war or a campaign or

expedition for which a campaign badge

has been authorized; (b) the total

number of employees hiring during the

report period and of those, the number

of special disabled, the number who are

veterans of the Vietnam era, and the

number who are other veterans; and the

maximum and minimum number of

employees employed by the contractor

at each hiring location.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

Currently the Veterans’ Employment

and Training Service (VETS) is

soliciting comments concerning the

proposed information collection request

for the Federal Contractor Veterans’

Employment Report VETS–100. The

Department of Labor is particularly

interested in comments which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information;

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used.

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submissions

of responses.

III. Current Actions

This notice requests the Office of

Management and Budget approval for

the paperwork requirements for the

Federal Contractor Veterans’

Employment Report VETS–100.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Agency: Veterans’ Employment and

Training Service.

Title: Federal Contractor Veterans’

Report VETS–100.

OMB Number: 1293–0005.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit institutions and not-for-profit

institutions.

Total Respondents: 194,580.

Average Time per Response: 30

minutes.

Total Burden Hours: 97,290.

Total Annualized Capital/startup

costs: $0.

11184 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Notices

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and

included in the request for the Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request.

Comments will become a matter of

public record.

Dated: February 13, 2001.

Stanley Seidel,

First Assistant to the Secretary, Veterans’

Employment and Training Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4410 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–79–P

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 01–028]

National Environmental Policy Act;

Mars Exploration Rover-2003 Project

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement and to

conduct scoping for the Mars

Exploration Rover-2003 (MER–2003)

project.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.), the Council on Environmental

Quality Regulations for Implementing

the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40

CFR parts 1500–1508), and NASA’s

policy and procedures (14 CFR part

1216 subpart 1216.3), NASA intends to

conduct scoping and prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

for the proposed Mars Exploration

Rover-2003 (MER–2003) project. The

purpose of this project would be to

place two mobile science laboratories

(rovers) on the surface of Mars to

remotely conduct geological

investigations, and to characterize a

diversity of rocks and soils, which may

hold clues to past water activity.

The MER–2003 project involves two

launches in 2003 of identical MER–2003

spacecraft (the MER–A mission and

MER–B mission) from Cape Canaveral

Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida. The

MER–A launch aboard a Delta II launch

system would occur during May or June

2003. The MER–B launch would occur

during June or July 2003, also aboard a

Delta II launch system. Potential

environmental impacts to be considered

are those potential impacts associated

with normal launches from CCAFS, and

radiological and non-radiological risks

associated with launch accidents. Each

rover and its associated lander in

combination (lander-rover) may require

the use of up to 11 Radioisotope Heater

Units (RHUs) for temperature control

and small quantities of curium-244 and

cobalt-57 for scientific instrumentation.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to

submit comments on environmental

concerns in writing on or before April

9, 2001, to assure full consideration

during the scoping process.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to Mr. David Lavery, NASA

Headquarters, Code SD, Washington, DC

20546–0001. While hardcopy comments

are preferred, comments may be sent by

electronic mail to:

marsnepa@hq.nasa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Lavery, 202–358–4800 or by

electronic mail at

marsnepa@hq.nasa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NASA

proposes to launch the MER–2003

spacecraft (MER–A and MER–B) in 2003

to gather scientific data on the

geological characteristics of the Martian

surface environment in pursuit of

NASA’s goal of understanding Mars in

terms of whether or not life exists or has

ever existed on the planet. The MER–

2003 project would help NASA ensure

continuity of its overall Mars

exploration efforts.

The proposed first launch of the

MER–A mission would take place

during May or June 2003 from CCAFS.

A Delta II launch system would be

employed to launch the spacecraft on its

trajectory to Mars, with an arrival in

January 2004. The Delta II launch

system would include nine graphite

epoxy strap-on solid rocket motors, a

liquid bi-propellant first stage, a liquid

bi-propellant restartable second stage,

and a solid propellant STAR–48B third

stage. The MER–B mission would be

launched from CCAFS during June or

July 2003 using a Delta II launch system,

with an arrival at Mars in February

2004.

Each MER–2003 spacecraft would

consist of a cruise stage and an entry,

descent, and landing (EDL) system

which would include an aeroshell,

backshell, parachute, and airbags. A

lander containing a large rover would be

enclosed within the EDL system. The

primary function of the EDL system

would be to convey its lander-rover

safely to the surface of the planet. Each

rover would weigh up to approximately

153 kilograms (about 337 pounds). Each

rover would carry all science

instruments and communications

equipment for transmitting to and

receiving data from Earth, either by

using an existing Mars orbiting

spacecraft or by communicating directly

with Earth.

Each rover would be equipped with a

number of scientific instruments,

including: a stereo panoramic camera, a

miniature thermal emission

spectrometer, a magnetic target array, a

Moe ̈ssbauer spectrometer, a microscopic

surface imager, an alpha-particle X-ray

spectrometer (APXS), and a rock

abrasion tool. These instruments would

be employed to characterize the

chemical and geological nature of the

landing site and surrounding area, and

to provide images for transmission to

Earth. Each rover would be designed to

function a minimum of 90 sols (1 sol =

1 Martian day = 24 hours, 37 minutes

or 1.026 Earth days). The Moe ̈ssbauer

spectrometer and the APXS both would

employ small amounts of radioactive

materials as instrument sources. The

Moe ̈ssbauer spectrometer would utilize

up to 1.30 × 1010 becquerels (Bq) (350

millicuries (mCi)) of cobalt-57. The

APXS would use up to 1.85 × 109 Bq (50

mCi) of curium-244. Radioisotope

Heater Units (RHUs) would be used on

each rover to support survival of science

instruments and electronics in the low

temperatures on Mars. RHUs may also

be required on each lander for thermal

control during cruise. Each RHU

contains approximately 2.7 grams (about

0.1 ounce) of plutonium dioxide to

generate heat. A total of up to eleven

RHUs may be required on-board each

lander-rover. The inventory of

plutonium dioxide on-board each

lander-rover could total up to 29.7

grams (1.1 ounces) with a total activity

of about 13.5 × 1012 Bq (approximately

365 curies (Ci)).

The proposed MER–2003 missions

would employ a technique similar to

that demonstrated by the 1996 Mars

Pathfinder mission to ensure a safe

landing on the surface of Mars. This

technique would employ a heat shield,

small solid retro-rockets, and a

parachute to decelerate the lander as it

passes through the Martian atmosphere.

A system of airbags would then be used

to cushion and protect the lander upon

contact with the Martian surface. Once

each lander comes to rest the airbags

would deflate and the lander petals

would unfold. Each rover would then

drive off of its lander platform and begin

exploring the landing site. NASA has

not selected specific landing sites yet

but is currently considering potential

sites between 15 degrees South to 5

degrees North for the MER–A mission,

and between 15 degrees South and 15

degrees North for the MER–B mission.

This EIS will address the purpose and

need for the proposed MER–2003

project in detail and the environmental

impacts associated with its

implementation. The environmental