Notice of Permit Application Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Notice of Permit Application Received Under the Antarctic

Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Application Received Under the Antarctic

Conservation Act.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the National Science Foundation

(NSF) has received a waste management permit application for operation

of remote field support and emergency provisions for the Expedition

Vessel the Kapitan Khlebnikov for the 1996-1997 and four following

austral summers. The application is submitted to NSF pursuant to

regulations issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,

or views with respect to this permit application within 30 days of the

publication of this notice. Permit applications may be inspected by

interested parties at the Permit Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,

Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert S. Cunningham or Nadene Kennedy

at the above address or (703) 306-1033.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NSF's Antarctic Waste Regulation, 45 CFR

Part 671, requires all U.S. citizens and entities to obtain a permit

for the use or release of a designated pollutant in Antarctica, and for

the release of waste in Antarctica. NSF has received a permit

application under this Regulation for the operation of three

expeditions per year to Antarctica. During each trip, passengers are

taken ashore at selected sites by Zodiac (rubber raft) or helicopter

for approximately two to four hours at a time. On each helicopter

landing, emergency gear would be taken ashore in case weather

deteriorates and passengers are required to camp on shore. Anything

taken ashore will be returned to the vessel. All wastes will be removed

from Antarctica and disposed of in Ushuaia, Argentina, Port Stanly,

Falkland Islands, Lyttleton, New Zealand, Hobart, Tasmania, or a

substitute port of disembarkation. No hazardous domestic products or

wastes (aerosol cans, paints, solvents, etc.) will be brought ashore.

Cooking stoves/fuel will be used only in an emergency where passengers

are forced to spend a night on shore.

Application for permit is made by: Mike McDowell, President, Quark

Expeditions, 980 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820.

The permittee has volunteered to collect information at each site

visited and to make that information available as described in the

waste permit application utilizing the forms, Site Visit Report and

Environmental Impacts Observed. At the conclusion of the austral

summer, the permittee will report specific uses or releases of

designated pollutants and releases of wastes in an annual report

summarizing each season's activities. The permittee will take necessary

provisions to ensure that any spilled fuel or lubricants will be

promptly cleaned-up, containerized, and removed from Antarctica. Based

upon successful completion of required waste management procedures and

annual reporting of results, the permit will continue in effect until

December 31, 2000.

Nadene Kennedy,

Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation.

[FR Doc. 96-29825 Filed 11-20-96; 8:45 am]

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