[Federal Register: August 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 159)]
[Notices]
[Page 46259-46260]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au07-99]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2007-28992]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for
Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for extension of currently approved
information collection.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for
renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice
in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by October 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number
FHWA-2007-28992 by any of the following methods:
Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Wolf, 202-366-4655, Office of
Program Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Emergency Relief Funding Applications.
OMB Control #: 2125-0525.
Background: Congress authorized in Title 23, United States Code,
Section 125, a special program from the Highway Trust Fund for the
repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal
lands which have suffered serious damage as a result of natural
disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause. This
program, commonly referred to as the Emergency Relief or ER program,
supplements the commitment of resources by States, their political
subdivisions, or other Federal agencies to help pay for unusually heavy
expenses resulting from extraordinary conditions. The applicability of
the ER program to a natural disaster is based on the extent and
intensity of the disaster. Damage to highways must be severe, occur
over a wide area, and result in unusually high expenses to the highway
agency. Examples of natural disasters include floods, hurricanes,
earthquakes, tornadoes, tidal waves, severe storms, and landslides.
Applicability of the ER program to a catastrophic failure due to an
external cause is based on the criteria that the failure was not the
result of an inherent flaw in the facility but was sudden, caused a
disastrous impact on transportation services, and resulted in unusually
high expenses to the highway agency. A bridge suddenly collapsing after
being struck by a barge is an example of a catastrophic failure from an
external cause. The ER program provides for repair and restoration of
highway facilities to pre-disaster conditions. Restoration in kind is
therefore the predominate type of repair expected to be accomplished
with ER funds. Generally, all elements of the damaged highway within
its cross section are eligible for ER funds. Roadway items that are
eligible may include: Pavement, shoulders, slopes and embankments,
guardrail, signs and traffic control devices, bridges, culverts, bike
and pedestrian paths, fencing, and retaining walls. Other eligible
items may include: Engineering and right-of-way costs, debris removal,
transportation system management strategies, administrative expenses,
and equipment rental expenses. This information collection is needed
for the FHWA to fulfill its statutory obligations regarding funding
determinations for ER eligible damages following a disaster. The
regulations covering the FHWA ER program are contained in 23 CFR Part
668.
Respondents: 50 State Transportation Departments, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands,
and the Virgin Islands.
Estimated Average Annual Burden: The respondents submit an
estimated total of 30 applications each year. Each application requires
an estimated average of 250 hours to complete.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total estimated average annual
burden is 7,500 hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that
the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
[[Page 46260]]
Issued on: August 13, 2007.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. E7-16194 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
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