[Federal Register: February 24, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 36)]
[Notices]
[Page 8607-8608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe03-41]
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COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining
AGENCY: Council on Environmental Quality.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: On May 18, 2001, the President signed Executive Order 13212,
recognizing the importance of environmentally sound production and
transmission of energy to all American people. The Order established a
Federal interagency task force (Task Force), chaired by the Chairman of
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), to work with and monitor
Federal Agencies' efforts to expedite their review of permits or take
other actions necessary to accelerate and make more efficient the
Federal decision making process for energy related projects, while
maintaining safety, public health, and environmental protections. This
Task Force was also charged with helping Agencies create mechanisms to
coordinate Federal, State, tribal and local permitting in geographic
areas where increased permitting activity is expected.
CEQ announces: (1) The availability of a proceedings report of the
first year of effort by the Task Force; (2) invites suggestions for
newly proposed or upcoming energy-related projects or issues that may
benefit from facilitation by the Task Force in the decision making
process; (3) extends an invitation to any interested party to request a
meeting with the Task Force to discuss newly proposed or upcoming
renewable or conventional energy-related projects, environmental
mitigation measures, best practices, or other topics that would help
establish a more effective and efficient decision making process to
allow the Nation's energy resources to be available to the American
public in an environmentally responsible and safe manner.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before October 1,
2003.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the proceedings report can be obtained
at: http://www.etf.energy.gov. If you would like a printed copy, please
mail a request to Records Manager, White House Task Force on Energy
Project Streamlining, WH-1, 1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC
20585. Printed copies will be available by March 1, 2003.
Written suggestions for newly proposed or upcoming energy-related
projects or issues that may benefit from facilitation of the decision
making process by the Task Force, may be submitting by using the
downloadable word processing forms found at http://www.etf.energy.gov.
You may submit your comments or completed form, as an attachment, to an
e-mail addressed to whtf.projects@hq.doe.gov. You may fax a copy of
your comments to 202-586-2999, Attn: Director or mail your comments to
Director, White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining, WH-1,
1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585.
Requests for meetings with the Task Force may be made by calling
(202) 586-3464 or by utilizing the downloadable form and e-mailing it
to whtf.meetings@hq.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: White House Task Force on Energy
Project Streamlining at (202) 586-3464.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Abstract
Executive Order 13212, signed by the President in Washington, DC,
on May 18, 2001, Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects,
established a Federal interagency task force, chaired by the Chairman,
CEQ, to work with and monitor Federal Agencies in their efforts to
expedite their review of permits or similar actions, as necessary, to
accelerate the completion of energy related projects, increase energy
production and conservation, and improve transmission of energy. In
addition, the Task Force would monitor and assist Agencies in setting
up appropriate mechanisms to coordinate Federal, State, tribal, and
local permitting in geographic areas where increased permitting
activity is expected.
The Task Force worked during the first year to address ongoing
permit application issues for a wide variety of energy projects that
were submitted in response to the Federal Register notice published on
August 20, 2001 (66 FR 43586), requesting comments from the public. By
working through an operational approach that facilitated interagency
coordination and addressed impediments to Federal Agencies'
finalization of decisions on energy-related projects, the Task Force
helped manage the Federal Agency decision making process by setting
priorities, scheduling activities in accordance with those priorities,
identifying staffing and resource needs, facilitating issue resolution,
and measuring the achievements of federal agencies in implementing
Executive Order 13212.
The experience gained by the Task Force-while helping to streamline
decisions about energy-related projects and working to resolve
coordination issues--made it apparent that to identify and implement
processes that address systemic improvements and, where appropriate,
regulatory or legislative changes, the Task Force needed to be involved
as early in the permit process as possible. This would allow the Task
Force to identify impediments, to resolve interagency priority
conflicts, to help incorporate and resolve environmental issues, and to
develop more streamlined processes at an earlier stage in the permit
application decision process.
To that end, the Council on Environmental Quality requests
suggestions of energy-related projects that have either recently been
submitted for permit approvals or will be submitted within nine (9)
months of this notice and which meet the Administration's goal of
providing for the environmentally sound production and transmission of
energy to all
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American people. The Council on Environmental Quality also requests
submission of environmental mitigation measures, best practices,
alternative dispute resolution, or other topics that would help
establish a more effective and efficient decision making process.
The Council on Environmental Quality expects to receive information
from many interested persons (e.g., public interest groups, government,
academia, industry) about particular energy projects and opportunities
to improve agency decision-making on energy projects.
Dated: February 19, 2003.
James L. Connaughton,
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality.
[FR Doc. 03-4308 Filed 2-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3125-01-M