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Code · REGISTER · 2007-09-05 · Department of the Air Force, DOD · Notices

Notices. Record of Decision

26,107 words·~119 min read·/register/2007/09/05/07-4350

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

BILLING CODE 5001-06-M DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Air Force Special Operations Command Assets Beddown, Cannon Air Force Base, NM AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DOD. ACTION: Record of Decision. SUMMARY: On August 20, 2007, the United States Air Force signed the Record of Decision
(ROD)for the Air Force Special Operations Command Assets Beddown at Cannon Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico. The ROD states the Air Force decision to implement the Preferred Alternative (East West Airfield Alternative at Cannon AFB, the Two Target Alternative at Melrose Air Force Range, and the use of Cannon scheduled airspace). The decision was based on matters discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), inputs from the public and regulatory agencies, and other relevant factors. The Final EIS was made available on July 20, 2007 in the **Federal Register** (Volume 72, Number 139, Page 39808) with a wait period ending August 20, 2007. The ROD documents only the decision of the Air Force with respect to the proposed Air Force actions analyzed in the Final EIS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Carl T. Hoffman, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command/A7PP, Hurlburt Field, FL, 32544-5434 or call
(850)884-5984. Bao-Anh Trinh, Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7-17515 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001-05-P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Virginia Capes Range Complex and Notice of Request for Public Scoping Comments AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that the Department of the Navy is expanding the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Range Complex Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) area of consideration and to invite the public to provide comments for consideration during preparation of the EIS/OEIS. Since the December 2006 EIS/OEIS scoping notice [FR 71143], potential shallow water inert mine warfare training areas have been identified in the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay, south of latitude 37° 25′N. The proposed training areas would consist of instrumented shapes placed temporarily for training purposes. Each of the two proposed training areas would be approximately one by four square nautical miles in area. Training in these mine warfare areas would not involve use of active sonar. Arrangement could vary periodically and location within the proposed training areas would vary depending on operational requirements; however shipping lanes will be avoided. Divers will be required to perform periodic maintenance and replacement of the instrumented shapes. Scoping comments previously submitted following publication of the December 2006 Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/OEIS for the VACAPES Range Complex are still valid and need not be resubmitted. The Navy encourages additional comments or concerns on the expanded area of consideration. VACAPES Range Complex requirements, additional EIS/OEIS information, proposed action background, alternatives, environmental considerations, and public participation inputs can be found at *http://www.vacapesrangecomplexeis.com.* More detailed information regarding this notice of intent can be found on the project Web site. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Erin Swiader, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278; telephone: 757-322-4960. You may submit written comments to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23508-1278, Attn: Code EV22 (VACAPES Range Complex EIS PM), facsimile: 757-322-4894. Comments will be accepted via mail, fax, and on the Web site at *http://www.vacapesrangecomplexeis.com* until September 30, 2007. Dated: August 30, 2007. T.M. Cruz, Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7-17521 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Meetings of the Naval Research Advisory Committee AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. ACTION: Notice of Closed Meetings. SUMMARY: The Naval Research Advisory Committee
(NRAC)will meet to discuss classified information from government organizations and proprietary information from commercial organizations. All sessions of the September 26 Plenary Session will be devoted to briefings and discussions focusing on emerging threats posed by potential adversaries, the exploitation of physical vulnerabilities and the tactical applications of known and emerging technologies. These sessions will also include proprietary information regarding technology applications and systems under development in the private sector between competing companies. In addition, these sessions will focus on the assessment of the emerging concepts of operations in each of these areas and evaluate appropriate options in such areas as: Training, S&T funding allocation, technology monitoring, and progress assessments; and probable time frames for transformation and implementation. Furthermore, these sessions will identify, review, and assess challenges with the utilization and fielding of various technology applications. All sessions on September 27 will be open to the public except for the meeting period from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. dealing with the security and counterintelligence briefing which will involve discussions of security policies and procedures classified at the SECRET level. DATES: The Fall Meetings will be held on Wednesday, September 26, and Thursday, September 27. The sessions open to the public will be on Thursday morning, September 27 at the Pentagon auditorium from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and on Thursday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The security and counterintelligence briefing on the afternoon of September 27 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and all sessions of September 26 will be closed to the public. ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Pentagon auditorium and the Headquarters, Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William H. Ellis, Jr., Program Director, Naval Research Advisory Committee, 875 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203-1995, 703-696-5775. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2). All sessions of the first day of the meeting will be devoted to executive sessions that will include discussions and technical examination of information related to the application of research and development to current and projected Navy and Marine Corps issues. Briefings classified at the SECRET level from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) and high level Navy and Marine Corps officers are scheduled to provide candid assessments of threats, countermeasures and current and projected issues. All sessions of the second day of the meeting will be open to the public, with the exception of one session from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. devoted to a security and counterintelligence briefing for new members of the committee. This security and counterintelligence briefing has been developed in its entirety for new members of the NRAC, and will outline security policies and procedures as they apply to the NRAC member. These briefings and discussions will contain proprietary information and information classified at the SECRET level that is specifically authorized under criteria established by Executive Order to be kept SECRET in the interest of national defense and is in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive Order. The proprietary, classified and non-classified matters to be discussed are so inextricably intertwined as to preclude opening these sessions of the meeting. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. App. 2, section 10(d), the Secretary of the Navy has determined in writing that the public interest requires that these sessions of the meetings be closed to the public because they will be concerned with matters listed in 5 U.S.C. section 552b(c)(1) and (4). Dated: August 29, 2007. T.M. Cruz, Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7-17508 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Patent License to Annapolis Remote Acquisitions, LLC AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy hereby gives notice of its intent to grant to Annapolis Remote Acquisitions, LLC, a revocable, non-assignable, partially exclusive license to practice throughout the United States the Government-owned inventions described in U.S. Patent No. 6,717,525, TACTICAL VECTORING EQUIPMENT; U.S. Patent No. 6,820,025, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOTION TRACKING OF AN ARTICULATED RIGID BODY; U.S. Patent No. 6,980,168, ULTRA-WIDEBAND ANTENNA WITH WAVE DRIVER AND BEAM SHAPER; U.S. Patent No. 7,089,148, METHOD AND APPRATUS FOR MOTION TRACKING OF AN ARTICULATED RIGID BODY; and U.S. Patent No. 7,154,431, SIGNAL SYNTHESIZER AND METHOD THEREFOR. DATES: Anyone wishing to object to the grant of this license has fifteen
(15)days from the date of this notice to file written objections along with supporting evidence, if any. ADDRESSES: Written objections are to be filed with the President, Naval Postgraduate School; Office of Counsel, Code 00C, 1 University Circle, Room 131, Monterey, CA 93943. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danielle Kuska, Director, Research and Sponsored Programs Office, Office of the Associate Provost and Dean of Research; Halligan Hall, Room 222; Naval Postgraduate School; Monterey, CA 93943-5138; telephone: 831-656-2209 or e-mail: *dkuska@nps.edu.* (Authority: 35 U.S.C. 207, 37 CFR Part 404) Dated: August 29, 2007. T.M. Cruz, Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E7-17510 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad
(DDRA)Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY)2008 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA)Number: 84.022A. *Dates: * Applications Available: September 5, 2007. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 5, 2007. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description *Purpose of Program:* The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program provides opportunities to doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States. *Priorities:* In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 662.21(d)). *Absolute Priority:* For FY 2008 this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: A research project that focuses on one or more of the following geographic areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Near East, East Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the United States and its territories). Please note that applications that propose projects focused on Western Europe are not eligible. *Competitive Preference Priority:* Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address the following priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR 662.21(d) we award an additional five
(5)points to an application that meets this priority. This priority is: A research project that utilizes one or more of the following critical languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, as well as Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families. Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6). *Applicable Regulations:*
(a)The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
(b)The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 662. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to Institutions of Higher Education
(IHEs)only. II. Award Information *Type of Award:* Discretionary grants redistributed as fellowships to individual beneficiaries. As part of its FY 2008 budget request, the Administration proposed to continue to allow funds to be used to support the applications of individuals who plan both to utilize their language skills in world areas vital to the United States national security and to apply their language skills and knowledge of these countries in the fields of government, international development, and various professions. Therefore, students planning to apply their language skills in such fields are eligible to apply for this program, in addition to those planning teaching careers. However, authority to use funds in this manner depends on final Congressional action. Applicants will be given an opportunity to amend their applications if such authority is not provided. *Estimated Available Funds:* The Administration has requested $4,400,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2008. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. *Estimated Range of Fellowship Awards:* $15,000-$60,000. *Estimated Average Size of Fellowship Awards:* $37,000. *Estimated Number of Fellowship Awards:* 118. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. *Project Period:* The institutional project period is 18 months beginning July 1, 2008. Students may request funding for a period of no less than six months nor more than twelve months. III. Eligibility Information 1. *Eligible Applicants:* IHEs. As part of the application process, students submit individual applications to the IHE. The IHE then officially submits all eligible individual student applications with its grant application to the Department. 2. *Cost Sharing or Matching:* This program does not require cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. *Address To Request Application Package:* Both IHEs and student applicants can obtain an application package via the Internet. To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: *http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap/index.html.* IHEs and student applicants may also obtain a copy of the application package by contacting Carla White, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202)502-7700 or by e-mail: *ddra@ed.gov.* If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. 2. *Content and Form of Application Submission:* Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program. *Page Limit:* The application narrative is where the student applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate the application. The student applicant must limit the application narrative to 10 pages and the bibliography to two
(2)pages, using the following standards: • A “page” is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative. However, student applicants may single space all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, titles, headings, footnotes, endnotes, quotations, bibliography, and captions. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). • Student applicants may use a 10 point font in charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes. However, these items are considered part of the narrative and counted within the 10 page limit. • Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. The page limit only applies to the application narrative and bibliography. However, student applicants must include their complete responses to the selection criteria in the application narrative. We will reject a student applicant's application if the student applicant exceeds the page limits. 3. *Submission Dates and Times:* Applications Available: September 5, 2007. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 5, 2007. Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. Please note that the application availability date for this competition is September 5, 2007. The application will not be available on the e-Application system until September 5, 2007. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit an IHE's application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to Section IV.6. *Other Submission Requirements* in this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. 4. *Intergovernmental Review:* This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 5. *Funding Restrictions:* We specify allowable costs in 34 CFR part 662. We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice. 6. *Other Submission Requirements:* Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically, unless an IHE qualifies for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section. a. Electronic Submission of Applications Applications for grants under the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program, CFDA Number 84.022A, must be submitted electronically using e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: *http://e-grants.ed.gov.* We will reject an application if an IHE submits it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, the IHE qualifies for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement *and* submits, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that the IHE qualifies for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under *Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.* While completing the electronic application, both the IHE and the student applicant will be entering data online that will be saved into a database. Neither the IHE nor the student applicant may e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. Please note the following: • The process for submitting applications electronically under the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program has several parts. The following is a brief summary of the process; however, all applicants should review and follow the detailed description of the application process that is contained in the application package. In summary, the major parts are as follows:
(1)IHEs must e-mail the following information to *ddra@ed.gov:* Name of university, and full name and e-mail address of potential project director. We recommend that applicant IHEs submit this information as soon as possible to ensure that applicant IHEs obtain access to the e-Application system well before the application deadline date. We suggest that applicant IHEs send this information no later than August 29, 2007, in order to facilitate timely submission of their applications;
(2)Students must complete their individual applications and submit them to their IHE's project director using e-Application;
(3)Persons providing references for individual students must complete and submit reference forms for the students and submit them to the IHE's project director using e-Application; and 4) The IHE's project director must officially submit the IHE's application, which must include all eligible individual student applications, reference forms, and other required forms, using e-Application. Student transcripts, however, must be mailed or hand delivered to the Department on or before the application deadline date using the applicable mail or hand delivery instructions for paper applications in this notice. • The IHE must complete the electronic submission of the grant application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application for this program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that both the IHE and the student applicant not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process. • The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site. • Student applicants will not receive additional point value because the student submits his or her application in electronic format, nor will we penalize the IHE or student applicant if the applicant qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submits an application in paper format. • IHEs must submit all documents, except for student transcripts, electronically, including the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Supplement to the SF 424, and all necessary assurances and certifications. Both IHEs and student applicants must attach any narrative sections of the application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If an IHE or a student applicant uploads a file type other than the three file types specified above or submits a password protected file, we will not review that material. • Student transcripts must be mailed or hand delivered to the Department on or before the application deadline date in accordance with the applicable mail or hand delivery instructions for paper applications described in this notice. • Both the IHE's and the student applicant's electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice. • Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may wish to print a copy of it for your records. • After the individual student applicant electronically submits his or her application to the student's IHE, the student will receive an automatic acknowledgment. In addition, the applicant IHE's Project Director will receive a copy of this acknowledgment by email. After a person submits a reference electronically, he or she will receive an online confirmation. After the applicant IHE submits its application, including all eligible individual student applications, to the Department, the applicant IHE will receive an automatic acknowledgment, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to the IHE's application). • Within three working days after submitting the IHE's electronic application, the IHE must fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control Center after following these steps:
(1)Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2)The applicant IHE's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3)Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4)Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202)245-6272 We may request that you provide us original signatures on the SF 424 and other forms at a later date. *Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System Unavailability:* If an IHE is prevented from electronically submitting its application on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant the IHE an extension of one business day to enable the IHE to transmit its application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if—
(1)The IHE is a registered user of e-Application and the IHE has initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(a)The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date; or
(b)The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability before granting the IHE an extension. To request this extension or to confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, an IHE may contact either
(1)the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or
(2)the e-Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. *Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement:* An IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit its application in paper format, if the IHE is unable to submit an application through the e-Application system because— • The IHE or a student applicant does not have access to the Internet; or • the IHE or a student applicant does not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Department's e-Application system; *and* • No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), the IHE mails or faxes a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent the IHE from using the Internet to submit its application. If an IHE mails a written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If an IHE faxes its written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. Address and mail or fax this statement to: Carla White, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K. Street, NW., Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. FAX:
(202)502-7860. The IHE's paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail If an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, the IHE may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) its application to the Department. The IHE must mail the original and two copies of the application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: *By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:* U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.022A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or *By mail through a commercial carrier:* U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center—Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.022A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506. Regardless of which address the IHE uses, the IHE must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1)A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2)A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service,
(3)A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier, or
(4)Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If the IHE mails its application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1)A private metered postmark, or
(2)A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. If the IHE's application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider its application. Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, the IHE should check with its local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery If an IHE qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, the IHE (or a courier service) may deliver its paper application to the Department by hand. The IHE must deliver the original and two copies of the application, by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.022A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If an IHE mails or hand delivers its application to the Department:
(1)The IHE must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, and suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which the IHE is submitting its application.
(2)The Application Control Center will mail a grant application receipt acknowledgment to the IHE. If the IHE does not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the application deadline date, the IHE should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at
(202)245-6288. V. Application Review Information Student applications are divided into seven categories based on the world area focus of their research projects, as described in the absolute priority listed in this notice. Language and area studies experts in seven discrete world area-based panels will review the student applications. Each panel reviews, scores and ranks its applications separately from the applications assigned to the other world area panels. However, all fellowship applications will be ranked together from the highest to lowest score for funding purposes. *Selection Criteria:* The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 662.21 and are listed in the following paragraphs. The maximum score for all of the criteria, including the competitive preference priority, is 105 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. *Quality of proposed project* (60 points): In determining the quality of the research project proposed by the applicant, the Secretary considers:
(1)The statement of the major hypotheses to be tested or questions to be examined, and the description and justification of the research methods to be used (10 points);
(2)the relationship of the research to the literature on the topic and to major theoretical issues in the field, and the project's originality and importance in terms of the concerns of the discipline (10 points);
(3)the preliminary research already completed in the United States and overseas or plans for such research prior to going overseas, and the kinds, quality and availability of data for the research in the host country or countries (10 points);
(4)the justification for overseas field research and preparations to establish appropriate and sufficient research contacts and affiliations abroad (10 points);
(5)the applicant's plans to share the results of the research in progress and a copy of the dissertation with scholars and officials of the host country or countries (10 points); and
(6)the guidance and supervision of the dissertation advisor or committee at all stages of the project, including guidance in developing the project, understanding research conditions abroad, and acquainting the applicant with research in the field (10 points). *Qualifications of the applicant* (40 points): In determining the qualifications of the applicant, the Secretary considers
(1)the overall strength of the applicant's graduate academic record (10 points);
(2)the extent to which the applicant's academic record demonstrates strength in area studies relevant to the proposed project (10 points);
(3)the applicant's proficiency in one or more of the languages (other than English and the applicant's native language) of the country or countries of research, and the specific measures to be taken to overcome any anticipated language barriers (15 points); and
(4)the applicant's ability to conduct research in a foreign cultural context, as evidenced by the applicant's references or previous overseas experience, or both (5 points). VI. Award Administration Information 1. *Award Notices:* If a student application is successful, we notify the IHE's U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send the IHE a Grant Award Notice (GAN). We may notify the IHE informally, also. If a student application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify the IHE. 2. *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:* We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates its approved application as part of its binding commitments under the grant. 3. *Reporting:* At the end of the project period, the IHE must submit a final performance report, including the final reports of all of the IHE's fellows, and financial information, as directed by the Secretary. The IHE and fellows are required to use the electronic reporting system International Resource Information System
(IRIS)to complete the final report. 4. *Performance Measures:* The objective of the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program is to maintain a U.S. higher education system able to produce experts in less commonly taught languages and area studies who are capable of contributing to the needs of the U.S. government, academic, and business institutions. The following performance measure has been developed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the DDRA program—the improvement of language proficiency of fellows. All grantees will be expected to provide documentation of the improved language proficiency of the fellows through the IRIS system. Reporting screens for institutions and fellows may be viewed at: *http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_fellow.pdf. http://www.ieps-iris.org/iris/pdfs/DDRA_director.pdf.* VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carla White, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202)502-7700 or by e-mail: *ddra@ed.gov.* If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free at 1-800-877-8339. VIII. Other Information *Alternative Format:* Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. *Electronic Access to This Document:* You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the **Federal Register** , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format
(PDF)on the Internet at the following site: *http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.* To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at
(202)512-1530. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the **Federal Register** . Free Internet access to the official edition of the **Federal Register** and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: *http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html* . Dated: August 30, 2007. Diane Auer Jones, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. E7-17526 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; State Personnel Development Grants Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY)2008 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA)Number: 84.323A. *Dates:* Applications Available: September 5, 2007. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 3, 2008. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 3, 2008. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description *Purpose of Program:* The purpose of this program is to assist State educational agencies
(SEAs)in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, educational, and transition services in order to improve results for children with disabilities. *Priority:* This priority is from the notice of final priority for this program, published in the **Federal Register** on June 9, 2006 (71 FR 33578). *Absolute Priority:* For FY 2008 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: *Priority:* The Assistant Secretary establishes a priority to assist SEAs in reforming and improving their personnel preparation and professional development systems for teachers, principals, administrators, related services personnel, paraprofessionals, and early intervention personnel. The intent of this priority is to improve educational results for children with disabilities through the delivery of high quality instruction and the recruitment, hiring, and retention of highly qualified special education teachers. In order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that the project for which it seeks funding—
(1)Provides professional development activities that improve the knowledge and skills of personnel as defined in section 651(b) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)in delivering scientifically-based instruction to meet the needs of, and improve the performance and achievement of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities;
(2)Implements practices to sustain the knowledge and skills of personnel who have received training in scientifically-based instruction; and
(3)Implements strategies that are effective in promoting the recruitment, hiring, and retention of highly qualified special education teachers in accordance with section 602(10) and section 612(a)(14) of IDEA. Projects funded under this priority must also:
(a)Budget for a three-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year of the project;
(b)Budget $4,000 annually for support of the State Personnel Development Grants Program Web site currently administered by the University of Oregon ( *http://www.signetwork.org* ); and
(c)If a project receiving assistance under this program authority maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a form that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility. Statutory Requirements State Personnel Development Plan Applicants must submit a State Personnel Development Plan that identifies and addresses the State and local needs for personnel preparation and professional development of personnel, as well as individuals who provide direct supplementary aids and services to children with disabilities, and that—
(a)Is designed to enable the State to meet the requirements of section 612(a)(14) and section 635(a)(8) and
(9)of IDEA;
(b)Is based on an assessment of State and local needs that identifies critical aspects and areas in need of improvement related to the preparation, ongoing training, and professional development of personnel who serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities within the State, including—
(i)Current and anticipated personnel vacancies and shortages; and
(ii)The number of preservice and inservice programs;
(c)Is integrated and aligned, to the maximum extent possible, with State plans and activities under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA);
(d)Describes a partnership agreement that is in effect for the period of the grant, which agreement shall specify—
(i)The nature and extent of the partnership described in accordance with section 652(b) of IDEA and the respective roles of each member of the partnership, including, if applicable, an individual, entity, or agency other than the SEA that has the responsibility under State law for teacher preparation and certification; and
(ii)How the SEA will work with other persons and organizations involved in, and concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including the respective roles of each of the persons and organizations;
(e)Describes how the strategies and activities the SEA uses to address identified professional development and personnel needs will be coordinated with activities supported with other public resources (including funds provided under Part B and Part C of IDEA and retained for use at the State level for personnel and professional development purposes) and private resources;
(f)Describes how the SEA will align its personnel development plan with the plan and application submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of the ESEA;
(g)Describes those strategies the SEA will use to address the identified professional development and personnel needs and how such strategies will be implemented, including—
(i)A description of the programs and activities that will provide personnel with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of, and improve the performance and achievement of, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities; and
(ii)How such strategies will be integrated, to the maximum extent possible, with other activities supported by grants funded under section 662 of IDEA;
(h)Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical assistance to local educational agencies
(LEAs)to improve the quality of professional development available to meet the needs of personnel who serve children with disabilities;
(i)Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical assistance to entities that provide services to infants and toddlers with disabilities to improve the quality of professional development available to meet the needs of personnel serving those children;
(j)Describes how the SEA will recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and other qualified personnel in geographic areas of greatest need;
(k)Describes the steps the SEA will take to ensure that economically disadvantaged and minority children are not taught at higher rates by teachers who are not highly qualified; and
(l)Describes how the SEA will assess, on a regular basis, the extent to which the strategies implemented have been effective in meeting the performance goals described in section 612(a)(15) of IDEA. Partnerships Required Partners Applicants shall establish a partnership with LEAs and other State agencies involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including—
(a)Not less than one institution of higher education; and
(b)The State agencies responsible for administering Part C of IDEA, early education, child care, and vocational rehabilitation programs. Other Partners An SEA shall work in partnership with other persons and organizations involved in, and concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, which may include—
(a)The Governor;
(b)Parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;
(c)Parents of nondisabled children ages birth through 26;
(d)Individuals with disabilities;
(e)Parent training and information centers or community parent resource centers funded under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA, respectively;
(f)Community-based and other nonprofit organizations involved in the education and employment of individuals with disabilities;
(g)Personnel as defined in section 651(b) of IDEA;
(h)The State advisory panel established under Part B of IDEA;
(i)The State interagency coordinating council established under Part C of IDEA;
(j)Individuals knowledgeable about vocational education;
(k)The State agency for higher education;
(l)Noneducational public agencies with jurisdiction in the areas of health, mental health, social services, and juvenile justice;
(m)Other providers of professional development who work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities;
(n)Other individuals; and
(o)In cases where the SEA is not responsible for teacher certification, an individual, entity, or agency responsible for teacher certification as defined in section 652(b)(3) of IDEA. Use of Funds
(a)*Professional Development Activities* —Consistent with the absolute priority announced in this notice, each SEA that receives a State Personnel Development Grant under this program shall use the grant funds to support activities in accordance with the State's Personnel Development Plan, including one or more of the following:
(1)Carrying out programs that provide support to both special education and regular education teachers of children with disabilities and principals, such as programs that—
(i)Provide teacher mentoring, team teaching, reduced class schedules and case loads, and intensive professional development;
(ii)Use standards or assessments for guiding beginning teachers that are consistent with challenging State student academic achievement and functional standards and with the requirements for professional development, as defined in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(iii)Encourage collaborative and consultative models of providing early intervention, special education, and related services.
(2)Encouraging and supporting the training of special education and regular education teachers and administrators to effectively use and integrate technology—
(i)Into curricula and instruction, including training to improve the ability to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching, decision-making, school improvement efforts, and accountability;
(ii)To enhance learning by children with disabilities; and
(iii)To effectively communicate with parents.
(3)Providing professional development activities that—
(i)Improve the knowledge of special education and regular education teachers concerning—
(A)The academic and developmental or functional needs of students with disabilities; or
(B)Effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and the use of State academic content standards and student academic achievement and functional standards, and State assessments, to improve teaching practices and student academic achievement;
(ii)Improve the knowledge of special education and regular education teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, concerning effective instructional practices, that—
(A)Provide training in how to teach and address the needs of children with different learning styles and children who are limited English proficient;
(B)Involve collaborative groups of teachers, administrators, and, in appropriate cases, related services personnel;
(C)Provide training in methods of—
(I)Positive behavioral interventions and supports to improve student behavior in the classroom;
(II)Scientifically based reading instruction, including early literacy instruction;
(III)Early and appropriate interventions to identify and help children with disabilities;
(IV)Effective instruction for children with low incidence disabilities;
(V)Successful transitioning to postsecondary opportunities; and
(VI)Classroom-based techniques to assist children prior to referral for special education;
(D)Provide training to enable personnel to work with and involve parents in their child's education, including parents of low income and limited English proficient children with disabilities;
(E)Provide training for special education personnel and regular education personnel in planning, developing, and implementing effective and appropriate individualized education programs (IEPs); and
(F)Provide training to meet the needs of students with significant health, mobility, or behavioral needs prior to serving those students;
(iii)Train administrators, principals, and other relevant school personnel in conducting effective IEP meetings; and
(iv)Train early intervention, preschool, and related services providers, and other relevant school personnel, in conducting effective individualized family service plan
(IFSP)meetings.
(4)Developing and implementing initiatives to promote the recruitment and retention of highly qualified special education teachers, particularly initiatives that have been proven effective in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including programs that provide—
(i)Teacher mentoring from exemplary special education teachers, principals, or superintendents;
(ii)Induction and support for special education teachers during their first three years of employment as teachers; or
(iii)Incentives, including financial incentives, to retain special education teachers who have a record of success in helping students with disabilities.
(5)Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of personnel who serve children with disabilities, such as—
(i)Innovative professional development programs (which may be provided through partnerships that include institutions of higher education), including programs that train teachers and principals to integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve teaching, learning, and technology literacy, which professional development shall be consistent with the definition of professional development in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(ii)The development and use of proven, cost effective strategies for the implementation of professional development activities, such as through the use of technology and distance learning.
(6)Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of early intervention personnel, including paraprofessionals and primary referral sources, such as—
(i)Professional development programs to improve the delivery of early intervention services;
(ii)Initiatives to promote the recruitment and retention of early intervention personnel; and
(iii)Interagency activities to ensure that early intervention personnel are adequately prepared and trained.
(b)*Other Activities* —Consistent with the absolute priority announced in this notice, each SEA that receives a State Personnel Development Grant under this program shall use the grant funds to support activities in accordance with the State's Personnel Development Plan, including one or more of the following:
(1)Reforming special education and regular education teacher certification (including recertification) or licensing requirements to ensure that—
(i)Special education and regular education teachers have—
(A)The training and information necessary to address the full range of needs of children with disabilities across disability categories; and
(B)The necessary subject matter knowledge and teaching skills in the academic subjects that the teachers teach;
(ii)Special education and regular education teacher certification (including recertification) or licensing requirements are aligned with challenging State academic content standards; and
(iii)Special education and regular education teachers have the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills, including technology literacy, necessary to help students with disabilities meet challenging State student academic achievement and functional standards.
(2)Programs that establish, expand, or improve alternative routes for State certification of special education teachers for highly qualified individuals with a baccalaureate or master's degree, including mid-career professionals from other occupations, paraprofessionals, and recent college or university graduates with records of academic distinction who demonstrate the potential to become highly effective special education teachers.
(3)Teacher advancement initiatives for special education teachers that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths (such as paths to becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.
(4)Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist LEAs and schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified special education teachers.
(5)Reforming tenure systems, implementing teacher testing for subject matter knowledge, and implementing teacher testing for State certification or licensing, consistent with Title II of the HEA.
(6)Funding projects to promote reciprocity of teacher certification or licensing between or among States for special education teachers, except that no reciprocity agreement developed under this priority may lead to the weakening of any State teacher certification or licensing requirement.
(7)Assisting LEAs to serve children with disabilities through the development and use of proven, innovative strategies to deliver intensive professional development programs that are both cost effective and easily accessible, such as strategies that involve delivery through the use of technology, peer networks, and distance learning.
(8)Developing, or assisting LEAs in developing, merit based performance systems, and strategies that provide differential and bonus pay for special education teachers.
(9)Supporting activities that ensure that teachers are able to use challenging State academic content standards and student academic achievement and functional standards, and State assessments for all children with disabilities, to improve instructional practices and improve the academic achievement of children with disabilities.
(10)When applicable, coordinating with, and expanding centers established under, section 2113(c)(18) of the ESEA to benefit special education teachers.
(c)*Contracts and Subgrants* —An SEA that receives a grant under this program—
(1)Shall award contracts or subgrants to LEAs, institutions of higher education, parent training and information centers, or community parent resource centers, as appropriate, to carry out the State plan; and
(2)May award contracts and subgrants to other public and private entities, including the lead agency under Part C of IDEA, to carry out the State plan.
(d)*Use of Funds for Professional Development* —An SEA that receives a grant under this program shall use—
(1)Not less than 90 percent of the funds the SEA receives under the grant for any fiscal year for the Professional Development Activities described in paragraph (a); and
(2)Not more than 10 percent of the funds the SEA receives under the grant for any fiscal year for the Other Activities described in paragraph (b).
(e)*Grants to Outlying Areas* —Public Law 95-134, permitting the consolidation of grants to the outlying areas, shall not apply to funds received under this program authority. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451 through 1455. *Applicable Regulations:*
(a)EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
(b)The notice of final priority for this program published in the **Federal Register** on June 9, 2006 (71 FR 33578). Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. II. Award Information *Type of Award:* Discretionary grants. *Estimated Available Funds:* The Administration's budget request for FY 2008 does not include funds for this program. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2009 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition. *Estimated Range of Awards:* $500,000—$4,000,000 (for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In the case of an outlying area awards will be not less than $80,000. *Maximum Award:* We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $4,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the **Federal Register** . Note: We will set the amount of each award after considering—
(1)The amount of funds available for making the grants;
(2)The relative population of the State or outlying area;
(3)The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;
(4)The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of IDEA;
(5)The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of the ESEA; and
(6)The use, as appropriate, of scientifically-based research and instruction. *Estimated Average Size of Awards:* $959,400, excluding outlying areas. *Estimated Number of Awards:* 5. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. *Project Period:* Not less than one year and not more than five years. III. Eligibility Information 1. *Eligible Applicants:* An SEA of one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or an outlying area (United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Current State Program Improvement Grant grantees with multi-year awards who wish to apply for a grant under the State Personnel Development Grants Program may do so, subject to section 651(e) of IDEA, which prohibits a State requesting a continuation award under the State Improvement Grant Program, as in effect prior to December 3, 2004, from receiving any other award under this program authority for that fiscal year. 2. *Cost Sharing or Matching:* This competition does not require cost sharing or matching. 3. *Other: General Requirements* —The projects funded under this competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. *Address to Request Application Package:* Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX:
(301)470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734. You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: *http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html* or at its e-mail address: *edpubs@inet.ed.gov.* If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.323A. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under *Alternate Format* in section VIII in this notice. 2. *Content and Form of Application Submission:* Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the package for this competition. *Page Limit:* The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 100 pages, using the following standards: • A “page” is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the two-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III. We will reject your application if— • You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or • You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. *Submission Dates and Times:* Applications Available: September 5, 2007. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 3, 2008. Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. *Other Submission Requirements* in this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:* March 3, 2008. 4. *Intergovernmental Review:* This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition. 5. *Funding Restrictions:* We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice. 6. *Other Submission Requirements:* Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. a. Electronic Submission of Applications To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The State Personnel Development Grants Program—CFDA Number 84.323A is included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at *http://www.Grants.gov.* Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. You may access the electronic grant application for the State Personnel Development Grants Program—CFDA Number 84.323A at: *http://www.Grants.gov.* You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.323, not 84.323A). Please note the following: • Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary. • When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation. • Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. • The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov. • You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at *http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.* • To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see *http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp* ). These steps include
(1)registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR);
(2)registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and
(3)getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see *http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf* ). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete. • You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format. • If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms—the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424—have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance). • If you submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material. • Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice. • After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application). • We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date. *Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues With the Grants.Gov System:* If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it. If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted. Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.323A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.323A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506. Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1)A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2)A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.
(3)A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.
(4)Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1)A private metered postmark.
(2)A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application. Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.323A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—
(1)You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and
(2)The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at
(202)245-6288. V. Application Review Information 1. *Selection Criteria:* The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package. 2. *Peer Review:* In the past, there have been problems in finding peer reviewers without conflicts of interest for competitions in which many entities throughout the country submit applications. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and selected for funding within the specific group. This procedure will ensure the availability of a much larger group of reviewers without conflicts of interest. It also will increase the quality, independence and fairness of the review process and permit panel members to review applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they have also submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to select for funding an equal number of applications in each group, this may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in each group. VI. Award Administration Information 1. *Award Notices:* If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice (GAN). We may notify you informally, also. If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you. 2. *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:* We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the *Applicable Regulations* section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. *Reporting:* At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to *http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.* 4. *Performance Measures:* The goal of the State Personnel Development Grants
(SPDG)Program is to reform and improve State systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, educational, and transition services in order to improve results for children with disabilities. Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed performance measures to assess the success of the program in meeting these goals. These measures are:
(1)The percent of personnel receiving professional development through the SPDG program based on scientific or evidence-based instructional practices;
(2)the percentage of SPDG projects that have implemented personnel development/training activities that are aligned with improvement strategies identified in their State Performance Plan (SPP);
(3)the percentage of professional development/training activities provided through the SPDG program based on scientific or evidence-based instructional/behavioral practices;
(4)the percentage of professional development/training activities based on scientific or evidence-based instructional/behavioral practices, provided through the SPDG program, that are sustained through ongoing and comprehensive practices (e.g., mentoring, coaching, structured guidance, modeling, continuous inquiry, etc.); and
(5)in States with SPDG projects that have special education teacher retention as a goal, the Statewide percentage of highly qualified special education teachers in State-identified professional disciplines (e.g., teachers of children with emotional disturbance, deafness, etc.) consistent with sections 602(a)(10) and 612(a)(14) of IDEA, who remain teaching after the first three years of employment. Each grantee must annually report its performance on these measures in the project's annual performance report to the Department in accordance with section 653(d) of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.590. VII. Agency Contact For Further Information Contact: Larry Wexler, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4019, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:
(202)245-7571. If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339. VIII. Other Information *Alternative Format:* Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:
(202)245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339. *Electronic Access to This Document:* You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the **Federal Register** , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format
(PDF)on the Internet at the following site: *http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.* To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at
(202)512-1530. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the **Federal Register** . Free Internet access to the official edition of the **Federal Register** and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: *http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.* Dated: August 29, 2007. William W. Knudsen, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. [FR Doc. E7-17524 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site 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), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the **Federal Register** . DATES: Monday, September 24, 2007, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ADDRESSES: Sheraton North Charleston Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston, SC 29406. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerri Flemming, Office of External Affairs, Department of Energy Savannah River Operations Office, P.O. Box A, Aiken, SC, 29802; Phone:
(803)952-7886. 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 Monday, September 24, 2007 1 p.m. Combined Committee Session. 5 p.m. Adjourn. Tuesday, September 25, 2007 8:30 a.m. Approval of Minutes, Agency Updates. 9:15 a.m. Public Comment Session. 9:30 a.m. Chair and Facilitator Update. 10 a.m. Administrative Committee Report. 11 a.m. Strategic and Legacy Management Committee Report. 11:45 a.m. Public Comment Session. 12 p.m. Lunch Break. 1 p.m. Nuclear Materials Committee Report. 2 p.m. Waste Management Committee Report. 3 p.m. Facility Disposition and Site Remediation Committee Report. 3:45 p.m. Public Comment Session. 4 p.m. Adjourn. If needed, time will be allotted after public comments for items added to the agenda and administrative details. A final agenda will be available at the meeting Monday, September 24, 2007. *Public Participation:* The meeting is open to the public. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Gerri Flemming's office at the address or telephone listed above. 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 is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. *Minutes:* Minutes will be available by writing or calling Gerri Flemming at the address or phone number listed above. Minutes will also be available at the following Web site *http://www.srs.gov/general/outreach/srs-cab/srs-cab.html.* Issued at Washington, DC on August 30, 2007. Rachel Samuel, Deputy Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E7-17495 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Combined Notice of Filings # 1 August 28, 2007. Take notice that the Commission received the following electric corporate filings: *Docket Numbers:* EC07-116-001. *Applicants:* KGen Acquisition I, LLC; KGEN Power Corporation; KGen Partners, LLC; LSP Energy Limited Partnership; La Paloma Generating Company, LLC. *Description:* KGen Power Corp et al. submit an amendment to the 7/13/07 filing of a joint application for authorization and the acquisition of La Paloma Generating Co, LLC. *Filed Date:* 08/21/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070824-0119. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. Take notice that the Commission received the following electric rate filings: *Docket Numbers:* ER07-940-001. *Applicants:* Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.; PJM Interconnection, LLC. *Description:* Midwest Independent System Operator Inc and submit PJM Interconnection LLC submit its proposed revisions to section 4 of the Congestion Management Process of their Joint Operating Agreement. *Filed Date:* 08/23/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070827-0031. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, September 13, 2007. *Docket Numbers:* ER07-1099-001. *Applicants:* Southwest Power Pool, Inc. *Description:* Southwest Power Pool Inc submits as Exhibit I a clean copy of the 6/29/07 filing with the proper designations. *Filed Date:* 08/23/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070827-0028. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, September 13, 2007. *Docket Numbers:* ER07-1300-000. *Applicants:* Reliant Energy Solutions Northeast, LLC. *Description:* Reliant Energy Solutions Northeast LLC submits an application for an order accepting rates for filing and for certain waivers and blanket approvals. *Filed Date:* 08/23/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070827-0029. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, September 13, 2007. *Docket Numbers:* ER07-1301-000. *Applicants:* Elwood Energy, LLC. *Description:* Elwood Energy LLC submits its Rate Schedule FERC 2, its revenue requirement for Reactive Supply and Voltage Control from Generation Sources Service supplied by its generation facilities. *Filed Date:* 08/24/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070827-0030. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 14, 2007. Take notice that the Commission received the following electric reliability filings: *Docket Numbers:* RR07-15-000. *Applicants:* North American Electric Reliability Corp. *Description:* Request of The North American Electric Reliability Corporation for Approval of Amended and Restated Bylaws Of Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc., and for substitution of Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc. as a regional entity. *Filed Date:* 08/21/2007. *Accession Number:* 20070821-5032. *Comment Date:* 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, September 20, 2007. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest in any of the above proceedings must file in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern time on the specified comment date. It is not necessary to separately intervene again in a subdocket related to a compliance filing if you have previously intervened in the same docket. Protests will be considered by the Commission in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but will not serve to make protestants parties to the proceeding. Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. In reference to filings initiating a new proceeding, interventions or protests submitted on or before the comment deadline need not be served on persons other than the Applicant. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at *http://www.ferc.gov* . To facilitate electronic service, persons with Internet access who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 14 copies of the intervention or protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St. NE., Washington, DC 20426. The filings in the above proceedings are accessible in the Commission's eLibrary system by clicking on the appropriate link in the above list. They are also available for review in the Commission's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an eSubscription link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive e-mail notification when a document is added to a subscribed dockets(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please e-mail *FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov* or call
(866)208-3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Acting Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-17443 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-8463-4] Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC): Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of Meeting and Conference Call. SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)established the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) on November 19, 1990, to provide independent advice and counsel to EPA on policy issues associated with implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1990. The Committee advises on economic, environmental, technical scientific, and enforcement policy issues. *Dates & Addresses:* Open meeting notice; Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App. 2 section 10(a)(2), notice is hereby given that the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee will hold its next open meeting on Thursday September, 20, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel at 300 Army Navy Drive, in Arlington, Virginia. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. The Economic Incentives and Regulatory Innovations subcommittee will meet on September 19, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Permits, New Source Review and Toxics subcommittee will meet on September 19, 2007 from approximately 12:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Mobile Source Technical Review subcommittee will meet on September 19, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. These meetings will also be at the Double Tree Hotel. There will also be a teleconference call of the full Clean Air Act Advisory Committee on September 24, 2007 from approximately 1-3 p.m. The agenda for the CAAAC full committee meeting on September 20, 2007 and the teleconference contact information for the September 24, 2007 will be posted on the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee Web site at *http://www.epa.gov/oar/caaac/.* *Inspection of Committee Documents:* The Committee agenda and any documents prepared for the meeting will be publicly available at the meeting. Thereafter, these documents, together with CAAAC meeting minutes, will be available by contacting the Office of Air and Radiation Docket and requesting information under docket OAR-2004-0075. The Docket office can be reached by telephoning 202-260-7548; FAX 202-260-4400. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the CAAAC, please contact Pat Childers, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA
(202)564-1082, FAX
(202)564-1352 or by mail at U.S. EPA, Office of Air and Radiation (Mail code 6102 A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20004. For information on the Subcommittees, please contact the following individuals:
(1)Permits/NSR/Toxics Integration—Debbie Stackhouse,
(919)541-5354; and
(2)Air Quality Management—Jeff Whitlow,
(919)541-5523
(3)Economic Incentives and Regulatory Innovations—Carey Fitzmaurice, (202)564-1667
(4)Mobile Source Technical Review—John Guy,
(202)343-9276 Additional Information on these meetings, CAAAC, and its Subcommittees can be found on the CAAAC Web site: *http://www.epa.gov/oar/caaac/.* For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Pat Childers at
(202)564-1082 or *childers.pat@epa.gov.* To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Mr. Childers, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request. Dated: August 29, 2007. Pat Childers, Designated Federal Official, Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, Office of Air and Radiation. [FR Doc. E7-17513 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-8463-7; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0812] Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of peer-review panel workshop. SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)is announcing that Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), an EPA contractor for external scientific review, will convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct a peer-review workshop, to review the external review draft document titled, “Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook” (EPA/600/R-06/096A). EPA provided an opportunity for public comment on the draft document from October 2006 to January 2007. The draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment
(NCEA)within EPA's Office of Research and Development. The “Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook” provides a summary of statistical data on various exposure factors used in assessing children's exposures, including: Drinking water consumption; soil ingestion and mouthing behavior; inhalation rates; dermal factors including skin surface area and soil adherence factors; consumption of retail and home-grown foods; breast milk intake; and human activity pattern data. Once completed, this report will serve as a resource for exposure assessors for estimating children's exposures. An interim final version of this handbook was published in 2002. This updated version provides analysis of exposure factors data using the age groups for children recommended in the EPA document entitled, “Guidance on Selecting Age Groups for Monitoring and Assessing Childhood Exposures to Environmental Contaminants” (EPA/630/P-03/003F) (Available on line at *http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=146583).* EPA released this draft document in October 2006, solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. In preparing a final report, EPA will consider the public comments submitted to EPA's docket during the public comment period, and the contractor's report of the external peer-review workshop, including any oral public comments received at the workshop. DATES: The peer-review panel workshop will begin on September 19, 2007, at approximately 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. on September 20, 2007. Members of the public may attend the peer-review panel workshop. Time will be set aside on the morning of September 19, 2007, for registered attendees who wish to make brief oral comments (for more information refer to the instructions for registration below). ADDRESSES: Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), an EPA contractor for external scientific review, will convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct a peer-review panel workshop to review this draft document. The peer-review panel workshop will be held at The Navy League Building, located at 2300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA. Observers may attend the peer-review panel workshop through a registration process by calling ERG's conference line between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.EDT at
(781)674-7374 or toll free at
(800)803-2833, or by faxing a registration request to
(781)674-2906 (please reference the CSEFH Peer-Review Panel Workshop and include full address and contact information) , or by sending an e-mail to *meetings@erg.com* (subject line: CSEFH Peer-Review Panel Workshop; body: Include full address and contact information). Pre-registration is strongly recommended as space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for pre-registration is September 12, 2007. If space allows, registrations will continue to be accepted after this date, including on-site registration. Time will be set aside during the morning of the first day of the meeting to hear comments from observers, and individuals will be limited to a maximum of five minutes. Please inform ERG when registering if you wish to make a comment at the workshop. The draft document, “Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook,” is available primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at *http://www.epa.gov/ncea.* A limited number of paper copies are available from the Technical Information Staff, NCEA-W; telephone:
(202)564-3261; facsimile:
(202)565-0050. If you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing address, and the document title, “Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook”. Copies are not available from ERG and copies will not be available onsite. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding registration and logistics for the external peer-review panel workshop should be directed to ERG, 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421-3136; telephone:
(781)674-7374 or toll free at
(800)803-2833; facsimile:
(781)674-2906; e-mail: *meetings@erg.com.* If you need technical information about the draft document, please contact Jacqueline Moya, National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA); telephone:
(202)564-3245; facsimile:
(202)565-0079; e-mail *moya.jacqueline@epa.gov.* Dated: August 29, 2007. Rebecca Clark, Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment. [FR Doc. E7-17540 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0490; FRL-8146-2] TSCA Section 21 Petition on Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates; Response to Citizens’ Petition AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: On June 6, 2007, the Sierra Club, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Washington Toxics Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and UNITE HERE petitioned EPA under section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA)to initiate rulemaking proceedings under sections 4 and 6 of TSCA. Specifically, petitioners requested that EPA require manufacturers and importers to conduct certain health and safety studies under TSCA section 4; and also require, under TSCA section 6(a), labeling on all products containing nonylphenol
(NP)and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), and limit the use of NP and NPEs where the use of these substances presents an unreasonable risk to public health and the environment. For the reasons set forth in this notice, EPA is granting the petitioners’ request to initiate a proceeding for chronic aquatic toxicity testing under TSCA section 4 and will also request comment on potential additional testing related to certain of the petitioners’ requests, but is denying the petition in regard to TSCA section 6 and to the remaining specific TSCA section 4 requests. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: *For general information contact* : Colby Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(202)554-1404; e-mail address: *TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov* . *For technical information contact* : Mary Dominiak or John Schaeffer, Chemical Control Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(202)564-8104 or
(202)564-8173; e-mail address: *dominiak.mary@epa.gov* or *schaeffer.john@epa.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this Action Apply to Me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, import, or distribute in commerce NP or NPEs. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to: • Chemical manufacturers (including importers) (NAICS codes 325, 32411, e.g., chemical manufacturing and petroleum refineries) of one or more of the subject chemicals. • Surface active agent manufacturers (NAICS code 325613). • Industrial launderers (NAICS code 81233). This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT . B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information? 1. *Docket* . EPA has established a docket for this action under docket identification
(ID)number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0490. All documents in the docket are listed in the docket's index available at *http://www.regulations.gov* . Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information
(CBI)or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically at *http://www.regulations.gov* , or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is
(202)566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is
(202)566-0280. Docket visitors are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the building and returned upon departure. 2. *Electronic access* . You may access this **Federal Register** document electronically through the EPA Internet under the “ **Federal Register** ” listings at *http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr* . II. Background A. What is a TSCA Section 21 Petition? Section 21 of TSCA allows citizens to petition EPA to initiate a rulemaking proceeding for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule under TSCA section 4, 6, or 8 or an order under TSCA section 5(e) or 6(b)(2). A TSCA section 21 petition must set forth facts that the petitioner believes establish the need for the action requested. EPA is required to grant or deny the petition within 90 days of its filing. If EPA grants the petition, the Agency must promptly commence an appropriate proceeding. If EPA denies the petition, the Agency must publish its reasons for the denial in the **Federal Register** . The petitioners may commence a civil action in a U.S. district court to compel initiation of the requested rulemaking proceeding within 60 days of either a denial or the expiration of the 90-day period. B. What Criteria Apply to a Decision on a TSCA Section 21 Petition? 1. *TSCA section 21.* TSCA section 21, itself, does not expressly identify the basis under which EPA should decide whether to grant or deny a citizens' petition. Rather, TSCA section 21(b)(1) requires that the petition set forth the facts that it is claimed establish it is “necessary” to issue a rule or order that is the subject of the petition. In addition, TSCA section 21 establishes standards the court must use to decide whether to order EPA to initiate rulemaking in the event of a lawsuit filed by the petitioner after denial of a TSCA section 21 petition. (15 U.S.C. 2620(b)(4)(B)). Further, TSCA section 21 implicitly incorporates the statutory standards under TSCA sections 4 and 6 for issuing regulations, requiring petitioners to “set forth the facts which it is claimed establish that it is necessary to issue...a rule under section [4 or 6].” (15 U.S.C. 2620(b)(1) (emphasis added)). Accordingly, EPA has relied on the standards in TSCA section 21 and in TSCA sections 4 and 6 as the basis for evaluating and deciding on the NP/NPE petition. 2. *Legal standards regarding TSCA section 4 test rules.* Under TSCA section 4, EPA must make a number of findings in order to issue a rule to require testing. In all cases, EPA must find that data on a chemical are insufficient to evaluate its effects and that testing of the chemical is necessary to develop the missing data. (15 U.S.C. 2603(a)(1)(A) and (B)). In addition, EPA must either find that: i. The chemical may present an unreasonable risk of injury or ii. The chemical is: a. Produced in substantial quantities, and b. May either: A. Result in significant or substantial human exposure, or B. Result in substantial environmental release. TSCA section 21 allows a court to order EPA to initiate rulemaking if the court makes essentially the same determination after a *de novo* review of the petition. However, TSCA section 21 omits the third finding required under TSCA section 4 from the findings that a court must make in order to require EPA to initiate TSCA section 4 rulemaking—i.e., the finding that “testing is necessary to develop the data.” (15 U.S.C. 2620(b)(4)(B)(i)). Nonetheless, EPA believes TSCA section 21(b)(4) is best interpreted as incorporating all of the TSCA section 4 findings. The alternative would be to read the statute as empowering a court to require EPA to initiate a rule even where the Agency could not make proposed findings consistent with TSCA section 4 or take final action on the rule. EPA's interpretation is supported by legislative history. (House conference report (H. Conf. Rept.) 94-1679 at 97-99 (1976)). 3. *Legal standards regarding TSCA section 6 control rules* . In evaluating the request for rules under TSCA section 6 to control chemicals, EPA assessed whether such rules are necessary to protect against unreasonable risk. This is the same test the court would apply under TSCA section 21. The finding of unreasonable risk is a judgment under which the decisionmaker determines that the risk of health or environmental injury from a chemical outweighs the burden to society of potential regulations. An unreasonable risk decision cannot be made considering risk alone. Rather, the probability of harm must be considered against the impacts of regulation. In promulgating any rule under TSCA section 6, the statute requires that the Administrator consider: • The effects of the substance or mixture on health and the environment and the magnitude of the exposure of human beings and the environment to the substance or mixture. • The benefits of the substance or mixture for various uses and the availability of substitutes for such uses. • The reasonably ascertainable economic consequences of the rule, after consideration of the effect on the national economy, small business, technological innovation, the environment, and public health. (15 U.S.C. 2605 (c)). C. What Action is Requested Under this TSCA Section 21 Petition? On June 6, 2007, the Sierra Club, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Washington Toxics Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and UNITE HERE petitioned EPA to take action under TSCA section 4 for seven categories of tests and under TSCA section 6 for four categories of restrictions. The requested actions under TSCA section 4 are: 1. Require testing to “fill the gaps” for chronic toxicity of NPE oligomers (oligomers are the 1-2 mole ethoxylate of NP, also known as “short-chain” NPEs) to aquatic organisms. 2. Require the testing of mixtures to “fill the gaps” regarding the additive toxicity of NP and NPE oligomers to aquatic organisms. 3. Require testing on the estrogenic disruption impact, including multi-generational and population level impact, of NP and NPEs to aquatic organisms. 4. Require testing of NP and NPEs for vitellogenin gene expression. 5. Require testing to ascertain certain aspects of NP and NPE toxicity to humans, including general population exposure, metabolism, dermal absorption, and placental development. 6. Require epidemiology testing for industrial laundry workers exposed to NPEs. 7. Require testing to determine exposure to NPEs in residential indoor air. The requested actions under TSCA section 6 are: 1. Require labeling on all products containing NP and NPEs. 2. Restrict the use of NPEs where the user cannot verify that the chemicals will receive proper wastewater treatment. 3. Ban the use of NP and NPEs in industrial and consumer detergents. 4. Require pollution prevention planning by facilities that use 2,000 kilograms
(kg)or more of NP or NPEs. III. Disposition of Petition Using the criteria in Unit II.B. to assess the NP/NPE petition, EPA has concluded that, with respect to petitioners’ first request for chronic toxicity testing of “short-chain” NPEs, the petitioners have provided facts demonstrating that existing data may be insufficient to permit a reasoned evaluation of the effects of the chemicals, and that the chemicals are produced in substantial quantities and either may result in significant or substantial human exposure, or may result in substantial environmental release. Accordingly, EPA grants the petitioners’ request that EPA initiate a proceeding for the issuance of a rule under TSCA section 4 regarding chronic aquatic toxicity testing on certain NPEs. However, EPA has determined that petitioners have not provided facts to support the conclusion that the other tests they requested are necessary to permit a reasoned evaluation of the chemicals and EPA is, accordingly, denying the petitioners’ remaining specific TSCA section 4 testing requests. Further, EPA has determined that petitioners failed to provide sufficient justification for any of the requested control actions under TSCA section 6 and, therefore, EPA is denying these requests. Each of the petitioners’ requests is addressed specifically in the following discussion. A. Grant of Request to Initiate a Section 4 Test Rule Petitioners’ first request was that EPA initiate testing to determine the chronic toxicity of NPEs, especially “short-chain” NPEs, “for development of protective water quality criteria and standards that account for the full range of negative impacts from NP and NPEs.” EPA agrees that data concerning the chronic effects of “short-chain” NPEs appear to be limited (Refs. 1 and 2) and may be insufficient to adequately evaluate the risk of chronic exposures to aquatic organisms from “short-chain” NPEs. However, to develop a properly tailored test requirement that would provide EPA with sufficient data, EPA believes it would be most productive to examine a number of additional considerations prior to the issuance of a proposed rule. These considerations include determining which NPEs might be studied to adequately characterize the potential risk presented by chronic exposures to these chemicals, based on such factors as the potential for aquatic organisms to be exposed to them. For example, NP1EO and NP2EO have been detected in the environment and may be the candidates for further testing, but other NPEs, including various derivatives and degradation products, may not need to be considered. EPA further notes that, if adequate acute aquatic toxicity testing data are not already available on specific NPEs in the same species appropriate for chronic testing, those acute data may need to be developed in order to set appropriate concentration levels for chronic testing and for calculating acute-to-chronic ratios. Additional considerations may include determining how many taxa are needed, and which species in those taxa would be most appropriate in order to properly characterize the potential aquatic toxicity of the chemicals present in freshwater and saltwater systems. EPA may also consider whether chronic aquatic toxicity testing for NP in saltwater fish species may be warranted, and whether testing to assess the toxicity and fate of sediment-bound NP in both freshwater and marine/estuarine habitats should be considered, since these data are limited (Refs. 2, 3, and 4). Finally, EPA notes that the apparent focus of the petition is the development of water quality criteria (WQC). Although petitioners have referenced testing designed to satisfy the requirements imposed by States and EPA for data sufficient for setting WQC values, EPA notes that the standards for setting WQC are different than the standard for requiring testing under TSCA section 4, and a reasoned evaluation of the chemicals under TSCA may require different tests than the full battery of studies necessary to issue such criteria. Accordingly, rather than initially proposing a rule pursuant to TSCA section 4, where the Agency would present its preliminary conclusions on these points, EPA will publish an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) initiating proceedings under TSCA section 4. The ANPRM will identify these issues for public comment. The information received from this process would guide EPA in developing a proposed testing program under TSCA section 4. B. Denials of Requests to Initiate TSCA Section 4 Test Rules Petitioners’ second request was that EPA “fill the data gaps regarding the additive toxicity of NP and NPE oligomers to species.” Petitioners requested testing of unspecified mixtures of NP and NPEs in acute and chronic assays to address this perceived gap. The petitioners noted that, given their similar structure and mode of action, the toxicity of NP and NPEs may be additive. EPA currently believes that the question of additive toxicity of various NPEs would not be addressed effectively by requiring the testing of unspecified mixtures of them. Additive toxicity is often more pragmatically addressed by using methods to combine the results of testing the individual components of mixtures. Petitioners provided no rationale to explain why this more pragmatic approach of testing individual chemicals would be inadequate in this instance. Therefore, EPA does not believe it has the basis at this time to support the finding required under TSCA section 4(a)(2) for ordering the testing of mixtures: That the effects of the mixture “may not be reasonably and more efficiently determined...by testing the chemical substances which comprise the mixture.” EPA considers that obtaining certain acute and chronic aquatic toxicity data on the appropriate individual NPE, as described in this unit in the response to petitioners’ first request, could provide useful information addressing the additive toxicity question raised by petitioners. EPA thus denies the specific request that EPA order the testing of mixtures, but EPA may consider multiple approaches to addressing the questions concerning possible additive toxicity in the ANPRM. Petitioners’ third request was that EPA conduct research on individual endocrine disruption impacts and on the relationship between individual endocrine disruption impacts and population-level impacts, including multi-generation effects. In general, EPA questions whether such mechanism-specific testing is needed to permit a reasoned evaluation of these chemicals given other data that exist and the additional data that EPA would consider in the ANPRM. Available studies already evaluate effects on the test organisms’ mortality, growth, and reproduction, which are apical to any endocrine disruption that may occur. As summarized in EPA’s Office of Water Ambient Water Quality Criteria
(WQC)Document for NP, the ability of nonylphenol to induce estrogenic effects has seldom been reported at concentrations below the freshwater final chronic value of 6.6 micrograms/Liter (µg/L) (Ref. 3). EPA considers at this time that the existing data, particularly combined with the acute and chronic aquatic toxicity data that EPA proposes to discuss in its ANPRM, would be sufficient to evaluate effects on individuals and populations (Refs. 3, 5, and 6). In addition, test methods to assess multi-generational impacts are not currently available, and it is not yet certain that such methods would provide data that would significantly advance understanding beyond existing chronic study data with regard to NP, given that NP demonstrates estrogenic effects at concentrations at or above which chronic effects are also seen. The Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program
(EDSP)is currently developing and validating freshwater and saltwater fish 2-generation test methods and also a crustacean (mysid) 2-generation test method. However, those methods are not expected to be fully validated before 2010, and additional work with the test method will be required to demonstrate the benefit of performing these studies. As noted in the WQC document, when the appropriate EDSP testing protocols have been developed and validated, EPA may consider whether additional testing of NP and NPE might be warranted (Ref. 3). For these reasons, EPA cannot conclude that the available information relevant to this requested testing is insufficient to permit a reasoned evaluation of the health or environmental effects of these chemicals or that the requested testing is necessary, and EPA, therefore, denies this request. Petitioners’ fourth request was that EPA apply a specific vitellogenin gene expression assay to NP and each individual NPE. In general, EPA questions whether such mechanism-specific testing is needed to permit a reasoned evaluation of these chemicals given other data that exist. Several different vitellogenin gene expression tests exist (Refs. 7, 8, and 9), but each serves the same purpose of demonstrating the potential of a chemical for estrogenic expression. The Agency considers that available information on NP and various NPEs is sufficient to adequately demonstrate and evaluate the estrogenic expression of NP and also to provide enough of a basis on which to project the lesser contribution of various NPEs, making further vitellogenin assays unnecessary (Refs. 5, 6, 10, and 11). Accordingly, EPA cannot conclude that the available information relevant to this requested testing is insufficient to permit a reasoned evaluation of the health or environmental effects of these chemicals or that the requested testing is necessary, and EPA, therefore, denies the request for a TSCA section 4 test rule requiring the vitellogenin gene expression assay. Petitioners’ fifth request encompasses a diverse cluster of testing, including dermal absorption, oxidative metabolism, the effects of NP on human placental development, and NP and NPE exposure to the general population of the United States. Data to evaluate these effects either already exist or are being generated under other programs and need not be duplicated. For example, a combination of existing human and animal studies provides a reasonable understanding of the metabolism of NP in humans. The data available indicate a metabolic profile common to phenols (Refs. 12, 13, and 14). In addition, studies on dermal absorption of NP and NPEs have already been conducted and have concluded that dermal absorption of NP is negligible, and that dermal absorption of NPEs through human and animal skin is less than 1% (Ref. 15). The petitioners cited a study done on human placental tissue suggesting that NP may have some effect on trophoblastic cells of the placenta, and specifically requested that a similar study be repeated. EPA does not believe that repeating this non-standard study or attempting to design a similar one would add to the understanding of these chemicals, because existing studies on whole organisms have already more fully addressed reproductive and other health effects (Ref. 16). Reproductive studies of NP in mammals have been conducted (Refs. 17 and 18), as well as other studies which have examined the estrogenic effects of NP in mammals (e.g., uterotrophic assay) (Refs. 19, 20, and 21), and, on the basis of these data, EPA believes it has sufficient information to evaluate NP’s reproductive risks to human health without conducting a non-standard placental study of the type requested by petitioners. With regard to assessing NP and NPE exposure to the general U.S. population, EPA notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)indicated through a notice published in 2003 that NP has already been slated for inclusion in the *National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals* , and there is thus no need for EPA to duplicate that activity (Ref. 22). For these reasons, EPA cannot conclude that the available information relevant to this requested testing is insufficient to permit a reasoned evaluation of the health or environmental effects of these chemicals or that the requested testing is necessary, and EPA, therefore, denies these requests for testing under TSCA section 4. Petitioners’ sixth request was that EPA conduct an epidemiology study of industrial laundry workers who may be exposed to NP and NPEs in detergents. Before an epidemiology study can be effectively designed or conducted, however, there needs to be evidence that there are sufficient exposures to a substance to warrant a study of human health effects potentially attributable to those exposures. As noted in the comments submitted by the Uniform and Textile Service Association
(UTSA)and the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), approximately 90% of industrial laundries use injected liquid detergent (Ref. 23). Given the low volatility (Ref. 24) and the negligible dermal absorption of NP and NPE (Ref. 15), these industrial laundry operations would not present significant exposure potential. Accordingly, there is no evidence to support a conclusion that significant exposures exist that would warrant an epidemiological study in this overall industry. However, for the approximate 10% of industrial laundry operations and an unknown number of institutional laundry operations that may use powdered detergent, EPA considers that there is potential for inhalation exposure to dust containing NP and NPE by workers and that the number of potentially exposed workers involved could be substantial (Ref. 25). As these concerns are based on estimates and not actual exposure monitoring data, they would not support a conclusion that there are sufficient exposures to warrant an epidemiology study. However, EPA considers that obtaining additional exposure information may be warranted to reasonably assess the potential for risk associated with this one exposure scenario. Accordingly, EPA denies the petitioners’ specific request for an epidemiology study, but plans to include in the ANPRM a discussion of the need for data concerning NP and NPE exposures of laundry workers where powdered detergents are used, and to solicit comment on the best means to obtain that information (e.g., whether through requiring an exposure study, workplace exposure monitoring, the voluntary submission of existing monitoring data, or other means). Finally, the petitioners’ seventh request concerned ordering a nationwide study of residential exposures based on one study which found levels of NP and NPEs in dust and indoor air in all homes in the study. However, in both the study cited by petitioners and in a second study that found NP or NPEs in only 10% of the homes studied (Refs. 26 and 27), the levels of NP found were far below any level of concern suggested in reviews (e.g., Ref. 16). Neither study could be assumed to be representative of households across the United States, but both studies would suggest that residential indoor air and dust do not contribute significantly to household exposure. Therefore, EPA cannot conclude that the available information relevant to this requested testing is insufficient to permit a reasoned evaluation of the health effects of these chemicals. Similarly, EPA believes there is no evidence indicating that exposures of the general population to NP and NPEs are of concern at the present, and notes that the CDC human biomonitoring work will provide nationally representative data on the levels of general population exposures to NP irrespective of exposure source. Accordingly, EPA denies the request for a nationwide residential exposure study under TSCA section 4. C. Denial of Requests to Issue TSCA Section 6 Control Rules EPA has concluded that the petitioners have not set forth the facts establishing the need for the control actions requested under TSCA section 6. Although the petition asserts that an unreasonable risk exists, the petition does not present a reasonable basis to conclude both that the chemicals present or will present an unreasonable risk and that the specific actions requested by petitioners would be necessary to protect adequately against such risk using the least burdensome requirements. Accordingly, EPA denies the petitioners’ requests for control actions under TSCA section 6. The petitioners requested that EPA issue TSCA section 6 actions to require labeling, not just Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), on all products containing NP and NPE; to restrict the use of NP and NPE where the user (including the 25% of U.S. households that rely on septic systems) cannot verify that the chemical will receive proper/effective treatment at a well-managed sewage treatment plant from an activated sludge treatment process designed to nitrify; to ban the use of the chemicals in industrial and consumer detergents in favor of existing, less toxic alternatives; and, similar to Canada, to require facilities that use 2,000 kg or more of NP or NPEs to develop formal pollution prevention plans, and to consider safer substitutes consistent with OPPT's Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI). As noted in Unit III.B., in order to issue a rule under TSCA section 6, EPA must affirmatively find that the risks are unreasonable, and in making that determination, must consider a number of specified issues. These relate not merely to the effects of the chemical(s), but also to: 1. The benefits of the substance(s) for various uses and the availability of substitutes for such uses. 2. The reasonably ascertainable economic consequences of the control mechanisms proposed to control the risk, including the effect on the national economy and small business and technical innovation. These considerations are integral to the determination that a substance presents an unreasonable risk, and the petitioners have not presented sufficient facts to allow EPA to evaluate the issues. It is not sufficient in a petition under TSCA section 21 to assert that an unreasonable risk exists without providing the facts that would support that assertion. For example, in presenting their argument for actions under TSCA section 6, the petitioners failed to provide information that would permit consideration of the effect of their requested controls on the national economy, small business and technological innovation, the environment, and public health. Petitioners asserted that the costs of their requested controls would be small and that the benefits of their controls would reduce risk, but provided no data to substantiate either their estimates of cost or of the efficacy of their proposed control actions. In addition, petitioners did not address the extent to which actions taken under other statutes or voluntary programs may already be addressing the risk that may be presented by these chemicals, and whether those other statutes or voluntary programs may provide more appropriate tools than TSCA section 6 action to control risk to the extent necessary as additional data are generated on chemical effects and exposure. EPA has addressed NP and, to some extent, NPE in recent regulatory actions with respect to water quality criteria (Refs. 3 and 28) and to the reassessment of tolerances for pesticide inerts on food (Ref. 29). EPA also sought public comment in May 2007 on SDSI (Ref. 30). SDSI is intended to complement the water quality criteria for NP by promoting the voluntary conversion by the detergent industry to alternative surfactants that break down quickly to less toxic compounds. EPA must assess those public comments and the potential of SDSI to impact the need for any further regulatory controls. The data and information supplied in the petition and the information provided in public comments do not provide a reasonable basis to conclude that NP or NPE pose an unreasonable risk to health or the environment. Consequently, EPA has determined that petitioners have failed to provide sufficient justification for any of their requests for control actions under TSCA section 6 of TSCA, and EPA is denying the request that EPA initiate actions under TSCA section 6. IV. Comments Received EPA published a notice in the **Federal Register** issue of July 10, 2007, announcing receipt of the petition and inviting public comment on or before July 25, 2007 (Ref. 31). EPA received ten timely comments from one individual, one petitioner, one State agency, and seven nonprofit trade or professional associations, and about 1,900 mass-mailed comments from private citizens through a mass comment campaign evidently sponsored by one or more of the petitioners. EPA also received a request for an extension of the comment period on July 25, 2007, submitted by UNITE HERE and the Sierra Club, two of the petitioners. The request for extension was denied because of the schedule for response mandated by TSCA section 21, although EPA indicated that late comments would be considered to the extent possible. One late comment was submitted on August 1, 2007, by another trade association. One State agency submitted a late letter addressed to the Administrator which was received on August 6, 2007, and was directed to the docket as a late comment. The petitioner (the Environmental Law and Policy Center), the individual, the two State agencies (the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency), and the mass mailing campaign supported the petition, without presenting additional significant substantive data apart from an additional reference provided by the petitioner. This reference concerned data already in EPA’s possession. All but one of the trade or professional organizations opposed the petition on the grounds that existing data were already sufficient to assess the chemicals and that no unreasonable risk was demonstrated in the petition. Five of the organizations (the UTSA, the TRSA, the Soap and Detergent Association, the Consumer Specialty Products Association, and the Alkylphenols and Ethoxylates Research Council) submitted detailed comments with references to data. These data were already in EPA’s possession. The remaining opposing organization (CropLife America) and the association submitting late comments (the Chemical Producers and Distributors Association) supported the position expressed by the Alkylphenols and Ethoxylates Research Council. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NAWCA) did not comment on the substance of the petition, but indicated that any action taken by EPA in response to the petition should not place the burden for response on the nation’s wastewater treatment utilities. V. References 1. Staples, C.; Mihaich, E.; Carbone, J.; Woodburn, K.; and Klecka, G. 2004. A Weight of Evidence Analysis of the Chronic Ecotoxicity of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, Nonylphenol Ether Carboxylates, and Nonylphenol. *Human and Ecological Risk Assessment* . 10(6): 999-1017. 2. Environment Canada. Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines for Nonylphenol and its Ethoxylates (Water, Sediment, and Soil). Scientific Supporting Document. Ecosystem Health: Science-based Solutions Report No. 1-3. National Guidelines and Standards Office, Environment Canada, Ottawa. 189 pp. August 2002. 3. EPA. 2005. Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria - Nonylphenol Final. EPA, Office of Water. Washington, DC. EPA-822-R-05-005. 96 pp. 4. State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Letter from Alexander Grannis, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, to Document Control Office, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), EPA. Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0490-0009. July 25, 2007. 5. Mills, L.J. and Chichester, C. 2005. Review of evidence: Are endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment impacting fish populations? *Science of the Total Environment* . 343: 1-34. 6. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Human and Ecological Risk Assessment of Nonylphenol Polyethoxylate-based
(NPE)Surfactants in Forest Service Herbicide Applications. Prepared by David Bakke, USDA, Forest Service, Region 5. May 2003. 110 pp. 7. Thorpe, K.L.; Hutchinson, T. H.; Hetheridge, M .J.; Sumpter, J.P.; and Tyler, C.R. (2000). Development of an *in vivo* screening assay for estrogenic chemicals using juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). *Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry* . 19:2812-2820. 8. Lattier, D.L.; Gordon, D.A.; Burks, D.J.; and Toth, G.P. 2001. Vitellogenin gene transcription: A relative quantitative exposure indicator of environmental estrogens. *Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry* . 20:1979-1985. 9. Biales, A.D.; Bencic, D.C.; Flick, R.W.; Lazorchak, J.; and Lattier, D.L. 2007. Quantification and associated variability of induced vitellogenin gene transcripts in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. *Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry* . 26:287-296. 10. Seki, M.; Yokota, H.; Maeda, M.; Tadokoro, H.; and Kobayashi, K. 2003. Effects of 4-nonylphenol and 4-tert-octylphenol on sex differentiation and vitellogenin induction in medaka (Oryzias latipes). *Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry* . 22(7):1507-1516. 11. Dussault, E.B.; Sherry, J.P.; Lee, H.B.; Burnison, B.K.; Bennie, D.T.; and Servos, M.R. 2005. *In vivo* estrogenicity of nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in the Canadian environment. *Human and Ecological Risk Assessment* . 11(2): 353-364. 12. Muller, S.; Schmid, P.; and Schaltter, Ch. 1998. Pharmacokinetic behavior of 4-nonylphenol in humans. *Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology* . 5, 257-265 13. Knaak, J.B.; Eldridge, J.M.; and Sullivan, L.J. 1966. Excretion of certain polyethylene glycol ether adducts of nonylphenol by the rat. *Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology* . 9, 331-340. 14. Fennel, T.R. and MacNeela, J.P. 1997. Disposition and metabolism of nonylphenol in male and female. SOT conference poster abstract. 15. Monteiro-Riviere, N.A.; Van Miller, J.P.; Simon, G.; Joiner, R.L.; Brooks, J.D.; and Riviere, J.E. 2000. Comparative *in vitro* dermal absorption of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE-4 and NPE-9) through human, porcine, and rat skin. *Toxicology and Industrial Health* . 16:49-57. 16. European Commission - Joint Research Centre. Institute for Health and Consumer Protection. European Chemicals Bureau. 2002. European Union Risk Assessment Report. 4-nonyl-phenol (branched) and nonylphenol. CAS No: 84852-15-3, 25154-52-3. EINECS No: 284-325-5, 246-672-0. Series: 2 nd Priority List, Volume 10. Final Report. 17. Chapin, R.E.; Delaney, J.; Wang, Y.; Lanning, L.; Davis, B.; Collins B; Mintz, N.; and Wolfe, G. 1999. The effects of 4-nonylphenol in rats: A multi-generation reproduction study. *Toxicological Sciences* . 52: 80-91. 18. de Jaeger, C.; Bornman, M.S.; and van der Horst, G. 1999. The effect of *p* -nonylphenol, an environmental toxicant with oestrogenic properties, on fertility potential in adult male rats. *Andrologia* . 31, 99-106. 19. Odum, J.; Lefevre, P.A; Tittensor, S.; Paton, D.; Routledge, E.J.; Beresford, N.A.; Sumpter, J.P.; and Ashby, J. 1997. The rodent uterotrophic assay: Critical protocol features, studies with nonylphenols, and comparison with a yeast estrogenicity assay. *Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology* . 25, 176-188. 20. Lee, P.C. and Lee, W. 1996. *In vivo* estrogenic action of nonylphenol in immature female rats. *Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology* . 57(3): 341-348. 21. Kim, H.S.; Shin, J-H; Moon, H.J.; Kang, I.H.; Kim, T.S.; Kim, I.Y.; Seok, J-H; Pyo, M-Y; and Han, S.Y. 2002. Comparative estrogenic effects of *p* -nonylphenol by 3-day uterotrophic assay and female pubertal onset assay. *Reproductive Toxicology* . 16(3): 259-268. 22. CDC, HHS. Candidate Chemicals for Possible Inclusion in Future Releases of the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. **Federal Register** (68 FR 56296, September 30, 2003) (FR Doc. 03-24671; Filed 9-29-03). Available on-line at *http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/pdf/fr_093003.pdf* . 23. UTSA and TRSA. Letter from Tony Wagner, Director, Environmental and Government Affairs, Uniform and Textile Service Association and Robert Schaffer, Director, Environmental Affairs, Textile Rental Services Association to Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Document Control Office. Re: Comments of the Uniform and Textile Service Association
(UTSA)and Textile Rental Services Association of America
(TRSA)on TSCA Section 21 Petition on Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates: Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0490-0010. July 25, 2007. 24. EPA. E-mail communication from Greg Fritz to John Schaeffer and Mary Dominiak. Subject: Vapor Pressure estimates for NP and NPEs (NP1EO and NP2EO) (with two attachments: Huntsman Corporation Technical Bulletin: SURFONIC® N-31.5 Surfactant
(2005)and EPIWIN [SRC CORP.] Program Estimates (EPI_est.doc)). August 14, 2007. 25. EPA. Draft Engineering Report of Nonylphenol
(NP)and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates
(NPEs)In Response to Section 21 Petition. EPA, OPPT, Economics, Exposure and Technology Division, Chemical Engineering Branch. July 18, 2007. 15 pp. 26. Rudel, R.A.; Camann, D.E.; Spengler, J.D.; Korn, L.R.; and Brody, J.G. 2003. Phthalates, Alkylphenols, Pesticides, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, and Other Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds in Indoor Air and Dust. *Environmental Science and Technology* . 37 (20):4543-4553. 27. Morgan, M.K.; Sheldon, L.S.; and Croghan, C.W. 2004. A Pilot Study of Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Organic Pollutants (CTEPP). Volume I: Final Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contract Number 68-D-99-011, Task Order 0002. 28. EPA. Notice of Availability of Final Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Nonylphenol. Notice. **Federal Register** (71 FR 9337, February 23, 2006) (FRL-OW-8035-8). Available on-line at *http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr* . 29. EPA. Memorandum from Kerry Leifer, Inert Ingredient Assessment Branch, Registration Division and Pauline Wagner, Chief, Inert Ingredient Assessment Branch, Registration Division to Lois Rossi, Director, Registration Division. Subject: Reassessment of Four Exemptions from the Requirement of a Tolerance for Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (with attached Action Memorandum: Inert Reassessments: Four Exemptions from the Requirement of a Tolerance for Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, dated July 31, 2006). 30. EPA. Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI). Available on-line at *http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/sdsi.htm* . Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative
(SDSI)Program; EPA ICR No 2261.01, OMB Control No. 2070-new. Notice. **Federal Register** (72 FR 26357, May 9, 2007) (FRL-8125-4). Available on-line at *http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr* . 31. EPA. TSCA Section 21 Petition on Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates; Notice of Receipt. Notice. **Federal Register** (72 FR 37530, July 10, 2007) (FRL-8139-7). Available on-line at *http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr* . List of Subjects Environmental protection, Hazardous substances, Nonylphenol, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates. Dated: August 29, 2007. James B. Gulliford, Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. [FR Doc. E7-17542 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-S FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, Comment Requested August 28, 2007. SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
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(a)whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility;
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(d)ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)comments should be submitted on or before November 5, 2007. If you anticipate that you will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC contact listed below as soon as possible. ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget,
(202)395-5887, or via fax at 202-395-5167 or via Internet at *Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov* and to *Judith-B.Herman@fcc.gov,* Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-B441, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554 or an e-mail to *PRA@fcc.gov.* If you would like to obtain or view a copy of this information collection after the 60 day comment period, you may do so by visiting the FCC PRA Web page at: *http://www.fcc.gov/omd/pra.* FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Judith B. Herman at 202-418-0214 or via the Internet at *Judith-B.Herman@fcc.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 3060-0798. *Title:* FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization: WTB and PSHS. *Form No.:* FCC Form 601. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Individuals or households, business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 252,720 respondents; 252,720 responses. *Estimated Time per Response:* 1.25 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion reporting requirement, third party disclosure requirement, recordkeeping requirement and every 10 year reporting requirement. *Obligation To Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 221,130 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $50,584,000. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* Yes. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* In general there is no need for confidentiality. On a case-by-case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this revision to the OMB after this 60 day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. The FCC Form 601 is a consolidated, multi-part application form, or “long-form”, that is used for general market-based licensing and site-by-site licensing for wireless telecommunications and public safety services filed through the Commission's Universal Licensing System (ULS). FCC Form 601 is composed of a main form that contains the administrative information and a series of schedules used for filing technical and other information. Respondents are encouraged to submit FCC Form 601 electronically and are required to do so when submitting FCC Form 601 to apply for an authorization for which the applicant was the winning bidder in a spectrum auction. The data collected on the FCC Form 601 include the FCC Registration Number (FRN), which serves as a “common link” for all filings an entity has with the FCC. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires that those entities filing with the Commission to use an FRN. FCC Form 601 is also being used for auctionable services as they are implemented; to apply for a new authorization; or to amend a pending application for an authorization to operate a license for wireless radio services. This includes Public Mobile Services, Personal Communications Services, General Wireless Communications Services, Private Land Mobile Radio Services, Broadcast Auxiliary Services, Fixed Microwave Services, Instructional Television Fixed Service
(ITFS)and the Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS), Maritime Services (excluding ships), and Aviation Services (excluding aircraft). It may also be used to modify or renew an existing license, cancel a license, withdraw a pending application, obtain a duplicate license, submit required notifications, request an extension of time to satisfy construction requirements, or request an administrative update to an existing license (such as a mailing address change), request a Special Temporary Authorization (STA), or a Developmental License. The Commission is now seeking OMB approval because we are increasing the number of respondents by 2,200 and the annual cost burden; and add new radio service codes and instructional changes to Schedules B and D due to Auction 73 of the 700 MHz band licenses (see Second Report and Order in FCC 07-132, WT Docket No. 06-150) scheduled for January 16, 2008. *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0799. *Title:* FCC Ownership Disclosure Information for the Wireless Telecommunications Services. *Form No.:* FCC Form 602. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 550 respondents; 5,216 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* 1.50 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion reporting requirement and third party disclosure requirement. *Obligation to Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 5,216 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $508,200. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* N/A. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* In general, there is no need for confidentiality. On a case by case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this revision to the OMB after this 60-day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. The purpose of the FCC Form 602 is to obtain the identity of the filer and to elicit information required by 47 CFR 1.2112 of the Commission's rules regarding:
(1)Persons or entities holding a 10 percent or greater direct or indirect ownership interest or any general partners in a general partnership holding a direct or indirect ownership interest in the applicant (“Disclosable Interest Holders”); and
(2)all FCC-regulated entities in which the filer or any of its Disclosable Interest Holders owns a 10 percent or greater interest. The data collected on the FCC Form 602 includes the FCC Registration Number (FRN), which serves as a “common link” for all filings an entity has with the FCC. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires that entities filing with the Commission use a FRN. The FCC Form 602 was designed for, and must be filed electronically in the Universal Licensing System
(ULS)by all licensees that hold licenses in auctionable services. The Commission is now seeking OMB approval because we are increasing the number of respondents by 50 and the annual cost burden due to Auction 73 of the 700 MHz band licenses (see Second Report and Order in FCC 07-132, WT Docket No. 06-150) scheduled for January 16, 2008. *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0800. *Title:* FCC Application for Assignments of Authorization and Transfers of Control; WTB and PSHS. *Form No.:* FCC Form 603. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Individuals or households, business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 32,751 respondents; 32,751 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* 1.75 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion reporting requirement, recordkeeping requirement. *Obligation to Respond:* Mandatory. *Total Annual Burden:* 36,846 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $3,111,295. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* Yes. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* In general, there is no need for confidentiality. On a case by case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this revision to the OMB after this 60-day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. FCC Form 603 is a multi-purpose form used to apply for approval of assignment or transfer of control of licenses in the wireless services. The data collected on this form is used by the FCC to determine whether the public interest would be served by approval of the requested assignment or transfer. This form is also used to notify the Commission of consummated assignments and transfers of wireless and/or public safety licenses that have previously been consented to by the Commission or for which notification but not prior consent is required. This form is used by applicants/licensees in the Public Mobile Services, Personal Communications Services, General Wireless Communications Services, Private Land Mobile Radio Services, Broadcast Auxiliary Services, Broadband Radio Services, Educational Radio Services, Fixed Microwave Services, Maritime Services (excluding ships), and Aviation Services (excluding aircraft). The purpose of this form is to obtain information sufficient to identify the parties to the proposed assignment or transfer, establish the parties basic eligibility and qualifications, classify the filing, and determine the nature of the proposed service. Various technical schedules are required along with the main form applicable to Auctioned Services, Partitioning and Disaggregation, Undefined Geographical Area Partitioning, Notification of Consummation or Request for Extension of Time for Consummation. The Commission is now seeking OMB approval because we are increasing the number of respondents by 200 and the annual cost burden and add an additional option for coverage requirements on Schedule B due to Auction 73 of the 700 MHz band licenses (see Second Report and Order in FCC 07-132, WT Docket No. 06-150) scheduled for January 16, 2008. *OMB Control Number:* 3060-1058. *Title:* FCC Application or Notification for Spectrum Leasing Arrangement: WTB and PSHS. *Form No.:* FCC Form 608. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 1,623 respondents; 1,623 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* 5 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion reporting requirement and recordkeeping requirement. *Obligation to Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 8,115 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $1,334,106. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* N/A. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* In general there is no need for confidentiality. On a case by case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this revision to the OMB after this 60-day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. FCC Form 608 is a multi-purpose form used to provide notification or request approval for any spectrum leasing arrangement (‘Leases’) entered into between an existing licensee (‘Licensee’) in certain wireless services and a spectrum lessee (‘Lessee’). This form is also required to notify or request approval for any spectrum subleasing arrangement (‘Sublease’). The form is also used to provide notification for any Private Commons Arrangement entered into between a Licensee, Lessee, or Sublessee and a class of third-party users (as defined in 47 CFR 1.9080 of the Commission's Rules.) The data collected on the form is used by the FCC to determine whether the public interest would be served by the Lease or Sublease. The Commission is now seeking OMB approval because we are increasing the number of respondents by 30 as a result of the Second Report and Order in FCC 07-132, WT Docket No. 06-150. *OMB Control Number:* 3060-1092. *Title:* Interim Procedures for Filing Applications Seeking Approval for Designated Entity Reportable Eligibility Events and Annual Reports. *Form Nos.:* FCC Forms 609-T and 611-T. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 1,100 respondents; 2,750 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* .50-6 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion and annual reporting requirements. *Obligation to Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 7,288 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $1,494,625. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* N/A. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* In general there is no need for confidentiality. On a case by case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this revision to the OMB after this 60-day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. FCC Form 609-T is used by Designated Entities
(DEs)to request prior Commission approval pursuant to 47 CFR 1.2114 of the Commission's Rules for any reportable eligibility event. The FCC Form 611-T is used by Designated Entity licensees to file an annual report, pursuant to 47 CFR 1.2110(n) of the Commission's Rules, related to eligibility for designated entity benefits. The data collected on the form is used by the FCC to determine whether the public interest would be served by the approval of the reportable eligibility event. The Commission is now seeking OMB approval because we are increasing the number of respondents by 100 as a result of the Second Report and Order in FCC 07-132, WT Docket No. 06-150. Federal Communications Commission. William F. Caton, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-17503 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval August 28, 2007. SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning
(a)whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility;
(b)the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate;
(c)ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and
(d)ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)comments should be submitted on or before October 5, 2007. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible. ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser of Office of Management and Budget (OMB), via Internet at *Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov* or via fax at
(202)395-5167 and to Cathy Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC. If you would like to obtain or view a copy of this information collection, you may do so by visiting the FCC PRA Web page at: http://www.fcc.gov/omd/pra. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at
(202)418-2918 or via the Internet at *PRA@fcc.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0250. *Title:* Sections 73.1207, 74.784 and 74.1284, Rebroadcasts. *Form Number:* Not applicable. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit institutions; State, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 6,062. *Estimated Time per Response:* 30 minutes. *Frequency of Response:* Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion reporting requirement; Semi-annual reporting requirement; Third party requirement. *Total Annual Burden:* 5,306 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* None. *Nature of Response:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Confidentiality:* No need for confidentiality required. *Privacy Impact Assessment:* No impact(s). *Needs and Uses:* 47 CFR 73.1207 requires that licensees of broadcast stations obtain written permission from an originating station prior to retransmitting any program or any part thereof. A copy of the written consent must be kept in the station's files and made available to the FCC upon request. Section 73.1207 also specifies procedures that broadcast stations must follow when rebroadcasting time signals, weather bulletins, or other material from non-broadcast services. 47 CFR 74.784 requires licensees of low power television and TV translator stations to notify the FCC when rebroadcasting programs or signals of another station occurs. They are also required to certify that written consent has been obtained from originating station. FCC staff uses the data to ensure compliance with Section 325(a) of the Communications Act, as amended. 47 CFR 74.1284 requires that the licensee of a FM translator station obtain prior consent to rebroadcast programs of any FM broadcast station or other FM translator. The licensee must notify the Commission of the call letters of each station rebroadcast and must certify that written consent has been received from the licensee of that station. The Commission is revising this information collection to consolidate rule Section 47 CFR 73.1207 into OMB control number 3060-0250. The rule section is currently approved under OMB control number 3060-0173. *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0633. *Title:* Sections 73.1230, 74.165, 74.432, 74.564, 74.664, 74.765, 74.832, 74.1265, Posting or Filing of Station Licenses. *Form Number:* Not applicable. *Type of Review:* Revision of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit institutions. *Number of Respondents:* 2,584. *Estimated Hours per Response:* 0.083 hours. *Frequency of Response:* Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement. *Total Annual Burden:* 214 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $24,860. *Nature of Response:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Confidentiality:* No need for confidentiality required. *Privacy Impact Assessment:* No impact(s). *Needs and Uses:* 47 CFR 73.1230 requires that the station license and any other instrument of station authorization for an AM, FM or TV station be posted in a conspicuous place where the licensee considers to be the principal control point of the transmitter. 47 CFR 74.165 requires that the instrument of authorization for an experimental broadcast station be available at the transmitter site. 47 CFR 74.432(j) (remote pickup broadcast station) and 74.832(j) (low power auxiliary station) requires that the license of a remote pickup broadcast/low power auxiliary station shall be retained in the licensee's files, posted at the transmitter, or posted at the control point of the station. These sections also require the licensee to forward the station license to the FCC in the case of permanent discontinuance of the station. 47 CFR 74.564 (aural broadcast auxiliary stations) requires that the station license and any other instrument of authorization be posted in the room where the transmitter is located, or if operated by remote control, at the operating position. 47 CFR 74.664 (television broadcast auxiliary stations) requires that the station license and any other instrument of authorization be posted in the room where the transmitter is located. Sections 74.765 (low power TV, TV translator and TV booster) and 74.1265 (FM translator stations and FM booster stations), require that the station license and any other instrument of authorization be retained in the station's files. In addition, the call sign of the station, together with the name, address and telephone number of the licensee or the local representative of the licensee, and the name and address of the person and place where the station records are maintained, shall be displayed at the transmitter site on the structure supporting the transmitting antenna. The Commission is revising this information collection to remove 47 CFR 74.965 from the information collection. The rule section was removed from the CFR. It is no longer in existence. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-17505 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for Emergency Review and Approval August 30, 2007. SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning
(a)whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility;
(b)the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate;
(c)ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and
(d)ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA)comments should be submitted on or before September 12, 2007. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible. ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via e-mail to *nfraser@omb.eop.gov* or via fax at 202-395-5167, and to the Federal Communications Commission via e-mail to *PRA@fcc.gov* or by U.S. mail to Jerry Cowden, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-B135, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information contact Jerry Cowden via e-mail at *PRA@fcc.gov* or at 202-418-0447. If you would like to obtain or view a copy of this information collection you may do so by visiting the FCC PRA Web page at: *http://www.fcc.gov/omd/pra.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is requesting emergency OMB processing of this information collection and has requested OMB approval by September 19, 2007. *OMB Control Number:* None. *Title:* Information collection for Emergency Communications Back-Up System Report to Congress. *Form No.:* Not applicable. *Type of Review:* New collection. *Respondents:* Businesses or other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; and state, local or tribal governments. *Number of Respondents:* 45 respondents; 45 responses. *Estimated Time per Response:* 40 hours. *Frequency of Response:* One-time reporting. *Obligation to Respond:* Voluntary. *Total Annual Burden:* 1,800 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* $33,000. This is based on an estimate that half the respondents
(22)will fly a representative (or representatives) the equivalent of a coast-to-coast round trip to Washington, DC and will have lodging for one night. The average cost of a single round trip fare and one night lodging is estimated to be $1500. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* The Commission will work with respondents to ensure that their concerns regarding the confidentiality of any proprietary or business-sensitive information are resolved in a manner consistent with the Commission's rules. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* This information collection does not affect individuals or households, and therefore a privacy impact assessment is not required. *Needs and Uses:* The information collection sought will enable the Commission to fulfill its obligation under the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Act), Public Law 110-53. The purpose of the Act is to “provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.” Towards this end, the Act mandates that the Commission “shall conduct a vulnerability assessment of the Nation's critical communications and information systems infrastructure and shall evaluate the technical feasibility of creating a back-up emergency communications system that complements existing communications resources and takes into account next generation and advanced communications technologies.” The Commission must submit a report to Congress that details the findings of this evaluation not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Act (since the Act was enacted on August 3, 2007, the report will be due to Congress on January 30, 2008). To complete this report, the Commission seeks to collect information primarily through face-to-face meetings, phone calls (including conference calls), and e-mail correspondence with commercial service and network operators ( *i.e.* , private satellite, wireline, and wireless operators, circuit and packet network operators), users (or owners) of emergency communication systems and networks, ( *e.g.* , emergency responders including first responders, 9-1-1 system and dispatch operators, federal, state and local emergency agencies), and their associations, manufacturers of public safety equipment and emergency communications networks and systems, operators of networks for emergency responders, and standards organizations and industry groups working on public safety equipment and emergency communications networks and systems and standards. Information will be sought concerning emergency communications networks, including user devices, network equipment, operations processes and operations systems, and concerning the feasibility of commercial service providers to support the needs of public safety, including:
(1)Technical capabilities and characteristics of equipment ( *e.g.* , analog/digital, power, range, access protocol, broadband/wideband/narrowband, etc.),
(2)technical capabilities and characteristics of commercial services to support the needs of public safety,
(3)cost and deployment of commercial services for use by public safety,
(4)cost of user devices and network equipment of emergency communications networks ( *e.g.* , unit cost, maintenance/upgrade cost, etc.), and the cost of operations and operations systems (including feature upgrades) for emergency communications networks and services,
(5)deployment of user devices, network equipment, and operations processes and equipment of emergency communications systems ( *e.g.* , type of systems deployed or to be deployed), number of units deployed/sold, etc.),
(6)standardization of user devices, network equipment, and operations interfaces of emergency communications systems ( *e.g.* , standard/proprietary, standard activities, etc.),
(7)interoperability ( *i.e.* , the ability of communications among different systems, devices and groups) of user groups, user devices, network equipment, and operations processes and equipment of emergency communications systems ( *e.g.* , interoperability among first responders within a jurisdiction, among jurisdictions using the same and different network technologies),
(8)spectrum usage of user devices and network equipment of emergency communications systems ( *e.g.* , frequencies of operation, shared/dedicated spectrum, etc.),
(9)applications and application requirements for end users and the technical requirements for such applications including bandwidth needs,
(10)operations systems features and operations processes supporting emergency network operation during an emergency,
(11)service capabilities ( *e.g.* , voice, data, video, mobile to mobile communications, etc.),
(12)evolutionary trend of user devices, network equipment, and operations of emergency communications systems ( *e.g.* , next generation, migration path, etc.),
(13)backhaul connectivity of network equipment and facilities ( *e.g.* , commercial/private, wired/wireless, capacity, etc.),
(14)description of network technology and architecture ( *e.g.* , whether the network design accommodates access to emergency responders from other jurisdictions, capability of architecture to support resiliency in disaster situations, etc.),
(15)operations budget for the network,
(16)responsibilities of the organizations operating the networks, including service provisioning, traffic management and network maintenance, especially during an emergency,
(17)plans, if any, for restoring emergency communication services or reverting to backup networks in the event that a primary emergency communications network is damaged or destroyed,
(18)ability of existing emergency communications networks to back up or complement the communication resources of other emergency communications networks,
(19)ability to rapidly increase emergency communication network capacity in the event that the capacity limits of the network are exceeded in a major disaster,
(20)a description of the role of “core services” such as authentication and agency locator services, whether and how they are implemented in existing and planned networks, and their costs,
(21)a description of the processes and systems used or planned to connect emergency responders to a back-up network in an emergency, and
(22)plans to restore emergency communications services if the network over which they are provided is damaged, destroyed, or sufficiently congested to be impaired or unusable ( *e.g.* , changes in operations staffing in emergency conditions, dynamic bandwidth allocation to users or networks, back-up communications for other emergency communications services or networks), other administrative or planning issues associated with the deployment and maintenance of such backup national emergency communications capabilities. Federal Communications Commission. William F. Caton, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-17507 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 *et seq.* ) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225), and all other applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the banks and nonbanking companies owned by the bank holding company, including the companies listed below. The applications listed below, as well as other related filings required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The application also will be available for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at *www.ffiec.gov/nic/* . Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these applications must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of Governors not later than September 28, 2007. **1. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta** (David Tatum, Vice President) 1000 Peachtree Street, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30309: *1. Community First, Inc.* , Columbia, Tennessee; to acquire 100 percent of the voting shares of First National Bank of Centerville, Centerville, Tennessee. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, August 30, 2007. Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E7-17489 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-S FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD Sunshine Act; Notice of Meeting Time and Date: 9 a.m. (Eastern Time), September 17, 2007. Place: 4th Floor Conference Room, 1250 H Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005. Status: Parts will be open to the public and parts closed to the public. Matters To Be Considered Parts Open to the Public 1. Approval of the minutes of the August 20, 2007 Board member meeting. 2. Thrift Savings Plan activity report by the Executive Director. a. Monthly Participant Activity Report. b. Monthly Investment Performance Report. c. Legislative Report. 3. Increasing Decimal Places in Fund Prices. 4. Business Assurance and IT Infrastructure. 5. Annual Budget Report. a. Fiscal Year 2007 Results. b. Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. c. Fiscal Year 2009 Estimate. Parts Closed to the Public 6. Personnel. Contact Person for More Information: Thomas J. Trabucco, Director, Office of External Affairs,
(202)942-1640. Dated: August 31, 2007. Thomas K. Emswiler, Secretary to the Board, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. [FR Doc. 07-4350 Filed 8-31-07; 11:45 am]
Connectionstraces to 19
Traces to 19 documents
22 references not yet in our index
  • 37 CFR 404
  • 34 CFR 662
  • 34 CFR 86
  • 34 CFR 79
  • Pub. L. 95-134
  • Pub. L. 92-463
  • Pub. L. 104-13
  • 47 CFR 1.2112
  • 47 CFR 1.9080
  • 47 CFR 1.2114
  • 47 CFR 1.2110(n)
  • 47 CFR 73.1207
  • 47 CFR 74.784
  • 47 CFR 74.1284
  • 47 CFR 73.1230
  • 47 CFR 74.165
  • 47 CFR 74.432(j)
  • 47 CFR 74.564
  • 47 CFR 74.664
  • 47 CFR 74.965
  • Pub. L. 110-53
  • 12 CFR 225
Citation graph
cites case law
Notices
Record of Decision
U.S.C.§ 552b
U.S.C.§ 207
C.F.R.§ 75.105
C.F.R.§ 662.21
U.S.C.§ 2452
Fed. Reg.Notices
U.S.C.§ 1451
C.F.R.§ 75.210
C.F.R.§ 75.118
Cite37 CFR 404
Cite34 CFR 662
Cite34 CFR 86
Cites 41 · showing 12Cited by 0 across 0 sources
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