2014-19031. Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for the Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on May 19, 2014. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

DATES:

Please submit comments by September 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID 2014-0027 by any of the following methods:

Web site: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Fax: [phone].

Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Emergency Relief Funding Applications.

OMB Control #: 2125-0525.

Background: Congress authorized in Title 23, United States Code, Section 125, a special program from the Highway Trust Fund for the repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal lands which have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause. This program, commonly referred to as the Emergency Relief or ER program, supplements the commitment of resources by States, their political subdivisions, or other Federal agencies to help pay for unusually heavy expenses resulting from extraordinary conditions. The applicability of the ER program to a natural disaster is based on the extent and intensity of the disaster. Damage to highways must be severe, occur over a wide area, and result in unusually high expenses to the highway agency. Examples of natural disasters include floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, tidal waves, severe storms, and landslides. Applicability of the ER program to a catastrophic failure due to an external cause is based on the criteria that the failure was not the result of an inherent flaw in the facility but was sudden, caused a disastrous impact on transportation services, and resulted in unusually high expenses to the highway agency. A bridge suddenly collapsing after being struck by a barge is an example of a catastrophic failure from an external cause. The ER program provides for repair and restoration of highway facilities to pre-disaster conditions. Restoration in kind is therefore the predominant type of repair expected to be accomplished with ER funds. Generally, all elements of the damaged highway within its cross section are eligible for ER funds. Roadway items that are eligible may include: pavement, shoulders, slopes and embankments, guardrail, signs and traffic control devices, bridges, culverts, bike and pedestrian paths, fencing, and retaining walls. Other eligible items may include: engineering and right-of-way costs, debris removal, transportation system management strategies, administrative expenses, and equipment rental expenses. This information collection is needed for the FHWA to fulfill its statutory obligations regarding funding determinations for ER eligible damages following a disaster. The regulations covering the FHWA ER program are contained in 23 CFR Part 668.

Respondents: 50 State Transportation Departments, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

Estimated Average Annual Burden: The respondents submit an estimated total of 30 applications each year. Each application requires an estimated average of 250 hours to complete.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Total estimated average annual burden is 7,500 hours.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the U.S. DOT's performance, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the U.S. DOT's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information collection.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued On: August 5, 2014.

Michael Howell,

Information Collection Officer.