[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 223 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73471-73473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25422]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Consultation Opportunities

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of consultation opportunities.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the opportunity 
to consult with DOE on matters pertaining to the assessment and 
collection of a fee for providing long-term management and storage of 
elemental mercury under the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, as amended 
(MEBA). In accordance with MEBA, this consultation opportunity is 
intended for persons who are likely to deliver elemental mercury to a 
DOE-designated facility for long-term management and storage and other 
interested persons (Persons). DOE will conduct multiple, internet-based 
webinar (WebEx) meetings to facilitate consultation with Persons 
seeking to provide input on the assessment and collection of a fee for 
providing long-term management and storage of elemental mercury.

DATES: The internet-based WebEx consultation will be conducted on the 
following dates: WebEx interaction for additional consultations on 
December 1, 2020, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (EST), and December 8, 2020, 
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (EST). Written comments and information will also 
be accepted on or before December 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Consultation input will be accepted during the WebEx 
meetings. Persons who wish to provide consultation input verbally may 
sign up to speak before each meeting by submitting a request to 
[email protected]. Other persons who wish to provide verbal 
input may be afforded the opportunity to do so as time allows. Please 
direct written consultation input comments to:
    (1) Regulations.gov: Submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    (2) Email: David Haught at [email protected]. Please 
submit comments in Microsoft Word\TM\ or PDF file format and avoid the 
use of encryption.
    (3) Mail: David Haught, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.
    For further information on the WebEx meetings, see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Haught, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Waste Disposal 
(EM-4.22), 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, 
Telephone: (202) 586-5000, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Join the internet-based WebEx consultations 
as follows:

December 1, 2020

    Website (copy and paste the following link into a web browser): 
https://doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=m6efbda9c4dcc9ee60af3ec1e8c6749c3.
    Meeting number (access code): 199 306 1256 and meeting password: 
FHsBbVEd473.
    Join by telephone: +1-415-527-5035 US Toll or +1-929-251-9612 USA 
Toll 2.
    Global call-in numbers: Join from a video system or application, 
dial [email protected] or dial 207.182.190.20 and enter your 
meeting number.

December 8, 2020

    Website (Copy and paste the following link into a web browser): 
https://doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=m2f50ad361c6431dd4cc2d633b44a0e79.
    Meeting number (access code): 199 543 4933 and meeting password: 
dJGjM7m3w34.
    Join by telephone: +1-415-527-5035 US Toll or +1-929-251-9612 USA 
Toll 2.
    Global call-in numbers: Join from a video system or application, 
dial [email protected] or dial 207.182.190.20 and enter your 
meeting number.

Procedure for Submitting Prepared Statements for Distribution

    Any person who has plans to present a prepared general statement 
may request that copies of his or her statement be made available at 
the public meeting. Such persons may submit requests, along with an 
advance electronic copy of their statement in PDF (preferred), 
Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format, to 
the appropriate address shown in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning 
of this notice. The request and advance copy of statements must be 
received at least one week before the

[[Page 73472]]

public meeting and may be emailed, hand-delivered, or sent by mail. DOE 
prefers to receive requests and advance copies via email. Please 
include a telephone number to enable DOE staff to make a follow-up 
contact, if needed.

Conduct of Public Meeting

    DOE will designate a DOE official to preside at the public meeting 
and may also use a professional facilitator to aid discussion. The 
meeting will not be a judicial or evidentiary-type public hearing. 
Audio from the meeting will be recorded for the purpose of preparing a 
transcript. DOE reserves the right to schedule the order of 
presentations and to establish the procedures governing the conduct of 
the public meeting.
    The public meeting will be conducted in an informal, conference 
style. Each participant will be allowed to make a general statement 
(within time limits determined by DOE), before the discussion of 
specific topics.
    DOE will permit, as time permits, other participants to comment 
briefly on any general statements. At the end of all prepared 
statements on a topic, DOE will permit participants to clarify their 
statements briefly and comment on statements made by others. 
Participants should be prepared to answer questions by DOE and by other 
participants concerning these issues. DOE representatives may also ask 
questions of participants concerning other relevant matters. The 
official conducting the public meeting will accept additional comments 
or questions from those attending, as time permits. The presiding 
official will announce any further procedural rules or modification of 
the above procedures that may be needed for the proper conduct of the 
public meeting.
    A transcript of each public meeting will be included in the 
Administrative Record accompanying the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

Background

    In accordance with MEBA section 5(b)(1), 42 U.S.C. 6939f(b)(1), 
this consultation opportunity is intended for persons who are likely to 
deliver elemental mercury to a designated facility for long-term 
management and storage and other interested persons (Persons). DOE will 
conduct multiple, internet-based webinar (WebEx) meetings to facilitate 
consultation with Persons seeking to provide input on the assessment 
and collection of a fee for providing long-term management and storage 
of elemental mercury. During the initial WebEx meeting, DOE will 
present information on topics DOE considers relevant and applicable to 
establishing a fee including: (1) Potential Alternative Locations for 
Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury (e.g., existing DOE-owned 
facilities, facilities owned by other Federal Government agencies, or 
commercially-owned facilities), (2) Fee that Covers Costs for Long-Term 
Management and Storage (e.g., storage, transportation, treatment, and 
disposal), (3) Inputs and Assumptions that Affect Cost (e.g., 
quantities of elemental mercury and storage durations), (4) Cost 
Elements (e.g., Operations and Maintenance and other costs) and MEBA 
Recoverable/Non-Recoverable Costs, and, (5) Fee Determination method 
(e.g., calculation/formula/model). DOE will also present information on 
the process it will follow to prepare and issue a fee for long-term 
management and storage of elemental mercury. DOE invites consultation 
input from Persons on the information presented and on topics Persons 
consider relevant and applicable to establishing a fee.

Submission of Comments

    DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by the date 
specified previously in the DATES section of this document, comments 
and information on matters addressed in this document and on other 
matters relevant to DOE's development of the fee for the long term 
management and storage of elemental mercury. After the close of the 
comment period, DOE will consider the public comments received in the 
development of the fee.
    Submitting comments via http://www.regulations.gov. The http://www.regulations.gov web page requires you to provide your name and 
contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE 
Building Technologies Office staff only. Your contact information will 
not be publicly viewable except for your first and last names, 
organization name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any). 
If your comment is not processed properly because of technical 
difficulties, DOE will use this information to contact you. If DOE 
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot 
contact you for clarification, DOE may not be able to consider your 
comment.
    However, your contact information will be publicly viewable if you 
include it in the comment or in any documents attached to your comment. 
Any information that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not 
be included in your comment, nor in any document attached to your 
comment. Persons viewing comments will see only first and last names, 
organization names, correspondence containing comments, and any 
documents submitted with the comments.
    Do not submit to http://www.regulations.gov information for which 
disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and 
commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as 
Confidential Business Information (``CBI'')). Comments submitted 
through http://www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments 
received through the website will waive any CBI claims for the 
information submitted. For information on submitting CBI, see the 
Confidential Business Information section.
    DOE processes submissions made through http://www.regulations.gov 
before posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of 
being submitted. However, if large volumes of comments are being 
processed simultaneously, your comment may not be viewable for up to 
several weeks. Please keep the comment tracking number that http://www.regulations.gov provides after you have successfully uploaded your 
comment.
    Submitting comments via email, hand delivery/courier, or postal 
mail. Comments and documents submitted via email, hand delivery/
courier, or postal mail also will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov. If you do not want your personal contact 
information to be publicly viewable, do not include it in your comment 
or any accompanying documents. Instead, provide your contact 
information on a cover letter. Include your first and last names, email 
address, telephone number, and optional mailing address. The cover 
letter will not be publicly viewable as long as it does not include any 
comments.
    Include contact information each time you submit comments, data, 
documents, and other information to DOE. If you submit via postal mail 
or hand delivery/courier, please provide all items on a CD, if 
feasible. It is not necessary to submit printed copies. No 
telefacsimiles (``faxes'') will be accepted.
    Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE 
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or 
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that 
are not secured, written in English and free of any defects or viruses. 
Documents should not contain special characters or any form of 
encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature 
of the author.

[[Page 73473]]

    Confidential Business Information. According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 
person submitting information that he or she believes to be 
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via 
email, postal mail, or hand delivery/courier two well-marked copies: 
One copy of the document marked confidential including all the 
information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document 
marked ``non-confidential'' with the information believed to be 
confidential deleted. Submit these documents via email to 
[email protected]. DOE will make its own determination about 
the confidential status of the information and treat it according to 
its determination.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on November 
12, 2020, by Mark A. Gilbertson, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Office of Regulatory and Policy Affairs, Office of Environmental 
Management, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of 
Energy. That document with the original signature and date is 
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance 
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative 
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 13, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-25422 Filed 11-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P