Notice of Public Meeting To Inform the Design of a Consent-Based Siting Process for Nuclear Waste Storage and Disposal Facilities, 19587-19588 [2016-07739]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 5, 2016 / Notices testing of electronic data collection instruments. Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management. [FR Doc. 2016–07708 Filed 4–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket No.: ED–2016–ICCD–0035] Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Accrediting Agencies Reporting Activities for Institutions and Programs Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 6, 2016. ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED– 2016–ICCD–0035. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 2E–103, Washington, DC 20202–4537. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Herman Bounds, 202–453–6128. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:18 Apr 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department’s information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records. Title of Collection: Accrediting Agencies Reporting Activities for Institutions and Programs. OMB Control Number: 1840–NEW. Type of Review: A new information collection. Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 76. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 200. Abstract: The Secretary of Education is authorized by 34 CFR part 602 to recognize accrediting agencies to ensure that these agencies are, for the purposes of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), or for other Federal purposes, reliable authorities regarding the quality of education or training offered by the institutions or programs they accredit. Federal regulations (34 CFR 602.26) outline information that accrediting agencies must report to the Department of Education on a timely basis in order to support the Department’s oversight role, including information on accreditation actions taken with regard to institutions and programs. The proposed information collection will clarify the categories of actions taken by accreditors, the reporting required or requested on those actions, and the format for submitting the information. The proposed information collection includes two items—a letter and an Excel spreadsheet. The Accreditor Letter on Terminology and Reporting is a draft of a letter the Department plans to send to accrediting agencies to clarify the information those agencies should PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 19587 submit to the Department. The excel spreadsheet is the mechanism through which the Department proposes agencies submit the information. Agencies are invited to review both items and provide comment to improve their clarity and usefulness. The Department will consider public comment and make revisions as necessary before issuing final versions. This data is required to demonstrate compliance with criteria at 34 CFR part 602; State agencies for the approval of vocational education to demonstrate compliance with the criteria at 34 CFR part 603; State agencies for the approval of nurse education to demonstrate compliance with the criteria published in the 1969 Federal Register notice; foreign medical accrediting entities in accordance with criteria 34 CFR 600.55; and criteria established by Department staff to evaluate foreign veterinary accrediting organizations in accordance with 34 CFR 600.56. Dated: March 31, 2016. Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management. [FR Doc. 2016–07701 Filed 4–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Notice of Public Meeting To Inform the Design of a Consent-Based Siting Process for Nuclear Waste Storage and Disposal Facilities Fuel Cycle Technologies, Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing a consent-based siting process to establish an integrated waste management system to transport, store, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. In a consent-based siting approach, DOE will work with communities, tribal governments and states across the country that express interest in hosting any of the facilities identified as part of an integrated waste management system. As part of this process, the Department is hosting a series of public meetings to engage communities and individuals and discuss the development of a consentbased approach to managing our nation’s nuclear waste. A public meeting will be held in Minneapolis on July 21, 2016. DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 21, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM 05APN1 19588 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 5, 2016 / Notices to 9:30 p.m. CDT. Informal poster sessions will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. CDT and again after 9:30 p.m. CDT. Department officials will be available to discuss consent-based siting during the poster sessions. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403. To register for this meeting and to review the agenda for the meeting, please go to energy.gov/consentbasedsiting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information should be sent to consentbasedsiting@ hq.doe.gov or to Michael Reim at 202– 586–2981. Updated information on this and other planned public meetings on consent based siting will be posted at energy.gov/consentbasedsiting. If you are unable to attend a public meeting or would like to further discuss ideas for consent-based siting, please request an opportunity for us to speak with you. The Department will do its best to accommodate such requests and help arrange additional opportunities to engage. To learn more about nuclear energy, nuclear waste, and ongoing technical work please go to energy.gov/ consentbasedsiting. Privacy Act: Data collected via the mechanisms listed above will not be protected from the public view in any way. Issued in Washington, DC on March 29, 2016. Jay Jones, Acting Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy. [FR Doc. 2016–07739 Filed 4–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Surplus Plutonium Disposition National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. ACTION: Record of Decision. AGENCY: On May 8, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Federal Register notice (80 FR 26559) announcing the availability of the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA’s) Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Final SPD Supplemental EIS) (DOE/EIS– 0283–S2, April 2015). Among the proposed actions considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/ NNSA analyzed the potential environmental impacts of alternatives asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:18 Apr 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 for the disposition of 13.1 metric tons (MT) (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned, including 7.1 MT (7.8 tons) of surplus pit plutonium and 6 MT (6.6 tons) of surplus non-pit plutonium. At the time the Final SPD Supplemental EIS was issued, DOE/NNSA did not have a Preferred Alternative for any of the proposed actions considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. Subsequently, on December 24, 2015, DOE/NNSA issued a Federal Register notice (80 FR 80348) identifying the Preferred Alternative for disposition of the 6 MT of surplus non-pit plutonium analyzed in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. In its Federal Register notice, DOE/ NNSA announced that its Preferred Alternative is to prepare 6 MT of surplus non–pit plutonium for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, a geologic repository for disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste generated by atomic energy defense activities. DOE/NNSA is announcing a decision to implement its Preferred Alternative for the disposition of 6 MT of surplus non-pit plutonium, as described in DOE/NNSA’s Preferred Alternative for Certain Quantities of Plutonium Evaluated in the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental EIS. Shipments of this surplus non-pit plutonium to WIPP, after it is operational,1 will be placed in the queue of waste to be shipped to WIPP. This plutonium will be prepared and packaged to meet the WIPP waste acceptance criteria for contact-handled TRU waste and other applicable regulatory requirements. The scope of DOE/NNSA’s current decision pertains only to the 6 MT of surplus non-pit plutonium that is a subset of the 13.1 MT of surplus plutonium considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE/NNSA does not have a preferred alternative and is not making any decisions, at the present time, for other alternatives considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. These other alternatives include alternatives for the disposition of 7.1 MT of surplus pit plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned and various options for providing the capability to disassemble surplus pits and convert the plutonium from pits into a form suitable for disposition. Additionally, DOE/NNSA reaffirms its commitment to the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of 1 DOE suspended disposal activities at WIPP in February 2014 following a salt truck fire and unrelated radiological event underground. Waste emplacement operations at WIPP are expected to commence in late 2016. PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 America and the Government of the Russian Federation Concerning the Management and Disposition of Plutonium Designated as No Longer Needed for Defense Purposes (Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement or PMDA), which calls for the United States and the Russian Federation to each dispose of at least 34 MT (37.5 tons) of weapongrade plutonium withdrawn from nuclear weapon programs. DOE/NNSA’s previous decisions related to surplus plutonium disposition, including copies of the applicable Federal Register notices, may be found in Appendix A of the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the surplus plutonium disposition program, please contact Ms. Sachiko W. McAlhany, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy at spdsupplementaleis@leidos.com. For information on DOE’s NEPA process, please contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585–0103; Telephone: (202) 586–4600, or leave a message at (800) 472–2756. This Record of Decision, the Final SPD Supplemental EIS, and related NEPA documents are available at https://nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/ spdsupplementaleis and https:// energy.gov/nepa/nepa-documents. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background DOE/NNSA’s purpose and need for action remains as stated in the 1999 SPD EIS (DOE/EIS–0283, November 1999) to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation worldwide by conducting disposition of surplus plutonium in the United States in an environmentally safe and timely manner, ensuring that it can never again be readily used in nuclear weapons. Based on a series of NEPA reviews beginning with the SPD EIS and described in Appendix A, Section A.1, of the Final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/NNSA has determined disposition paths for most of the current U.S. inventory of surplus, weapons-usable plutonium; however, 13.1 MT of surplus weapons-usable plutonium (7.1 MT of pit plutonium and 6 MT of non-pit plutonium) did not have an assigned disposition path. DOE/NNSA prepared the SPD Supplemental EIS to evaluate alternatives for disposition of this 13.1 MT of surplus plutonium. E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM 05APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19587-19588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07739]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Public Meeting To Inform the Design of a Consent-Based 
Siting Process for Nuclear Waste Storage and Disposal Facilities

AGENCY: Fuel Cycle Technologies, Office of Nuclear Energy, Department 
of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing a consent-
based siting process to establish an integrated waste management system 
to transport, store, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste. In a consent-based siting approach, DOE will work 
with communities, tribal governments and states across the country that 
express interest in hosting any of the facilities identified as part of 
an integrated waste management system. As part of this process, the 
Department is hosting a series of public meetings to engage communities 
and individuals and discuss the development of a consent-based approach 
to managing our nation's nuclear waste. A public meeting will be held 
in Minneapolis on July 21, 2016.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 21, 2016 from 5:00 
p.m.

[[Page 19588]]

to 9:30 p.m. CDT. Informal poster sessions will be held from 4:00 p.m. 
until 5:00 p.m. CDT and again after 9:30 p.m. CDT. Department officials 
will be available to discuss consent-based siting during the poster 
sessions.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 
Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403. To register for this meeting 
and to review the agenda for the meeting, please go to energy.gov/consentbasedsiting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information 
should be sent to consentbasedsiting@hq.doe.gov or to Michael Reim at 
202-586-2981. Updated information on this and other planned public 
meetings on consent based siting will be posted at energy.gov/consentbasedsiting.
    If you are unable to attend a public meeting or would like to 
further discuss ideas for consent-based siting, please request an 
opportunity for us to speak with you. The Department will do its best 
to accommodate such requests and help arrange additional opportunities 
to engage. To learn more about nuclear energy, nuclear waste, and 
ongoing technical work please go to energy.gov/consentbasedsiting.
    Privacy Act: Data collected via the mechanisms listed above will 
not be protected from the public view in any way.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 29, 2016.
Jay Jones,
Acting Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, 
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-07739 Filed 4-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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