[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]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 4310-RG-P