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Code · REGISTER · 2007-10-22 · Department of Education · Notices

Notices. Notice of open meeting

17,615 words·~80 min read·/register/2007/10/22/07-5231

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BILLING CODE 6351-01-M DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Department of Education. SUMMARY: The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 21, 2007. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention:
Education Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit responses electronically by email to *oira_submission@omb.eop.gov* or via fax to
(202)395-6974. Commenters should include the following subject line in their response “Comment: [insert OMB number], [insert abbreviated collection name, e.g., “Upward Bound Evaluation”]. Persons submitting comments electronically should not submit paper copies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following:
(1)Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement;
(2)Title;
(3)Summary of the collection;
(4)Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information;
(5)Respondents and frequency of collection; and
(6)Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment. Dated: October 16, 2007. Angela C. Arrington, IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education *Type of Review:* Extension. *Title:* Improving Literacy Through School Libraries. *Frequency:* Annually. *Affected Public:* State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs. *Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:* *Responses:* 100. *Burden Hours:* 500. *Abstract:* This information is required by the Program Statute under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act, Part B, Subpart 4, Section 1251(h)(1). Each respondent will report on “* * * how the funding was used and the extent to which the availability of, the access to, and the use of, up-to-date school library media resources in the elementary and secondary schools served by the eligible local educational agency was increased.” This final report makes specific requests for easily retrieved information on each approved activity, personnel descriptions and outcomes that cannot be derived from any other information collection. In addition, under (j)(1) NATIONAL ACTIVITIES, the statute requires independent evaluations of the activities supported by funds and their impact on improving the reading skills of students not later than three years after the date of the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and biennially thereafter. This information collection is one of three sources of data for the Congressionally mandated program evaluation. Requests for copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from *http://edicsweb.ed.gov* , by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 3443. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to *ICDocketMgr@ed.gov* or faxed to 202-245-6623. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request. Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to *ICDocketMgr@ed.gov* . Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD)may call the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS)at 1-800-877-8339. [FR Doc. E7-20752 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY)2008 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA)Number: 84.016A. DATES: *Applications Available:* October 22, 2007. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:* November 26, 2007. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:* January 25, 2008. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description *Purpose of Program:* The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program provides grants to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages. *Priorities:* This notice contains two competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 658.35). Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from the notice of final priorities for discretionary grant programs, published in the **Federal Register** on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046). *Competitive Preference Priority 1:* For FY 2008 this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional five points to an application that meets these priorities. This priority is: Applications that
(a)require entering students to have successfully completed at least two years of secondary school foreign language instruction;
(b)require each graduating student to earn two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language or to have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language; or
(c)in the case of a two-year degree granting institution, offer two years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language. *Competitive Preference Priority 2:* For FY 2008 this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority. This priority is: Projects that support activities to enable students to achieve proficiency or advanced proficiency or to develop programs in one or more of the following less commonly taught languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and languages in the Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families. Under this competition, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priorities. *Invitational Priorities:* For FY 2008, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. These priorities are: *Invitational Priority 1:* Applications that propose projects that provide in-service training for K-12 teachers in foreign languages and international studies and that strengthen instruction in foreign languages and international studies in teacher education programs. *Invitational Priority 2:* Applications that propose projects that include a plan for assessment of student foreign language competency. A plan of assessment should include clearly defined student-learning outcomes and externally validated assessment approaches. The applicant should describe procedures for utilizing the assessment data to improve foreign language program effectiveness. *Program Authority:* 20 U.S.C. 1124. *Applicable Regulations:*
(a)The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
(b)The regulations in 34 CFR parts 655 and 658.
(c)The notice of final priorities for discretionary grant programs, published in the **Federal Register** on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046). Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to Institutions of Higher Education
(IHEs)only. II. Award Information *Type of Award:* Discretionary grants. *Estimated Available Funds:* The Administration has requested $1,617,000 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 Awards:* Single Institution: $50,000-$90,000. Consortia/Organizations/Associations: $80,000-$140,000. *Estimated Average Size of Awards:* Single Institution: $82,000. Consortia/Organizations/Associations: $110,000. *Maximum Award:* We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $90,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for a single institution application and $140,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for a consortia/organization/association application. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the **Federal Register** . *Estimated Number of Awards:* 19. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. *Project Period:* Single Institutions: Up to 24 months. Consortia/Organizations/Associations: Up to 36 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. *Eligible Applicants:*
(1)IHEs;
(2)combinations of IHEs;
(3)partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and IHEs; and
(4)public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations. 2. *Cost Sharing or Matching:* This program has a matching requirement under Title VI, part A, section 604(a)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1124(a)(3), and the regulations for this program in 34 CFR 658.41. UISFL Program grantees must provide matching funds in either of the following ways:
(a)cash contributions from private sector corporations or foundations equal to one-third of the total project costs; or
(b)a combination of institutional and non-institutional cash or in-kind contributions including State and private sector corporation or foundation contributions, equal to one-half of the total project costs. The Secretary may waive or reduce the required matching share for institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or part B of Title III or under Title V of the HEA. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. *Address to Request Application Package:* Christine Corey, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202)502-7629 or by e-mail: *christine.corey@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 competition. Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 40 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. Page numbers and an identifier may be outside of the 1″ margin. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, *except* titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, and all text in charts, tables, and graphs may be single spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward the page limit. • Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller than 10-point (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. • Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Applications submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal Assistance face sheet (SF 424); the supplemental information form required by the Department; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; and Part IV, the assurances and certifications. The page limit also does not apply to a table of contents. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the Program Narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection criteria in the program narrative. We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit. 3. *Submission Dates and Times:* *Applications Available:* October 22, 2007. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:* November 26, 2007. Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 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. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:* January 25, 2008. 4. *Intergovernmental Review:* This competition 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 must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section. a. *Electronic Submission of Applications.* Applications for grants under the UISFL Program, CFDA Number 84.016A, must be submitted electronically using 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. We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement *and* submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify 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* . You may access the electronic grant application for the UISFL Program 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 84.016, not 84.016A). Please note the following: • 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format. • 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, the Department of Education 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). • 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. *Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement:* You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because— • You do not have access to the Internet; or • You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov 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), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. • If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your 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 your statement to: Christine Corey, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Fax:
(202)502-7859. Your 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 you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 84.016A), 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 84.016A), 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.016A), 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. *General:* For FY 2008, applications will be randomly divided and reviewed by separate panels of language and area studies experts. A rank order from highest to lowest score will be developed and used for funding purposes. 2. *Selection Criteria:* The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 658.31 through 658.34. The following criteria are used to evaluate all applications:
(a)Plan of operation (15 points);
(b)quality of key personnel (10 points);
(c)budget and cost effectiveness (10 points);
(d)adequacy of resources (5 points); and
(e)evaluation plan (20 points). The following additional criteria are applied to applications submitted by an IHE or a combination of IHEs:
(a)Commitment to international studies (10 points);
(b)elements of the proposed international studies program (10 points); and
(c)need for and prospective results of the proposed program (10 points). The following additional criterion is applied to applications from organizations and associations: Need for and potential impact of the proposed project in improving international studies and the study of modern foreign languages at the undergraduate level (30 points). 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 under 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:* Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the objective for the UISFL program is to meet the nation's security and economic needs through the development of a national capacity in foreign languages and area and international studies. The Department will use the following UISFL performance measures to evaluate its success in meeting this objective:
(1)Percentage of critical languages addressed/covered by foreign language major, minor, or certificate programs created or enhanced, by language courses created or enhanced, or by faculty or instructor positions created with UISFL or matching funds in the reporting period.
(2)Percentage of projects reported and validated as high quality or successfully completed. The information provided by grantees in their performance reports submitted via the electronic International Resource Information System
(IRIS)will be the source of data for this measure. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Corey, International Education Programs Service, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6069, Washington, DC 20006-8521. Telephone:
(202)502-7629 or by e-mail: *christine.corey@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: October 17, 2007. Diane Auer Jones, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. E7-20762 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Idaho National Laboratory 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), Idaho National Laboratory. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the **Federal Register** . DATES: Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Opportunities for public participation will be held from 1 to 1:15 p.m. and 4 to 4:15 p.m. These times are subject to change; please contact the Federal Coordinator (below) for confirmation of times prior to the meeting. ADDRESSES: AmeriTel Inn, 645 Lindsey Boulevard, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert L. Pence, Federal Coordinator, Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 1955 Fremont Avenue, MS-1203, Idaho Falls, ID 83415. Phone
(208)526-6518; Fax
(208)526-8789 or e-mail: *pencerl@id.doe.gov* or visit the Board's Internet home page at: *http://www.inlemcab.org.* 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 Topics (agenda topics may change up to the day of the meeting; please contact Robert L. Pence for the most current agenda):* • Progress to Cleanup • Waste Area Group 7 Proposed Plan • Chemical Processing Plant (CPP)-601 Status • Special Nuclear Material • Engineering Test Reactor After Action Briefing *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 presentations pertaining to agenda items should contact Robert L. Pence at the address or telephone number listed above. The request 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 Robert L. Pence, Federal Coordinator, at the address and phone number listed above. Minutes will also be available at the following Web site *http://www.inlemcab.org/meetings.html.* Issued at Washington, DC on October 17, 2007. Rachel Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E7-20689 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [RT01-99-000, RT01-99-001, RT01-99-002 and RT01-99-003; RT01-86-000, RT01-86-001 and RT01-86-002; RT01-95-000, RT01-95-001 and RT01-95-002; RT01-2-000, RT01-2-001, RT01-2-002 and RT01-2-003; RT01-98-000; RT02-3-000] Regional Transmission Organizations; Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, et al.; New York Independent System Operator, Inc., et al.; PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., et al.; PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; ISO New England, Inc.; New York Independent System Operator, Inc.; Notice of Filing October 12, 2007. Take notice that PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., New York Independent System Operator, Inc. and ISO New England, Inc. have posted on their internet Web sites information updating their progress on the resolution of Regional Transmission Organization seams. Any person desiring to file comments on this information should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). All such comments should be filed on or before the comment date. Comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. *Comment Date:* November 6, 2007. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20708 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. ER07-1215-000 and ER07-1215-001] The Royal Bank of Scotland, plc; Notice of Issuance of Order October 12, 2007. The Royal Bank of Scotland, plc
(RBS)filed an application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate schedule. The proposed market-based rate schedule provides for the sale of energy, capacity and ancillary services at market-based rates. RBS also requested waivers of various Commission regulations. In particular, RBS requested that the Commission grant blanket approval under 18 CFR part 34 of all future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability by RBS. On October 12, 2007, pursuant to delegated authority, the Director, Division of Tariffs and Market Development-West, granted the requests for blanket approval under Part 34 (Director's Order). The Director's Order also stated that the Commission would publish a separate notice in the **Federal Register** establishing a period of time for the filing of protests. Accordingly, any person desiring to be heard concerning the blanket approvals of issuances of securities or assumptions of liability by RBS, should file a protest with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure. 18 CFR 385.211, 385.214 (2004). Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests is November 13, 2007. Absent a request to be heard in opposition to such blanket approvals by the deadline above, RBS is authorized to issue securities and assume obligations or liabilities as a guarantor, indorser, surety, or otherwise in respect of any security of another person; provided that such issuance or assumption is for some lawful object within the corporate purposes of RBS, compatible with the public interest, and is reasonably necessary or appropriate for such purposes. The Commission reserves the right to require a further showing that neither public nor private interests will be adversely affected by continued approvals of RBS' issuance of securities or assumptions of liability. Copies of the full text of the Director's Order are available from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. The Order may also be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov,* using the eLibrary link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number filed to access the document. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20709 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP07-451-000] Black Bayou Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Black Bayou Gas Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues October 12, 2007. The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment
(EA)that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Black Bayou Gas Storage Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Black Bayou Storage, LLC
(BBS)in Cameron Parrish, Louisiana. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on November 30, 2007. This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled “An Interstate Natural Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?” was attached to the project notice BBS provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site ( *www.ferc.gov* ). Summary of the Proposed Project BBS proposes to convert a depleted natural gas production field in Cameron Parish Louisiana located 15 miles west of Hackberry, Louisiana but includes north into Calcasieu Parish for a short distance. The storage field design capacity of each cavern would be approximately 10.4 billion cubic feet
(Bcf)consisting of 7.5 Bcf of working capacity and up to 2.9 Bdf of cushion gas. The caverns would have approximately 1,200 million cubic feet
(MMcf)of maximum daily injection capability and approximately 1,200 MMcf of maximum daily withdrawal capability. BBS seeks authority to construct and operate the following facilities: • Two salt dome storage caverns; • One 18,940 horsepower compressor station; • One leaching plant; • Five brine disposal wells on one common pad; • Five water supply wells on five separate pads; • One electrical substation; • One 30-inch-diameter, 2.45-mile-long gas pipeline interconnect with Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation (Transco) mainline; • One 24-inch-diameter, 4.69-mile-long gas pipeline interconnect with planned Kinder Morgan mainline; • One 20-inch-diameter, 0.10-mile-long cavern gas pipeline for Cavern No. 1; • One 20-inch-diameter, 0.25-mile-long cavern gas pipeline for Cavern No. 2; • One 8-inch-, 12-inch-, and 16-inch-diameter, 2.20 mile-long water pipeline system; • One 16-inch-diameter, 1.43 mile-long brine pipeline system; • One meter station and one separate tie-in facility for Transco's pipeline interconnect; • One meter station with combined tie-in facilities for the Kinder Morgan pipeline interconnect; and • One 0.25-mile-long access road for Cavern Nos. 1 and 2. Certain facilities of Diasu Oil and Gas Company (Diasu) including a tank farm would need to be dismantled, relocated or removed before BBS constructs its proposed compressor station and leaching facility on the site of Diasu's current facilities. The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1. 1 1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not being printed in the **Federal Register** . Copies of all appendices, other than Appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's Web site at the “eLibrary” link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call
(202)502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. Nonjurisdictional Facilities Non-jurisdictional facilities that will be built as a result of the proposed project would include a 2.2 mile-long 230 kV electric powerline to be constructed by Entergy, Inc. (Entergy). The electric powerline would run between Entergy's existing 230 kV transmission line on the south bank of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and BBS's proposed electrical substation approximately 2,100 feet northwest of the Central Facility area. The electric powerline would require several environmental permits and approvals including state and federal authorization for work in waters of the U.S. (Coastal Use Permit) and clearances under the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 94.4 acres of land. Following construction, about 24.2 acres would be maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way, new access roads, well sites, or new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 70.2 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use. The EA Process The National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as “scoping.” The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received are considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. In the EA we 2 will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these general headings: 2 “We”, “us”, and “our” refer to the environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP). • Geology and soils • Land use • Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands • Cultural resources • Vegetation and wildlife • Air quality and noise • Endangered and threatened species • Hazardous waste • Public safety We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public participation section below. Currently Identified Environmental Issues We have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by BBS. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis. • Cultural resources may be affected by the project. • The project would cross two major waterbodies: Black Bayou and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. • About 62.2 acres of wetlands, open water, and other land uses would be impacted during construction by underground pipeline and cable facilities, and about 6.8 acres of wetland open water and other land uses would be impacted by above ground pipeline facilities. • Two cavern well pads, electrical substation, part of the brine disposal well pad site, the Kinder Morgan meter station site, the Transco meter station, and Water Well Pad No. 1, would be constructed in marshland or open water and could potentially impact fisheries. • Essential fish habitat for the brown shrimp, white shrimp, and red drum are likely to be of concern within the project area. • The proposed project would encompass areas containing suitable nesting habitat for colonial wading birds. Public Participation You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EA/EIS and considered by the Commission. You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative locations/routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are received in time and properly recorded: • Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. • Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 2. • Reference Docket No. CP07-451-000. • Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before November 30, 2007. Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* under the “eFiling” link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will need to create an account by clicking on “Login to File” and then “New User Account.” You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a “Comment on Filing.” Environmental Mailing List An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities. By this notice we are also asking governmental agencies, especially those in Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EA. If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list. Becoming an Intervenor In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want to become an official party to the proceeding, an “intervenor”. To become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at *www.ferc.gov.* Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing. Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental comments considered. Availability of Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the FERC Internet Web site ( *www.ferc.gov* ) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on “General Search” and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at *FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov* or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact
(202)502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to the documents. Go to *www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm* . Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at *http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx* along with other related information. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20716 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12886-000] BPUS Generation Development, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, and Comments October 12, 2007. Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. *Type of Application:* Preliminary Permit. b. *Project No.:* 12886-000. c. *Date filed:* July 30, 2007. d. *Applicant:* BPUS Generation Development, LLC. e. *Name of Project:* Fulton Lock & Dam Hydroelectric Project. f. *Location:* Tombigbee River in Itawamba County, Mississippi. It would use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fulton Lock & Dam. g. *Filed Pursuant to:* Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. *Applicant Contact:* Mr. Jeffrey M. Auser, P.E., BPUS Generation Development, LLC, 225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite 201, Liverpool, NY 13088,
(315)413-2700. i. *FERC Contact:* Robert Bell,
(202)502-4126. j. *Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene* 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Please include the project number (P-12886-000) on any comments or motions filed. The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. *Description of Project:* The proposed project using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fulton Lock & Dam and operated in a run-of-river mode would consist of:
(1)A new 200-foot long, 250-foot wide, 50-foot high concrete powerhouse;
(2)a new intake channel and tailrace channel on the west side of the river;
(3)two turbine/generator units with a combined installed capacity of 18 megawatts;
(4)a new 10,500-foot above ground transmission line extending from the switchyard near the powerhouse to an interconnection point with an existing transmission north of the powerhouse; and
(5)appurtenant facilities. The proposed Fulton Lock & Dam Project would have an average annual generation of 96 gigawatt-hours. l. This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail *ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov.* For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. m. *Competing Preliminary Permit* —Anyone desiring to file a competing application for preliminary permit for a proposed project must submit the competing application itself, or a notice of intent to file such an application, to the Commission on or before the specified comment date for the particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing preliminary permit application no later than 30 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing preliminary permit application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. n. *Competing Development Application* —Any qualified development applicant desiring to file a competing development application must submit to the Commission, on or before a specified comment date for the particular application, either a competing development application or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent to file a development application allows an interested person to file the competing application no later than 120 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing license application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. o. *Notice of Intent* —A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice. p. *Proposed Scope of Studies Under Permit* —A preliminary permit, if issued, does not authorize construction. The term of the proposed preliminary permit would be 36 months. The work proposed under the preliminary permit would include economic analysis, preparation of preliminary engineering plans, and a study of environmental impacts. Based on the results of these studies, the Applicant would decide whether to proceed with the preparation of a development application to construct and operate the project. q. *Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene* —Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. r. *Filing and Service of Responsive Documents* —Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION”, “COMPETING APPLICATION”, “PROTEST”, and “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, as applicable, and the Project Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above-mentioned address. A copy of any notice of intent, competing application or motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant specified in the particular application. s. *Agency Comments* —Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to file comments on the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20710 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12887-000] BPUS Generation Development, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, and Comments October 12, 2007. Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. *Type of Application:* Preliminary Permit. b. *Project No.:* 12887-000. c. *Date filed:* July 30, 2007. d. *Applicant:* BPUS Generation Development, LLC. e. *Name of Project:* Point Marion Lock & Dam Hydroelectric Project. f. *Location:* Monongahela River in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It would use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Point Marion Lock & Dam. g. *Filed Pursuant to:* Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. *Applicant Contact:* Mr. Jeffrey M. Auser, P.E., BPUS Generation Development, LLC, 225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite 201, Liverpool, NY 13088,
(315)413-2700. i. *FERC Contact:* Robert Bell,
(202)502-4126. j. *Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene:* 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Please include the project number (P-12887-000) on any comments or motions filed. The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. *Description of Project:* The proposed project using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Point Marion Lock & Dam and operated in a run-of-river mode would consist of:
(1)A new 200-foot long, 250-foot wide, 50-foot high concrete powerhouse;
(2)a new intake waterway through the fixed-crest weir of the dam;
(3)a new 50-foot wide tailrace;
(4)two turbine/generator units with a combined installed capacity of 10.6 megawatts;
(5)a new 11,500-foot above ground transmission line extending from the switchyard near the powerhouse to an interconnection point with an existing transmission southeast of the powerhouse on the east side of the river; and
(6)appurtenant facilities. The proposed Point Marion Lock & Dam Project would have an average annual generation of 46.4 gigawatt-hours. l. This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail *ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov.* For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. m. *Competing Preliminary Permit* —Anyone desiring to file a competing application for preliminary permit for a proposed project must submit the competing application itself, or a notice of intent to file such an application, to the Commission on or before the specified comment date for the particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing preliminary permit application no later than 30 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing preliminary permit application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. n. *Competing Development Application* —Any qualified development applicant desiring to file a competing development application must submit to the Commission, on or before a specified comment date for the particular application, either a competing development application or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent to file a development application allows an interested person to file the competing application no later than 120 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing license application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. o. *Notice of Intent* —A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice. p. *Proposed Scope of Studies Under Permit* —A preliminary permit, if issued, does not authorize construction. The term of the proposed preliminary permit would be 36 months. The work proposed under the preliminary permit would include economic analysis, preparation of preliminary engineering plans, and a study of environmental impacts. Based on the results of these studies, the Applicant would decide whether to proceed with the preparation of a development application to construct and operate the project. q. *Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene* —Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. r. *Filing and Service of Responsive Documents* —Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION”, “COMPETING APPLICATION”, “PROTEST”, and “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, as applicable, and the Project Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above-mentioned address. A copy of any notice of intent, competing application or motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant specified in the particular application. s. *Agency Comments* —Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to file comments on the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20711 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12888-000] BPUS Generation Development, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, and Comments October 12, 2007. Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. *Type of Application:* Preliminary Permit. b. *Project No.:* 12888-000. c. *Date filed:* July 30, 2007. d. *Applicant:* BPUS Generation Development, LLC. e. *Name of Project:* C. W. Bill Young Lock & Dam Hydroelectric Project. f. *Location:* Allegheny River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It would use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' C. W. Bill Young Lock & Dam. g. *Filed Pursuant to:* Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. *Applicant Contact:* Mr. Jeffrey M. Auser, P.E., BPUS Generation Development, LLC, 225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite 201, Liverpool, NY 13088,
(315)413-2700. i. *FERC Contact:* Robert Bell,
(202)502-4126. j. *Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene:* 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Please include the project number (P-12888-000) on any comments or motions filed. The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. *Description of Project:* The proposed project using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' C. W. Bill Young Lock & Dam and operated in a run-of-river mode would consist of:
(1)A new 125-foot long, 160-foot wide, 60-foot high concrete powerhouse;
(2)a new intake channel and tailrace channel on the north side of the river by removing a portion of the fixed-crest dam near the north bank;
(3)three turbine/generator units with a combined installed capacity of 15 megawatts;
(4)a new 6,500-foot above ground transmission line extending from the switchyard near the powerhouse to an interconnection point with an existing substation located east of the powerhouse and dam; and
(5)appurtenant facilities. The proposed C. W. Bill Young Lock & Dam Project would have an average annual generation of 93 gigawatt-hours. l. This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail *ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov.* For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. m. *Competing Preliminary Permit* —Anyone desiring to file a competing application for preliminary permit for a proposed project must submit the competing application itself, or a notice of intent to file such an application, to the Commission on or before the specified comment date for the particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing preliminary permit application no later than 30 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing preliminary permit application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. n. *Competing Development Application* —Any qualified development applicant desiring to file a competing development application must submit to the Commission, on or before a specified comment date for the particular application, either a competing development application or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent to file a development application allows an interested person to file the competing application no later than 120 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing license application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. o. *Notice of Intent* —A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice. p. *Proposed Scope of Studies Under Permit* —A preliminary permit, if issued, does not authorize construction. The term of the proposed preliminary permit would be 36 months. The work proposed under the preliminary permit would include economic analysis, preparation of preliminary engineering plans, and a study of environmental impacts. Based on the results of these studies, the Applicant would decide whether to proceed with the preparation of a development application to construct and operate the project. q. *Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene* —Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. r. *Filing and Service of Responsive Documents* —Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION”, “COMPETING APPLICATION”, “PROTEST”, and “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, as applicable, and the Project Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above-mentioned address. A copy of any notice of intent, competing application or motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant specified in the particular application. s. *Agency Comments* —Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to file comments on the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20712 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12889-000] BPUS Generation Development, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, and Comments October 12, 2007. Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. *Type of Application:* Preliminary Permit. b. *Project No.:* 12889-000. c. *Date filed:* July 30, 2007. d. *Applicant:* BPUS Generation Development, LLC. e. *Name of Project:* Mississippi Lock & Dam No. 18 Hydroelectric Project. f. *Location:* Mississippi River in Des Moines County, Iowa, and Henderson County, Illinois. It would use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Lock & Dam No. 18. g. *Filed Pursuant to:* Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. *Applicant Contact:* Mr. Jeffrey M. Auser, P.E., BPUS Generation Development, LLC, 225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite 201, Liverpool, NY 13088,
(315)413-2700. i. *FERC Contact:* Robert Bell,
(202)502-4126. j. *Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene:* 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Please include the project number (P-12889-000) on any comments or motions filed. The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. *Description of Project:* The proposed project using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Lock & Dam No. 18 and operated in a run-of-river mode would consist of:
(1)A new 200-foot long, 250-foot wide, 50-foot high concrete powerhouse;
(2)a new intake channel and tailrace channel excavated on the left side of the river between the existing lock and Henderson Creek;
(3)five turbine/generator units with a combined installed capacity of 23.5 megawatts;
(4)a new 7,100-foot above ground transmission line extending from the switchyard near the powerhouse to an interconnection point with the 161-kilovolt Denmark-Newport transmission line on the Illinois side of the river; and
(5)appurtenant facilities. The proposed Mississippi Lock & Dam No. 18 Project would have an average annual generation of 102.4 gigawatt-hours. l. This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail *FERCONLINESUPPORT@FERC.GOV.* For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. m. *Competing Preliminary Permit* —Anyone desiring to file a competing application for preliminary permit for a proposed project must submit the competing application itself, or a notice of intent to file such an application, to the Commission on or before the specified comment date for the particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing preliminary permit application no later than 30 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing preliminary permit application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. n. *Competing Development Application* —Any qualified development applicant desiring to file a competing development application must submit to the Commission, on or before a specified comment date for the particular application, either a competing development application or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent to file a development application allows an interested person to file the competing application no later than 120 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing license application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. o. *Notice of Intent* —A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice. p. *Proposed Scope of Studies Under Permit* —A preliminary permit, if issued, does not authorize construction. The term of the proposed preliminary permit would be 36 months. The work proposed under the preliminary permit would include economic analysis, preparation of preliminary engineering plans, and a study of environmental impacts. Based on the results of these studies, the Applicant would decide whether to proceed with the preparation of a development application to construct and operate the project. q. *Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene* —Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. r. *Filing and Service of Responsive Documents* —Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION”, “COMPETING APPLICATION”, “PROTEST”, and “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, as applicable, and the Project Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above-mentioned address. A copy of any notice of intent, competing application or motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant specified in the particular application. s. *Agency Comments* —Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to file comments on the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20713 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12890-000] BPUS Generation Development, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, and Comments October 12, 2007. Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection: a. *Type of Application:* Preliminary Permit. b. *Project No.:* 12890-000. c. *Date filed:* July 30, 2007. d. *Applicant:* BPUS Generation Development, LLC. e. *Name of Project:* Allegheny Lock & Dam No. 4 Hydroelectric Project. f. *Location:* Allegheny River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It would use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Allegheny Lock & Dam No. 4. g. *Filed Pursuant to:* Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. *Applicant Contact:* Mr. Jeffrey M. Auser, P.E., BPUS Generation Development, LLC, 225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite 201, Liverpool, NY 13088,
(315)413-2700. i. *FERC Contact:* Robert Bell,
(202)502-4126. j. *Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene:* 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the “e-Filing” link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. Please include the project number (P-12890-000) on any comments or motions filed. The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. k. *Description of Project:* The proposed project using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Allegheny Lock & Dam No. 4 and operated in a run-of-river mode would consist of:
(1)A new 125-foot long, 160-foot wide, 60-foot high concrete powerhouse;
(2)a new intake channel and tailrace channel on the southeastern side of the river;
(3)three turbine/generator units with a combined installed capacity of 15 megawatts;
(4)a new 500-foot above ground transmission line extending from the switchyard near the powerhouse to an interconnection point with an existing transmission line that passes near the plant on the Braeburn side of the river; and
(5)appurtenant facilities. The proposed Allegheny Lock & Dam No. 4 Project would have an average annual generation of 89 gigawatt-hours. l. This filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail *FERCONLINESUPPORT@FERC.GOV.* For TTY, call
(202)502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. m. *Competing Preliminary Permit* —Anyone desiring to file a competing application for preliminary permit for a proposed project must submit the competing application itself, or a notice of intent to file such an application, to the Commission on or before the specified comment date for the particular application (see 18 CFR 4.36). Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing preliminary permit application no later than 30 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing preliminary permit application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. n. *Competing Development Application:* Any qualified development applicant desiring to file a competing development application must submit to the Commission, on or before a specified comment date for the particular application, either a competing development application or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent to file a development application allows an interested person to file the competing application no later than 120 days after the specified comment date for the particular application. A competing license application must conform with 18 CFR 4.30 and 4.36. o. *Notice of Intent:* A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice. p. *Proposed Scope of Studies Under Permit:* A preliminary permit, if issued, does not authorize construction. The term of the proposed preliminary permit would be 36 months. The work proposed under the preliminary permit would include economic analysis, preparation of preliminary engineering plans, and a study of environmental impacts. Based on the results of these studies, the Applicant would decide whether to proceed with the preparation of a development application to construct and operate the project. q. *Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene:* Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application. r. *Filing and Service of Responsive Documents:* Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION”, “COMPETING APPLICATION”, “PROTEST”, and “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, as applicable, and the Project Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above-mentioned address. A copy of any notice of intent, competing application or motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant specified in the particular application. s. *Agency Comments:* Federal, State, and local agencies are invited to file comments on the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20714 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Docket No. RM98-1-000 Records Governing Off-the Record Communications; Public Notice October 12, 2007. This constitutes notice, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2201(b), of the receipt of prohibited and exempt off-the-record communications. Order No. 607 (64 FR 51222, September 22, 1999) requires Commission decisional employees, who make or receive a prohibited or exempt off-the-record communication relevant to the merits of a contested proceeding, to deliver to the Secretary of the Commission, a copy of the communication, if written, or a summary of the substance of any oral communication. Prohibited communications are included in a public, non-decisional file associated with, but not a part of, the decisional record of the proceeding. Unless the Commission determines that the prohibited communication and any responses thereto should become a part of the decisional record, the prohibited off-the-record communication will not be considered by the Commission in reaching its decision. Parties to a proceeding may seek the opportunity to respond to any facts or contentions made in a prohibited off-the-record communication, and may request that the Commission place the prohibited communication and responses thereto in the decisional record. The Commission will grant such a request only when it determines that fairness so requires. Any person identified below as having made a prohibited off-the-record communication shall serve the document on all parties listed on the official service list for the applicable proceeding in accordance with Rule 2010, 18 CFR 385.2010. Exempt off-the-record communications are included in the decisional record of the proceeding, unless the communication was with a cooperating agency as described by 40 CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR 385.2201(e)(1)(v). The following is a list of off-the-record communications recently received by the Secretary of the Commission. The communications listed are grouped by docket numbers in ascending order. These filings are available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* using the eLibrary link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits, in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC, Online Support at *FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov* or toll free at
(866)208-3676, or for TTY, contact
(202)502-8659. Docket No. Date received Presenter or requester Prohibited: 1. CP06-459-000 9-19-07 Gary M. Yaquinto. Exempt: 1. CP06-61-000 9-19-07 Hon. John Garamendi. 2. CP6-459-000 9-19-07 Hon. Janet Napolitano. 3. CP07-35-000, CP-7-36-000, CP07-37-000, CP07-38-000 10-9-07 Dan Pritchard. 1 1 One of two letters from Mr. Pritchard (dated September 20, 2007 and September 25, 2007). Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20715 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget October 16, 2007. SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC)has received Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)approval for the following public information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Butler, Federal Communications Commission,
(202)418-1492 or via the Internet at *Thomas.butler@fcc.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *OMB Control No.:* 3060-0807. *OMB Approval Date:* 9/27/2007. *Expiration Date:* 09/30/2010. *Title:* Section 51.803 and Supplemental Procedures for Petitions Pursuant to Section 252(e)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. *Form No.:* N/A. *Estimated Annual Burden:* 60 responses; 1,600 total annual hours; 20 hours per respondent. *Needs and Uses:* This collection was approved as an extension to an existing collection with adjustments to the number of respondents and burden hours to reflect the most current information available. Any interested party seeking preemption of a state commission's jurisdiction based on the state commission's failure to act shall notify the Commission (47 U.S.C. 252(e)(5) and 47 CFR 51.803). In a 1997 Public Notice the Commission set out procedures for filing petitions for preemption pursuant to section 252(e)(5). All the information will be used to ensure that section 252(e)(5) petitioners have complied with their obligations under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. *OMB Control No.:* 3060-0894. *OMB Approval Date:* 9/27/2007. *Expiration Date:* 09/30/2010. *Title:* Certification Letter Accounting for Receipt of Federal Support and Rate Comparability Review and Certification (47 CFR 54.313 and 54.316). *Form No.:* N/A. *Estimated Annual Burden:* 103 responses; 315 total annual hours; 5 hours per response. *Needs and uses:* This collection was approved as an extension to an existing collection with adjustments to the number of respondents and burden hours to reflect the most current information available. Each State that desires non-rural carriers within the state to receive federal high-cost support is required to certify that such carriers will use the support only for the provision, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and services for which the support is intended. Each State also is required to provide information to the Commission regarding the comparability of residential rates in rural areas served by non-rural carriers within the state to urban rates nationwide. Pursuant to the certification process, each state is required to state whether its rates in rural areas served by non-rural carriers are reasonably comparable to urban rates nationwide and explain the basis for its conclusion as well as its proposed remedies, if necessary. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20733 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, Comment Requested October 10, 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
(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 December 21, 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., 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:* 3060-0262. *Title:* Section 90.179, Shared Use of Radio Stations. *Form No.:* N/A. *Type of Review:* Extension of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 42,000 respondents; 42,000 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* .25-.75 hours. *Frequency of Response:* On occasion reporting requirement, recordkeeping requirement. *Obligation To Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 42,000 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* N/A. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* N/A. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* There is no need for confidentiality. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this extension to the OMB after this 60 day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. There is no change in the reporting or recordkeeping requirements. However, the total annual burden has been modified. The Commission was directed by the United States Congress, in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, to dedicate 2.4 MHz of electromagnetic spectrum in the 746-806 MHz band for public safety services. Section 90.179 requires that Part 90 licensees that share use of their private land mobile radio facility on a non-profit, cost-sharing basis, keep a written sharing agreement as part of the station records. Regardless of the method of sharing, an up-to-date list of persons who are sharing the station and the basis of their eligibility under Part 90 must be maintained. The recordkeeping requirement is necessary to identify users of the system should interference problems develop. This information is used by the Commission to investigate interference complaints and resolve interference and operational complaints that may arise among the users. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20734 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval, Comments Requested October 12, 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 November 21, 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 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 or via Internet at *Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov* or *PRA@fcc.gov* . To view a copy of this information collection request
(ICR)submitted to OMB:
(1)Go to the Web page *http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain* ,
(2)look for the section of the Web page called “Currently Under Review,”
(3)click on the downward-pointing arrow in the “Select Agency” box below the “Currently Under Review” heading,
(4)select “Federal Communications Commission” from the list of agencies presented in the “Select Agency” box,
(5)click the “Submit” button to the right of the “Select Agency” box,
(6)when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the title of this ICR (or its OMB control number, if there is one) and then click on the ICR Reference Number to view detailed information about this ICR.” FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at
(202)418-2918. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0519. *Title:* Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
(TCPA)of 1991, CG Docket No. 02-278. *Form Number:* Not applicable. *Type of Review:* Extension of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or households; Not-for-profit institutions. *Number of Respondents:* 49,397. *Estimated Time Per Response:* .004 hours (15 seconds)—2 hours (average per response). *Frequency of Response:* Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement. *Obligation to Respond:* Required to obtain or retain benefits. *Total Annual Burden:* 708,806 hours. *Total Annual Costs:* $4,360,500. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* Confidentiality is an issue to the extent that individuals and households provide personally identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's system of records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-1, “Informal Complaints and Inquiries.” *Privacy Impact Assessment:* Yes. The Privacy Impact Assessment was completed on June 28, 2007. It may be reviewed at: *http://www.fcc.gov/omd/privacyact/Privacy_Impact_Assessment.html.* *Needs and Uses:* The reporting requirements included under this OMB Control Number 3060-0519 enable the Commission to gather information regarding violations of the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act (Do-Not-Call Act). If the information collection was not conducted, the Commission would be unable to track and enforce violations the Do-Not-Call Act. The Do-Not-Call rules provide consumers with several options for avoiding most unwanted telephone solicitations. This national do-not-call registry supplements the current company-specific do-not-call rules for those consumers who wish to continue requesting that particular companies not call them. Any company, which is asked by a consumer, including an existing customer, not to call again must honor that request for five
(5)years. The Commission retains the current calling time restrictions of 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. However, a provision of the Commission's rules allows consumers to give specific companies permission to call them through an express written agreement. Nonprofit organizations, companies with whom consumers have an established business relationship, and calls to persons with whom the telemarketer has a personal relationship are exempt from the “do-not-call” requirements. On September 21, 2004, the Commission released the *Safe Harbor Order* establishing a limited safe harbor in which persons will not be liable for placing autodialed and prerecorded message calls to numbers ported from a wireline service within the previous 15 days. The Commission also amended its existing national do-not-call registry safe harbor to require telemarketers to scrub their lists against the do-not-call database every 31 days. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20750 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for Review to the Office of Management and Budget October 11, 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
(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 November 21, 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., DC 20554 or an e-mail to *PRA@fcc.gov* . 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 Judith B. Herman at 202-418-0214 or via the Internet at *Judith-B.Herman@fcc.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *OMB Control Number:* 3060-0975. *Title:* Sections 68.3 and 1.4000, Promotion of Competitive Networks in Local Telecommunications Markets Multiple Tenant Environments (MTEs). *Form No.:* N/A. *Type of Review:* Extension of a currently approved collection. *Respondents:* Business or other for-profit, not-for profit institutions, Federal Government, and state, local or tribal government. *Number of Respondents:* 5,983 respondents; 5,983 responses. *Estimated Time Per Response:* .50-10 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:* 215,882 hours. *Total Annual Cost:* N/A. *Privacy Act Impact Assessment:* N/A. *Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:* There is no need for confidentiality. *Needs and Uses:* The Commission will submit this information collection to the OMB as an extension (no change in the reporting requirement or third party disclosure requirement) during this comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. There is a change in the number of respondents/responses and the burden hours. In October 2000, the Federal Communications Commission adopted and released several rulemakings to foster competition in local communications markets by implementing measures to ensure that competing telecommunications providers are able to provide services to customers in multiple tenet environments (MTEs). Specifically, the rulemakings require the following:
(1)Prohibited carriers from entering into contracts that restrict or effectively restrict a property owner's ability to permit entry by competing carriers;
(2)established procedures to facilitate moving the demarcation point to the minimum point of entry
(MPOE)at the building owner's request, and requires incumbent local exchange carriers
(LECs)to timely disclose the location of existing demarcation points where they are not located at the MPOE;
(3)determined that, under section 224 of the Communications Act, utilities, including LECs, must afford telecommunications carriers and cable service providers reasonable and nondiscriminatory access to conduits and rights-of-way located in customer buildings and campuses, to the extent that such conduits and rights-of-way are owned or controlled by the utility; and
(4)extended to antennas that receive and transmit telecommunications and other fixed wireless signals the existing prohibition of restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of certain video antennas on property within the exclusive use or control of the antenna user, where the user has a direct or indirect ownership or leasehold interest in the property. This information will facilitate efficient interaction between premises owners and LECs regarding the placement of the demarcation point, which marks the end of wiring under control of the LEC and the beginning of wiring under control of the premises owner or subscriber. The demarcation point is a critical point of interconnection where competitive LECs can gain access to the inside wiring of the building to provide service to customers in the building. This collection will also help ensure that customer-end antennas used for telecommunications service comply with the Commission's limits on radio frequency exposure, and it will provide the Commission with information on the state of the market. In short, this information will be used to foster competition in local telecommunications markets by ensuring that competing telecommunications providers are able to provide services to customers in multiple tenant environments (MTEs). Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20755 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [Report No. 2837] Petitions for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding October 12, 2007. Petitions for Reconsideration have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding listed in this Public Notice and published pursuant to 47 CFR 1.429(e). The full text of these documents are available for viewing and copying in Room CY-B402, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC or may be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc.
(BCPI)(1-800-378-3160). Oppositions to these petitions must be filed by November 6, 2007. See section 1.4(b)(1) of the Commission's rules (47 CFR 1.4(b)(1). Replies to oppositions must be filed within 10 days after the time for filing oppositions have expired. *Subject:* In the Matter of Reexamination of Roaming Obligations of Commercial Mobile Radio Service Providers (WT Docket No. 05-265). *Number of Petitions Filed:* 5. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20737 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [Report No. 2836] Petitions for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding October 15, 2007. Petitions for Reconsideration have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding listed in this Public Notice and published pursuant to 47 CFR 1.429(e). The full text of these documents are available for viewing and copying in Room CY-B402, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC or may be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc.
(BCPI)(1-800-378-3160). Oppositions to these petitions must be filed by November 6, 2007. See Section 1.4(b)(1) of the Commission's rules (47 CFR 1.4(b)(1). Replies to oppositions must be filed within 10 days after the time for filing oppositions have expired. *Subject:* In the Matter of Advanced Television Systems and Their Impact upon the Existing Television Broadcast Service (MB Docket No. 87-268). *Number of Petitions Filed:* 14. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-20760 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION Sunshine Act Notices AGENCY: Federal Election Commission. Date and Time: Thursday, October 25, 2007, at 10 a.m. Place: 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC (Ninth Floor). Status: This meeting will be open to the public. The Following Item Has Been Added To The Agenda: Policy Statement Making Permanent a Program for Probable Cause Hearings. Person to Contact for Information: Mr. Robert Biersack, Press Officer, Telephone:
(202)694-1220. Mary W. Dove, Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 07-5231 Filed 10-18-07; 3:18 pm]
Connectionstraces to 19
Traces to 19 documents
10 references not yet in our index
  • 34 CFR 79
  • 34 CFR 86
  • Pub. L. 92-463
  • 18 CFR 34
  • 40 CFR 1501.6
  • Pub. L. 104-13
  • 47 CFR 51.803
  • 47 CFR 54.313
  • 47 CFR 1.429(e)
  • 47 CFR 1.4(b)(1)
Citation graph
cites case law
Notices
Notice of open meeting
C.F.R.§ 75.105
C.F.R.§ 658.35
U.S.C.§ 1124
C.F.R.§ 658.41
Fed. Reg.Notices
C.F.R.§ 658.31
C.F.R.§ 75.118
C.F.R.§ 75.720
Stat.Public Law 92–463
Cite34 CFR 79
Cite34 CFR 86
Pub. L.Pub. L. 92-463
Cites 29 · showing 12Cited by 0 across 0 sources
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