Department of State April 20, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for ``TechWomen''. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct a professional mentorship exchange program. This initiative champions two distinct but key themes of President Obama's June 2009 speech in Cairo by supporting development in the field of technology and enabling women to reach their full potential in the technology industry. Applicants should plan to recruit and select a total of approximately 20-40 women from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the West Bank and Gaza to participate in a four- to six-week peer mentoring program in the United States. The mentoring experience will focus on bolstering the status of professional women in the field of technology, will provide networking opportunities for the participants, and will support activities in the participants' home countries that encourage the interest of girls in technology-based careers.

The Department of State (DOS) has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline Project. On September 19, 2008, TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP (Keystone) filed an application for a Presidential permit for the construction, operation, and maintenance of pipeline facilities at the border of the U.S. and Canada for the transport of crude oil across the U.S.-Canada international boundary. The Secretary of State is designated and empowered to receive all applications for Presidential permits, as referred to in Executive Order 13337, as amended, for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the exportation or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels to or from a foreign country. Keystone has requested authorization to construct and operate border crossing facilities at the U.S.-Canadian border in Phillips County, near Morgan, Montana, in connection with its proposed international pipeline project (the Keystone XL Pipeline Project) that is designed to transport Canadian crude oil production from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) to destinations in the south central United States, including to an existing oil terminal in Cushing, Oklahoma, and to existing delivery points in the Port Arthur and East Houston areas of Texas.