Department of Energy December 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces public meetings and webinars for the Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Working Group. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that agencies publish notice of an advisory committee meeting in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing a requirement that a person importing into the United States any covered product or equipment subject to an applicable energy conservation standard provide, prior to importation, a certification of admissibility to the DOE for the covered product or equipment. The certification would be submitted to DOE through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

The EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for three years with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Form FE-746R, ``Natural Gas Imports and Exports.'' Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending its regulations governing delegations of authority to the Director of the Office of Enforcement. The amendment will provide clarity and consistency regarding the authority delegated to the Office of Enforcement.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of the availability of two studies examining the cumulative impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in the above- referenced proceedings and invites the submission of comments regarding those studies. DOE commissioned the studies to inform DOE's decisions on applications seeking authorization to export LNG from the lower-48 states to non-free trade agreement countries.\1\ The first study, performed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and originally published in October 2014, assessed how specified scenarios of increased natural gas exports could affect domestic energy markets (2014 EIA LNG Export Study). At DOE's request, this study was an update of EIA's January 2012 study of LNG export scenarios using baseline cases from EIA's 2014 Annual Energy Outlook. The second study was performed by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute and Oxford Economics, under contract to DOE (2015 LNG Export Study). This 2015 LNG Export Study is a scenario-based assessment of the macroeconomic impact of levels of U.S. LNG exports sourced from the lower-48 states in volumes ranging from 12 to 20 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas under a range of assumptions, including U.S. resource endowment, U.S. natural gas demand, international LNG market dynamics, and other factors. These two studies are posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: https://www.energy.gov/fe/2015- lng-study. DOE may use the 2014 EIA LNG Export Study and the 2015 LNG Export Study to inform its decisions in the listed proceedings and for other purposes. Comments submitted in compliance with the instructions in this notice will be placed in the administrative record for all of the above-listed proceedings and need only be submitted once.

The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for three years, an information collection request with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the extended collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. This information collection request pertains to the Human Reliability Program (HRP). This information collection request consists of forms that will certify to DOE that respondents were advised of the requirements for occupying or continuing to occupy a HRP position. The forms include: Human Reliability Program Certification (DOE F 470.3), Acknowledgement and Agreement to Participate in the Human Reliability Program (DOE F 470.4), Authorization and Consent to Release Human Reliability Program (HRP) Records in Connection with HRP (DOE F 470.5), Refusal of Consent (DOE F 470.6), and Human Reliability Program (HRP) Alcohol Testing Form (DOE F 470.7). The HRP is a security and safety reliability program for individuals who apply for or occupy certain positions that are critical to the national security. It requires an initial and annual supervisory review, medical assessment, management evaluation, and a DOE personnel security review of all applicants or incumbents. It is also used to ensure that employees assigned to nuclear explosive duties do not have emotional, mental, or physical conditions that could result in an accidental or unauthorized detonation of nuclear explosives.

The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) is announcing its Preferred Alternative for the disposition of certain quantities of surplus plutonium evaluated in the Final Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Final SPD Supplemental EIS) (DOE/EIS-0283-S2, April 2015). Among the potential actions considered in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/NNSA analyzed the potential environmental impacts for the disposition of 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which a disposition path is not assigned, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs and 6 metric tons (6.6 tons) of surplus non- pit plutonium. With regard to the 6 metric tons (MT) of surplus non-pit plutonium, DOE/NNSA's Preferred Alternative is to prepare this plutonium for eventual disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a geologic repository for disposal of Transuranic (TRU) \1\ waste generated by atomic energy defense activities. DOE/NNSA may issue a Record of Decision (ROD), containing its decision(s) for disposition of this quantity of material, no sooner than 30 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.