[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4429-4433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1776]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-7443-6]


National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; 
National Priorities List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of intent for partial deletion of the Cecil Field Naval 
Air Station (site) from the National Priorities List (NPL).

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, announces its 
intent to delete portions of the Cecil Field Naval Air Station 
Superfund Site (the ``Site'') (EPA ID FL 5170022474) from the 
National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this 
action. The NPL is codified as appendix B to the National Oil and 
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR part 300, 
which EPA promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 9605. The EPA has determined, with the concurrence 
of the State of Florida through its Department of Environmental 
Protection, that the parcels proposed for deletion under this action do 
not pose a significant threat to public health or the environment, as 
defined by CERCLA, and therefore, further remedial measures pursuant to 
CERCLA are not appropriate for these parcels. EPA proposes deletion of 
these parcels in accordance with 40 CFR 300.425(e) and the Notice of 
Policy Change: Partial Deletion of Sites on the

[[Page 4430]]

National Priorities List published in the Federal Register on November 
1, 1995.
    The remaining parcels comprising the Cecil Field Naval Air Station 
Superfund Site will remain on the NPL. Response actions are either 
underway at these parcels or the parcels do not require any further 
response action other than operation and maintenance activities and 
enforcement.

DATES: EPA will accept comments concerning this proposal to delete 
specified parcels from the Site until March 31, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to Deborah A. Vaughn-Wright, 
Remedial Project Manager, Federal Facilities Branch, Waste Management 
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 61 Forsyth Street, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303, (404) 562-8539, fax (404) 562-8518, e-mail 
[email protected].
    Comprehensive information and deletion docket for this site is 
available through the public docket which is available for viewing at 
the Site Information repositories at the following locations:
    (1) U.S. EPA Region 4, Library, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta, GA 
30303, (404) 562-8190. Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and
    (2) Building 907, 13357 Lake Newman Street, Cecil Commerce Center, 
Jacksonville, Florida 32252, Phone: (904) 573-0336.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah A. Vaughn-Wright, Remedial 
Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 61 Forsyth 
Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, (404) 562-8539, Fax (404) 562-8518, e-
mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
III. Deletion Procedures
IV. Basis of Intended Partial Site Deletion
V. Deletion Action

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 announces 
its intent to delete approximately 16,496.14 acres of land from the 
Cecil Field Naval Air Station Superfund Site, Jacksonville, Duval and 
Clay Counties, Florida from the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL 
constitutes appendix B to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances 
Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR part 300, which EPA 
promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, 
42 U.S.C. 9605.
    The NPL is a list of facilities which EPA determined may pose a 
significant threat to public health, welfare, or the environment. 40 
CFR 300.425(e) authorizes deletion of facilities, or portions of 
facilities, from the NPL provided that facility meets certain criteria. 
Deletion from the NPL does not necessarily preclude further remedial 
action. If a significant release occurs at a facility deleted from the 
NPL, that facility is restored to the NPL without application of the 
Hazard Ranking System. Non-federal facilities deleted from the NPL are 
eligible for Fund-financed remedial actions should future conditions 
warrant such action. While federal facilities are not eligible for 
Fund-financed remedial action, all federal facilities, whether listed 
on the NPL or not, have a continuing statutory duty to conduct further 
remediation, if required, even after the federal property is 
transferred to non-federal owners. Where a release attributable to 
federal facility's historical activities is discovered after a property 
transfer, CERCLA section 120(h)(3)(A)(i) requires the federal entity to 
conduct further remediation if needed for protection of human health 
and the environment.
    An environmental assessment was conducted at the facility on the 
parcels proposed for transfer. All media were sampled. Results of this 
sampling were compiled in Remedial Investigations reports which were 
used to conduct a Risk Assessments. Feasibility Studies were generated 
which evaluated potential remedies required to address the 
contamination. The remedies were summarized in a public notice 
soliciting comments on the remedies. All public comments received 
during the public comment period were considered by the Navy and EPA 
before a final remedy was selected. Several parcels did not require a 
remedial action to be protective of human health and the environment.
    The parcels proposed for deletion are described in more detail 
later in this document. EPA proposes deleting these parcels from the 
NPL because no further CERCLA response is appropriate. The remaining 
portions of property comprising the Cecil Field Naval Air Station 
Superfund Site will remain on the NPL. This notice will be published in 
the Federal Register to solicit public comment on the proposed partial 
deletion. The public comment period is thirty (30) days beginning on 
the date of publication.
    Section II of this action explains the criteria for the partial 
deletion of sites from the NPL. Section III discusses the procedures 
that EPA is using for this action. Section IV discusses the history of 
the Cecil Field Naval Air Station Site and explains how the portions of 
the Site proposed for deletion meet deletion criteria. Section V states 
EPA's action to delete the portions of the site from the NPL unless 
dissenting comments are received during the comment period.

II. NPL Deletion Criteria

    Section 300.425(e) of the NCP provides that sites may be deleted 
from, or recategorized on, the NPL where no further response is 
appropriate. In making a determination to delete a release from the 
NPL, EPA shall consider, in consultation with the state, whether any of 
the following criteria have been met:
    (i) Responsible parties or other persons have implemented all 
appropriate response actions required; or
    (ii) All appropriate Fund-financed response under CERCLA has been 
implemented, and no further response action by responsible parties is 
appropriate; or
    (iii) The Remedial Investigation has shown that the release poses 
no significant threat to public health or the environment and, 
therefore, taking of remedial measures is not appropriate.
    As explained below, portions of the Site meet the NCP's deletion 
criteria listed above. Therefore, a partial deletion is being proposed.

III. Deletion Procedures

    The following procedures were used for the intended partial 
deletion of portions from the Site:
    (1) All appropriate responses under CERCLA have been implemented 
and no further action by EPA is appropriate for the identified areas; 
(2) The State of Florida concurred with the proposed deletion decision 
via letter dated July 3, 2002; (3) Simultaneous with this notice, a 
similar notice of Intent for Partial Deletion was published in a major 
local newspaper with general circulation in and around the Site and 
distributed to appropriate federal, state, and local officials and 
other interested parties announcing a thirty (30) day comment period 
starting on the date of publication in the Federal Register and a major 
local newspaper; and (4) All relevant documents have been made 
available for public review in the local Site information repositories.
    The public is asked to comment on the proposed partial deletion 
within thirty (30) days of the date of this document. EPA will evaluate 
all comments received during this period before issuing a final 
decision. If

[[Page 4431]]

appropriate, EPA will prepare a Responsiveness Summary, responding to 
each significant comment submitted during the public comment period. 
The Responsiveness Summary will be available for public viewing at the 
information repositories listed above. If EPA determines that the 
proposed partial deletion is appropriate, EPA will publish a Final 
Notice of Partial Deletion in the Federal Register. Actual deletion of 
the proposed parcels does not occur until the Final Notice of Partial 
Deletion is published in the Federal Register. As stated in 40 CFR 
300.425, a site, or portions of a site, deleted from the NPL remain 
eligible for future response actions if conditions warrant.

IV. Basis for Intended Partial Site Deletion

    The following site summary provides the Agency's rational for the 
proposed partial deletion. It also includes information demonstrating 
satisfaction of the deletion criteria specified under 40 CFR 
300.425(e).

Site Background and History:

    Cecil Field Naval Air Station is located 14-miles west of 
Jacksonville, Florida in Duval and Clay Counties. The entire Site 
encompasses approximately 17,200 acres. The Site operated as Naval Air 
Station Cecil Field from 1941 until 1999 when the base was closed as a 
result of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act of 1990. 
During that period the base provided facilities, services, and material 
support for the operation and maintenance of naval weapons, aircraft 
and other units of the operation forces as designated by the Chief of 
Naval Operations. Some of the tasks required to accomplish this mission 
include operation of fuel storage facilities and performance of 
aircraft maintenance. Maintenance activities at NAS Cecil Field over 
the years generated a variety of waste materials including municipal 
solid waste, municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge, industrial 
wastes including waste oils, solvents, paints and spilled fuels, and 
waste pesticides. Contaminants of concern include pesticides, 
chlorinated solvents, waste fuels and metals.
    Cecil Field Naval Air Station was listed on the NPL in 1989. At 
that time the entire base was included in the listing, fence line to 
fence line. The Department of the Navy, State of Florida and the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency approved a Federal Facilities Agreement 
in October 1990, which outlined procedures for identifying and 
addressing contamination at the Site. The entirety of Cecil Field Naval 
Air Station was included on the NPL listing. Upon listing, the facility 
began identifying sites where activities involving hazardous substances 
may have occurred. The sites requiring further investigation were 
grouped into Operable Units (OU). Twelve operable units (OU) have been 
identified at Cecil Field many with subunits denoted as ``sites.'' The 
numbering of sites within an OU is not necessarily consecutive because 
the sites were identified prior to the OU grouping. Operable Units 
identified at Cecil Field are: OU 1, Site 1--Old Landfill and Site 2--
Recent Landfill; OU 2, Site 5--Oil Disposal Area Northwest and Site 
17--Oil and Sludge Disposal Pit Southwest; OU 3, Site 7--Old 
Firefighter Training Area and Site 8--Boresite Range/Hazardous Waste 
Storage/Firefighting Area; OU 4, Site 10--Rubble Disposal Area; OU 5, 
Site 14--Blue 5 Ordnance Disposal Area, Site 15--Blue 10 Ordnance 
Disposal Area, Site 49--Recent Skeet Range; OU 6, Site 11--Golf Course 
Pesticide Disposal Area; OU 7, Site 16--AIMD Seepage Pit/NDI Holding 
Tank; OU 8, Site 3--Oil and Sludge Disposal Pit; OU 9, Site 36--Control 
Tower TCE Plume, Site 37--Hangars 13 and 14 DCE Plume, Site 57--
Building 824A/Day Tank 1 Area, and Site 58--Building 312 Area; OU 10, 
Site 21--Golf Course Maintenance Area and Site 25--Former Transformer 
Storage Area; OU 11, Site 45--Former Steam Generating Plant; OU 12, 
Site 32--Former DRMO Area, Site 42--Former Boiler House/Steam Plant, 
Site 44--DRMO/Lake Fretwell Drainage Ditch; and the Old Golf Course.
    This document proposes deletion of some OUs in their entirety or 
only certain sites within an OU. Remedial Investigations are complete 
for operable units (OU) 1 (sites 1 and 2), 2 (sites 5 and 17), 3 (sites 
7 and 8), 4 (site 10), 5 (site 14), 6 (site 11), 7 (site 16), 8 (site 
3), and 9 (sites 36/37). Records of Decisions (ROD) have been finalized 
for all of these operable units as well. Remedial Investigations/
Feasibility Studies are still under way for OU 5 (site 15 and 49), 9 
(sites 56 and 57), 10 (sites 21 and 25), and 11 (site 45). An 
Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis has been completed for OU 5 
(site 49) and OU 12 (site 32). Removal actions have been completed for 
OU 12 (sites 42, 44, and the old golf course) which resulted in no 
further action decisions.
    As a result of the BRAC designation in July 1993, an Environmental 
Baseline Survey (EBS), which identifies parcels of land for sale, lease 
or needing further investigation, was completed in November 1994. The 
1994 EBS also provided descriptions of the environmental condition of 
property for buildings and open areas on the base. Environmental 
conditions of property can be divided into seven types: BRAC 1 or 
White--areas which do not require further investigation because no 
release or disposal of hazardous substances or petroleum products have 
occurred (including migration of these substances from an adjacent 
area); BRAC 2 or Blue--areas where only a release or disposal of 
petroleum products have occurred; BRAC 3 or light green--areas where a 
release, disposal and/or migration of hazardous substances have 
occurred, but at concentrations that do not require a removal or 
remedial action; BRAC 4 or dark green--areas where release, disposal, 
and/or migration of hazardous substances have occurred, and all 
remedial actions necessary to protect human health and the environment 
have taken place; BRAC 5 or yellow--areas where release, disposal, and/
or migration of hazardous substances have occurred, and removal or 
remedial actions are underway, but all required actions have not yet 
been taken; BRAC 6 or red--areas where release, disposal, and/or 
migration of hazardous substances have occurred, but required actions 
have not been implemented; or BRAC 7 or gray areas that are not 
evaluated or require additional evaluation. The EPA concurred on 270 
buildings/parcels receiving the uncontaminated designation per CERCLA 
section 120(h)(4)(A) in a letter dated June 20, 1995. Between 1995 and 
2001, EPA has concurred on another 125 buildings/parcels as being 
uncontaminated following further evaluation. EPA has also evaluated 
another 250 buildings/parcels for BRAC and has approved their 
designation as BRAC 2, BRAC 3, or BRAC 4. These areas were evaluated in 
accordance to section 120(h) of CERCLA as amended by the Community 
Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) as well as the NCP. 
Remedial activity for areas where there has been a release or disposal 
of petroleum products has been deferred to the State of Florida's 
Petroleum Program. To date approximately 95% of the property has been 
transferred to the Jacksonville Port Authority and the City of 
Jacksonville for redevelopment and includes the property being proposed 
for partial deletion.
    The portions of Cecil Field to be deleted from the NPL include OU 4 
(site 10), OU 5 (site 14), OU 12 (sites 44, 42 and the Old Golf Course) 
and an additional 16,527 acres which are not associated with an 
operable unit that

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have been evaluated as not posing a risk to human health and the 
environment (BRAC environmental condition of property 1, 2, 3 and 4).
    The boundaries of the base are within the following coordinates: 
30.3012 North Latitude, 81.9306 West Longitude; 30.3012 North Latitude, 
81.9244 West Longitude; 30.3063 North Latitude, 81.8781 West Longitude; 
30.2468 North Latitude, 81.8445 West Longitude; 30.1784 North Latitude, 
81.8676 West Longitude; 30.1783 North Latitude, 81.8847 West Longitude. 
Within these coordinates are several areas which are not part of this 
partial deletion. The areas not included are Building 635, Building 
605, Potential Source of Contamination (PSC) 51 (Current Golf Course), 
Operable Unit (OU) 1 (Sites 1--Old Landfill and Site 2--recent 
landfill), OU 2 (Site 5--Oil Disposal Area Northwest and Site 17--Oil 
and Sludge Disposal Pit Southwest), OU 3 (Site 7--Old Firefighter 
Training Area and Site 8--Boresite Range/Hazardous Waste Storage/
Firefighting Area), OU 5 (Site 15--Blue 10 Ordnance Disposal Area, Site 
49--Recent Skeet Range), OU 6 (Site 11--Golf Course Pesticide Disposal 
Area), OU 7, (Site 16--AIMD Seepage Pit/NDI Holding Tank), OU 8 (Site 
3--Oil and Sludge Disposal Pit), OU 9 (Site 36--Control Tower TCE 
Plume, Site 37--Hangars 13 and 14 DCE Plume, Site 57--Building 824A/Day 
Tank 1 Area, and Site 58--Building 312 Area), OU 10 (Site 21--Golf 
Course Maintenance Area and Site 25--Former Transformer Storage Area), 
OU 11 (Site 45--Former Steam Generating Plant), and OU 12 (Site 32--
Former DRMO Area). Maps identifying all areas are available for review 
in the partial deletion docket.

Operable Unit 4

    Operable Unit 4 (site 10) occupies approximately 6.5 acres and 
operated as a rubble disposal area in the 1950's and 1960's. The 
Remedial Investigation was conducted in 1996, and did not identify any 
contamination which would pose a risk to human health or the 
environment. At OU 4 the primary source of contamination would be from 
demolition and rubble debris resulting from infrastructure demolition 
including runway and taxiway pavement. Historical records and physical 
debris did not indicate the presence of solvents, petroleum products, 
or other hazardous materials. In July 1997, a Record of Decision was 
signed for no further action. In June 1999, an Explanation of 
Significant Differences was approved which would address surface soil 
contamination with arsenic levels above the State of Florida's 
residential cleanup target levels. In October 1999, 335 tons of arsenic 
contaminated soil were removed from this site and taken to an approved 
landfill, confirmation samples were collected and the area was 
backfilled with clean fill. No further action is required at this site.

Operable Unit 5

    Operable Unit 5 (site 14) was known as the Blue 5 Ordnance Disposal 
Area and consisted of 19 acres located in the Yellow Water Weapons 
Area. The site was used for ordnance disposal from 1967 through 1977. 
Disposal operations at this site consisted of detonation of excess 
ordnance such as fuses, 100-pound bombs, large munitions and explosive 
materials that normally do not burn. Typical explosives detonated 
included trinitrotoluene (TNT), trinitrophenylmethylnitramine and 
cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. Ordnance detonation generates residual 
metals, primarily aluminum and lead oxides with minor amounts of 
unreacted or partially reacted organics. The Remedial Investigation 
(RI) was completed in October 1997. As part of the RI 102 soil samples 
were collected. Results showed that TNT is sporadically distributed at 
low concentrations that pose no explosive or biological hazards over 
the area of investigation. It was determined that the site did not pose 
a threat to human health or the environment. In July 1998, a Record of 
Decision (ROD) was signed for no further action.

Operable Unit 12

    Operable Unit 12 consists of four sites, site 32, 42, 44 and the 
old golf course. Removal actions have been completed at all four sites, 
however, because contamination remains at site 32 above residential 
levels it is not part of this partial deletion proposal. Site 42 was 
known as the former boiler house/steam plant and general storehouse. 
The steam plant and storehouse were demolished about 40-years ago. 
Currently, only the foundations remain and the area is heavily 
vegetated. Surface and subsurface soil samples identified polycyclic 
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons 
and metals (chromium, arsenic, and barium). An Action memorandum was 
prepared and approved in September 2000. Areas of soil where BaPEqs, 
TRPH, antimony, arsenic, barium and chromium concentrations were 
greater than the leachability soil concentration target level or three 
times that residential soil target cleanup level were excavated in 
March 2001. A total of 2,420.36 tons of soil was excavated, transported 
and disposed off-site. The site was backfilled with certified clean 
fill, graded and seeded.
    Site 44 is referred to as the ditch from the Defense Reutilization 
and Marketing Organization (DRMO) to the active federally owned 
wastewater treatment building. The ditch received storm water runoff 
from the western edge of the east-west runways, the DRMO area and from 
the UNF 6 wash rack. Sampling identified lead, Polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, PAHs, and inorganics (aluminum, cadmium, 
chromium, lead, mercury, and zinc) in excess of ecological screening 
criteria in the ditch as well as PCB's above residential risk levels in 
and around the ditch. No groundwater issues were identified. An action 
memorandum was prepared and approved in June 2000. Soil with PCB 
concentrations in excess of 1,500 [mu]g/kg were excavated and disposed 
at a permitted solid waste disposal facility in September 2000. This 
resulted in a UCL concentration of PCBs before the Florida residential 
soil target level of 500 [mu]g/kg. A total of 292 tons of soil was 
excavated. The site was then backfilled with certified clean fill, 
graded and seeded.
    The old golf course operated from the early 1940's until 1946 when 
the current golf course was constructed. The area is now heavily wooded 
with a portion occupied by the former bachelor officer's quarters 
(BOQ). Surface and Subsurface soil sampling identified arsenic above 
Florida soil target cleanup levels. An action memorandum was prepared 
and approved in June 2000. Areas of soil where arsenic concentrations 
were greater than the residential cleanup levels established by 
statistical analyses have been excavated. During August 2000, 483-tons 
of contaminated soil was removed, transported and disposed off site. 
The site was backfilled with certified clean fill, graded and seeded.

Five-Year Review

    The initial Five-Year Review for Naval Air Station Cecil Field was 
concurred upon by EPA in October 2000. The review focused on interim 
remedial actions that had been conducted at Operable Unit (OU) 2 (Sites 
5 and 17), OU 7 (Site 16), OU 6 (Site 11). Discussions and 
recommendations were included for the long-term groundwater actions at 
these three operable units as well as operable units 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 
where the remedies had been in place for less than five years. The next 
five-year review is scheduled for October 2005.

[[Page 4433]]

Other Areas

    Approximately 17,200 acres of Cecil Field have been evaluated for 
potential property transfer under the BRAC program. As was stated 
above, using the BRAC environmental condition of property 
classifications 16,496.14 acres have been determined to either be 
uncontaminated or BRAC category 1, areas where only a release or 
disposal of petroleum products have occurred or BRAC category 2; or 
areas where a release, disposal and/or migration of hazardous 
substances have occurred, but at concentrations that do not require a 
removal or remedial action or BRAC category 3; or areas where release, 
disposal, and/or migration of hazardous substances have occurred, and 
all remedial actions necessary to protect human health and the 
environment have taken place or BRAC category 4. No further action 
under CERCLA is required in these areas. Documentation for BRAC 
activities are available for public viewing at Building 907, 13357 Lake 
Newman Street, Cecil Commerce Center, Jacksonville, Florida 32252, 
Phone: 904-573-0336., which also houses the NPL Site Administrative 
Record.

V. Deletion Action

    EPA, with the State of Florida concurrence, has determined that no 
responses are necessary at the 16,527 acres which comprised a major 
portion of the Cecil Field Naval Air Station, and no further CERCLA 
response is appropriate or necessary in order to provide protection of 
human health and the environment other than the ongoing inspection, 
maintenance and monitoring activities. Therefore, EPA is deleting these 
portions of the Site.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 300

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Chemicals, 
Hazardous substances, Hazardous waste, Intergovernmental relations, 
Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Superfund, Water 
pollution control, Water supply.

    Dated: January 10, 2003.
James I. Palmer, Jr.,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
    Title 40, Chapter 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations is proposed 
to be amended as follows:

PART 300--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 300 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 9601-9657; 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(2); E.O. 
12777, 56 FR 54757, 3 CFR, 1991 Comp.; p.351; E.O. 12580, 52 FR 
2923, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp.; p.193.

Appendix B--[AMENDED]

    2. Table 2 of appendix B to part 300 is amended by revising the 
entry for Cecil Field Naval Air Station to read as follows:

Appendix B to Part 300--National Priorities List

* * * * *

                                      Table 2.--Federal Facilities Section
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                  St                              Site name                   City/County            Notes (a)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
FL....................................  Cecil Field Naval Air Station  Jacksonville.............  P
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (a) * * *
* * * * *
    P = Sites within partial deletion(s).

[FR Doc. 03-1776 Filed 1-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P