Department of Homeland Security November 22, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a document in the Federal Register on November 10, 2010 (75 FR 69096), announcing two public meetings. The document contained an incorrect e- mail address. Due to the incorrect e-mail address, FEMA is lengthening the amount of time that the public has to contact FEMA to request special accommodations. FEMA has chosen to republish the corrected notice in its entirety. This notice announces two public meetings of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reform Effort. In performing its mission, FEMA believes it is important to continually update stakeholders on its programs and answer any questions and listen to comments from them on how its programs can be more efficient and effective at meeting the needs of the public. To this end, FEMA has engaged in a comprehensive reform effort to address the concerns of the wide array of stakeholders involved in the ongoing debate about the NFIP. FEMA chose a participatory policy analysis framework to guide the NFIP Reform effort. Policy analysis employs systematic inquiry and evaluation to assess policy alternatives. The participatory policy analysis process allows public decisions to be made in a structured, defensible, and collaborative manner. The effort is comprised of three phases designed to engage the greatest number of stakeholders and consider the largest breadth of public policy options. Phase I focused on the capture and analysis of stakeholder concerns and recommendations. During Phase II, FEMA performed additional analysis of existing data and identified a set of evaluation criteria. In Phase III, a portfolio of public policy alternatives is being developed and will be analyzed using the evaluation criteria. The resulting recommendations will be reported to FEMA leadership. The purpose of the public meetings is to describe, update, and explain straw man policy alternatives and to answer questions and listen to comments from interested stakeholders. Additional information on the straw man policy alternatives has been made available prior to the meeting via the NFIP Reform website and has been posted to Docket ID: FEMA-2010-0065. In addition, through these public meetings, FEMA will accept stakeholder input of the policy evaluation process through the use of a pair-wise comparison method. The pair-wise tool is also available via the NFIP Reform Web site at https://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/nfip_ reform.shtm.

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the S433 bridge over Bayou Liberty, mile 2.0, St. Tammany Parish, Slidell, LA. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. It will allow the bridge to remain unmanned during most of the day by requiring a two-hour notice for an opening of the draw. This deviation will be in conjunction with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to make this deviation permanent.