Advisory Committee on Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure-Gulf Coast Case Study, 19752-19753 [E7-7435]

Download as PDF 19752 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 75 / Thursday, April 19, 2007 / Notices and concerns voiced by the public and the results of the impact analyses. There was some support for each alternative. Based on the comments TVA received during the scoping and EIS review processes, there was strong public support for maintaining the reservoir and the existing recreational uses of the reservoir and adjacent public lands; Alternative A does this. Alternatives C and D would eliminate the dam-related flooding. In doing so, they would partially or fully eliminate the reservoir and many of its current recreational uses. They would also destroy the wetlands habitats around the reservoir, and adversely affect the Nolichucky River downstream of the dam. While Alternative B would not have the adverse impacts of Alternatives C and D, it would cost $15 to $20 million to implement and could result in the relocation of many homeowners or restrictions on use of their property. None of the alternatives would restore the recreational benefits that once existed at Nolichucky Reservoir and have since been lost due to the accumulation of sediment. TVA has determined that the implementation of Alternative A would not affect historic properties and has consulted with the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The SHPO concurred with TVA’s determination on April 28, 2005. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) also concurred that implementation of Alternative A would not adversely affect federally listed or proposed endangered or threatened species. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Environmentally Preferred Alternative Alternative B is the environmentally preferred alternative because it would accomplish the project purpose of alleviating the flood impacts on private land and property, would not involve any adverse impacts on the surrounding natural and human environment, would increase the land area available for public recreation, and would enhance the conservation of many resources. Even though Alternative B is the environmentally preferred alternative, Alternative A also would not have adverse environmental impacts. Mitigation Alternative A—No Action that TVA has selected is not anticipated to adversely affect natural or human resources, and consequently TVA has determined that no associated mitigation measures are necessary. TVA does commit, however, to providing updated flood level information to local VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:39 Apr 18, 2007 Jkt 211001 agencies and individuals so that they are better aware of flooding risks. Dated: April 13, 2007. Kathryn J. Jackson, Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment. [FR Doc. E7–7439 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8120–08–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary [OST–2007–27909] Advisory Committee on Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure—Gulf Coast Case Study Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of meeting of advisory committee. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This document announces the second meeting of the Advisory Committee on Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure—Gulf Coast Case Study to the U.S. Department of Transportation (the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’). The purpose of this meeting is to advise the Secretary of Transportation on the design, implementation and final report of Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.7, which examines how a changing climate might affect transportation infrastructure and services in the Gulf Coast. This research is being conducted under the Climate Change Science Program. The second meeting of the Advisory Committee is scheduled for May 16–17, 2007, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Tremont House, 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row, Galveston, Texas 77550. Phone: 409–763–0300. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Savonis, the Designated Federal Official, Office of Natural and Human Environment, 202–366–2080, (michael.savonis@dot.gov), Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Background Through consultation with transportation professionals, researchers, and partners, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has identified a need within the transportation community for improved PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 information about climate variability and change when making transportation decisions. A sound transportation system is vital to the nation’s social and economic future. Investments in transportation are substantial, and result in infrastructure that is designed to last for decades. Transportation plans and designs should therefore be carefully considered and well informed by a range of factors, including consideration of climate variability and change. Climate also affects the safety, operations, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure and systems. This research will investigate the potential impacts of climate variability and change on transportation infrastructure and its operation, and provide guidance as to how transportation planners and decision makers may incorporate this information into transportation planning decisions to ensure a reliable and robust future transportation network. The Gulf Coast Study was selected by DOT as the first of a series of research activities that the Center will pursue to address these research priorities. This initial product will focus on the lowlying Gulf of Mexico coastal region, which has little topographic relief but it is heavily populated. In addition, the area’s transportation modes are both unique and economically significant. For example, the Ports of New Orleans and Houston are the top two ranking U.S. ports in tonnage. Roughly two thirds of all U.S. oil imports are transported through this region. Pipelines traversing the region transport over 90 percent of domestic Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas. Almost half of the Nation’s repetitive flood damage claims are paid to homeowners and businesses in this region, and the efficacy of evacuation during storms is an important determinant of the safety and well-being of the region’s population. This region is subject to the direct effects of hurricanes and tropical storms. Given its low elevation, the area is also particularly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges that accompany hurricanes and tropical storms. These effects may be exacerbated by global sea level rise and local land subsidence. To carry out this study, the U.S. DOT published a notice of intent to form an Advisory Committee in the Federal Register on June 22, 2006 (71 FR 35986). That notice, consistent with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), announced the establishment of the Committee and invited comments on the nominations for membership. E:\FR\FM\19APN1.SGM 19APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 75 / Thursday, April 19, 2007 / Notices The U.S. DOT anticipates that this will be the last meeting of this Advisory Committee. Interested persons shall be permitted to attend, appear before, or file statements for the record. Attendance will necessarily be limited by the size of the meeting room. The agenda topic for this meeting will include a review of the draft report. Issued this 13th Day of April, 2007 in Washington, DC. Robert DeHaan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. [FR Doc. E7–7435 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA–2007–27389] Notice of Request for Comments on Renewal of a Currently Approved Information Collection: FMCSA COMPASS Portal Customer Satisfaction Assessment Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice; request for information. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the new Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This information collection involves the assessment of FMCSA’s strategic decision to integrate its Information Technology (IT) with its business processes using portal technology to consolidate its systems and databases and launch a modernization initiative to create the FMCSA COMPASS Portal. The information to be collected will be used to assess the satisfaction of Federal, State and industry customers with the FMCSA COMPASS Portal. The Agency published a Federal Register notice allowing for a 60-day comment period on the ICR in October 2006 (71 FR 61824, Oct. 19, 2006). The Agency did not receive any comments from the public that were responsive to this notice. Please send your comments by May 21, 2007. OMB must receive your comments by this date in order to act quickly on the ICR. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:39 Apr 18, 2007 Jkt 211001 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: DOT/FMCSA Desk Officer. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Coleman, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; phone: (202) 366–4440; fax: (202) 493– 0679; e-mail: bill.coleman@dot.gov. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FMCSA Portal Customer Satisfaction Assessment. OMB Control Number: 2126-xxxx. Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection. Respondents: Federal, State, and motor carrier industry customers/users. Estimated Number of Respondents: 142,691 [140,000 motor carrier industry respondents + 2,691 State government users = 142,691]. Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes per response. Frequency of Response: Three times per year (or every 120 days). Estimated Total Annual Burden: 25,106 hours [(5 minutes to complete survey × 3 times per year/60 minutes × 140,000 annual industry respondents × .70 (70%) response rate = 24,500) + (5 minutes to complete survey × 3 times per year/60 minutes × 2,691 State government users × .90 (90%) response rate) = 25,106]. Background: Title II, section 207 of the E-Government Act of 2002, (Pub. L. 107–347, April 17, 2003) requires Government agencies to improve the methods by which government information, including information on the Internet, is organized, preserved, and made accessible to the public. FMCSA has made a strategic decision to integrate its IT with its business processes as it consolidates its systems and databases and launches a modernization initiative called COMPASS. COMPASS is FMCSA’s agency-wide initiative to improve its business processes; integrate them with the Agency’s information systems; and make them more seamless, secure, and supportive of the Agency’s mission of saving lives in the years to come. FMCSA’s 21 information systems are currently operational. However, having this many stand-alone systems has led to data quality concerns, a need for excessive IDs and passwords, and significant operational and maintenance costs. Integrating our information technologies with our business processes will, in turn, improve our operations considerably, particularly in terms of data quality, ease of use, and reduction of maintenance costs. PO 00000 Frm 00075 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 19753 In early 2007, FMCSA will launch the first of a series of releases of new IT applications to its Federal, State, and industry customers. Over the coming years, more than 15 releases are planned, with four planned for the next 3 years. These releases will use ‘‘portal technology’’ to pull together numerous services and functions on a single screen and provide tailored services that seek to meet the needs of specific constituencies within our customer universe. The FMCSA COMPASS Portal will entail considerable expenditure of Federal Government dollars over the years and fundamentally impact the nature of the relationship between the Agency and its Federal, State, and industry customers. Consequently, the Agency intends to conduct regular and ongoing assessments of customer satisfaction with COMPASS. The primary purposes of this assessment are to determine the extent to which newly released FMCSA COMPASS Portal services meet the needs of Agency customers, identify and prioritize additional modifications, and determine the extent that the Portal has affected FMCSA’s relationships with its main customer groups. The assessment will address: • Overall customer satisfaction; • Customer satisfaction with specific items; • Performance of contractor (for the system) against established objectives; • Desired adjustments and modifications to systems; • Value of investment to FMCSA and DOT; • Features that customers like best; and • Customer ideas for improving the site. 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 FMCSA’s performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. Issued on: April 10, 2007. D. Marlene Thomas, Associate Administrator, Administration. [FR Doc. E7–7410 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P E:\FR\FM\19APN1.SGM 19APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 75 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19752-19753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7435]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[OST-2007-27909]


Advisory Committee on Impacts of Climate Variability and Change 
on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure--Gulf Coast Case Study

AGENCY:  Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting of advisory committee.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document announces the second meeting of the Advisory 
Committee on Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on 
Transportation Systems and Infrastructure--Gulf Coast Case Study to the 
U.S. Department of Transportation (the ``Advisory Committee''). The 
purpose of this meeting is to advise the Secretary of Transportation on 
the design, implementation and final report of Synthesis and Assessment 
Product 4.7, which examines how a changing climate might affect 
transportation infrastructure and services in the Gulf Coast. This 
research is being conducted under the Climate Change Science Program.

DATES: The second meeting of the Advisory Committee is scheduled for 
May 16-17, 2007, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Tremont House, 2300 Ship's 
Mechanic Row, Galveston, Texas 77550. Phone: 409-763-0300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Savonis, the Designated 
Federal Official, Office of Natural and Human Environment, 202-366-
2080, (michael.savonis@dot.gov), Federal Highway Administration, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Through consultation with transportation professionals, 
researchers, and partners, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 
has identified a need within the transportation community for improved 
information about climate variability and change when making 
transportation decisions. A sound transportation system is vital to the 
nation's social and economic future. Investments in transportation are 
substantial, and result in infrastructure that is designed to last for 
decades. Transportation plans and designs should therefore be carefully 
considered and well informed by a range of factors, including 
consideration of climate variability and change. Climate also affects 
the safety, operations, and maintenance of transportation 
infrastructure and systems. This research will investigate the 
potential impacts of climate variability and change on transportation 
infrastructure and its operation, and provide guidance as to how 
transportation planners and decision makers may incorporate this 
information into transportation planning decisions to ensure a reliable 
and robust future transportation network.
    The Gulf Coast Study was selected by DOT as the first of a series 
of research activities that the Center will pursue to address these 
research priorities. This initial product will focus on the low-lying 
Gulf of Mexico coastal region, which has little topographic relief but 
it is heavily populated. In addition, the area's transportation modes 
are both unique and economically significant. For example, the Ports of 
New Orleans and Houston are the top two ranking U.S. ports in tonnage. 
Roughly two thirds of all U.S. oil imports are transported through this 
region. Pipelines traversing the region transport over 90 percent of 
domestic Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas. Almost half of the 
Nation's repetitive flood damage claims are paid to homeowners and 
businesses in this region, and the efficacy of evacuation during storms 
is an important determinant of the safety and well-being of the 
region's population. This region is subject to the direct effects of 
hurricanes and tropical storms. Given its low elevation, the area is 
also particularly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges that 
accompany hurricanes and tropical storms. These effects may be 
exacerbated by global sea level rise and local land subsidence.
    To carry out this study, the U.S. DOT published a notice of intent 
to form an Advisory Committee in the Federal Register on June 22, 2006 
(71 FR 35986). That notice, consistent with the requirements of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), announced the establishment of 
the Committee and invited comments on the nominations for membership.

[[Page 19753]]

    The U.S. DOT anticipates that this will be the last meeting of this 
Advisory Committee. Interested persons shall be permitted to attend, 
appear before, or file statements for the record. Attendance will 
necessarily be limited by the size of the meeting room.
    The agenda topic for this meeting will include a review of the 
draft report.

    Issued this 13th Day of April, 2007 in Washington, DC.
Robert DeHaan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.
[FR Doc. E7-7435 Filed 4-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.