Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 36456-36457 [2017-16435]

Download as PDF 36456 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 149 / Friday, August 4, 2017 / Notices Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request to OMB for approval of this information collection. They will also become a matter of public record. Frances Teel, NASA PRA Clearance Officer. Dated: August 1, 2017. Crystal Robinson, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 2017–16426 Filed 8–3–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico [FR Doc. 2017–16387 Filed 8–3–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7510–13–P National Science Foundation. Notice of availability. AGENCY: ACTION: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463, as amended), the National Science Foundation (NSF) announces its intent to hold proposal review meetings throughout the year. The purpose of these meetings is to provide advice and recommendations concerning proposals submitted to the NSF for financial support. The agenda for each of these meetings is to review and evaluate proposals as part of the selection process for awards. The review and evaluation may also include assessment of the progress of awarded proposals. These meetings will primarily take place at NSF’s current headquarters, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22230 or NSF’s new headquarters, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. These meetings will be closed to the public. The proposals being reviewed include information of a proprietary or confidential nature, including technical information; financial data, such as salaries; and personal information concerning individuals associated with the proposals. These matters are exempt under 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), (4) and (6) of the Government in the Sunshine Act. NSF will continue to review the agenda and merits of each meeting for overall compliance of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. These closed proposal review meetings will not be announced on an individual basis in the Federal Register. NSF intends to publish a notice similar to this on a quarterly basis. For an advance listing of the closed proposal review meetings that include the names of the proposal review panel and the time, date, place, and any information on changes, corrections, or cancellations, please visit the NSF Web site: https://www.nsf.gov/events/ advisory.jsp. This information may also be requested by telephoning, 703–292– 8687. VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:13 Aug 03, 2017 Jkt 241001 The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Arecibo Observatory. This Final EIS identifies and analyzes the potential consequences of the following alternatives: Alternative 1, Collaboration with Interested Parties for Continued Science-focused Operations (Agency-preferred Alternative); Alternative 2, Collaboration with Interested Parties for Transition to Education-focused Operations; Alternative 3, Mothballing of Facilities; Alternative 4, Partial Demolition and Site Restoration; and Alternative 5, Complete Demolition and Site Restoration; and the No Action Alternative, Continued NSF Investment for Science-focused Operations. It also proposes mitigation measures to minimize the adverse impacts from demolition or operation of the alternatives where such impacts may occur. Consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is being conducted concurrent to the NEPA process. DATES: The National Science Foundation will execute a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days after the date of publication of the Notice of Availability published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency. ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is made available for public inspection on-line at www.nsf.gov/AST. A Spanish translation of the Executive Summary of the Final EIS is posted. A copy of the DEIS will be available for review at the following libraries in Puerto Rico: ´ ´ Biblioteca Electronica Publica ´ Municipal Nicolas Nadal Barreto, 210 Calle Santiago Iglesias, Arecibo, PR, Phone: (787) 878–1178 Archivo General y Biblioteca Nacional de PR, 500 Avenida Juan Ponce De ´ Leon, San Juan, PR, Phone: (787) 725– 1060 ext. 2001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Pentecost, Re: Arecibo SUMMARY: Proposal Review; Notice of Meetings PO 00000 Frm 00101 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Observatory, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1045, Arlington, VA 22230; envcompAST@nsf.gov; 703–292–4907. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Arecibo Observatory is an NSF-owned scientific research and education facility located in Puerto Rico. In 2011, NSF awarded a Cooperative Agreement to SRI International (SRI), which together with Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) formed the Arecibo Management Team to operate and maintain the Arecibo Observatory for the benefit of research communities. The initial 5-year period of performance of the Cooperative Agreement was extended 18 months, to 31 March 2018. Arecibo Observatory enables research in three scientific disciplines: space and atmospheric sciences, radio astronomy, and solar system radar studies; the last of these is largely funded through a research award to USRA from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. An education and public outreach program complements the Arecibo Observatory scientific program. A key component of the Arecibo Observatory research facility is a 305-meter diameter, fixed, spherical reflector. Arecibo Observatory infrastructure includes instrumentation for radio and radar astronomy and ionospheric physics, office and laboratory buildings, a heavily utilized visitor and education facility, and lodging facilities for visiting scientists. Through a series of academic community-based and portfolio reviews, NSF identified the need to divest of several facilities from its portfolio in order to retain the balance of capabilities needed to deliver the best performance on the key science of the present decade and beyond. In 2016, NSF completed a feasibility study to inform and define options for the observatory’s future disposition that would involve significantly decreasing or eliminating NSF funding of Arecibo. Concurrently, NSF sought viable concepts of operations from the scientific community via a Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16–005 (see www.nsf.gov/AST). NSF issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS on May 23, 2016, held scoping meetings on June 7, 2016, and held a 30-day public comment period that closed on June 23, 2016. On September 30, 2016, NSF issued a Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16– 144 (see www.nsf.gov/AST) to notify the Observatory stakeholder community that NSF intended to issue a follow-up solicitation, requesting the submission of formal proposals involving the continued operation of Arecibo E:\FR\FM\04AUN1.SGM 04AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 149 / Friday, August 4, 2017 / Notices Observatory to provide additional information for the decision process for the ultimate disposition of Arecibo Observatory. The solicitation (NSF 17– 538) was released on January 25, 2017. The Draft EIS was made available for public review and comment from October 28, 2016, through December 12, 2016. The full Draft EIS was also posted on the NSF, Division of Astronomical Sciences Web site (www.nsf.gov/AST) and hard copies were delivered to local libraries. During the review period, the NSF received over 400 comments—the majority of comments were against closing the Arecibo Observatory and suggestions for what resources to include in the EIS. After considering all comments received, the NSF prepared the Final EIS. There are no substantive changes to the range of alternatives considered. Alternative 1 is identified as the ‘‘Agency-preferred Alternative.’’ Dated: August 1, 2017. Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation. [FR Doc. 2017–16435 Filed 8–3–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0171] I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments Evaluating Deviations and Reporting Defects and Noncompliance Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG–1291, ‘‘Evaluating Deviations and Reporting Defects and Noncompliance Under 10 CFR part 21.’’ This DG describes methods that the NRC staff considers acceptable for complying with the provisions of the regulations. DATES: Submit comments by October 3, 2017. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this document describes a different SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:13 Aug 03, 2017 Jkt 241001 method for submitting comments on a specified subject): • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0171. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN–8–D36M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. For additional direction on accessing information and submitting comments, see ‘‘Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Prescott, Office of New Reactors, telephone: 301–415–6263; email: Paul.Prescott@nrc.gov, and Stephen Burton, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–415–7000; email: Stephen.Burton@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017– 0171 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this action. You may obtain publiclyavailable information related to this action, by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0171. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The DG is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16165A298. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 36457 B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2017– 0171 in your comment submission. The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC posts all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as enters the comment submissions into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information. If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. II. Additional Information The NRC is issuing for public comment a draft regulatory guide in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the public information regarding methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC’s regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and data that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The draft regulatory guide, entitled, ‘‘Evaluating Deviations and Reporting Defects and Noncompliance Under 10 CFR part 21,’’ is a proposed new guide temporarily identified by its task number, DG–1291. The DG–1291 describes methods that the NRC staff considers acceptable for complying with the provisions of part 21 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Reporting of Defects and Noncompliance.’’ The DG–1291 provides licensees and applicants with formal guidance for an acceptable method of evaluating and reporting defects under 10 CFR part 21. This new guidance will aid in minimizing compliance challenges to licensees and vendors that have been identified through inspection activities. Specifically, this DG approves NRC licensees’ use of a method of evaluating and reporting defects described in NEI 14–09, ‘‘Guidelines for Implementations of 10 CFR part 21 Reporting of Defects E:\FR\FM\04AUN1.SGM 04AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 149 (Friday, August 4, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36456-36457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16435]


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

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Arecibo 
Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the 
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for 
Arecibo Observatory. This Final EIS identifies and analyzes the 
potential consequences of the following alternatives: Alternative 1, 
Collaboration with Interested Parties for Continued Science-focused 
Operations (Agency-preferred Alternative); Alternative 2, Collaboration 
with Interested Parties for Transition to Education-focused Operations; 
Alternative 3, Mothballing of Facilities; Alternative 4, Partial 
Demolition and Site Restoration; and Alternative 5, Complete Demolition 
and Site Restoration; and the No Action Alternative, Continued NSF 
Investment for Science[hyphen]focused Operations. It also proposes 
mitigation measures to minimize the adverse impacts from demolition or 
operation of the alternatives where such impacts may occur. 
Consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act (NHPA) is being conducted concurrent to the NEPA process.

DATES: The National Science Foundation will execute a Record of 
Decision no sooner than 30 days after the date of publication of the 
Notice of Availability published in the Federal Register by the 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is made available for public inspection on-
line at www.nsf.gov/AST. A Spanish translation of the Executive Summary 
of the Final EIS is posted.
    A copy of the DEIS will be available for review at the following 
libraries in Puerto Rico:

Biblioteca Electr[oacute]nica P[uacute]blica Municipal Nicol[aacute]s 
Nadal Barreto, 210 Calle Santiago Iglesias, Arecibo, PR, Phone: (787) 
878-1178
Archivo General y Biblioteca Nacional de PR, 500 Avenida Juan Ponce De 
Le[oacute]n, San Juan, PR, Phone: (787) 725-1060 ext. 2001

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Pentecost, Re: Arecibo 
Observatory, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1045, Arlington, VA 22230; 
envcomp-AST@nsf.gov; 703-292-4907.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Arecibo Observatory is an NSF-owned 
scientific research and education facility located in Puerto Rico. In 
2011, NSF awarded a Cooperative Agreement to SRI International (SRI), 
which together with Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and 
Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) formed the Arecibo Management Team to 
operate and maintain the Arecibo Observatory for the benefit of 
research communities. The initial 5-year period of performance of the 
Cooperative Agreement was extended 18 months, to 31 March 2018. Arecibo 
Observatory enables research in three scientific disciplines: space and 
atmospheric sciences, radio astronomy, and solar system radar studies; 
the last of these is largely funded through a research award to USRA 
from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. An education 
and public outreach program complements the Arecibo Observatory 
scientific program. A key component of the Arecibo Observatory research 
facility is a 305-meter diameter, fixed, spherical reflector. Arecibo 
Observatory infrastructure includes instrumentation for radio and radar 
astronomy and ionospheric physics, office and laboratory buildings, a 
heavily utilized visitor and education facility, and lodging facilities 
for visiting scientists.
    Through a series of academic community-based and portfolio reviews, 
NSF identified the need to divest of several facilities from its 
portfolio in order to retain the balance of capabilities needed to 
deliver the best performance on the key science of the present decade 
and beyond. In 2016, NSF completed a feasibility study to inform and 
define options for the observatory's future disposition that would 
involve significantly decreasing or eliminating NSF funding of Arecibo. 
Concurrently, NSF sought viable concepts of operations from the 
scientific community via a Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16-005 (see 
www.nsf.gov/AST). NSF issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS on 
May 23, 2016, held scoping meetings on June 7, 2016, and held a 30-day 
public comment period that closed on June 23, 2016. On September 30, 
2016, NSF issued a Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16-144 (see www.nsf.gov/AST) to notify the Observatory stakeholder community that NSF intended 
to issue a follow-up solicitation, requesting the submission of formal 
proposals involving the continued operation of Arecibo

[[Page 36457]]

Observatory to provide additional information for the decision process 
for the ultimate disposition of Arecibo Observatory. The solicitation 
(NSF 17-538) was released on January 25, 2017.
    The Draft EIS was made available for public review and comment from 
October 28, 2016, through December 12, 2016. The full Draft EIS was 
also posted on the NSF, Division of Astronomical Sciences Web site 
(www.nsf.gov/AST) and hard copies were delivered to local libraries. 
During the review period, the NSF received over 400 comments--the 
majority of comments were against closing the Arecibo Observatory and 
suggestions for what resources to include in the EIS. After considering 
all comments received, the NSF prepared the Final EIS. There are no 
substantive changes to the range of alternatives considered. 
Alternative 1 is identified as the ``Agency-preferred Alternative.''

    Dated: August 1, 2017.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2017-16435 Filed 8-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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