30 day Federal Register Notice

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 177 / Thursday, September 16, 2021 / Notices
ACTION:

Notice.

The Secretary of
Transportation, as represented by the
Maritime Administration (MARAD), is
authorized to issue coastwise
endorsement eligibility determinations
for foreign-built vessels which will carry
no more than twelve passengers for hire.
A request for such a determination has
been received by MARAD. By this
notice, MARAD seeks comments from
interested parties as to any effect this
action may have on U.S. vessel builders
or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.flag vessels. Information about the
requestor’s vessel, including a brief
description of the proposed service, is
listed below.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
October 18, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD–2021–0211 by any one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov. Search
MARAD–2021–0211 and follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket
Management Facility is in the West
Building, Ground Floor of the U.S.
Department of Transportation. The
Docket Management Facility location
address is: U.S. Department of
Transportation, MARAD–2021–0211,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West
Building, Room W12–140, Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except on
Federal holidays.
SUMMARY:

Note: If you mail or hand-deliver your
comments, we recommend that you include
your name and a mailing address, an email
address, or a telephone number in the body
of your document so that we can contact you
if we have questions regarding your
submission.

Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
specific docket number. All comments
received will be posted without change
to the docket at www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided. For detailed instructions on
submitting comments, or to submit
comments that are confidential in
nature, see the section entitled Public
Participation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James Mead, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Maritime
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W23–459,
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202–
366–5723, Email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As
described in the application, the

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intended service of the vessel
PAPILLON is:

May I submit comments confidentially?

—Intended Commercial Use of Vessel:
‘‘The vessel will be used for passenger
charters.’’
—Geographic Region Including Base of
Operations: ‘‘California’’ (Base of
Operations: Berkeley, CA)
—Vessel Length and Type: 70.0′ Motor
The complete application is available
for review identified in the DOT docket
as MARAD 2021–0211 at http://
www.regulations.gov. Interested parties
may comment on the effect this action
may have on U.S. vessel builders or
businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag
vessels. If MARAD determines, in
accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and
MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part
388, that the employment of the vessel
in the coastwise trade to carry no more
than 12 passengers will have an unduly
adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or
a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in
that business, MARAD will not issue an
approval of the vessel’s coastwise
endorsement eligibility. Comments
should refer to the vessel name, state the
commenter’s interest in the application,
and address the eligibility criteria given
in section 388.4 of MARAD’s
regulations at 46 CFR part 388.
Public Participation
How do I submit comments?
Please submit your comments,
including the attachments, following the
instructions provided under the above
heading entitled ADDRESSES. Be advised
that it may take a few hours or even
days for your comment to be reflected
on the docket. In addition, your
comments must be written in English.
We encourage you to provide concise
comments and you may attach
additional documents as necessary.
There is no limit on the length of the
attachments.
Where do I go to read public
comments, and find supporting
information?
Go to the docket online at http://
www.regulations.gov, keyword search
MARAD–2021–0211 or visit the Docket
Management Facility (see ADDRESSES for
hours of operation). We recommend that
you periodically check the Docket for
new submissions and supporting
material.
Will my comments be made available to
the public?
Yes. Be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal
identifying information, will be made
publicly available.

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If you wish to submit comments
under a claim of confidentiality, you
should submit the information you
claim to be confidential commercial
information by email to SmallVessels@
dot.gov. Include in the email subject
heading ‘‘Contains Confidential
Commercial Information’’ or ‘‘Contains
CCI’’ and state in your submission, with
specificity, the basis for any such
confidential claim highlighting or
denoting the CCI portions. If possible,
please provide a summary of your
submission that can be made available
to the public.
In the event MARAD receives a
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request for the information, procedures
described in the Department’s FOIA
regulation at 49 CFR 7.29 will be
followed. Only information that is
ultimately determined to be confidential
under those procedures will be exempt
from disclosure under FOIA.
Privacy Act
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c),
DOT solicits comments from the public
to better inform its rulemaking process.
DOT posts these comments, without
edit, to www.regulations.gov, as
described in the system of records
notice, DOT/ALL–14 FDMS, accessible
through www.dot.gov/privacy. To
facilitate comment tracking and
response, we encourage commenters to
provide their name, or the name of their
organization; however, submission of
names is completely optional. Whether
or not commenters identify themselves,
all timely comments will be fully
considered.
(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93(a), 46 U.S.C. 55103,
46 U.S.C. 12121)

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By Order of the Acting Maritime
Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021–20040 Filed 9–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–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:

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51718

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 177 / Thursday, September 16, 2021 / Notices

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces that the Information
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted
below is being forwarded to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comments. A Federal
Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the
following information collection was
published June 24, 2021, and the
comment period ended August 23, 2021.
One comment related to the ICR was
submitted into the docket. The comment
proposed striking the existing
requirement that an original Application
should be provided in three-hole punch
binders as part of the application
process. The Build America Bureau has
accepted this comment and removed the
requirement that an original Application
should be provided in three-hole punch
binders for each loan application.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted directly to the OMB by
October 18, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be submitted to the attention of the
DOT/OST Desk Officer, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget,
Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by
email at OIRA_submission@
omb.eop.gov with the associated OMB
Control Number 2105–0569.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Approval No.: 2138–0013.
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 collection.
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
SUMMARY:

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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
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 Letter of Interest
(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

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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
satisfaction of eligibility requirements.
TIFIA and RRIF credit assistance is
awarded based on a project’s
satisfaction of TIFIA and RRIF (as
applicable) eligibility requirements. The
Department is authorized to prescribe
the form and contents of the LOI and
application. 45 U.S.C. 823 and 23 U.S.C.
601(a)(6).
Respondents: State and local
governments, transit agencies,
government-sponsored authorities,
special authorities, special districts,
ports, private railroads, and certain
other private entities.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: Based on the number and
type of interested stakeholders that have
contacted the Department about the
RRIF and TIFIA programs in fiscal years
(FY) 2018–2021, the Department
estimates that it will receive, on an
annual basis, eight (8) RRIF LOIs, twelve
(12) TIFIA LOIs, eight (8) RRIF
applications, and twelve (12) TIFIA
applications.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: The Department estimates that it
will generally take applicants not fewer
than twenty (20) person-hours to
assemble a single LOI (for either credit
program) and not fewer than one
hundred (100) person-hours to assemble
a single application (for either credit
program). (Person-hour estimates
provided for a RRIF application assume
that the applicant will initially submit
an LOI, reducing the number of personhours spent on the application.) Based
on the anticipated annual total number
of respondents, the total annual hour
burden of this collection for RRIF LOIs
and applications is 960 and for TIFIA
LOIs and applications is 1,440 hours.
Frequency of Collection: This
information collection will occur on a
rolling basis as interested entities seek
RRIF or TIFIA credit assistance.
Public Comments Invited: The
Department invites interested
respondents to comment on a proposed
information collection activity
(summarized below) with respect to: (i)
Whether the information collection
activities are necessary for the
Department to properly execute its
functions, including whether the

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 177 / Thursday, September 16, 2021 / Notices
activities will have practical utility; (ii)
the accuracy of the Department’s
estimates of the burden of the
information collection activities,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used to
determine the estimates; (iii) ways for
the Department to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information
being collected; and (iv) ways for the
Department to minimize the burden of
information collection activities on the
public by automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology (e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses). See
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(i)–(iv); 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1)(i)–(iv). The Department
believes that soliciting public comment
will promote its efforts to reduce the
administrative and paperwork burdens
associated with the collection of
information mandated by Federal
regulations. In summary, the
Department reasons that comments
received will advance three objectives:
(i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure
that it organizes information collection
requirements in a ‘‘user friendly’’ format
to improve the use of such information;
and (iii) accurately assess the resources
expended to retrieve and produce
information requested. See 44 U.S.C.
3501.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as
amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 9,
2021.
Morteza Farajian,
Executive Director, the Build America Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2021–19945 Filed 9–15–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2021–0106]

America’s Supply Chains and the
Transportation Industrial Base
Notice of request for
information.

ACTION:

On February 24, 2021,
President Biden issued an Executive
Order, ‘‘America’s Supply Chains,’’
which directs several Federal agency
actions to secure and strengthen
America’s supply chains. On June 8,
2021, the President also established a
Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force—
co-chaired by the Secretaries of
Transportation, Agriculture, and
Commerce—to address near term supply
chain challenges, with a focus on

SUMMARY:

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alleviating bottlenecks and supply
constraints in the transportation sector,
particularly for ports, rail, and trucking.
The Executive Order requires the
Secretary of Transportation to submit,
within one year, a report to the
President on supply chains for the
transportation industrial base. DOT’s
one-year assessment will build off the
work of the Supply Chains Disruption
Task Force and focus on the freight and
logistics sector, with the goal of
strengthening resilience among
transportation supply chains. This
notice requests information from the
public to assist the Department of
Transportation in preparing the report
required by the Executive Order and
solicits practical solutions from a broad
range of stakeholders to address current
and future challenges to supply chain
resilience in the freight and logistics
sector.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before October 18, 2021. DOT will
consider comments filed after this date
to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by Docket Number DOT–
OST–2021–0106 by any of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submission: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov. Search by using
the docket number (provided above).
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments on the electronic docket site.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building,
Ground Floor (W12–140), Washington,
DC 20590–0001.
• Hand Delivery: W12–140 of the
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the agency name and docket
numbers.
Note: All comments received, including
any personal information, will be posted
without change to the docket and is
accessible via http://www.regulations.gov.
Input submitted online via
www.regulations.gov is not immediately
posted to the site. It may take several
business days before your submission is
posted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ryan Endorf at [email protected] or
at 202–366–4835.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: On February 24, 2021,
President Biden issued Executive Order
14017, ‘‘America’s Supply Chains’’ (86
FR 11849) (E.O. 14017). E.O. 14017
focuses on the need for resilient,

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51719

diverse, and secure supply chains to
ensure U.S. economic prosperity and
national security. Such supply chains
are needed to address conditions that
can reduce critical manufacturing
capacity and the availability and
integrity of critical goods, products, and
services. Section 4 of E.O. 14017 directs
that within one year, the Secretary of
Transportation shall submit a report to
the President, through the Assistant to
the President for National Security
Affairs (APNSA) and the Assistant to
the President for Economic Policy
(APEP), on supply chains for the
transportation industrial base. Per the
Executive Order, the Secretary shall
determine what constitutes the
‘‘transportation industrial base’’ for
purposes of the report. President Biden
has also established a Supply Chain
Disruptions Task Force—co-chaired by
the Secretaries of Transportation,
Agriculture, and Commerce—to address
near term supply chain challenges, with
a focus on alleviating bottlenecks and
supply constraints in the transportation
sector, particularly for ports, rail, and
trucking.
The transportation industry in the
U.S. is both vast and varied and
underpins much of the economic
activity that takes place in other sectors.
It includes both the vehicles required to
move goods and people and the roads,
rails, waterways, and airways over
which those vehicles travel. It includes
cargo and passenger terminals that
provide for the transfer of people and
goods between vehicles and modes. It
includes the control and information
systems that allow the network to
operate smoothly and efficiently and
enable users to make the most
advantageous choices about their use of
that network. It includes public and
private providers of transportation
services and the operation of privately
owned personal vehicles.
In fulfilling this requirement, the
Department intends to produce a report
on the Nation’s freight and logistics
sector, focused on how the freight
system supports supply chains and any
challenges and resilience issues within
that system. DOT has heard from many
stakeholders about issues related to
bottlenecks on highways, rail, and at
ports, as well as severe container/
chassis shortages and lack of adequate
warehousing capacity, particularly
around the nation’s largest ports. The
resiliency of the freight system is also a
key aspect of supply chain resiliency
across the rest of the economy,
including the critical products being
addressed in the one-year reports being
developed by other agencies.

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