Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction and Operation of an Open Pit Taconite Mine Proposed by Ispat Inland Mining Between Biwabik and McKinley in St. Louis County, MN, 6762-6763 [06-1212]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2006 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 9000–0159]
Federal Acquisition Regulation;
Information Collection; Central
Contractor Registration
Department of Defense (DOD),
General Services Administration (GSA),
and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of request for public
comments regarding an extension to an
existing OMB clearance.
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCIES:
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Secretariat will be submitting to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) a request to review and approve
an extension of a currently approved
information collection requirement
concerning the Central Contractor
Registration database. The clearance
currently expires on June 30, 2006.
Public comments are particularly
invited on: Whether this collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of functions of the FAR,
and whether it will have practical
utility; whether our estimate of the
public burden of this collection of
information is accurate, and based on
valid assumptions and methodology;
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways in which we can
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, through the use of appropriate
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
April 10, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding
this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this
burden to the General Services
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat
(VIR), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035,
Washington, DC 20405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mr.
Ernest Woodson, Contract Policy
Division, GSA, (202) 501–3775.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
The Central Contractor Registration
(CCR) is the primary vendor database for
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13:56 Feb 08, 2006
Jkt 208001
the U.S. Federal Government. CCR
collects, validates, stores, and
disseminates data in support of agency
acquisition missions.
Both current and potential Federal
Government vendors are required to
register in CCR in order to be awarded
contracts by the Federal Government.
Vendors are required to complete a onetime registration to provide basic
information relevant to procurement
and financial transactions. Vendors
must update or renew their registration
at least once per year to maintain an
active status.
CCR validates the vendor information
and electronically shares the secure and
encrypted data with Federal agency
finance offices to facilitate paperless
payments through electronic funds
transfer (EFT). Additionally, CCR shares
the data with Federal Government
procurement and electronic business
systems.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Respondents: 54,199.
Responses Per Respondent: 1.
Annual Responses: 54,199.
Hours Per Response: 1.
Total Burden Hours: 54,199.
Obtaining Copies of Proposals:
Requesters may obtain a copy of the
information collection documents from
the General Services Administration,
FAR Secretariat (VIR), Room 4035, 1800
F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405,
telephone (202) 501–4755. Please cite
OMB Control Number 9000–0159,
Central Contractor Registration, in all
correspondence.
Dated: February 6, 2006.
Gerald Zaffos,
Director, Contract Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 06–1210 Filed 2–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–EP–S
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Department of Defense, DoD.
Notice of Advisory Committee
Meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Defense Business Board
(DBB) will meet in open session on
Wednesday, March 8, 2006, at the
Pentagon, Washington, DC from 9 a.m.
until 10 a.m. The mission of the DBB is
to advise the Secretary of Defense on
effective strategies for implementation
of best business practices of interest to
the Department of Defense. At this
meeting, the Board will deliberate on
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: February 3, 2006.
L.M. Bynum,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer,
Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 06–1181 Filed 2–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–M
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Construction and Operation of an
Open Pit Taconite Mine Proposed by
Ispat Inland Mining Between Biwabik
and McKinley in St. Louis County, MN
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Defense Business Board; Notice of
Advisory Committee Meeting
PO 00000
their findings and recommendations
related to: Human Resources
Management and the Enterprise
Transition Plan.
DATES: Wednesday, March 8, 2006, 9
a.m. to 10 a.m.
ADDRESSES: 1155 Defense Pentagon,
3C288, Washington, DC 20301–1155
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Members of the public who wish to
attend the meeting must contact the
Defense Business Board no later than
Wednesday, March 1st for further
information about escort arrangements
in the Pentagon. Additionally, those
who wish to make oral comments or
delivery written comments should also
request to be scheduled, and submit a
written text of the comments by
Wednesday, March 1st to allow time for
distribution to the Board members prior
to the meeting. Individual oral
comments will be limited to five
minutes, with the total oral comment
period not exceeding 30 minutes.
The DBB may be contacted at: Defense
Business Board, 1155 Defense Pentagon,
Room 3C288, Washington, DC 20301–
1155, via e-mail at
defensebusinessboard2@oosd.mil or via
phone at (703) 697–2168.
SUMMARY: Ispat Inland Mining (Ispat)
has applied to the St. Paul District,
Corps of Engineers (Corps) for a permit
to discharge dredged or fill material into
wetlands to facilitate the construction
and operation of a taconite mine
consisting of two conventional open pits
in a deposit known as the East Reserve
(formerly known as the J&L East
Reserve) between Biwabik and
McKinley in St. Louis County, MN. The
combined area of the two open pits
would be 364 acres. The proposed pits
contain an estimated 116,000,000 long
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09FEN1
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 27 / Thursday, February 9, 2006 / Notices
tons of ore. The ore would be hauled by
truck approximately 1.9 miles on a
proposed new haul road spur and then
an additional 5.5 miles on an existing
haul road to Ispat’s currently permitted
and operating Minorca taconite
processing facility north of Virginia,
MN. Tailing waste would be disposed of
in Ispat’s currently permitted and
operating Minorca and Upland tailings
basins. The mining process would
require the construction of overburden,
waste rock, and lean ore stockpiles on
the north side of the proposed pits. The
total stockpile area would cover
approximately 375 acres. Project plans
call for the mining of an average of just
over six million long tons of crude ore
per year over the proposed 18-year life
of the mine. The project would allow
mining operations and taconite
processing at the Minorca Plant to
continue until 2024.
The project would require the
discharge of dredged or fill material into
approximately 75.7 acres of wetlands.
While some of the wetlands may be
isolated, the majority of the wetlands
are adjacent to an unnamed tributary to
the Embarrass River, which is a
tributary to the St. Louis River, which
is a navigable water of the U.S., or the
wetlands are adjacent to an unnamed
tributary to the Pike River, which is a
navigable water of the United States.
Ispat proposes to utilize wetland credits
from the existing Ispat Inland wetland
mitigation bank in Aitkin County, MN
to compensate for the lost wetland
functions and values that would be
caused by the proposed project. The
discharge of dredged or fill material into
waters of the United States requires a
permit issued by the Corps under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The
final environmental impact statement
will be used as a basis for the permit
decision and to ensure compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).
ADDRESSES: Questions concerning the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) can be addressed to Mr. Jon K.
Ahlness, Regulatory Branch by letter at
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 190 Fifth
Street East, Suite 401, St. Paul, MN
55101–1638, by telephone or by e-mail
at jon.k.ahlness@mvp02.usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Jon K. Ahlness, (651) 290–5381.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps
and the State of Minnesota will jointly
prepare the DEIS. The Corps is the lead
federal agency and the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
(MnDNR) is the lead agency. The
MnDNR has already completed its
scoping process and had hired a
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:56 Feb 08, 2006
Jkt 208001
consultant to prepare its DEIS. The
Corps is joining with the MnDNR to
prepare a joint Federal/State DEIS. The
Corps, with assistance from the MnDNR,
will prepare and release to the public a
Draft Scoping Decision Document, along
with the MnDNR Scoping
Environmental Assessment Worksheet
(EAW). The public will have 30 days to
provide comments on those two
documents. In accordance with 40 CFR
1506.5(c) and Corps policy, the Corps
will determine the suitability of the
MnDNR consultant for Federal
purposes. We anticipate that the DEIS
will be available to the public in May of
2006.
The DEIS will assess impacts of the
proposed action and reasonable
alternatives, identify and evaluate
mitigation alternatives, and discuss
potential environmental monitoring.
Significant issues and resources to be
identified in the DEIS will be
determined through coordination with
responsible federal, state, and local
agencies; the general public; interested
private organizations and parties; and
affected Native American Tribes.
Anyone who has an interest in
participating in the development of the
DEIS is invited to contact the St. Paul
District, Corps of Engineers. Major
issues identified to date for discussion
in the DEIS are the impacts of the
proposed project on:
1. Fish, wildlife, and ecologically
sensitive resources.
2. Water resources, including: Water
use and potential impacts to the water
supplies of Biwabik and McKinley;
surface water hydrology; groundwater
hydrology; waters of the U.S., including
wetlands; and receiving stream
geomorphology.
3. Water quality, including: Surface
water runoff; storm water management;
and mercury discharges from pit
dewatering.
4. Cumulative impacts, including:
Wildlife habitat loss/fragmentation and
habitat corridor obstruction/landscape
barriers; wetlands; and water flow/
volume and water quality in unnamed
streams and the Embarrass River.
Additional issues of interest may be
identified through the public scoping
process.
Issuing a permit for the development
of an open pit taconite mine is
considered to be a major Federal action
that may have a significant impact on
the quality of the human environment.
The project: (1) Would have a
significant adverse effect on wetlands
(which are special aquatic sites), and (2)
has the potential to significantly affect
water quality, groundwater, fish, and
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6763
wildlife. Our environmental review will
be conducted to the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966, Council of Environmental
Quality Regulations, Endangered
Species Act of 1973, Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act, and other applicable
laws and regulations.
Dated: January 29, 2006.
Michael F. Pfenning,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 06–1212 Filed 2–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–CY–M
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Inland Waterways Users Board
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of open meeting.
SUMMARY: In Accordance with 10(a)(2)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463), announcement is
made of the forthcoming meeting.
Name of Committee: Inland
Waterways Users Board (Board).
Date: February 22, 2006.
Location: The Embassy Suites—Old
Town Alexandria, 1900 Diagonal Road,
Alexandria, VA 22314, (703–684–5900).
Time: Registration will begin at 8:30
a.m. and the meeting is scheduled to
adjourn at 12:30 p.m.
Agenda: The Board will consider its
project investment priorities for the next
fiscal year. The Board will also hear
briefings on the status of both the
funding for inland navigation projects
and studies, and the Inland Waterways
Trust Fund.
Mr.
Mark R. Pointon, Headquarters, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, CECW–MVD,
441 G Street, NW., Washington, DC
20314–1000; Ph: 202–761–4258.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The
meeting is open to the public. Any
interested person may attend, appear
before, or file statements with the
committee at the time and in the
manner permitted by the committee.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06–1211 Filed 2–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–92–M
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 27 (Thursday, February 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6762-6763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1212]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Construction and Operation of an Open Pit Taconite Mine Proposed by
Ispat Inland Mining Between Biwabik and McKinley in St. Louis County,
MN
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Ispat Inland Mining (Ispat) has applied to the St. Paul
District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) for a permit to discharge dredged
or fill material into wetlands to facilitate the construction and
operation of a taconite mine consisting of two conventional open pits
in a deposit known as the East Reserve (formerly known as the J&L East
Reserve) between Biwabik and McKinley in St. Louis County, MN. The
combined area of the two open pits would be 364 acres. The proposed
pits contain an estimated 116,000,000 long
[[Page 6763]]
tons of ore. The ore would be hauled by truck approximately 1.9 miles
on a proposed new haul road spur and then an additional 5.5 miles on an
existing haul road to Ispat's currently permitted and operating Minorca
taconite processing facility north of Virginia, MN. Tailing waste would
be disposed of in Ispat's currently permitted and operating Minorca and
Upland tailings basins. The mining process would require the
construction of overburden, waste rock, and lean ore stockpiles on the
north side of the proposed pits. The total stockpile area would cover
approximately 375 acres. Project plans call for the mining of an
average of just over six million long tons of crude ore per year over
the proposed 18-year life of the mine. The project would allow mining
operations and taconite processing at the Minorca Plant to continue
until 2024.
The project would require the discharge of dredged or fill material
into approximately 75.7 acres of wetlands. While some of the wetlands
may be isolated, the majority of the wetlands are adjacent to an
unnamed tributary to the Embarrass River, which is a tributary to the
St. Louis River, which is a navigable water of the U.S., or the
wetlands are adjacent to an unnamed tributary to the Pike River, which
is a navigable water of the United States. Ispat proposes to utilize
wetland credits from the existing Ispat Inland wetland mitigation bank
in Aitkin County, MN to compensate for the lost wetland functions and
values that would be caused by the proposed project. The discharge of
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States requires a
permit issued by the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
The final environmental impact statement will be used as a basis for
the permit decision and to ensure compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
ADDRESSES: Questions concerning the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) can be addressed to Mr. Jon K. Ahlness, Regulatory
Branch by letter at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 190 Fifth Street
East, Suite 401, St. Paul, MN 55101-1638, by telephone or by e-mail at
jon.k.ahlness@mvp02.usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jon K. Ahlness, (651) 290-5381.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps and the State of Minnesota will
jointly prepare the DEIS. The Corps is the lead federal agency and the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) is the lead agency.
The MnDNR has already completed its scoping process and had hired a
consultant to prepare its DEIS. The Corps is joining with the MnDNR to
prepare a joint Federal/State DEIS. The Corps, with assistance from the
MnDNR, will prepare and release to the public a Draft Scoping Decision
Document, along with the MnDNR Scoping Environmental Assessment
Worksheet (EAW). The public will have 30 days to provide comments on
those two documents. In accordance with 40 CFR 1506.5(c) and Corps
policy, the Corps will determine the suitability of the MnDNR
consultant for Federal purposes. We anticipate that the DEIS will be
available to the public in May of 2006.
The DEIS will assess impacts of the proposed action and reasonable
alternatives, identify and evaluate mitigation alternatives, and
discuss potential environmental monitoring. Significant issues and
resources to be identified in the DEIS will be determined through
coordination with responsible federal, state, and local agencies; the
general public; interested private organizations and parties; and
affected Native American Tribes. Anyone who has an interest in
participating in the development of the DEIS is invited to contact the
St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers. Major issues identified to date
for discussion in the DEIS are the impacts of the proposed project on:
1. Fish, wildlife, and ecologically sensitive resources.
2. Water resources, including: Water use and potential impacts to
the water supplies of Biwabik and McKinley; surface water hydrology;
groundwater hydrology; waters of the U.S., including wetlands; and
receiving stream geomorphology.
3. Water quality, including: Surface water runoff; storm water
management; and mercury discharges from pit dewatering.
4. Cumulative impacts, including: Wildlife habitat loss/
fragmentation and habitat corridor obstruction/landscape barriers;
wetlands; and water flow/volume and water quality in unnamed streams
and the Embarrass River.
Additional issues of interest may be identified through the public
scoping process.
Issuing a permit for the development of an open pit taconite mine
is considered to be a major Federal action that may have a significant
impact on the quality of the human environment. The project: (1) Would
have a significant adverse effect on wetlands (which are special
aquatic sites), and (2) has the potential to significantly affect water
quality, groundwater, fish, and wildlife. Our environmental review will
be conducted to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Council of
Environmental Quality Regulations, Endangered Species Act of 1973,
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and other applicable laws and
regulations.
Dated: January 29, 2006.
Michael F. Pfenning,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 06-1212 Filed 2-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CY-M
