Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection for Which Approval Has Expired, 41580-41581 [E7-14643]
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41580
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 145 / Monday, July 30, 2007 / Notices
the latter, the Rule states in 93.152
under Definitions: ‘‘The portion of
emissions which are exempt or
presumed to conform under Section
93.153(c), (d), (e), or (f) are not included
in the ‘‘total of direct and indirect
emissions.’’ Likewise, as stated in the
preamble (58 FR 63233): ‘‘The final rule
requires the inclusion of the total direct
and indirect emissions in the
applicability and conformity
determinations, except the portion of
emissions which are exempt or
presumed to conform* * *’’ 67 The
FAA applies this definition to exclude
emissions for single and multiple
presumed to conform actions that are
not connected to one another. FAA
procedures for combined actions offer a
reasonable approach by placing a more
conservative limit on the permitted
exclusion of presumed to conform
emissions than 40 CFR 93.152.
Documentation. Documentation
requirements for combined actions are
greater typically than for single actions.
On some combined actions, the FAA
requires that presumed to conform
actions be analyzed and documented by
means of an emissions inventory using
the FAA EDMS model and related
procedures.68 This standard modeling
methodology is project-specific and
more refined than the quantification of
emissions in this Notice and therefore
offers greater confirmation in some
cases that the applicable emissions will
not equal or exceed the de minimis
thresholds.
Specifically, standard modeling
methodology must be used if the project
includes: (1) One or more presumed to
conform actions that are connected to
non-presumed to conform actions which
are being evaluated under the
environmental review requirements of
NEPA; or (2) two or more presumed to
conform actions are involved which are
not supported by additional
quantification in the Notice (see below).
In these cases, each presumed to
conform action must be modeled and
inventoried in the same manner and to
the same extent as non-presumed to
conform actions. Moreover, presumed to
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
67 EPA
gives as an example a Federal action that
includes construction of a new industrial boiler
project, that is exempt, and a separate office
building. The emissions from the hypothetical
boiler exceed de minimis levels however it is
exempt and so the emissions are excluded. The
emissions from the office building alone are below
de minimis levels. As a result, the action as a whole
does not need a conformity determination. (58 Fed.
Reg. 63233).
68 The primary source of agency air quality
procedures and analysis requirements is the FAA
Air Quality Handbook entitled Air Quality
Procedures for Civilian Airports and Air Force
Bases, FAA and USAF, April 1997.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:24 Jul 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
conform actions must be listed as a
separate line item in the emissions
inventory and clearly explained and
presented in all related study
documentation.
Consistent with the goal of reducing
the analysis burden for presumed to
conform actions, the Notice may be used
in some instances to document
presumed to conform actions in lieu of
the standard modeling methodology.
Specifically, the Notice may be used if
the project is a single action or if it is
limited to multiple presumed to
conform actions that are supported in
the Notice by additional quantification.
Presumed to conform actions or
categories with additional quantification
(e.g., data tables) are: Pavement
markings; pavement monitoring
systems; non-runway pavement work;
lighting systems; terminal and
concourse upgrades; new HVAC
systems, upgrades, and expansions;
airport signage; commercial vehicle
staging areas; and low-emission
technology and alternative fuel
vehicles.69 Also, the Notice may be used
if all but one of the project’s multiple
presumed to conform actions are
supported by additional quantification
and the FAA excludes, as allowed, the
emissions from the one presumed to
conform action that is not supported by
additional quantification.
Regional Significance
FAA employees must also reflect that
they have considered potential regional
significance, that is, whether the total
direct and indirect emissions of the
pollutants from each presumed to
conform action represent 10 percent or
more of a nonattainment or maintenance
area’s total emissions of that pollutant
under 40 CFR 93.153(i).70 If project
emissions are regionally significant on
this basis, the FAA would be required
to prepare a conformity analysis and
determination for a presumed to
conform Federal action.
As the FAA indicated in its Draft
Notice, strong evidence indicates that
presumed to conform actions are not
likely to be regionally significant.71
69 Documentation for low-emission technology
and alternative fuel vehicles may be based on the
findings of the FAA VALE program and its
preceding pilot program (ILEAV).
70 This section provides that actions specified by
individual federal agencies that have met applicable
criteria and procedures are presumed to conform
‘‘except as provided in paragraph (j) of this
section.’’ Paragraph (j) states: ‘‘Where an action
otherwise presumed to conform under paragraph (f)
of this section is a regionally significant action
* * * that action shall not be presumed to conform
and the requirements [for a conformity analysis and
determination] shall apply for the Federal action.’’
71 The FAA Air Quality Handbook states that an
airport project that is presumed to conform is
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
However, the FAA has decided to defer
action on this aspect of its Draft Notice
based upon consultation with the EPA.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 24, 2007.
Charles R. Everett, Jr.,
Manager, Planning and Environmental
Division, Office of the Associate
Administrator for Airports.
[FR Doc. 07–3695 Filed 7–25–07; 12:19 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA–2007–28797]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Notice of Request for
Reinstatement of a Previously
Approved Collection for Which
Approval Has Expired
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the
information collection request described
in this notice to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
approval of a reinstatement of a
previously approved collection for
which approval has expired. We
published a Federal Register Notice
with a 60-day public comment period
on this information collection on May
11, 2007. We are required to publish
this notice in the Federal Register by
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by
August 29, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments
within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
17th Street, NW., Washington, DC
20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. 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
burden; (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
unlikely to have emission levels that are regionally
significant (Air Quality Procedures for Civilian
Airports and Air Force Bases, FAA and USAF,
April 1997). This is because, based on the highest
de minimis threshold level (100 tons per year), in
order for an action’s net emissions to represent 10
percent or more of a maintenance or nonattainment
area’s total emissions of a particular pollutant, the
area’s total emissions inventory for any pollutant
must be less than 1,000 tons, which is unlikely.
E:\FR\FM\30JYN1.SGM
30JYN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 145 / Monday, July 30, 2007 / Notices
electronic technology, without reducing
the quality of the collected information.
All comments should include the
Docket number FHWA–2007–28797.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Contrino, 202–366–5060, or
Ralph Gillman, 202–366–5042, Office of
Highway Policy Information, Federal
Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Household Travel
Survey.
OMB Control #: 2125–0545.
Background: The collection of
passenger travel data is authorized in
Title 23, Section 502, which authorizes
the DOT to engage in studies to collect
data for planning future highway
programs. The 2008 National Household
Travel Survey (NHTS) will provide an
updated benchmark of travel activity
and a measure of the impact of
household travel behavior on system
performance including safety,
accessibility, economic factors, and
congestion. This continuity is important
in identifying, assessing, and forecasting
travel trends. The many changes in
travel and the related social patterns
point to the need for a 2008 NHTS.
Continuing changes in household
structure, commuting levels and
patterns, the location of households and
workplaces, and increases in the
mobility of the older population, as well
as issues of air quality and traffic
congestion, have all resulted in
significant changes in travel in recent
years. Historically, FHWA has had the
responsibility for the administration of
the NHTS; however, FHWA coordinates
with other agencies within the DOT on
information needs and program
applications. The Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS), National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) have provided
supplemental funding in past NHTS
program activities. In addition, several
organizations outside DOT rely on the
NHTS for transportation information
relating to health (Centers for Disease
Control), energy consumption (Energy
Information Administration), and
emergency planning (Department of
Homeland Security). The DOT has a
continuing need for current and
improved data to determine the nature
and extent of present travel needs and
to plan for meeting the nation’s travel
needs of the future. Specifically, data is
needed to:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:24 Jul 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
• Examine the availability and use of
transportation to various population
groups, including those whose mobility
has historically been lower than that of
the general population, such as the
elderly, low-income, people of color,
and new immigrants;
• Identify factors affecting the use of
private vehicles and other means of
transportation as they relate to trip
purposes including travel to work,
school, shopping, medical care, other
personal business, social and
recreational travel;
• Forecast trends in highway
transportation in light of projected
demographic changes;
• Obtain the public’s response to
changes in transportation systems and
services;
• Evaluate factors relating to the
safety of the surface transportation
system;
• Provide data for the evaluation of
the impacts of various policy initiatives;
and
• Provide cost-effective information
that supports transportation planning
and decision making by Federal, State,
and local governments.
The DOT uses the data to analyze the
amount and nature of household travel,
the relationship between socioeconomic
characteristics and travel patterns, and
trends in passenger travel. Because
demographic information is collected on
each person and each household
surveyed in the NHTS, the dataset is
excellent for describing travel behavior
of population groups. The
transportation community has seen the
influence of changes in travel behavior
on the amount and type of travel
demand, including the increasing
participation of women in the
workforce, trip chaining for other
purposes as part of the work journey, an
increase in single-occupant vehicles,
increased development of the outer
suburbs and exurbs, and changes in
household structure. NHTS is also
critical in assessing emerging travel
roles of older populations and how this
is changing over time, as the older
cohort is more and more composed of
those who have grown up driving.
Understanding household travel today
means understanding the complexity
and variety of travel needs under these
changing conditions. As our society
addresses air quality and congestion
issues, it is vital that the various trends
be understood along with their
implications for the different segments
of the population.
Respondents: Approximately 25,000
households will complete the survey.
The survey households will be selected
using random digit dialing (RDD). The
PO 00000
Frm 00090
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
41581
NHTS is a two-stage study. In the first
stage, households are contacted via
computer assisted telephone
interviewing (CATI) to collect basic
information about the household and its
vehicles. During this initial contact,
households are recruited to participate
in the diary phase (second stage of the
study). Each household is assigned a
specific travel day and asked to record
details about each trip taken on that
day. The stage two trip information is
obtained via computer assisted
telephone interviewing (CATI).
Frequency: The NHTS has been
conducted by the DOT every 5–7 years
since 1969. The 2008 NHTS will be
conducted during calendar year 2008.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: The estimated burden per
household averages 68 minutes, which
includes interviewing an average of 2.5
persons per household. The burden per
person averages 20 minutes for the
interview and another 7 minutes for
keeping the diary.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: The estimated total annual
burden hours are 28,333.
Electronic Access: Internet users may
access all comments received by the
U.S. DOT Dockets, by using the
universal resource locator (URL):
https://dms.dot.gov, 24 hours each day,
365 days each year. Please follow the
instructions online for more information
and help.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: July 23, 2007.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis
Division.
[FR Doc. E7–14643 Filed 7–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
Maintenance and Repair
Reimbursement Pilot Program
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation
ACTION: Notice of extension of
application deadline.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration
is hereby giving notice that the closing
date for filing applications to enroll in
the Maintenance and Repair
Reimbursement Pilot Program is
extended until October 30, 2007. The
notice announcing the initial
application deadline was published in
E:\FR\FM\30JYN1.SGM
30JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 145 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41580-41581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14643]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2007-28797]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for
Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection for Which Approval
Has Expired
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for approval of a reinstatement of a previously approved collection for
which approval has expired. We published a Federal Register Notice with
a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on May
11, 2007. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by August 29, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer.
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 burden; (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
[[Page 41581]]
electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected
information. All comments should include the Docket number FHWA-2007-
28797.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Contrino, 202-366-5060, or
Ralph Gillman, 202-366-5042, Office of Highway Policy Information,
Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: National Household Travel Survey.
OMB Control #: 2125-0545.
Background: The collection of passenger travel data is authorized
in Title 23, Section 502, which authorizes the DOT to engage in studies
to collect data for planning future highway programs. The 2008 National
Household Travel Survey (NHTS) will provide an updated benchmark of
travel activity and a measure of the impact of household travel
behavior on system performance including safety, accessibility,
economic factors, and congestion. This continuity is important in
identifying, assessing, and forecasting travel trends. The many changes
in travel and the related social patterns point to the need for a 2008
NHTS. Continuing changes in household structure, commuting levels and
patterns, the location of households and workplaces, and increases in
the mobility of the older population, as well as issues of air quality
and traffic congestion, have all resulted in significant changes in
travel in recent years. Historically, FHWA has had the responsibility
for the administration of the NHTS; however, FHWA coordinates with
other agencies within the DOT on information needs and program
applications. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) have provided supplemental funding in past NHTS
program activities. In addition, several organizations outside DOT rely
on the NHTS for transportation information relating to health (Centers
for Disease Control), energy consumption (Energy Information
Administration), and emergency planning (Department of Homeland
Security). The DOT has a continuing need for current and improved data
to determine the nature and extent of present travel needs and to plan
for meeting the nation's travel needs of the future. Specifically, data
is needed to:
Examine the availability and use of transportation to
various population groups, including those whose mobility has
historically been lower than that of the general population, such as
the elderly, low-income, people of color, and new immigrants;
Identify factors affecting the use of private vehicles and
other means of transportation as they relate to trip purposes including
travel to work, school, shopping, medical care, other personal
business, social and recreational travel;
Forecast trends in highway transportation in light of
projected demographic changes;
Obtain the public's response to changes in transportation
systems and services;
Evaluate factors relating to the safety of the surface
transportation system;
Provide data for the evaluation of the impacts of various
policy initiatives; and
Provide cost-effective information that supports
transportation planning and decision making by Federal, State, and
local governments.
The DOT uses the data to analyze the amount and nature of household
travel, the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and
travel patterns, and trends in passenger travel. Because demographic
information is collected on each person and each household surveyed in
the NHTS, the dataset is excellent for describing travel behavior of
population groups. The transportation community has seen the influence
of changes in travel behavior on the amount and type of travel demand,
including the increasing participation of women in the workforce, trip
chaining for other purposes as part of the work journey, an increase in
single-occupant vehicles, increased development of the outer suburbs
and exurbs, and changes in household structure. NHTS is also critical
in assessing emerging travel roles of older populations and how this is
changing over time, as the older cohort is more and more composed of
those who have grown up driving. Understanding household travel today
means understanding the complexity and variety of travel needs under
these changing conditions. As our society addresses air quality and
congestion issues, it is vital that the various trends be understood
along with their implications for the different segments of the
population.
Respondents: Approximately 25,000 households will complete the
survey. The survey households will be selected using random digit
dialing (RDD). The NHTS is a two-stage study. In the first stage,
households are contacted via computer assisted telephone interviewing
(CATI) to collect basic information about the household and its
vehicles. During this initial contact, households are recruited to
participate in the diary phase (second stage of the study). Each
household is assigned a specific travel day and asked to record details
about each trip taken on that day. The stage two trip information is
obtained via computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI).
Frequency: The NHTS has been conducted by the DOT every 5-7 years
since 1969. The 2008 NHTS will be conducted during calendar year 2008.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: The estimated burden per
household averages 68 minutes, which includes interviewing an average
of 2.5 persons per household. The burden per person averages 20 minutes
for the interview and another 7 minutes for keeping the diary.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The estimated total annual
burden hours are 28,333.
Electronic Access: Internet users may access all comments received
by the U.S. DOT Dockets, by using the universal resource locator (URL):
https://dms.dot.gov, 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Please
follow the instructions online for more information and help.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: July 23, 2007.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. E7-14643 Filed 7-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P