[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28773-28774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13557]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

43 CFR Part 11

RIN 1090-AA23


Natural Resource Damage Assessments: Type A Procedure for Coastal 
and Marine Environments

AGENCY: Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; availability of technical reports.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the availability of technical reports 
relating to the Department of the Interior's December 8, 1994, notice 
of proposed rulemaking to revise the natural resource damage assessment 
regulations. 59 FR 63300. The natural resource damage assessment 
regulations establish procedures for assessing damages for injury to 
natural resources resulting from a discharge of oil or hazardous 
substance into navigable waters under the Clean Water Act, or a release 
of a hazardous substance under the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The December 8, 1994, 
document proposed revisions to a simplified ``type A'' procedure for 
assessing damages from relatively minor discharges or releases in 
coastal and marine environments. That proposed assessment procedure 
incorporates the use of a computer model named the Natural Resource 
Damage Assessment Model for Coastal and Marine Environments (NRDAM/
CME), Version 2.2. The Department has arranged for a number of 
technical specialists to conduct independent reviews of the proposed 
NRDAM/CME, Version 2.2 and is making those technical reports available 
for public review.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the reports are available for inspection at the 
Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Room 2243, Department of 
the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240, tel: (202) 208-
3301 (regular business hours 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through 
Friday).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Morton, Office of Environmental 
Policy and Compliance, Department of the Interior, MS 2340, 1849 C 
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240, (202), tel: 208-3301 or 
[email protected] on Internet.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The natural resource damage assessment 
regulations establish procedures that Federal, State, and Tribal 
natural resource trustees may use to obtain compensation from liable 
parties for natural resource injuries under the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Clean Water Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 
1251 et seq.). The regulations provide an administrative process for 
conducting assessments as well as two types of technical procedures for 
the actual determination of injuries and damages. ``Type A'' procedures 
are standard procedures for simplified assessments requiring minimal 
field observation in cases of minor discharges or releases in certain 
environments. ``Type B'' procedures are site-specific 
[[Page 28774]] procedures for detailed assessments in other cases.
    On December 8, 1994, the Department published a proposed rule to 
revise the type A procedure for coastal and marine environments, in 
compliance with a court order and a statutory biennial review 
requirement. 59 FR 63300. The proposed revised type A procedure for 
coastal and marine environments incorporates a computer model called 
the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Model for Coastal and Marine 
Environments Version 2.2 (NRDAM/CME). The comment period on the 
December 8, 1994, proposed rule has been extended until July 6, 1995. 
60 FR 7155.
    NOAA is responsible for developing natural resource damage 
assessment regulations under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA). 33 U.S.C. 
2701 et seq. On January 7, 1994, NOAA published a proposed rule and 
indicated that it may allow for use of the revised NRDAM/CME under its 
OPA regulations after the Department publishes a final rule. 59 FR 
1062, 1124-1125.
    The Department and NOAA have arranged for a number of technical 
specialists to conduct independent reviews of the proposed NRDAM/CME. 
These reports are under evaluation by the Department and are being 
included in the administrative record for the rulemaking. Anyone 
interested in reviewing the reports is encouraged to contact the 
Department.

    Dated: May 30, 1995.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 95-13557 Filed 6-1-95; 8:45 am]
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