Notice of the Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment, 5753-5754 [07-532]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 25 / Wednesday, February 7, 2007 / Notices
whether the information will have
practical utility.
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
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• Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected.
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are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submissions
of responses.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Title: Report on Occupational
Employment and Wages.
OMB Number: 1220–0042.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit, Not-for-profit institutions,
Federal Government, State, Local, or
Tribal Government.
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Frequency: Semi-annually.
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Comments submitted in response to
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included in the request for Office of
Management and Budget approval of the
information collection request; they also
will become a matter of public record.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
February, 2007.
Cathy Kazanowski,
Chief, Division of Management Systems,
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. E7–1984 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–24–P
Meeting of National Council on the
Humanities
The National Endowment for
the Humanities, NFAH.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public
L. 92–463, as amended) notice is hereby
given that the National Council on the
21:36 Feb 06, 2007
Jkt 211001
A. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
B. Reports
1. Introductory Remarks.
2. Staff Report.
3. Congressional Report.
4. Budget Report.
5. Reports on Policy and General
Matters:
a. Education Programs,
b. Federal/State Partnership,
c. Preservation and Access,
d. Digital Humanities Initiative,
e. Public Programs,
f. Research Programs,
g. Jefferson Lecture.
The remainder of the proposed
meeting will be given to the
consideration of specific applications
and will be closed to the public for the
reasons stated above.
Further information about this
meeting can be obtained from Heather
Gottry, Acting Advisory Committee
Management Officer, National
Endowment for the Humanities, 1100
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20506, or by calling
(202) 606–8322, TDD (202) 606–8282.
Advance notice of any special needs or
accommodations is appreciated.
Heather C. Gottry,
Acting Advisory Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–2004 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7536–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Committee Meetings
(Open to the Public)
Notice of the Availability of a Draft
Environmental Assessment
Policy Discussion
AGENCY:
9 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Education Programs—Room M–07
Federal/State Partnership—Room 510
Preservation and Access—Room 415
Public Programs—Room 420
Research Programs—Room 315
(Closed to the Public)
Discussion of Specific Grant
Applications and Programs Before the
Council
10:30 a.m. until Adjourned
Education Programs—Room M–07
Federal/State Partnership—Room 510
Preservation and Access—Room 415
Public Programs—Room 420
Research Programs—Room 315
2 p.m.–4 p.m.
Jefferson Lecture—Room 527
NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE
ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Humanities will meet in Washington,
DC on February 22–23, 2007.
The purpose of the meeting is to
advise the Chairman of the National
Endowment for the Humanities with
respect to policies, programs, and
procedures for carrying out his
functions, and to review applications for
financial support from and gifts offered
to the Endowment and to make
recommendations thereon to the
Chairman.
The meeting will be held in the Old
Post Office Building, 1100 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. A
portion of the morning and afternoon
sessions on February 22–23, 2007, will
not be open to the public pursuant to
subsections (c)(4), (c)(6) and (c)(9)(B) of
section 552b of Title 5, United States
Code because the Council will consider
information that may disclose: trade
secrets and commercial or financial
information obtained from a person and
privileged or confidential; information
of a personal nature the disclosure of
which would constitute a clearly
unwarranted invasion of personal
privacy; and information the premature
disclosure of which would be likely to
significantly frustrate implementation of
proposed agency action. I have made
this determination under the authority
granted me by the Chairman’s
Delegation of Authority dated July 19,
1993.
The agenda for the sessions on
February 22, 2007 will be as follows:
5753
The morning session of the meeting
on February 23, 2007 will convene at 9
a.m., in the first floor Council Room M–
09, and will be open to the public, as
set out below. The agenda for the
morning session will be as follows:
PO 00000
Frm 00079
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
National Science Foundation.
Notice of availability of a draft
Environmental Assessment for proposed
activities in the Indian Ocean.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The National Science
Foundation (NSF) gives notice of the
availability of a draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) for proposed activities
in the Indian Ocean.
The Division of Ocean Sciences in the
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO/OCE)
has prepared a draft Environmental
Assessment for a low-energy marine
seismic survey by the Research Vessel
Roger Revelle in the northeastern Indian
Ocean, in international waters (1600–
5100 meters depth) roughly between 5°
N and 25° S, along ~90° E during May–
August 2007. The draft Environmental
Assessment is available for public
review for a 30-day period.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before March 9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft
Environmental Assessment are available
E:\FR\FM\07FEN1.SGM
07FEN1
5754
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 25 / Wednesday, February 7, 2007 / Notices
upon request from; Dr. William Lang,
National Science Foundation, Division
of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230.
Telephone: (703) 292–7857. The draft is
also available on the agency’s Web site
at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/
Scripps_NE_Indian_Ocean_EA.pdf.
The
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO), with research funding from the
NSF, plans to conduct scientific
research at nine sites in international
waters on the Ninety East Ridge in the
northeastern Indian Ocean for ~55 days
during May–August 2007. Research
activities will include rock-dredging
and magnetic, bathymetric, and seismic
surveys. The seismic survey will use a
towed array of two generator/injector
(GI) airguns, totaling an air discharge
volume of 90 in3. The GI guns will be
used for ~49 h at each of 5 sites on the
Ninety East Ridge in water depths of
1600 to 5100 meters. The results will be
used to study the morphology, structure,
and tectonics of ridge volcanoes, to infer
the magmatic evolution of the ridge, and
to survey broad characteristics of
subseafloor in order to refine the
planning of an Integrated Ocean Drilling
Program (IODP) drilling proposal.
SIO has applied for the issuance of an
Incidental Harassment Authorization
(IHA) from the National Marine
Fisheries Services (NMFS) to authorize
the incidental harassment of small
numbers of marine mammals during the
seismic survey. The information in this
Environmental Assessment supports the
IHA permit application process,
provides information on marine species
not covered by the IHA, and addresses
the requirements of Executive Order
12114, ‘‘Environmental Effects Abroad
of Major Federal Actions’’. Alternatives
addressed in this EA consist of a
corresponding seismic survey at a
different time, along with issuance of an
associated IHA; and the no action
alternative, with no IHA and no seismic
survey.
Numerous species of cetaceans and
sea turtles occur in the northeastern
Indian Ocean. Several of the species are
listed as Endangered under the U.S.
Endangered Species Act (ESA),
including humpback, sei, fin, blue, and
sperm whales. Other species of special
concern that could occur in the area
include the endangered (under the ESA)
leatherback and hawksbill turtles, and
the threatened (under the ESA)
loggerhead, olive ridley, and green
turtles.
The potential impacts of the seismic
survey would be primarily a result of
the operation of small airguns, although
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:36 Feb 06, 2007
Jkt 211001
a multi-beam sonar and a sub-bottom
profiler will also be operated. Impacts
may include increased marine noise and
resultant avoidance behavior by marine
mammals, sea turtles, and fish; and
other forms of disturbance. The
operations of the project vessel during
the study would also cause a minor
increase in the amount of vessel traffic.
An integral part of the planned survey
is a monitoring and mitigation program
designed to minimize the impacts of the
proposed activities on marine mammals
and sea turtles that may be present
during the proposed research, and to
document the nature and extent of any
effects. Injurious impacts to marine
mammals and sea turtles have not been
proven to occur near airgun arrays;
however, the planned monitoring and
mitigation measures would minimize
the possibility of such effects should
they otherwise occur.
Protection measures designed to
mitigate the potential environmental
impacts will include the following: A
minimum of one dedicated marine
mammal observer maintaining a visual
watch during all daytime airgun
operations, and two observers for 30
min. before start up. The small size of
the airguns, restricting their use to deep
(1600–5100 m) water, and ramp-up and
shut-down procedures are also inherent
mitigation measures. SIO and its
contractors are committed to apply
those measures in order to minimize
disturbance of marine mammals and sea
turtles, and also to minimize the risk of
injuries or of other environmental
impacts.
With the planned monitoring and
mitigation measures, unavoidable
impacts to each of the species of marine
mammal that might be encountered are
expected to be limited to short-term
localized changes in behavior and
distribution near the seismic vessel. At
most, such effects may be interpreted as
falling within the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of
‘‘Level B Harassment’’ for those species
managed by NMFS. No long-term or
significant effects are expected on
individual marine mammals, or the
populations to which they belong, or
their habitats. The agency is currently
consulting with the NMFS regarding
species within their jurisdiction
potentially affected by this proposed
activity.
Copies of the draft EA, titled
‘‘Environmental Assessment of Planned
Low-Energy Marine Seismic Survey by
the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
in the Northeast Indian Ocean, May–
August 2007,’’ are available upon
request from: Dr. William Lang,
National Science Foundation, Division
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230.
Telephone: (703) 292–7857 or at the
agency’s Web site at: https://
www.nsf.gov/oce/pubs/Scripps
NE_Indian_Ocean_EA.pdf. The NSF
invites interested members of the public
to provide written comments on this
draft EA.
Alexander Shor,
Program Director, Environmental Operations,
Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07–532 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–M
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of pending NRC action to
submit an information collection
request to OMB and solicitation of
public comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The NRC is preparing a
submittal to OMB for review of
continued approval of information
collections under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Information pertaining to the
requirement to be submitted:
1. The title of the information
collection:
NRC Form 136, ‘‘Security
Termination Statement’’,
NRC Form 237, ‘‘Request for Access
Authorization’’,
NRC Form 277, ‘‘Request for Visit’’.
2. Current OMB approval number:
3150–0049, NRC Form 136,
3150–0050, NRC Form 237,
3150–0051, NRC Form 277.
3. How often the collection is
required: On occasion.
4. Who is required or asked to report:
NRC Form 136, any employee of 68
licensees and 7 contractors, who have
been granted an NRC access
authorization; NRC Form 237, any
employee of approximately 68 licensees
and 7 contractors who will require
access authorization. NRC Form 277,
any employee of 2 current NRC
contractors who holds an NRC access
authorization, and needs to make a visit
to NRC, other contractors/licensees or
government agencies in which access to
classified information will be involved
or unescorted area access is desired.
5. The number of annual respondents:
NRC Form 136: 75.
E:\FR\FM\07FEN1.SGM
07FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5753-5754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-532]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of the Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for
proposed activities in the Indian Ocean.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) gives notice of the
availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed
activities in the Indian Ocean.
The Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences
(GEO/OCE) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment for a low-
energy marine seismic survey by the Research Vessel Roger Revelle in
the northeastern Indian Ocean, in international waters (1600-5100
meters depth) roughly between 5[deg] N and 25[deg] S, along ~90[deg] E
during May-August 2007. The draft Environmental Assessment is available
for public review for a 30-day period.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available
[[Page 5754]]
upon request from; Dr. William Lang, National Science Foundation,
Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA
22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857. The draft is also available on the
agency's Web site at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/Scripps_NE_
Indian_Ocean_EA.pdf.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO), with research funding from the NSF, plans to conduct scientific
research at nine sites in international waters on the Ninety East Ridge
in the northeastern Indian Ocean for ~55 days during May-August 2007.
Research activities will include rock-dredging and magnetic,
bathymetric, and seismic surveys. The seismic survey will use a towed
array of two generator/injector (GI) airguns, totaling an air discharge
volume of 90 in3. The GI guns will be used for ~49 h at each
of 5 sites on the Ninety East Ridge in water depths of 1600 to 5100
meters. The results will be used to study the morphology, structure,
and tectonics of ridge volcanoes, to infer the magmatic evolution of
the ridge, and to survey broad characteristics of subseafloor in order
to refine the planning of an Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)
drilling proposal.
SIO has applied for the issuance of an Incidental Harassment
Authorization (IHA) from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS)
to authorize the incidental harassment of small numbers of marine
mammals during the seismic survey. The information in this
Environmental Assessment supports the IHA permit application process,
provides information on marine species not covered by the IHA, and
addresses the requirements of Executive Order 12114, ``Environmental
Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions''. Alternatives addressed in
this EA consist of a corresponding seismic survey at a different time,
along with issuance of an associated IHA; and the no action
alternative, with no IHA and no seismic survey.
Numerous species of cetaceans and sea turtles occur in the
northeastern Indian Ocean. Several of the species are listed as
Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), including
humpback, sei, fin, blue, and sperm whales. Other species of special
concern that could occur in the area include the endangered (under the
ESA) leatherback and hawksbill turtles, and the threatened (under the
ESA) loggerhead, olive ridley, and green turtles.
The potential impacts of the seismic survey would be primarily a
result of the operation of small airguns, although a multi-beam sonar
and a sub-bottom profiler will also be operated. Impacts may include
increased marine noise and resultant avoidance behavior by marine
mammals, sea turtles, and fish; and other forms of disturbance. The
operations of the project vessel during the study would also cause a
minor increase in the amount of vessel traffic. An integral part of the
planned survey is a monitoring and mitigation program designed to
minimize the impacts of the proposed activities on marine mammals and
sea turtles that may be present during the proposed research, and to
document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts to
marine mammals and sea turtles have not been proven to occur near
airgun arrays; however, the planned monitoring and mitigation measures
would minimize the possibility of such effects should they otherwise
occur.
Protection measures designed to mitigate the potential
environmental impacts will include the following: A minimum of one
dedicated marine mammal observer maintaining a visual watch during all
daytime airgun operations, and two observers for 30 min. before start
up. The small size of the airguns, restricting their use to deep (1600-
5100 m) water, and ramp-up and shut-down procedures are also inherent
mitigation measures. SIO and its contractors are committed to apply
those measures in order to minimize disturbance of marine mammals and
sea turtles, and also to minimize the risk of injuries or of other
environmental impacts.
With the planned monitoring and mitigation measures, unavoidable
impacts to each of the species of marine mammal that might be
encountered are expected to be limited to short-term localized changes
in behavior and distribution near the seismic vessel. At most, such
effects may be interpreted as falling within the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of ``Level B Harassment'' for those
species managed by NMFS. No long-term or significant effects are
expected on individual marine mammals, or the populations to which they
belong, or their habitats. The agency is currently consulting with the
NMFS regarding species within their jurisdiction potentially affected
by this proposed activity.
Copies of the draft EA, titled ``Environmental Assessment of
Planned Low-Energy Marine Seismic Survey by the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography in the Northeast Indian Ocean, May-August 2007,'' are
available upon request from: Dr. William Lang, National Science
Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725,
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857 or at the agency's Web
site at: https://www.nsf.gov/oce/pubs/Scripps NE--Indian--Ocean--EA.pdf.
The NSF invites interested members of the public to provide written
comments on this draft EA.
Alexander Shor,
Program Director, Environmental Operations, Division of Ocean Sciences,
National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07-532 Filed 2-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M