Department of Energy February 26, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is issuing a notice of inquiry into the need for changes or revisions to the Commission's reporting requirements for FERC Forms Nos. 1, 1-F, 2, 2-A, 3-Q, 6 and 6-Q (Financial Forms). This notice of inquiry follows informal meetings held by Office of Enforcement (OE) staff with both filers and users of FERC Forms Nos. 1 and 2 to reexamine the information in the forms and determine whether these forms should be modified to improve their usefulness. The notice of inquiry invites all interested persons to participate in the inquiry and to submit answers to several specific questions.

This notice is being issued under the authority of section 131 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2160). The Department is providing notice of a proposed ``subsequent arrangement'' under the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the United States and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the United States and Canada. This subsequent arrangement concerns the retransfer of 51,775.1 kg of Natural UF6 (67.6% U), containing 35,000 kg of Uranium. This material will be retransferred from Cameco Corporation, Canada, to Urenco Ltd., Netherlands for enrichment and return to the United States for use as fuel in nuclear power reactors by STP Nuclear Operating Company, Texas. Urenco Ltd. is authorized to receive nuclear material pursuant to the U.S.-Euratom Agreement for Cooperation. In accordance with section 131 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, we have determined that this subsequent arrangement will not be inimical to the common defense and security. This subsequent arrangement will take effect no sooner than fifteen days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to cancel the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the assessment of potential environmental impacts from DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program, as described in a Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2004 (69 FR 21514). DOE had intended to prepare the PEIS, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to address the potential environmental impacts of carbon sequestration technologies and potential future demonstration activities under the Carbon Sequestration Program, which is being implemented by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy through its National Energy Technology Laboratory. DOE conducted public scoping meetings in May and June 2004 in eight cities, and began preparation of the PEIS. However, upon further consideration, DOE has determined that the continuation of the PEIS did not warrant its effort and expense since the research from the Regional Partnerships and other Program activities in carbon sequestration are enhancing our understanding of the area and the PEIS would not direct any programmatic decisions at this time. DOE will continue to perform project-specific NEPA reviews of its carbon sequestration research, development and demonstration activities. In order to facilitate future project-specific NEPA reviews, DOE will make available to the public a Carbon Sequestration Reference Document, based on the data and analyses developed in conjunction with the PEIS preparation effort. DOE believes this approach would best enable the Department to meet its Carbon Sequestration Program objectives and continue to provide pertinent environmental data and analyses for future project- and site-specific NEPA reviews under the Program.