600 Availability of technical guidance

Availability of Technical Guidance

[27 Pa.B. 1980]

Governor's Office List

   Once a year on the first Saturday in August, the Governor's Office publishes a list of the nonregulatory guidance documents of all State agencies in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The first publication of this list was in the August 3, 1996, edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The next publication of this list will be in the August 2, 1997, Pennsylvania Bulletin.

DEP's Technical Guidance Document Inventory

   DEP publishes a list of its technical guidance documents in its Technical Guidance Document Inventory twice a year. The most recent edition of the Inventory is the December 1996 edition. This edition is now available on DEP's World Wide Web site. DEP's Web address is http://www.dep.state.pa.us. To go to the location of the Inventory once on the DEP home page, persons should choose the Public Participation Center/Technical Guidance Document/Basic Inventory.

   Bound paper copies of the Inventory are available now for those who do not have access to the Web site. DEP automatically mails a paper copy of the December 1996 Inventory to persons who received a bound paper copy of the June 1996 Inventory. Persons who wish to add their address to the mailing list should call Nina Huizinga at [phone].

DEP's Technical Guidance Documents on the World Wide Web

   DEP's Web address is http://www.dep.state.pa.us. To go to the location of DEP's Technical Guidance Documents once on the DEP home page, persons should choose the Public Participation Center. The Center contains several links to DEP's Technical Guidance Documents. Persons should look under the heading ''Proposals Open to Comment'' for the link to ''Draft Technical Guidance.'' Persons should look under the heading ''Proposals Recently Finalized'' for the link to ''Technical Guidance.'' Persons should look under the heading ''Technical Guidance'' for one link to the ''Basic Inventory'' and a second link to ''Final Guidance.'' The final documents menu will list DEP's bureaus. Persons should click on the name of the bureau to get to the list of the documents from that bureau that are currently on the Web. Then, to get to see a document, persons should click on the ID number of the document. DEP will be adding its revised documents to the Web throughout 1997.

Help Protect the Environment:  Use the Web and Save Trees

   DEP encourages members of the public who read these announcements in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and DEP's UPDATE and who have access to the World Wide Web to avoid the needless duplication of paper copies of DEP's technical guidance documents. Persons can download those DEP documents which are posted on DEP's Web site onto their computers and read them electronically. This method saves both paper and money.

Ordering Paper Copies of DEP Technical Guidance

   Although DEP promotes the use of electronic copies of its technical guidance rather than paper copies, there are still reasons for DEP to continue to provide members of the public with paper copies:  1)  It may be more convenient to use some documents in a paper form, 2)  Not everyone has access to the World Wide Web and 3)  Not all DEP documents are on DEP's Web site yet. Persons can order any unbound paper copy of the latest Inventory or an unbound paper copy of any of the final documents listed on the Inventory by calling Elwyn, Inc. (the printer) at 1 [phone] if calling in Pennsylvania or [phone] if calling from outside Pennsylvania. Elwyn's fax number is [phone].

   In addition, bound copies of some of DEP's documents are available as DEP publications. Persons should check with the appropriate bureau for more information about the availability of a particular document as a publication.

Changes to Technical Guidance Documents

   Between publication of its Inventory, DEP announces changes to its technical guidance documents in its weekly newsletter, the UPDATE and the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Here is the current list of recently finalized documents, draft documents and notices of intended changes to technical guidance.

   Persons who have any questions or comments about a particular document should call the contact person whose name and phone number is listed with each document. Persons who have questions or comments about the Inventory, the documents on the World Wide Web, the availability of paper copies from the printer or the technical guidance document process in general should call Nina Huizinga at [phone].

Final Technical Guidance--Revision to Existing Guidance

   DEP ID:  550-0300-001. Title:  Oil and Gas Operator's Manual. Description:  This document is a comprehensive guidance manual for oil and gas well operators in Pennsylvania. It describes DEP's oil and gas regulatory program and provides copies of applicable laws, regulations, and sample forms and guidelines. It has been updated to reflect the Department's organization and name change, and changes in law, regulation, and approved Department policies which have become effective since it was published 10 years ago. Effective Date:  April 1997. Length:  Approximately 810 pages (including appendices). Location:  Volume 10, Tab 01. To order a copy of this document, persons should contact:  Frank Bialas at [phone].

   DEP ID:  273-4130-007. Title:  Stage II Enforcement Strategy. Description:  DEP implements the recommendations of the Southwest Pennsylvania Ozone Stakeholders regarding Stage II vapor recovery enforcement in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Area. Effective Date:  April 1, 1997. Length:  3 pages. Location:  Volume 2, Tab 31. Contact:  Terry L. Black at [phone] or Scott L. Kepner at [phone].

   DEP ID:  400-5900-102. Title:  Procedure for Authorizing Emergency Response Expenditures. Description:  This policy sets forth the criteria for determining whether or not an emergency situation exists, establishing the Department's remedial action, and executing emergency contracts. Effective Date:  March 31, 1997. Page Length:  5 pages. Location:  Volume 8, Tab 5. Contact:  Kris Lutz at [phone].

   DEP ID:  292-0400-002. Title:  Nuclear Power Generating Station Incident Manual. Description:  The Bureau of Radiation Protection uses this document in responding to an accident or incident at a fixed nuclear facility in Pennsylvania. These are minor revisions, such as:  change of name of the Department and Deputate, changes of addresses, changes reflecting reorganization of the Bureau, etc. Effective Date:  January 1994. Page Length:  114 pages. Location:  Volume 4, Tab 2, Contact: Marianne Hansen at [phone].

Draft Technical Guidance

   DEP ID:  562-2504-312. BMR PGM:  I:03:12 Title: Surety Reclamation of Bond Forfeiture Sites. Background:  Section 4(h) of the Pennsylvania Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act, as amended by Act 43 of 1996, provides a means by which a surety bonding company can reclaim a mine site where the surety's bond money has been forfeited and collected by DEP. This process involves submittal of a reclamation proposal, for review and approval by DEP, along with return of the surety's bond money in exchange for some other form of adequate financial assurance. The process provides increased opportunity for surety companies to achieve reclamation of mine sites. Deadline for Submittal for Comments:  May 27, 1997. Contact:  Thomas Callaghan at [phone].

   DEP ID:  561-2305-201. Title:  Technical Review, Application Processing. Background:  This document provides technical information regarding the processing of applications for SOAP and ROAP assistance. It revises current policy by transferring the responsibility for conducting Pre-assignment Field Conferences from the Project Officer to the District Mining Office. Deadline for Submittal of Comments:  April 30, 1997. Contact:  Lou DiLissio at [phone].

   DEP ID:  561-2305-203. Title:  Technical Review, Report Review, Background:  This document provides technical information regarding the review of hydrologic reports performed under the SOAP and ROAP assistance programs. It revises current policy by assigning sole responsibility for report review and approval to the District Mining Office. Deadline for Submittal of Comments: April 30, 1997. Contact:  Lou DiLissio at [phone].

   DEP ID:  561-2305-601. Title:  Technical Review, Applicant Liability. Background:  This document provides technical information regarding the criteria and procedures to be used in seeking reimbursement from SOAP and ROAP recipients and establishing ''good faith'' criteria for waivers of reimbursement. It revised current policy to include the Remining Operator's Assistance Program (ROAP). Deadline for Submittal of Comments:  April 30, 1997. Contact:  Lou DiLissio at [phone].

   DEP ID:  563-2113-660. Title:  Coal Refuse Disposal--Site Selection Background:  The 1994 amendments (Act 114) to the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act (CRDCA) outlined a site selection process for locating coal refuse disposal activities. The site selection process requires the applicant for a coal refuse disposal permit to identify and evaluate alternative disposal sites and to select a site that is the most suitable based on environmental, economic, transportation, technical and social factors. The purpose of this guidance is to promote the consistent implementation of the coal refuse site selection process and to ensure appropriate input from responsible State and Federal agencies regarding potential adverse hydrologic and water quality impacts. Deadline for Submittal of Comments:  May 16, 1997. Contact:  Thomas Callaghan at [phone].

JAMES M. SEIF,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 97-600. Filed for public inspection April 18, 1997, 9:00 a.m.]