Will & Carlson's Weekly Newsletter
| News Stories | Western Newspaper Headlines | New Reports of Interest | Key Agency News Releases | Bills Introduced in the Senate | Bills Introduced in the House | Federal Register Notices |
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Eye
on Washington: Volume VII, Issue 9 Will & Carlson's Weekly Newsletter Volume VII, Issue 9 March 4, 2005 |
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CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITY |
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Senate Appropriations Committee Follows House
Recommendations; EPA Account Moves under Interior Dept. On March 2nd, Senate Appropriations
Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) agreed to eliminate the VA-HUD
Subcommittee and distribute its jurisdictional oversight; the EPA's annual
budget - and the White House Council on Environmental Quality- will move
under the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies,
which already handles appropriations for the Interior Department, the Bureau
of Land Management, and U.S. Geologic Survey.
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) heads that panel.
The change follows the jurisdictional recommendations made by Rep.
Jerry Lewis (R-CA), the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). However, defense-related environmental programs
in the Senate will stay within the purview of the Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee; in the House, they are to be transferred to a new Military
Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.
The Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Robert
Byrd (D-WV) gave a vague endorsement to the changes, saying “It's probably
the best we can hope for.”
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House
Bill Introduced Against ‘Blending’ On March 3rd, Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI), Frank
Pallone (D-N.J.), Clay Shaw (R-FL), and Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) introduced H.R. 1126 , a bill entitled ‘Save Our Waters From Sewage Act of 2005’.
It would prevent the EPA from going forward
with issuing a ‘blending’ policy, a practice of allowing sewage
treatment plants to route excess stormwater flows around secondary treatment
steps and combine them with fully treated flows before being released into
the environment. EPA issued a
draft policy in November of 2003, which received 98,000 comments - mostly
negative. One contention of environmental groups is that ‘blending’ actually violates
the Clean Water Act's provision against bypasses, while treatment plant
operators say ‘blending’ prevents the secondary treatment process from
being washed away during heavy stormwater flows, and that it has been in
practice for decades.
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CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS |
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Administration’s
Federal Power Marketing Plan Going Nowhere in Senate On March 3rd, at the Senate Energy
and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Energy Department’s FY’06
Budget, the White House initiative to raise rates for electricity sold by
the federal power marketing administrations was answered with stinging
criticism. Recently confirmed
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman took the brunt of both Democratic and
Republican displeasure, and was told point blank the rate proposal was dead
on arrival at that chamber. The
DOE’s FY '06 budget of $23.4B
includes the proposal to reduce the total Federal power marketing
administration budget by over 70%, from $208.7M appropriated last year to
$57M in FY '06. It calls for
Federal power marketing agencies such as the Bonneville Power
Administration, Western Area Power Administration, Southeast Power
Administration and Southwest Power Administration, to begin raising their
rates by 20 percent per year. Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) said it
was counterproductive for the Department to put that plan in the budget,
because they should know “It's not going to happen,” and that other
worthwhile programs would be in jeopardy.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said simply, “You're wasting our
time.”
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Statement by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner
John W. Keys Before the House Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, March 3, 2005 “An Oversight Hearing on the President's Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Request for the Bureau of
Reclamation” Full text:
http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/testimony/detail.cfm?RecordID=141
Statement by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner
John W. Keys Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Energy and Water Development, March 3, 2005 “The
President's Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Request for the Bureau of Reclamation
March 03, 2005” Full text:
http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/testimony/detail.cfm?RecordID=161 |
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THE STATES |
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Los
Alamos Cleanup to Proceed Under
NM
State Supervision A 275-page Order of Consent was signed by the Energy Department and
the State of New Mexico on March 1st, providing for a 10-year
timetable allowing the state more control over the study and clean-up some
2,000 separate radioactive waste (and other contaminant) areas at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico.
The Consent was co-signed by the University of California, currently
managing the national laboratory system under contract with the Federal
government. The Environment
Secretary of New Mexico said, "After many years of tough negotiations,
this legal order puts New Mexicans in control of the Los Alamos National
Laboratory cleanup and gives us the power to make sure this important work
is completed.” Because some of the contaminates have migrated into the regional
aquifer used for Los Alamos County water supplies, the Energy Department
reached a separate agreement with the EPA on surface water monitoring and
stormwater runoff from waste piles. Some
of the materials to be disposed of during the process will be shipped to
Carlsbad, N.M. for underground storage at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant,
and some will be capped on site and monitored.
Total site remediation is scheduled to be completed by 2015 at an
estimated cost of $800M. The
agreement is available at: http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/HWB/lanlperm.html
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EPA |
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The White House, March 4th, 2005
8:45 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: “Good morning. I am pleased to
announce my nomination of Stephen Johnson to be the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency.” Full
text at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050304-2.html Mr. Johnson, 53, has been the Acting EPA Administrator for almost two months, and if confirmed as EPA’s 11th Administrator would be the first professional scientist to hold the post.
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The
Uncertainty of Budget Projections: A Discussion of Data and Methods Congressional Budget Office Report February, 2005 http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=6119&sequence=0 EQIP Project Helps to Attract Trout to
California Vineyard Feb. 23, 2005 - National Resources Conservation Service “Wolff Vineyards has partnered with several government agencies on a $38,000 project to restore habitat for the rare steelhead trout. The goal is to reduce soil loss along the San Luis Obispo vineyard's three miles of creeks. These waterways empty into Pismo Creek, which is where young steelhead spend about two to three years before they grow large enough to swim to the ocean. But the fish -- which are endangered on the Central Coast -- won't be
the only ones to benefit. ‘It's
a significant improvement for fish habitat,’ said Jean-Pierre Wolff, owner
of Wolff Vineyards. ‘But you're also reducing farming maintenance
costs.’” For more
information, go to: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2005/022305/cawolffeqip.html
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Released for
Public Comment March 1st - “EPA has released a
draft of the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks:
1990-2003 for a 30-day public comment period.
This year's inventory indicates that greenhouse gas emissions
increased by 0.6 percent from 2002 to 2003, remaining below emission levels
in 2000. The increase was due
primarily to 2003's moderate economic growth, which increased demand for
electricity and fossil fuels. From
1990 to 2003, emissions have grown by 13 percent, while the U.S. economy has
grown by 46 percent.” The report is available online at: Wastewater
Facilities: Experts' Views on How Federal Funds Should Be Spent to Improve
Security GAO Report (GAO-05-165) Released March 2nd; Dated “Jan.
31, 2005” Full report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05165.pdf Highlights: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d05165high.pdf
“The most vulnerable component of wastewater treatment
facilities to terrorist attacks are the sewer lines.
Sewers could be used either to gain access to surrounding buildings
or to inject hazardous substances that could harm a treatment plant.”
A
Vision for Marine Recreational Fisheries: FY2005 - FY2010
Homeland
Security: Management of First
Responder Grant Programs Has Improved, but Challenges Remain GAO
Report GAO-05-121 Released
March 3, 2005; Dated February 2, 2005 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05121.pdf
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Week of Feb.28 - March 4, 2005 ................................................................................................................................................................................. |
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Central
Valley Project Water Contracts are Renewed for Farms and Cities: Water
Service and Settlement Contracts Expiring After 40 Years February 25, 2005 - “The Bureau of
Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region is nearing completion on contract
negotiations with about 200 water districts and water contractors in the
Central Valley Project (CVP), and starting today Reclamation will begin
signing long-term contracts for 25 or 40 years, depending on contract
type.” For more information,
go to: http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=4281 Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled on
Preparation of Long-Term EWA Environmental Document Feb. 28 - “The Bureau of Reclamation, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Water
Resources intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement /
Environmental Impact Report for implementing the Long-Term Environmental
Water Account. A Draft EIS/EIR
is expected to be available December 2005.
Public scoping meetings are being held to solicit public input on
alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the Long-Term EWA EIS/EIR.”
[see schedule] For more information, go to:
http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=4301 Secretary Bodman Promotes Energy Bill to
Western Governors March 1, 2005 - Washington, DC
“U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman in a speech before the
Western Governors Association today expressed the need for Congress to pass
comprehensive energy legislation and highlighted the benefits of the
proposal for the western United States.”
Full text of speech: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17544&BT_CODE=PR_SPEECHES&TT_CODE=PRESSSPEECH Battle Creek Restoration Project Draft
Supplemental Environmental Document Available [Released as a Federal Register notice
yesterday] March 02, 2005 “The Bureau of Reclamation, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have made available for public review and comment the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Revised Environmental Impact Report for the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project.”
for more information, go to: http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=4321 Battle Creek Restoration Project Draft
Supplemental Environmental Document at:
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=99 National
Marine Fisheries Service to Award $700,000 for Projects Through the
Endangered Species Act March 3, 2005 - “The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service will award
more than $700,000 to seven Atlantic coast states and one territory to
conserve and protect marine species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).” For more information, go to:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/docs/endangered_species_act_awards_release_05.pdf North Platte River Basin Snowmelt Runoff
Forecast March 3, 2005 - Bureau of Reclamation - “The
Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyoming, has
prepared snowmelt runoff forecasts for the North Platte River Basin.
The March 1 forecast of the spring snowmelt runoff for the North
Platte Basin, is below normal.” For more information, go to:
http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=4401 Department Of Energy Chief of Staff Joe
McMonigle Resigns Washington, DC
March 4, 2005 - “U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) Chief of Staff Joseph McMonigle, who has been a
top official at the energy department since the very first day of the Bush
Administration, announced his resignation effective March 5, 2005.”
For more information, go to: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17561&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Proposals
from States to Work with Private Landowners to Conserve Wildlife Habitat March 3rd - “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is seeking proposals from States and territories for funding under the Bush Administration’s innovative Landowner
Incentive Program (LIP). This
forward-looking program, managed by the Service, is making $19 million in
Federal grant money available to State and territorial fish and wildlife
agencies for private landowners under the President’s FY 2005 budget.”
For more information, got to: http://news.fws.gov/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=6A1B07AF-1143-3066-40691E658E9DB356 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces $62
Million in Grants to States to Support Wildlife and Habitats March 4th - “The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service today announced more than $62 million in wildlife grants to
State and Territorial wildlife agencies.
The State Wildlife Grants are designed to assist State-specific
programs that benefit declining wildlife and their habitat. The Grants are
funded under the 2005 Interior Department Appropriations Act.” For
more information, go to: http://news.fws.gov/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=6EE99FB1-1143-3066-40C7E9A935C2FB5C
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[click on headlines to be taken to articles] |
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Rain
means house-hunting for endangered birds For
some, river not worth its salt Catalogs
chock full of new blooms Delta
fish declines alarming War
for Water Agriculture
could help solve global warming, says report Versatile
Vegetarian: Amaranth use is on the rise in breads PA
DEP Announces Release Of Bituminous Mining Subsidence Report Climate
experts present findings on drought Wisconsin
events honor father of ecology, Aldo Leopold Beef
border opening delayed by injunction The
Billings Gazette Satellites
See Ocean Plants Increase, Coasts Greening Hydrogen-fueled
Battery Demonstrated It's
aliiive! [the beer you drink] Rockfish
experiments may affect survival Arctic
Lakes Show Signs of Global Warming In
brief: 03/03/2005 Fewer
trees, less rain: study uncovers deforestation equation Brazil
OKs law to legalize biotech crops Modified
soy may become legal Ecologist
jokingly blames wolves for global warming Experts
sure of 1 thing: It's dry here Ecological
reserve to reopen Saturday after near-record rainfall
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Bills Introduced in the SENATE Week of Feb.28 - March 4, 2005 |
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S. 474 SMITH A
bill to establish the Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and
Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Indian Affairs. S. 477 DORGAN A
bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include Indian tribes
among the entities consulted with respect to activities carried out by the
Secretary of Homeland Security, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. S. 482 CONRAD A
bill to provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the
State of North Dakota; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. S. 485 CRAIG A
bill to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992; to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. S. 492 FRIST A
bill to make access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a
specific policy objective of the United States foreign assistance programs,
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. S. 496 SALAZAR A
bill to provide permanent funding for the payment in lieu of taxes program,
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. S. 498 BURR A
bill to provide for expansion of electricity transmission networks in order
to support competitive electricity markets, to ensure reliability of
electric service, to modernize regulation and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. S. 502 COLEMAN A
bill to revitalize rural America and rebuild main street, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Finance. S. 507 DEWINE A
bill to establish the National Invasive Species Council, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. S. 508 DEWINE A
bill to provide for the environmental restoration of the Great Lakes; to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works. S. 509 FEINSTEIN A
bill to improve the operation of energy markets; to the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. S.
517 HUTCHISON A
bill to establish a Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and
for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation. S.
519 HUTCHISON A
bill to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and
Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities
under that Act, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
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Week of Feb.28 - March 4, 2005 |
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H.R. 996 THOMAS A
bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the extension
of highway-related taxes and trust funds, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Ways and Means. H.R. 1007 CALVERT A
bill to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of Natural Resources
Conservation Service property in Riverside, California, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture. H.R. 1008 CALVERT A
bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design
and construction of the Riverside-Corona Feeder in cooperation with the
Western Municipal Water District of Riverside, California; to the Committee
on Resources. H.R. 1028 TIAHRT A
bill to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 with respect to
enforcement provisions; to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce. H.R. 1043 BILIRAKIS A
bill to provide additional authority to the Office of Ombudsman of the
Environmental Protection Agency; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 1046 CUBIN A
bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the city of
Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the storage of the city’s water in the Kendrick
Project, Wyoming; to the Committee on Resources. H.R. 1063 SHAW A
bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to restore equity and complete the
transfer of motor fuel excise taxes attributable to motorboat and small
engine fuels into the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, and for other purposes;
to the Committee on Ways and Means. H.R. 1071 DAVIS A
bill to direct the Secretary of Energy to make incentive payments to the
owners or operators of qualified desalination facilities to partially offset
the cost of electrical energy required to operate such facilities, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Resources. H.R. 1086 BURGESS A
bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and implement an
environmental review process for safety emergency highway projects; to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. H.R. 1097 GARRETT A
bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce the Federal tax on
fuels by the amount of any increase in the rate of tax on such fuel by the
States; to the Committee on Ways and Means. H.R. 1105 KELLY A
bill to amend the National Dam Safety Program Act to establish a program to
provide grant assistance to States for the rehabilitation and repair of
deficient dams; to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 1114 MECCRERY A
bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the small refiner
exception to the oil depletion deduction; to the Committee on Ways and
Means. H.R. 1116 MILLENDER-MCDONALD A
bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out activities to
assess and reduce the vulnerabilities of public transportation systems; to
the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. H.R. 1118 PETERSON A
bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish permanent
authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to quickly provide disaster
relief to agricultural producers who incur crop losses as a result of
damaging weather or related condition in federally declared disaster areas,
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture. H.R.
1126 STUPAK A
bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to prohibit a publicly
owned treatment works from diverting flows to bypass any portion of its
treatment facility; to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R.
1127 TERRY A
bill to reauthorize the renewable energy production incentive and to provide
that a qualified renewable energy facility shall not be assigned a priority
for eligibility or allocation of appropriated funds on the basis of the
energy source used at such facility; to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce. H.R.
1128 THORNBERRY A
bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit for carbon
dioxide captured from anthropogenic industrial sources and used as a
tertiary injectant in enhanced oil and natural gas recovery; to the
Committee on Ways and Means.
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EPA.
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2003.
Notice of document availability and request for comments.
Annual U.S. emissions for the period of time from 1990-2003 are
summarized and presented by source category and sector. The inventory
contains estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide
(N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perflourocarbons (PFC), and sulfur
hexaflouride (SF6) emissions. The
inventory also includes estimates of carbon sequestration in U.S. forests.
The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks is the
latest in a series of annual U.S. submissions to the Secretariat of the
UNFCCC. Please submit your
comments on or before March 30, 2005. The
draft report can be obtained by visiting the U.S. EPA's global warming site:
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/emissions/
FR 2/28/05
p.9647 INTERIOR.
Bureau of Reclamation. Battle
Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project (Restoration Project)
Tehama and Shasta Counties, CA. Notice
of availability of draft supplemental SEIS/REIR.
The Draft SEIS/REIR will disclose a new environmental analysis and
propose mitigation regarding the increased risk of fish disease infection at
private aquaculture facilities through the increase of naturally-spawning
Battle Creek salmon and steelhead species under the Restoration Project.
Public comments on the Draft SEIS/REIR should be submitted on or before
April 29, 2005. FR
3/01/05 p.9967 INTERIOR.
Bureau of Land Management. Cancellation
of Scheduled Meeting of the Central California Resource Advisory Council on
March 11 and 12, 2005 … it will be rescheduled for July.
FR 3/01/05
p.9965 DEFENSE.
Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army.
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for a Permit Application for the Proposed Hemet/San
Jacinto Integrated Recharge and Recovery Program in San Jacinto,
Riverside County, CA. The
proposed project would consist of up to fifteen recharge basins (six in
proposed Phase 1 and nine in proposed Phase 2) on approximately 100- acres
in the San Jacinto River Channel, upgrades to two existing pump stations, a
new approximately 7.7-mile-long water supply pipeline, up to ten extraction
wells located west of the San Jacinto River, and up to six monitoring wells
located near the western edge of the proposed recharge basins.
FR 3/02/05
p.10078 AGRICULTURE.
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Environmental Assessment; Notice of Availability.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has prepared a
plan and environmental assessment consistent with the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended. (Funding for salinity control projects
is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program which is
covered by a programmatic EA). The
Muddy Creek plan and EA were developed to more specifically evaluate the
effects associated with this type of water quality activity.
Upon review of the information in the Muddy Creek EA, the State
Conservationist, NRCS, Utah, made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
and the determination was made that no environmental impact statement is
required to support the Muddy Creek Plan.
Effective date: March 3, 2005. FR
3/03/05 p.10353 INTERIOR. Bureau of Land Management. Notice of Public Meeting; Central Montana Resource Advisory Council on March 22 & 23, 2005, at the Best Western Great Northern Inn, 1345 1st Street, in Havre, Montana. Public comment periods have been scheduled. FR 3/02/05 p.10110
INTERIOR. Fish and Wildlife Service. North American Wetlands Conservation Council Meeting Announcement. The Council will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The meeting is open
to the public. March 14, 2005, 1-4 p.m. in Arlington, VA. FR 3/03/05 p.10406
INTERIOR. Bureau of Land Management. Call for Nominations for the Bureau of Land Management's Central California Resources Advisory Council. The Bureau of Land Management is soliciting nominations form the public to fill a vacated position on the Central California Resources Advisory
Council and serve the remainder of a three-year term which expires in September, 2006. Council members provide advice and recommendations to the BLM
on the management of public lands in Central California. Nominations should be sent to the Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Folsom Field Office,
63 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630. FR 3/03/05 p.10407
ENERGY. Bonneville Power Administration. Wanapa Energy Center; Notice of Availability of Record of Decision (ROD). This notice announces the availability of the ROD to implement the proposed action identified in the Wanapa Energy Center Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0342,
December 2004). Under the proposed action, Bonneville will offer contract terms for interconnection of the Wanapa Energy Center with the Federal
Columbia River Transmission System, as requested by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The proposed project involves
constructing and operating a 1,200-megawatt, natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power generation facility at a 47-acre site on tribal trust land near
the Cities of Hermiston and Umatilla in Umatilla County, Oregon. The ROD and EIS are also available on our Web site, http://www.efw.bpa.gov
FR 3/04/05 p.10602
DEFENSE. Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers. Intent To Prepare a Joint Supplemental Environment Impact Statement/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the San Luis Rey River Flood Control Project, Operations and Maintenance Plan; San Diego County, CA. This
amendment to the notice revises the June 8, 1999, notice to announce the Corps' intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement /
Environmental Impact Report to address changes to the operation and maintenance (O&M) plan for the on-going flood control project on the San
Luis Rey River. The study area is located in the City of Oceanside, in the northwest portion of San Diego County, California. The study area is
comprised of the lower 7.2 miles of the river, from the Pacific Ocean to the College Boulevard Bridge. Submit comments on or before April 4, 2008.
FR 3/04/05 p.10608
EPA. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); Notice. Announcement of IRIS 2005 program agenda and request for scientific information on human health effects that may result from exposure to chemical substances. The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is an EPA database
that contains the Agency's scientific consensus positions on human health effects that may result from exposure to chemical substances in the
environment. All assessments currently in progress or completed in 2004 are listed in this notice. This notice also provides an update on EPA's
efforts to improve the IRIS database. Please submit any scientific information in response to this notice in accordance with the instructions
provided at the end of this notice by May 3, 2005. FR 3/04/05 p.10616
EPA. Draft Final Title VI Public Involvement Guidance for EPA Assistance Recipients Administering Environmental Permitting Programs. EPA's Office of Civil Rights is soliciting comments on the Draft Final Title VI Public Involvement Guidance for EPA Assistance Recipients Administering
Environmental Permitting Programs (Draft Final Recipient Guidance). This guidance significantly revises the previous Draft Title VI Guidance for EPA
Assistance Recipients Administering Environmental Permitting Programs (Draft Recipient Guidance) issued for public comment in June 2000. Comments
on this draft final guidance must be submitted on or before 30 days from the date of this publication in the Federal Register. FR 3/04/05 p.10625
AGRICULTURE. Forest Service, Siskiyou Resource Advisory Committee. Notice of Meeting. The Siskiyou Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, April 1, 2005 to discuss topics including orientation with new members, roles and responsibilities, overview of Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self Determination Act, 2005 meeting schedule, electing a chair and use of overhead funds (12.5%). The meeting will be held at the City
Hall in Cave Junction, Oregon. Dated: February 23, 2005. FR 3/04/05 p.10594
COMMERCE. NOAA. National Marine Fisheries Service. Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings. The Pacific Fishery Management Council announces the dates and locations of public hearings on March 28-29, 2005 [see FR notice for list] to solicit comments on
proposed options for ocean salmon fishery management measures for the 2005 season. Written comments on the salmon management options
must be received by March 29, 2005, at 4:30 p.m., Pacific time. FR 3/04/05 p.10605
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