60-Day FRN Transit COVID-19 Response Program

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Notices
Whittier, AK, to milepost 64.3 of the
ARRC mainline. The previous approval
includes conditions to reduce risks to
public safety and the environment.
FRA’s previous approval letters are
available in this public Docket for
reference.
Although ARRC hasn’t yet moved any
product commercially by rail, under the
terms of FRA’s previous approval, LNG
has been moved commercially in
portable tanks on other rail networks
since 2017 without incident. FRA is
basing this approval on risk assessments
for similar operations it has approved.
An analysis under the National
Environmental Policy Act was
conducted for this approval; it was
determined to be covered by the
categorical exclusion in 23 CFR
771.116(c)(15).
FRA recognizes that public interest
involving the safe transportation of
petroleum products and specifically
LNG is heightened, given recent
regulatory actions. On July 24, 2020, the
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration published a final rule 1
authorizing the transportation of LNG in
cryogenic tank cars with enhanced outer
tanks (e.g., DOT–113C120W9). In the
final rule, PHMSA indicated that 445
comments were submitted to the docket
during the comment period.2 In light of
the heightened public interest in the
safe transportation of petroleum
products, FRA believes it is appropriate
to provide public notice and
opportunity to comment on FRA’s
approval, to ensure that it contains all
necessary conditions to ensure the
safety of ARRC’s LNG operations.
FRA approves ARRC’s request
conditioned on compliance with
appropriate safety measures. All
conditions of FRA’s prior approvals for
ARRC remain in effect, with additional
conditions added to ensure safe
operations. Below, FRA has generally
listed its conditions of approval, but
further details on thee conditions are
available in FRA’s conditional approval
letter in the public docket.
1. Mandatory inspections.
2. Mandatory trainings.
3. Load limitations.
4. Reporting requirements.
5. Container number restrictions.
6. Prohibition on double stacking.
7. Train placement requirement.
8. Speed restrictions.
9. Regular oversight.
10. Risk assessment.
FRA’s approval is effective through
December 31, 2022. If ARRC desires to
1 85

FR 44994.
2 See Docket No. PHMSA–2018–0025 available at
www.regulations.gov.

VerDate Sep<11>2014

19:19 Jun 23, 2021

Jkt 253001

continue operations under this approval
after December 31, 2022, it must notify
FRA of its intent to continue operations
no later than September 1, 2022. If
ARRC desires to modify its operations
from those permitted by FRA’s approval
letter, it must obtain FRA’s approval
before implementing the proposed
modification(s).
Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021–13447 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket No. FTA–2021–0006]

Agency Information Collection Activity
Under OMB Review
AGENCY:

Federal Transit Administration,

DOT.
ACTION:

Notice of request for comments.

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to
request the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approve the extension of
a currently approved information
collection, previously initiated as a
request for emergency OMB approval.
The FTA is collecting this information
to inform FTA actions to support the
transit industry’s COVID–19 recovery
efforts. The information collection
requirements describe the nature of the
information collection and their
expected burdens.
DATES: Comments must be submitted
before August 23, 2021.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your
comments are not entered more than
once into the docket, submit comments
identified by the docket number by only
one of the following methods:
1. Website: www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments on the U.S. Government
electronic docket site. (Note: The U.S.
Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s)
electronic docket is no longer accepting
electronic comments.) All electronic
submissions must be made to the U.S.
Government electronic docket site at
www.regulations.gov. Commenters
should follow the directions below for
mailed and hand-delivered comments.
2. Fax: 202–366–7951.
3. Mail: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Docket Operations, M–30,
SUMMARY:

PO 00000

Frm 00268

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

33473

West Building, Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001.
4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Docket Operations, M–30,
West Building, Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
Instructions: You must include the
agency name and docket number for this
notice at the beginning of your
comments. Submit two copies of your
comments, if you submit them by mail.
For confirmation that FTA has received
your comments, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard. Note that
all comments received, including any
personal information, will be posted
and will be available to internet users,
without change, to www.regulations.gov.
You may review DOT’s complete
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published April 11, 2000, (65
FR 19477), or you may visit
www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents and
comments received, go to
www.regulations.gov at any time.
Background documents and comments
received may also be viewed at the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Docket
Operations, M–30, West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001 between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Candace Key, Office of Transit Safety
and Oversight—Office of System Safety,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop
TSO–10, Washington, DC 20590 (202)
366–1783 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested
parties are invited to send comments
regarding any aspect of this information
collection, including: (1) The necessity
and utility of the information collection
for the proper performance of the
functions of the FTA; (2) the accuracy
of the estimated burden; (3) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the collected information; and (4)
ways to minimize the collection burden
without reducing the quality of the
collected information. Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of this
information collection.
Title: Transit COVID Response Program
(OMB Number: 2132–0581)
Background: COVID–19 continues to
pose significant challenges for the

E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM

24JNN1

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES

33474

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Notices

transit industry. Numerous transit
providers have suspended service and a
greater number have reduced service.
Yet, throughout the COVID–19 public
health emergency, transit agencies
across the country continue to provide
millions of trips to lifeline services,
including transporting healthcare
personnel and other essential workers
on the front line of the Nation’s COVID–
19 response. Transit agencies also offer
additional essential services to support
communities during the public health
emergency, such as meal delivery and
Wi-Fi access in underserved areas.
Many transit agencies are also serving a
critical role in providing free or
reduced-cost transportation to
vaccination sites and appointments, and
using their facilities and vehicles as
vaccination sites. Accordingly, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security’s
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency designates transit
workers as essential critical
infrastructure workers.
Transit agencies and other
stakeholders have expressed concerns
about the risk of COVID–19 to the
transit industry and, along with the
FTA, have taken steps to address these
concerns. Numerous transit agencies
have implemented mitigations to limit
the transmission of SARS-CoV–2, the
virus that causes COVID–19, among
their workers and within their systems.
Despite these efforts, frontline transit
workers remain at high risk for workrelated exposure to SARS-CoV–2
because their work-related duties must
be performed on-site and involve being
in close proximity (<6 feet) to the public
or to coworkers. In addition, many
transit workers fall within racial and
socioeconomic demographics that are at
increased risk of getting sick and dying
from COVID–19.
In December 2020, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) issued
Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA)
for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna
COVID–19 vaccines, and in February
2021 issued an EUA for the Johnson &
Johnson (Janssen) COVID–19 vaccine.
COVID–19 vaccines are available to all
individuals, 12 years and older, in every
U.S. State and over half of eligible
individuals have received at least one
vaccine shot. However, challenges
concerning vaccine access equity and
vaccine confidence continue to pose
obstacles to reaching national
vaccination goals. As a result, it may
take many months before sufficientlyhigh numbers of frontline transit
workers will be vaccinated, though their
communities will continue to rely on
them to provide critical transportation

VerDate Sep<11>2014

19:19 Jun 23, 2021

Jkt 253001

services every day—including
transportation to vaccination sites.
On January 21, 2021, President Biden
issued Executive Order 13998 titled
‘‘Promoting COVID–19 Safety in
Domestic and International Travel’’ ‘‘to
save lives and allow all Americans,
including the millions of people
employed in the transportation
industry, to travel and work safely,’’
requiring immediate Federal action to
mandate masks on public forms of
transportation, including transit. On
January 29, 2021, the CDC issued an
Order requiring the wearing of masks by
travelers, including on public
transportation, to prevent spread of the
virus that causes COVID–19. The CDC
Order requires transportation operators
to require that all persons wear masks
when boarding, disembarking, and for
the duration of travel, with certain
exemptions. Operators of transportation
hubs, which include bus terminals and
subway stations, must require all
persons to wear a mask when entering
and on the premises of a transportation
hub. Subsequently, the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) issued a
Security Directive on February 1, 2021
that implements the CDC Order that is
effective through September 13, 2021.
The FTA published a notice of request
for emergency OMB approval on March
5, 2021. FTA created an information
collection system for respondents to
provide the required information to
FTA. The system was opened to
respondents on March 15, 2021 and the
first reports were due on April 16, 2021.
The FTA plays a critical role in
providing risk-based guidance and
support for the COVID–19 recovery
efforts of the transit industry.
Accordingly, the FTA has required that
respondents provide the following
information using a fillable electronic
online application: Transit Worker
Counts: Total number of transit
operators, other frontline essential
personnel, and other workers during the
reporting period.
COVID–19 Impacts on Transit Agency
Service Levels: Yes or no responses to
indicate if the agency suspended
service, reduced service, or operated at
normal levels during the reporting
period.
COVID–19 Impacts on Transit
Workforce: Cumulative counts of transit
worker COVID–19 positives, fatalities,
recoveries, and unvaccinated employees
during the reporting period, and yes or
no responses on whether the agency is
requiring workers to be vaccinated,
whether the agency has implemented
the CDC Order and TSA Security
Directive requiring workers and
passengers to wear masks, and whether

PO 00000

Frm 00269

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

the agency is using FTA funds to
provide vaccine access services.
Summary of Comments Received
FTA received comments to its notice
of request for emergency OMB approval
from eight respondents during the
comment period.
Five respondents noted concerns with
providing data on the number of
vaccinated workers. FTA has clarified
that while it expects all respondent
agencies to collect and submit COVID–
19 data for all transit workers, if an
agency or its contractor is prohibited by
State or local laws from collecting data
on whether their employees have been
vaccinated, the respondent should not
include these workers in the ‘‘Number
of Workers Not Vaccinated’’ field.
Further, the form allows agencies to
leave this form blank in such a
situation.
Two respondents noted concerns with
collecting information on worker
COVID–19 cases, recoveries, and
fatalities. Agencies should submit
COVID–19 data, to the extent that they
are able to compile such information,
for all workers (employees and
contractors) that support the operation
of the agency. FTA encourages agencies
to report data based on their current
knowledge and understanding of the
COVID–19 impacts on their
organization.
Two respondents noted concerns with
the feasibility of collecting and
reporting, and the level of effort
required to collect and report required
data points. In an effort to reduce the
burden on reporters, FTA has leveraged
its existing Transit Integrated Appian
Development Platform, the platform that
hosts the National Transit Database
(NTD), to facilitate reporting through an
online application. FTA also has made
available a Recurring Form Template
which was developed to assist Section
5311 recipients with collecting data on
behalf of their subrecipients in support
of the Transit COVID–19 Response
Program Information Collection online
application. The template includes the
same fields and options as the Recurring
Form in the online application.
One respondent requested
clarification on how FTA will handle
late reports. Respondents may submit
and/or revise their responses at any time
in either the Baseline Form or the
Recurring Form to address errors or if
updated data becomes available.
One respondent requested the
exclusion of Section 5311 subrecipients
from the reporting requirement. The
reporting requirement is a condition of
FTA funding assistance.

E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM

24JNN1

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Notices
One respondent requested a 30-day
extension of the comment period for the
notice of request for emergency OMB
approval. Respondents will have the
opportunity to provide written
comments to this notice.
Respondents: FTA will require this
information, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5334,
from recipients and subrecipients of
FTA funds under the Urbanized Area
Formula Funding program (49 U.S.C.
5307) or the Formula Grants for Rural
Areas program (49 U.S.C. 5311) that
operate transit systems or pass through
funds to sub-recipients that operate
transit systems. Recipients of FTA funds
under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors
and Individuals with Disabilities
program (49 U.S.C. 5310) may provide
this information on a voluntary basis.
Estimated Average Total Annual
Respondents: 2,390 respondents.
Estimated Average Total Responses:
28,680.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours:
10,356.
Frequency: Monthly through
December 31, 2021, or the duration of
the COVID–19 public health emergency,
whichever comes first.
Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2021–13352 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2021–0075]

Notice of Proposed Agency
Information Collection Activities;
Modification of Existing Information
Collection
Office of the Secretary,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Department
of Transportation (the Department)
invites public comments on a request to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) to approve modifications to a
currently approved Information
Collection Request (ICR). The forms
have been updated to reflect efficiencies
in the application process adopted by
the Department, provide clarifying
information, and make the forms easier
for applicants to use. The general
process of applying for credit assistance
is not changing; applications are still
accepted on a rolling basis. The ICR
continues to be necessary for the
Department to evaluate projects and

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

19:19 Jun 23, 2021

Jkt 253001

project sponsors for credit program
eligibility and creditworthiness as
required by law.
DATES: We must receive your comments
on or before August 23, 2021.
ADDRESSES: All comments should
reference Federal Docket Management
System (FDMS) Docket No. DOT–OST–
2021–0075. Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments on
the proposed information collection
through one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail Delivery: Docket Management
Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The
Build America Bureau at
[email protected] or (202) 366–
2300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 2105–0569.
Title: Letter of Interest and
Application Forms for the Railroad
Rehabilitation and Improvement
Financing and Transportation
Infrastructure Financing and Innovation
Act Credit Programs.
Type of Review: Modification of
existing information collections.
Background: The RRIF credit program
has its origins in Title V of the Railroad
Revitalization and Regulatory Reform
Act of 1976, 45 U.S.C. 821 et seq., which
authorized the Federal Railroad
Administration to provide railroads
certain financial assistance. This Title V
financing program was replaced by the
RRIF program under section 7203 of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century of 1998, Public Law 105–178
(1998) (TEA 21). RRIF was subsequently
amended by: The Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users, Public Law
109–59 (2005) (SAFETEA–LU); the Rail
Safety Improvement Act of 2008,
Division A of Public Law 110–432; and
the Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation Act (Pub. L. 114–94)
(2015) (FAST Act). All applicants for
RRIF credit program assistance are
required to submit a completed
application. 45 U.S.C. 823(a). The
information collection activity request
for the RRIF credit program application
was most recently approved in 2018
(OMB Control Number 2105–0569). See
83 FR 23525 and 83 FR 35534.
The Transportation Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 was
enacted as part of TEA 21. The TIFIA
program was subsequently amended by

PO 00000

Frm 00270

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

33475

SAFETEA–LU, the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act (Pub.
L. 112–141) (2012) (MAP–21), and the
FAST Act. All applicants for TIFIA
credit program assistance are required to
submit a completed LOI and
application. 23 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A). The
existing information collection activity
request for the TIFIA credit program
letter of interest and application was
most recently approved in 2018 (OMB
Control Number 2105–0569). See 83 FR
23525 and 83 FR 35534.
The National Surface Transportation
and Innovative Finance Bureau
(referenced hereafter as the Build
America Bureau or the Bureau),
established by the Secretary on July 20,
2016, in accordance with the FAST Act,
was created to streamline and improve
access to the Department’s Federal
credit programs, including RRIF and
TIFIA. The Bureau was made
responsible for administering the
application processes for the TIFIA and
RRIF credit programs. To streamline and
conform these application processes, the
Bureau created a single LOI form and a
single application form that can be used
by applicants of either credit program.
Both the LOI form and the application
form have been updated to reflect
efficiencies in the application process
adopted by the Department, provide
clarifying information, and make the
forms easier for applicants to use.
Because some key statutory differences
exist between the two programs’
application processes and eligibility
criteria, the forms have been
reorganized to clearly identify where an
item of information applies only for one
of the programs and need not be
answered by applicants of the other
program. The Department seeks OMB
approval to modify the LOI and
application. The forms have also been
reviewed to ensure that all information
requested is necessary for the
Department to properly perform its
functions in administering its credit
programs and updated to reflect the
current statutory requirements.
The LOI asks the applicant to
describe, among other things, the project
and its location, purpose and cost; the
proposed financial plan, the status of
environmental review, and certain
information regarding satisfaction of
other eligibility requirements under the
applicable credit program. The
application serves as the official request
for credit and, therefore, requires the
same information required of the LOI,
plus detailed information about the
applicant’s legal and management
structure, its financial health, the
revenue stream pledged to repay the
loan, and other information regarding

E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM

24JNN1