03-25400. Public Hearings on Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement under Environmental Protection Agency Financial Assistance Agreements

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule; public hearings.

SUMMARY:

This document announces the dates and locations of Tribal public hearings wherein EPA will take comments on its proposed rule for “Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement under Environmental Protection Agency Financial Assistance Agreements,” published on July 24, 2003 at 68 FR 43824. These Tribal public hearings will be held during the 180-day public comment period for the proposed rule, which ends on January 20, 2004. EPA will publish information concerning additional public hearings and Tribal public hearings during the comment period when that information becomes available.

DATES:

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for hearing dates.

ADDRESSES:

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Gordon, Attorney Advisor, at [phone], Kimberly Patrick, Attorney Advisor, at [phone], or David Sutton, Deputy Director at [phone], Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1230A, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA published its proposed rule for Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Financial Assistance Agreements on July 24, 2003 at 68 FR 43824. EPA has established an official public docket for this action under Docket ID No. OA-2002-0001. The proposed rule and supporting materials are available for public viewing at the Office of Environmental Information Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is [phone], and the telephone number for the Office of Environmental Information is [phone]. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA's electronic public docket and comment systems, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/​edocket to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” and then key in docket identification number OA-2002-0001. You may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the “Federal Register” listings at http://www.epa.gov/​fedrgstr.

Dates: The Tribal public hearings addressed by this Federal Register Proposal are scheduled as follows:

1. October 8, 2003, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Worley, Idaho.

2. October 16, 2003, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Albuquerque, New Mexico.

3. November 18, 2003, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., East Syracuse, New York.

4. December 9, 2003, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Atlanta, Georgia.

5. January 14, 2004, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Chicago, Illinois.

Addresses: The Tribal public hearings will be held at the following locations:

1. EPA Region X Tribal Leader's Summit, Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel, 27068 South Highway 95, Worley, Idaho 83876.

2. EPA Region VI Tribal Environmental Summit, Albuquerque Marriott Hotel, 2101 Louisiana Boulevard, NE., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110.

3. EPA Region II Indian Nation Leaders Meeting, Embassy Suites Hotel Syracuse, 6646 Old Collamer Road, East Syracuse, New York 13057.

4. Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

5. Metcalfe Federal Building, Room 331, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.

Dated: October 2, 2003.

Thomas J. Gibson,

Chief of Staff.