[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 45575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13089]
[[Page 45575]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 1813, Draft Report to Congress
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Publication of Draft Report to Congress.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Section 1813 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58)
requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy
(Departments) to jointly conduct a study of issues related to energy
rights-of-way (ROWs) on tribal lands. The Act further directs the
Departments to submit a report to Congress on the findings of the
study. The Draft Report to Congress is available for review on the
Section 1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).
The Departments will hold several meetings to receive comments and
suggestions on the Draft Report to Congress. Meeting locations and
schedules have not been finalized; details will be provided on the
Section 1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).
DATES: Comments and suggestions on the Draft Report to Congress will be
accepted through September 1, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Mail, personal, or messenger delivery: Attention: Section 1813 ROW
Study, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Room 20--South
Interior Building, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20245.
E-mail: [email protected] (please include the phrase ``Section 1813
Comments'' in the subject line).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darryl Francois (DOI Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development) at (202) 219-0740, or Rollie Wilson
(DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability) at (202)
586-3946. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339, to contact the above individuals during business hours. FIRS
is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Comment Procedures
Commenting on the Draft Report to Congress
Written comments or suggestions should:
Be specific and substantive;
Explain the reasoning behind your comments and
suggestions; and
Where possible, reference the specific section or
paragraph you are addressing.
Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will
be available for public review at the address listed under ``ADDRESSES:
Mail, personal, or messenger delivery'' during regular business hours
(9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual
respondents may request confidentiality, which will be honored to the
extent allowable by law. Those wishing to withhold their name or
address (except for the city or town) must state this prominently at
the beginning of their comment. Submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public inspection in their entirety.
II. Background
Section 1813 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58)
requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy
(Departments) to jointly conduct a study of issues regarding grants,
expansions, and renewals of energy rights-of-way (ROWs) on tribal
lands. The Act further directs the Departments to submit a report to
Congress on the findings of the study, including:
(1) An analysis of historic rates of compensation paid for energy
ROWs on tribal land;
(2) Recommendations for appropriate standards and procedures for
determining fair and appropriate compensation to Indian tribes for
grants, expansions, and renewals of energy ROWs on tribal land;
(3) An assessment of the tribal self-determination and sovereignty
interests implicated by applications for the grant, expansion, or
renewal of energy ROWs on tribal land; and
(4) An analysis of relevant national energy transportation policies
relating to grants, expansions, and renewals of energy ROWs on tribal
land.
The Draft Report to Congress is available for review on the Section
1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).
III. Description of Planned Meetings
The Departments will hold several public meetings and tribal
consultation meetings to receive comments and suggestions on the Draft
Report to Congress. The meetings are scheduled as follows:
August 24, 2006: Sheraton Denver West, 360 Union Boulevard,
Lakewood, CO.
August 25, 2006: Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown, 215 West South
Temple, Salt Lake City, UT.
August 28, 2006: Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa Hotel, 49750
Seminole Drive, Cabazon, CA.
August 30, 2006: Carlisle Hotel and Conference Center, 2500
Carlisle Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM.
Meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The meeting
in Denver/Lakewood, CO will be an all-day public meeting open to all
stakeholders. The meetings in Salt Lake City, UT; Cabazon, CA; and
Albuquerque, NM will consist of short one-or two-hour public meetings
followed by government-to-government meetings. These government-to-
government meetings will allow for consultation between tribal
representatives and Federal officials, as called for in the Act, and in
Executive Order No. 13175, [65 FR 67429 (Nov. 9, 2000)], ``Consultation
and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.''
Dated: August 3, 2006.
Abraham E. Haspel,
Assistant Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-13089 Filed 8-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-96-P