Notice of Renewal of the Public Advisory Group CharterEXXON VALDEZ Oil Spill

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Notice of Renewal of the Public Advisory Group Charter--EXXON

VALDEZ Oil Spill

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary.

SUMMARY: This notice is published in accordance with 41 CFR Part 101-6,

section 101-6.1015(a), Committee establishment, reestablishment, or

renewal. Following the recommendation and approval of the EXXON VALDEZ

Oil Spill Trustee Council, the Secretary of the Interior hereby renews

the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Group Charter to continue

for two years.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Douglas Mutter, Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental

Policy and Compliance, 1689 ``C'' Street, Suite 119, Anchorage, Alaska,

(907) 271-5011.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 24, 1989, the T/V EXXON VALDEZ ran

aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound in Alaska spilling

approximately 11 million gallons of North Slope crude oil. Oil moved

into the Gulf of Alaska, along the Kenai coast to Kodiak Island and the

Alaska Peninsula--some 600 miles from Bligh Reef. Massive clean-up and

containment efforts were initiated and continued to 1992. On October 8,

1991, an agreement was approved by the United States District Court for

the District of Alaska that settled claims of the United States and the

State of Alaska against the Exxon Corporation and the Exxon Shipping

Company for various criminal and civil violations.

Under the civil settlement, Exxon companies agreed to pay to the

governments $900 million over a period of 10 years.

The EXXON VALDEZ Oil Spill Trustee Council was established to

manage the funds obtained from the civil settlement of the EXXON VALDEZ

Oil Spill. The Trustee Council is composed of three State of Alaska

trustees (Attorney General; Commissioner, Department of Environmental

Conservation; and Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game) and three

Federal representatives appointed by the Federal Trustees (Secretary,

U.S. Department of Agriculture; the Administrator of the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the Secretary, U.S.

Department of the Interior).

The Public Advisory Group was created by Paragraph V.A.4 of the

Memorandum of Agreement and Consent Decree entered into by the United

States of America and the State of Alaska on August 27, 1991 and

approved by the United States District Court for the District of Alaska

in settlement of United States of America v. State of Alaska, Civil

Action No. A91-081 CV. The Public Advisory Group was chartered by the

Secretary of the Interior on October 23, 1992 and functions solely as

an advisory body, and in compliance with the provisons of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. (1988)).

The Public Advisory Group was established to advise the Trustee

Council, and began functioning in October 1992. The Public Advisory

Group consists of 17 members representing the following principal

interests: sport hunting and fishing, environmental, public-at-large

(5), recreation users, local government, science/academic,

conservation, subsistence, commercial fishing, aquaculture, commercial

tourism, forest products, and Native landowners. Members were appointed

to serve a two-year term.

To carry out its advisory role, the Public Advisory Group makes

recommendations to, and advises, the Trustee Council in Alaska on the

following matters:

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All decisions related to injury assessment, restoration activities,

or other use of natural resource damage recovery monies obtained by the

governments, including all decisions regarding:

a. Planning, evaluation and allocation of available funds;

b. Planning, evaluation and conduct of injury assessment; and

c. Planning, evaluation and conduct of restoration activities.

Trustee Council intentions regarding the importance of obtaining a

diversity of viewpoints is stated in the Public Advisory Group

Background and Guidelines (March 1993, updated June 1994 and August

1996): ``The Trustee Council intends that the Public Advisory Group be

established as an important component of the Council's public

involvement process.'' The Council continues, stating their desire that

``* * * a wide spectrum of views and interest are available for the

Council to consider as it evaluates, develops, and implements

restoration activities. It is the Council's intent that the diversity

of interests and views held by the Public Advisory Group members

contribute to wide ranging discussions that will be of benefit to the

Trustee Council.''

In order to ensure that a broad range of public viewpoints

continues to be available to the Trustee Council, and in keeping with

the settlement agreement, the continuation of the Public Advisory Group

for another two-year period is recommended.

Dated: November 6, 1998.

Bruce Babbitt,

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 98-30994 Filed 11-19-98; 8:45 am]

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