Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension and Change of Title of a Currently Approved Information Collection, 50440-50441 [E7-17339]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 169 / Friday, August 31, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA–2007–29080]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Notice of Request for
Extension and Change of Title of a
Currently Approved Information
Collection
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for extension
of currently approved information
collection.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public
comments about our intention to request
the Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB) approval for renewal and change
of title 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. As part of
FHWA’s ongoing effort to reduce the
overall burden on the public, four
currently approved information
collections associated with the
accommodation or relocation of utility
facilities in the right-of-way of highway
facilities are being combined into a
single collection (2125–0519) with a
new title of Utility Adjustments,
Agreements, Eligibility Statements, and
Accommodation Policies.
Since each collection involves
information regarding Federal
regulations on utilities, this request will
allow FHWA to streamline the
collection process for the respondents
with the ultimate goal of lowering the
overall information collection burden.
In addition to the proposed burden-hour
reductions, by combining these
collections, FHWA will be in a position
to communicate collection activity from
the respondents in one process, thus
allowing for greater efficiency for both
FHWA and the public. These four
current information collections include:
2125–0514: Develop and Submit Utility
Accommodation Policies (expiration
date: November 30, 2007);
2125–0515: Eligibility Statement for
Utility Adjustments (expiration date:
November 30, 2007);
2125–0519: Developing and Recording
Costs for Utility Adjustments
(expiration date: December 31, 2007);
and
2125–0522: Utility Use and Occupancy
Agreements (expiration date:
December 31, 2007).
DATES: Please submit comments by
October 30, 2007.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
00:43 Aug 31, 2007
Jkt 211001
You may submit comments
identified by DOT DMS Docket Number
FHWA–2007–29080 by any of the
following methods:
Web Site: https://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 https://
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: Mr.
Jon Obenberger, 202–366–2221, Office
of Infrastructure, Federal Highway
Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Utility Adjustments,
Agreements, Eligibility Statements and
Accommodation Policies.
OMB Control No.: 2125–0519
(formerly titled ‘‘Developing and
Recording Costs for Utility
Adjustments’’ with an expiration date of
December 31, 2007).
Background: Federal laws dealing
with the relocation and accommodation
of utility facilities associated with the
right-of-way of highway facilities are
contained in the United States Code
(U.S.C.) 23, Sections 123 and 109(I)(1).
Regulations dealing with the utility
facility accommodation and relocation
are based upon the laws contained in 23
U.S.C. and are found in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 23,
Chapter I, Subchapter G, Part 645,
subparts A and B.
The FHWA requires (23 CFR part 645
subpart A—Utility Relocations,
Adjustments, and Reimbursement)
developing and recording costs for
utility adjustments, as the basis for
reimbursing State Departments of
Transportation (SDOT’s) and local
agency transportation departments,
when they have paid the costs of utility
facilities relocations that were required
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00119
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
by the construction of Federal-aid
highway projects. The FHWA requires
the utility companies to document the
costs or expenses for adjusting their
facilities. These utility companies must
have a system for recording labor,
materials, supplies and equipment costs
incurred when undertaking adjustments
to accommodate the highway projects.
This record of costs forms the basis for
payment by the SDOT or local
transportation department to the utility
company. In turn the FHWA reimburses
the SDOT or local transportation
department for its payment to the utility
company. The utility company is
required to maintain these records of
costs for 3 years after final payment is
received.
The SDOT and/or local agency
transportation departments are
responsible for maintaining the highway
rights-of-way, including the control of
its use by the utility companies. In
managing the use of the highway rightsof-way, the SDOT and/or local agency
transportation department is required
(23 CFR 645.205 and 23 CFR 645.213)
to document the terms under which
utility facilities are allowed to cross or
otherwise occupy the highway rights-ofway, in the form of utility use and
occupancy agreements (formerly OMB
Control No.: 2125–0522) with each
utility company. This documentation,
consisting of a use and occupancy
agreement (permit), must be in writing
and must be maintained in the SDOT
and/or local agency transportation
department.
Each SDOT’s is required (23 CFR
615.215) to submit to the FHWA a
utility adjustment eligibility statement
(formerly OMB Control No.: 2125–0515)
that establishes the SDOT’s legal
authority and policies it employs for
accommodating utilities within highway
right-of-ways or obligation to pay for
utility adjustments. FHWA has
previously reviewed and approved these
eligibility statements for each State
DOT. The statements are used as a basis
for Federal-aid reimbursement in utility
relocation costs under the provisions of
23 U.S.C. 123. Updated statements may
be submitted for review at the States
discretion where circumstances have
modified (for example, a change in State
statute) the extent to which utility
adjustments are eligible for
reimbursement by the State or those
instances where a local SDOT’s legal
basis for payment of utility adjustments
differs from that of the State.
Each SDOT’s is also required (23 CFR
645.215) to develop and submit to
FHWA their utility accommodation
policies (formerly OMB Control No.:
2125–0514) that will be used to regulate
E:\FR\FM\31AUN1.SGM
31AUN1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 169 / Friday, August 31, 2007 / Notices
and manage the utility facilities within
the rights-of-way of Federal-aid highway
projects. The agencies utility
accommodation policies need to address
the basis for utility facilities to use and
occupy highway right-of-ways; the
State’s authority to regulate such use;
and the policies and/or procedures
employed for managing and
accommodating utilities within the
right-of-ways of Federal-aid highway
projects. Upon FHWA’s approval of the
policy statement, the SDOT may take
any action required in accordance with
the approved policy statement without
a case-by-case review by the FHWA. In
addition, the utility accommodation
policy statements that have been
approved previously by the FHWA are
periodically reviewed by the SDOT’s to
determine if updating is necessary to
reflect policy changes.
Respondents: 52 SDOT’s, including
the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico, local agency transportation
departments, and utility companies.
Frequency: Developing and recording
costs and expenses for utility
adjustments are submitted as they occur
during the year (annually) by utility
companies to SDOTs or local agency
transportation departments. The SDOT’s
and local agency transportation
departments are each involved in an
average of 15 utility use and occupancy
agreements (or permits) per year for an
annual frequency of 46,000. SDOT’s are
allowed to submit their eligibility
statement for utility adjustments and
their utility accommodation policies
when warranted by changes or updates
occur, or at the SDOT’s discretion. It is
estimated 10 SDOT’s will update either
their eligibility statement for utility
agreements or utility accommodation
policies per year.
Estimated Average Annual Burden
per Response: The estimated average
amount of time required to develop and
record the costs for each utility
adjustment is 8 hours. The estimated
amount of time required by the SDOT’s
and local agency transportation
departments to process each utility use
and occupancy agreement (permit) is 8
hours. The estimated amount of time for
each update to the SDOT’s eligibility
statement for utility adjustments has an
average burden of 18 hours. The
estimated amount of time for each
update and submittal of a SDOT’s utility
accommodation policy has an average
burden of 280 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: The annual burden associated
with developing and recording the costs
for adjusting utility facilities is 72,000
hours based on an estimate of 9,000
adjustments that utility companies
VerDate Aug<31>2005
00:43 Aug 31, 2007
Jkt 211001
perform annually that may be eligible
for Federal-aid highway funding
allowing SDOT’s or local agency
transportation departments to request
reimbursement from FHWA. The annual
burden associated with preparing,
submitting and approving utility use
and occupancy agreements (permits) is
552,000 burden-hours. The annual
burden associated with developing and
approving updates to SDOT’s eligibility
statement for utility adjustments is 90
hours. The annual burden associated
with developing and approving updates
to SDOT’s utility accommodation
policies is 1,400 hours. The
accumulated burden for the combined
information collection is 625,490.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: August 27, 2007.
Judi Kane,
Team Leader, Information Services Team.
[FR Doc. E7–17339 Filed 8–30–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Los
Angeles County, CA
Federal Highway
Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this
notice to advise the public that an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will be prepared for the proposed 6th
Street Viaduct Seismic Improvement
Project in the city and county of Los
Angeles, California in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Healow, Project Development
Engineer, FHWA, 650 Capitol Mall,
Suite 4–100, Sacramento, CA 95814,
telephone: (916) 498–5849.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
FHWA, in cooperation with Caltrans,
will prepare an EIS on a proposal to
seismically improve the 6th Street
Viaduct in the city and county of Los
Angeles, California. The proposed
improvements would involve
retrofitting or demolition and
replacement of the existing viaduct over
the Los Angeles River between Mateo
and Mill Streets on the west side, and
west of Interstate 5 on the east side, for
a distance of approximately 0.9 miles.
The 6th Street Viaduct, built in 1932,
is one of 12 historic bridges/viaducts
crossing the Los Angeles River. The
PO 00000
Frm 00120
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
50441
concrete elements of the 3,500 foot long
6th Street Viaduct are degraded by an
ongoing chemical reaction, known as
Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR), which has
led to substantial deterioration of the
structure and decrease of its concrete
strength, rendering it vulnerable to
collapse in a major earthquake. This
ASR deterioration of the 6th Street
Viaduct has been occurring for at least
75 years, despite ongoing efforts to
arrest or limit its effect. While the
deteriorated surface appearance of the
viaduct is of concern, its underlying
structural integrity is of much greater
concern. In 1989, the Whittier Narrows
earthquake caused damage to shear keys
and caused a column crack at Bent 33
of the viaduct. The structure has since
been classified by Caltrans as Category
I and placed on the mandatory seismic
retrofit list.
The proposed project would result in
a structure capable of withstanding a
moderate seismic event by either
retrofitting the existing structure or
replacing it entirely. Several alternatives
were considered during the project
development phase. Criteria used to
identify alternatives to be carried
forward for detailed analysis in the
environmental document include
construction and maintenance costs, life
span of the facility, constructability,
historic preservation, community
disruption, and seismic and operational
safety. Based on the results of public
pre-scoping meetings and preliminary
screening analysis, a No Build
Alternative and two Build Alternatives,
including Viaduct Retrofit and Viaduct
Replacement, will be analyzed in the
environmental document.
The project team has met with the
general public and neighborhood
groups, and a Community Advisory
Committee has been actively engaged.
Public information activities, including
meetings with the project development
team, will continue throughout the
design and environmental process.
Public and agency scoping meetings are
scheduled on August 14th and 16th in
Los Angeles. A subsequent public
hearing on the draft EIS will be held to
discuss alternatives and impacts of the
proposed action. Public notices will be
published and posted on the project
Web site containing the specific time
and place of the public scoping
meetings and hearing. To ensure that
the full range of issues related to this
proposed action is addressed and all
significant concerns are identified,
comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties. Comments or
questions about this proposed action
and the EIS should be directed to
FHWA at the address provided above.
E:\FR\FM\31AUN1.SGM
31AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 169 (Friday, August 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50440-50441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17339]
[[Page 50440]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2007-29080]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for
Extension and Change of Title of a Currently Approved Information
Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for extension of currently approved
information collection.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to
request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for
renewal and change of title 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. As part of FHWA's ongoing effort to reduce the overall
burden on the public, four currently approved information collections
associated with the accommodation or relocation of utility facilities
in the right-of-way of highway facilities are being combined into a
single collection (2125-0519) with a new title of Utility Adjustments,
Agreements, Eligibility Statements, and Accommodation Policies.
Since each collection involves information regarding Federal
regulations on utilities, this request will allow FHWA to streamline
the collection process for the respondents with the ultimate goal of
lowering the overall information collection burden. In addition to the
proposed burden-hour reductions, by combining these collections, FHWA
will be in a position to communicate collection activity from the
respondents in one process, thus allowing for greater efficiency for
both FHWA and the public. These four current information collections
include:
2125-0514: Develop and Submit Utility Accommodation Policies
(expiration date: November 30, 2007);
2125-0515: Eligibility Statement for Utility Adjustments (expiration
date: November 30, 2007);
2125-0519: Developing and Recording Costs for Utility Adjustments
(expiration date: December 31, 2007); and
2125-0522: Utility Use and Occupancy Agreements (expiration date:
December 31, 2007).
DATES: Please submit comments by October 30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number
FHWA-2007-29080 by any of the following methods:
Web Site: https://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 https://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: Mr. Jon Obenberger, 202-366-2221,
Office of Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Utility Adjustments, Agreements, Eligibility Statements and
Accommodation Policies.
OMB Control No.: 2125-0519 (formerly titled ``Developing and
Recording Costs for Utility Adjustments'' with an expiration date of
December 31, 2007).
Background: Federal laws dealing with the relocation and
accommodation of utility facilities associated with the right-of-way of
highway facilities are contained in the United States Code (U.S.C.) 23,
Sections 123 and 109(I)(1). Regulations dealing with the utility
facility accommodation and relocation are based upon the laws contained
in 23 U.S.C. and are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),
Title 23, Chapter I, Subchapter G, Part 645, subparts A and B.
The FHWA requires (23 CFR part 645 subpart A--Utility Relocations,
Adjustments, and Reimbursement) developing and recording costs for
utility adjustments, as the basis for reimbursing State Departments of
Transportation (SDOT's) and local agency transportation departments,
when they have paid the costs of utility facilities relocations that
were required by the construction of Federal-aid highway projects. The
FHWA requires the utility companies to document the costs or expenses
for adjusting their facilities. These utility companies must have a
system for recording labor, materials, supplies and equipment costs
incurred when undertaking adjustments to accommodate the highway
projects. This record of costs forms the basis for payment by the SDOT
or local transportation department to the utility company. In turn the
FHWA reimburses the SDOT or local transportation department for its
payment to the utility company. The utility company is required to
maintain these records of costs for 3 years after final payment is
received.
The SDOT and/or local agency transportation departments are
responsible for maintaining the highway rights-of-way, including the
control of its use by the utility companies. In managing the use of the
highway rights-of-way, the SDOT and/or local agency transportation
department is required (23 CFR 645.205 and 23 CFR 645.213) to document
the terms under which utility facilities are allowed to cross or
otherwise occupy the highway rights-of-way, in the form of utility use
and occupancy agreements (formerly OMB Control No.: 2125-0522) with
each utility company. This documentation, consisting of a use and
occupancy agreement (permit), must be in writing and must be maintained
in the SDOT and/or local agency transportation department.
Each SDOT's is required (23 CFR 615.215) to submit to the FHWA a
utility adjustment eligibility statement (formerly OMB Control No.:
2125-0515) that establishes the SDOT's legal authority and policies it
employs for accommodating utilities within highway right-of-ways or
obligation to pay for utility adjustments. FHWA has previously reviewed
and approved these eligibility statements for each State DOT. The
statements are used as a basis for Federal-aid reimbursement in utility
relocation costs under the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 123. Updated
statements may be submitted for review at the States discretion where
circumstances have modified (for example, a change in State statute)
the extent to which utility adjustments are eligible for reimbursement
by the State or those instances where a local SDOT's legal basis for
payment of utility adjustments differs from that of the State.
Each SDOT's is also required (23 CFR 645.215) to develop and submit
to FHWA their utility accommodation policies (formerly OMB Control No.:
2125-0514) that will be used to regulate
[[Page 50441]]
and manage the utility facilities within the rights-of-way of Federal-
aid highway projects. The agencies utility accommodation policies need
to address the basis for utility facilities to use and occupy highway
right-of-ways; the State's authority to regulate such use; and the
policies and/or procedures employed for managing and accommodating
utilities within the right-of-ways of Federal-aid highway projects.
Upon FHWA's approval of the policy statement, the SDOT may take any
action required in accordance with the approved policy statement
without a case-by-case review by the FHWA. In addition, the utility
accommodation policy statements that have been approved previously by
the FHWA are periodically reviewed by the SDOT's to determine if
updating is necessary to reflect policy changes.
Respondents: 52 SDOT's, including the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico, local agency transportation departments, and utility
companies.
Frequency: Developing and recording costs and expenses for utility
adjustments are submitted as they occur during the year (annually) by
utility companies to SDOTs or local agency transportation departments.
The SDOT's and local agency transportation departments are each
involved in an average of 15 utility use and occupancy agreements (or
permits) per year for an annual frequency of 46,000. SDOT's are allowed
to submit their eligibility statement for utility adjustments and their
utility accommodation policies when warranted by changes or updates
occur, or at the SDOT's discretion. It is estimated 10 SDOT's will
update either their eligibility statement for utility agreements or
utility accommodation policies per year.
Estimated Average Annual Burden per Response: The estimated average
amount of time required to develop and record the costs for each
utility adjustment is 8 hours. The estimated amount of time required by
the SDOT's and local agency transportation departments to process each
utility use and occupancy agreement (permit) is 8 hours. The estimated
amount of time for each update to the SDOT's eligibility statement for
utility adjustments has an average burden of 18 hours. The estimated
amount of time for each update and submittal of a SDOT's utility
accommodation policy has an average burden of 280 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The annual burden associated
with developing and recording the costs for adjusting utility
facilities is 72,000 hours based on an estimate of 9,000 adjustments
that utility companies perform annually that may be eligible for
Federal-aid highway funding allowing SDOT's or local agency
transportation departments to request reimbursement from FHWA. The
annual burden associated with preparing, submitting and approving
utility use and occupancy agreements (permits) is 552,000 burden-hours.
The annual burden associated with developing and approving updates to
SDOT's eligibility statement for utility adjustments is 90 hours. The
annual burden associated with developing and approving updates to
SDOT's utility accommodation policies is 1,400 hours. The accumulated
burden for the combined information collection is 625,490.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: August 27, 2007.
Judi Kane,
Team Leader, Information Services Team.
[FR Doc. E7-17339 Filed 8-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
