30-Day Federal Register Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 69 / Tuesday, April 10, 2018 / Notices
in procedures, guidance, or policy. For
example, when the handbook for compliance
with ESA was first completed, it was the
subject of a NEPA chat. The team is aware
of recent changes TxDOT made to the
handbook related to a non-compliance
related to ESA compliance. Based on
information gained from interviews, the team
learned that the changes to the ESA SOP/
handbook were not followed by a NEPA chat.
As a result, we confirmed that most of the
TxDOT Biology SMEs were unaware of the
handbook changes. The team appreciates that
TxDOT has revised its ESA handbook and
urges staff to implement training or other
outreach to inform TxDOT staff of these
revisions.
Audit #4 Observation #8: FAST Act
training.
The Fixing America’s Transportation
(FAST) Act included several new statutory
requirements for the environmental review
process, as well as other changes that change
NEPA procedures and requirements. The
FHWA’s Office of Project Development and
Environmental Review has released some
guidance on how to implement these
requirements and anticipates releasing
additional information. Even though
additional information on these changes is
forthcoming, States under NEPA assignment
are required to implement these changes. The
team learned through TxDOT’s PAIR #4, and
through interviews, that TxDOT has neither
developed nor delivered training to its staff
concerning new requirements for the FAST
Act for environmental review. In response to
this observation, TxDOT is currently
collaborating with FHWA to develop a
presentation on this topic for its annual
environmental conference.

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Status of Non-Compliance Observations and
Other Observations from Audit #3 (April
2017)
Audit #3 Non-Compliance Observations
1. Section 7 Consultation—TxDOT ENV
made revisions to their ESA procedures that
they have shared with FHWA and USFWS
via partnering sessions. TxDOT
implementation and training efforts are still
pending by ENV management on the revised
procedures to ENV and district staff.
2. Noise Policy—TxDOT has informed the
team that TxDOT is in the process of
updating the 2011 Noise Guidelines. TxDOT
will submit those guidelines to FHWA for
review and approval once they are updated.
TxDOT has not indicated whether they
intend to provide training on these
guidelines for TxDOT District Office and
consultant staff.
3. Public Involvement—TxDOT updated
their FHWA approved Handbook in
November 2016. There was one recurrence of
a non-compliant action that was reported in
Audit #3 during Audit #4. TxDOT informed
FHWA that ENV will request that FHWA
review their Texas Administrative Code in
lieu of their previous request that FHWA
review only their Public Involvement
Handbook.
4. Section 4(f)—FHWA did not have any
non-compliance observations in regards to
TxDOT carrying out their assigned Section
4(f) responsibilities during Audit #4.

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Audit #3 Observations
1. A certified project had an incomplete
review—TxDOT continues to certify NEPA
approvals for projects on a list provided to
FHWA. This audit review identified an error
of the inclusion of a project on a certified list.
2. Inconsistent and contradictory
information in some project files—TxDOT
has made ECOS software upgrades recently
that address this problem. This audit review
continued to identify project file errors in the
consistency of information.
3. TxDOT’s QA/QC performance measure
could demonstrate continuous
improvement—Since Audit #3, TxDOT has
developed a new approach to the QA/QC
performance measure. For CE reviews, the
methodology is based on ‘‘yes/no/NA’’
answers to 50 questions (for EA projects there
are 100 questions) based on requirements in
the TxDOT handbooks. The measures are an
average of the individual projects reviewed.
TxDOT has not addressed how this new
measure may demonstrate continuous
improvement.
4. Consider implementing more meaningful
timeliness measures—TxDOT’s response to
the pre-audit information request as well as
in their self-assessment summary included
detailed discussions of the timeliness
measures for CEs as well as for EA projects
that are meaningful.
5. TxDOT’s ability to monitor the
certification and competency status of their
qualified staff—TxDOT has included on its
training SharePoint site a database that
identifies each environmental staff member,
a complete list of training they have
completed, and when that training occurred.
TxDOT’s training coordinator is responsible
for monitoring this database to ensure all
staff maintain their competency and
qualification status per State law as well as
the ongoing training requirement specified by
the ENV director.
Finalization of Report
The FHWA received seven responses to the
Federal Register Notice during the public
comment period for this draft report. None of
comments were substantive; one from the
American Road and Transportation Builders
Association voiced support of this program.
Six comments were unrelated to this report.
This report is a finalized draft version of this
report without substantive changes.
[FR Doc. 2018–07293 Filed 4–9–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA 2018–0002]

Agency Information Collection Activity
Under OMB Review
AGENCY:

Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.
ACTION:

Notice of request for comments.

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

SUMMARY:

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15453

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice
announces that the Information
Collection Requirements (ICRs)
abstracted below have been forwarded
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and comment. The
ICR describe the nature of the
information collection and their
expected burdens. The Federal Register
notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following
collections of information was
published on December 11, 2017 (82 FR
58270).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before May 10, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia
Swain, Office of Administration,
Management Planning Division, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD–
10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366–
0354 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13, Section 2,
109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
two notices seeking public comment on
information collection activities before
OMB may approve paperwork packages.
44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5,
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On December 11,
2017, FTA published a 60-day notice
(82 FR 27958) in the Federal Register
soliciting comments on the ICR that the
agency was seeking OMB approval. FTA
received (1) comment after issuing this
60-day notice. However, that comment
was posted five days after the comment
period expired and the comment was
outside the scope of the Paperwork
Reduction Act and made no reference to
the grant program or any FTA related
programs. Accordingly, DOT announces
that these information collection
activities have been re-evaluated and
certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and
forwarded to OMB for review and
approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
Before OMB decides whether to
approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5
CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
paperwork packages between 30 and 60
days after the 30-day notice is
published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)–(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the
30-day notice informs the regulated
community to file relevant comments
and affords the agency adequate time to
digest public comments before it
renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 69 / Tuesday, April 10, 2018 / Notices

submit their respective comments to
OMB within 30 days of publication to
best ensure having their full effect. 5
CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995.
The summaries below describe the
nature of the information collection
requirements (ICRs) and the expected
burden. The requirements are being
submitted for clearance by OMB as
required by the PRA.
Title: Clean Fuel Cell Grant Program.
OMB Control Number: 2132–0573.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Clean Fuels Grant
Program was developed to assist nonattainment and maintenance areas in
achieving or maintaining the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for
ozone and carbon monoxide (CO). The
program also supported emerging clean
fuel and advanced propulsion
technologies for transit buses and
markets for those technologies. The
Clean Fuels Grant Program was repealed
under the Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21st Century Act (MAP–21).
However, funds previously authorized
for programs repealed by MAP–21
remain available for their originally
authorized purposes until the period of
availability expires, the funds are fully
expended, the funds are rescinded by
Congress, or the funds are otherwise
reallocated.
Annual Estimated Total Burden
Hours: 168 hours.
All written comments must
refer to the docket number that appears
at the top of this document and be
submitted to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, 725 17th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503,
Attention: FTA Desk Officer.
Alternatively, comments may be sent
via email to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of
Management and Budget, at the
following address: oira_submissions@
omb.eop.gov.
Comments are Invited On: Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of
the Department’s estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.

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ADDRESSES:

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A comment to OMB is best assured of
having its full effect if OMB receives it
within 30 days of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
William Hyre,
Deputy Associate Administrator for
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018–07255 Filed 4–9–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

Dated: April 5, 2018.
Jelessa M. Burney,
Federal Advisory Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–07341 Filed 4–9–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0688]

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
VA Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and
Abuse Advisory Committee, Notice of
Meeting
The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) gives notice under the Federal
Advisory Committee Act that the VA
Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Advisory Committee will be held on
May 17, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00
p.m. (CST) and May 18, 2018 from 8:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (CST) at the
Financial Services Center, 7600
Metropolis Drive, Austin, TX 78744.
The sessions are closed to the public
while the Committee conducts tours of
VA facilities, participating in off-site
events, and participating in workgroup
sessions. The sessions are also closed
because the Committee is likely to
disclose information of a personal
nature where disclosure would
constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
The purpose of the Committee is to
advise the Secretary, through the
Assistant Secretary for Management and
Chief Financial Officer, on matters
relating to improving and enhancing
VA’s efforts to identify, prevent, and
mitigate fraud, waste, and abuse across
VA in order to improve the integrity of
VA’s payments and the efficiency of its
programs and activities.
The agenda will include detailed
discussion of data analytics relating to
VA’s Office of Community Care, Office
of Inspector General, claims processing
system, and Treasury Partnership.
During the closed meeting the
Committee will discuss VA beneficiary
and patient information in which there
is a clear unwarranted invasion of the
Veteran or beneficiary privacy.
For additional information about the
meeting, please contact Ms. Tamika
Barrier, Designated Federal Officer, at
(757) 254–8630 or email at
[email protected].

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Agency Information Collection
Activity: Department of Veterans
Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR),
Security for Government Financing
The Office of Management
(OM), Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, this notice announces that the
Office of Management (OM),
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
will submit the collection of
information abstracted below to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and comment. The
PRA submission describes the nature of
the information collection and its
expected cost and burden and it
includes the actual data collection
instrument.

SUMMARY:

Comments must be submitted on
or before May 10, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, Attn:
VA Desk Officer; 725 17th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20503 or sent through
electronic mail to oira_submission@
omb.eop.gov. Please refer to ‘‘OMB
Control No. 2900–0688’’ in any
correspondence.
DATES:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor, Enterprise
Records Service (005R1B), Department
of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420,
(202) 461–5870 or email [email protected]. Please refer to ‘‘OMB
Control No. 2900–0688’’ in any
correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Public Law 104–13; 44
U.S.C. 3501–3521.
Title: Department Of Veterans Affairs
Acquisition Regulation (VAAR)
832.202–4, Security for Government
Financing.
OMB Control Number: 2900–0688.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.

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