Department of Energy March 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an information collection request to the OMB for extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Human Reliability Program (HRP), OMB Control Number 1910-5122. This information collection consists of forms that will certify to DOE that respondents were advised of the requirements for occupying or continuing to occupy an 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.

This notice announces a closed meeting of the Defense Programs Advisory Committee (DPAC). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of meetings be announced in the Federal Register. Due to national security considerations, under section 10(d) of the Act and 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), the meeting will be closed to the public and matters to be discussed are exempt from public disclosure under Executive Order 13526 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. 2161 and 2162, as amended.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting information collections FERC-538, FERC-740, FERC-729, FERC-715, FERC-592, FERC-60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission previously issued a Notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 68312, 11/4/2015) requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-538, FERC-740, FERC-729, FERC-715, FERC-592, FERC-60, FERC-61, or FERC-555A and is making this notation in its submittals to OMB.

On December 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register proposing 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. The comment period ended February 12, 2016. On February 17, 2016, after receiving several requests for additional time to prepare and submit comments, DOE reopened the comment period until February 29, 2016. At a public meeting held on February 19, 2016, DOE again received requests for additional time to prepare and submit comments. DOE is reopening the period for submitting comments until March 14, 2016.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to treat certain miscellaneous refrigeration products (MREFs), which include coolers and combination cooler refrigeration products, as covered products under Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended. This supplemental proposed determination would modify DOE's initial proposed scope of those products that would be considered MREFs presented in its earlier proposed determinations. As part of this supplemental proposed determination, DOE is also proposing specific definitions of the product categories that would fall within the MREF product type. In addition, DOE is proposing to amend its current definitions for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers to help clarify the distinctions between the proposed covered product definitions for MREFs. The proposed amendments to these definitions (for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers) would not alter the scope or intent of the current definitions, other than for those products that would newly be covered as combination cooler refrigeration products.

This notice announces a meeting of the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat.770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or Department) announces the availability of its Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal of Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) Low-Level Radioactive Waste and GTCC-Like Waste (Final EIS) (DOE/EIS-0375), prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This Final EIS considered public comments, including a Comment Response Document that addresses all comments received on the Draft EIS. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a cooperating agency in the preparation of this EIS. The Final EIS evaluates the potential human health and environmental impacts of a range of reasonable alternatives for disposing of an estimated 12,000 cubic meters (m\3\) of waste, containing approximately 160 million curies of radioactivity. This includes GTCC low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) as defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 10 CFR 72.3, i.e., ``low-level radioactive waste that exceeds the concentration limits of radionuclides established for Class C waste in 10 CFR 61.55,'' as well as GTCC-like waste which is DOE owned or generated LLRW and non- defense-generated transuranic radioactive waste having characteristics similar to GTCC LLRW and for which there may be no path to disposal. This Final EIS also identifies DOE's preferred alternative for the disposal of GTCC and GTCC-like waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) geologic repository in New Mexico and land disposal at generic commercial facilities.

EIA has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of the following Oil and Gas Reserves System Survey Forms pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: Form EIA-23L, ``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves (Field Version)''; Form EIA-64A, ``Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids Production''; and Form EIA-23S, ``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves, (Summary Version)'' Form EIA-23L is the only form that EIA proposes to change. There are no proposed changes to Forms EIA-64A and EIA-23S. The proposed collection will be used to prepare electronic annual reports of U.S. proved reserves data that fulfill EIA's congressional mandate to provide accurate annual estimates of U.S. proved crude oil and natural gas reserves. The U.S. Government also uses the resulting information in EIA's reports to develop national and regional estimates of proved reserves of domestic crude oil and natural gas to facilitate national energy policy decisions.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE or the Department) Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC), a component of the Office of Technology Transitions, is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gain public input on its efforts to expand and facilitate public access to the Department's resources and to mobilize investment in U.S. clean energy technology. The CEIC also is seeking information through this RFI to further define the scope and priorities of the services it provides to the general public, specifically to mission-driven investors, as well as the investment community more broadly. The information collected may be used for internal CEIC planning and decision-making to ensure that future activities maximize public benefit while advancing the Administration's goals for leading the world in building a competitive, clean energy economy; securing America's energy future; reducing carbon pollution; and creating domestic jobs.

This document contains corrections to the final rule (RM11-6- 000) which published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 (81 FR 9090). The Final Rule provided the annual update to the fee schedule in Appendix A to Part 11, which lists per-acre rental fees by county (or other geographic area) for use of government lands by hydropower licensees and updated Appendix A to Part 11 with the fee schedule of per-acre rental fees by county (or other geographic area) from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2016 (Fiscal Year 2016).