61902 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 203 / Thursday, October 21, 2004 / Notices 

Administration (FHWA) has expanded 

this policy through 49 CFR 24.7, Federal 

agency waiver of regulations, to allow 

the State Departments of Transportation, 

at their request, to raise the appraisal 

waiver threshold to a maximum of 

$10,000 and more recently, to a 

maximum of $25,000. This information 

collection involves a survey to 

determine the impact of FHWA’s 

appraisal waiver policy on the 

acquisition of real property by 

agreements with owners, subsequent 

litigation (eminent domain), consistent 

treatment for owners, and public 

confidence in Federal land acquisition 

practices. Also, the FHWA seeks to 

determine the impacts that the FHWA’s 

appraisal waiver procedures may have 

on the State DOTs’ operations. The 

information to be collected will be used 

to determine whether the appraisal 

waiver policy, as implemented by the 

FHWA through its State Department of 

Transportation partners, is 

accomplishing its intended goals. This 

includes, minimizing administrative 

costs, expediting the acquisition of real 

property, avoiding litigation, and 

maintaining consistent treatment for 

owners. The information will also help 

identify and analyze the impact of 

unknown and unintended consequences 

of the appraisal waiver program, as 

implemented by the FHWA. 

Respondents: 50 State Departments of 

Transportation, the District of Columbia 

and Puerto Rico (Right-of-Way 

Department). 

Frequency: This is a one-time survey. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response: 3 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 156 hours. 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspect of this 

information collection, including: (1) 

Whether the proposed collection is 

necessary for the FHWA’s performance; 

(2) the accuracy of the estimated 

burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA 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. 

Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search 

the electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register

published on April 11, 2000 (volume 65, 

number 70; pages 19477–78), or you 

may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 

and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued On: October 7, 2004. 

James R. Kabel, 

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis 

Division.

[FR Doc. 04–23550 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs 

Administration 

[Docket No. RSPA–98–4470] 

Pipeline Safety: Meetings of the 

Pipeline Safety Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety, 

Research and Special Programs 

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice; Meetings of the 

Technical Pipeline Safety Standards 

Committee and the Technical 

Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety 

Standards Committee. 

SUMMARY: Meetings of the Technical 

Pipeline Safety Standards Committee 

(TPSSC) and the Technical Hazardous 

Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards 

Committee (THLPSSC) will be held on 

December 14 and 15, 2004, at the 

Marriott Washington, 1221 22nd Street, 

NW., Washington, DC. The Office of 

Pipeline Safety (OPS) will provide 

briefings on pending rulemakings and 

regulatory initiatives. The advisory 

committees will discuss and vote on 

proposed rulemakings.

ADDRESSES: Members of the public may 

attend the meetings at the Marriott 

Washington, 1221 22nd Street, NW., 

Washington, DC. The phone number for 

Marriott reservations is 1–800–228–

9290. Reservations by attendees must be 

received on or before November 22. 

Priority is given to advisory committee 

members and State pipeline safety 

representatives for a limited block of 

rooms. Any additional information or 

changes will be posted on the OPS Web 

page approximately 15 days before the 

meeting date at http://ops.dot.gov.

An opportunity will be provided for 

the public to make short statements on 

the topics under discussion. Anyone 

wishing to make an oral statement 

should notify Jean Milam, (202) 493–

0967, not later than November 16, 2004, 

on the topic of the statement and the 

length of the presentation. The 

presiding officer at each meeting may 

deny any request to present an oral 

statement and may limit the time of any 

presentation. 

Information on Services for Individuals 

With Disabilities 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meeting, contact Jean Milam at (202) 

493–0967. 

Comments: You may submit written 

comments on the subject matter of the 

advisory committee meetings by mail or 

deliver to the Dockets Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Room 

PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. It is open 

from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. You 

also may submit written comments to 

the docket electronically. To do so, log 

onto the following Internet Web 

address: http://dms.dot.gov. Click on 

‘‘Help & Information’’ for instructions 

on how to file a document 

electronically. All written comments 

should reference docket number RSPA–

98–4470. Anyone who would like 

confirmation of mailed comments must 

include a self-addressed stamped 

postcard. 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register

published on April 11, 2000 (volume 65, 

number 70; pages 19477–78), or you 

may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cheryl Whetsel, OPS, (202) 366–4431 or 

Richard Huriaux, OPS, (202) 366–4565, 

regarding the subject matter of this 

notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

TPSSC and THLPSSC are statutorily 

mandated advisory committees that 

advise OPS on proposed safety 

standards for gas and hazardous liquid 

pipelines. These advisory committees 

are constituted in accordance with 

section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 5 U.S.C. 

app. 1). The committees consist of 15 

members—five each representing 

government, industry, and the public. 

The TPSSC and THLPSSC are tasked 

with determining reasonableness, costeffectiveness, and practicability of 

proposed pipeline regulations. 

Federal law requires that OPS submit 

cost-benefit analyses and risk 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 203 / Thursday, October 21, 2004 / Notices 61903

1A redacted version of the trackage rights 

agreement between NSR and D&H was filed with 

the notice of exemption. The full version of the 

agreement, as required by 49 CFR 1180.6(a)(7)(ii), 

was concurrently filed under seal along with a 

motion for protective order. A protective order was 

served on October 8, 2004.

2By decision served on October 7, 2004, the 

effective date of the exemption was stayed until 

October 27, 2004, to allow for review of certain 

documents, filing of a petition to revoke, and the 

Board’s consideration of the stay request filed in 

this proceeding. Accordingly, consummation of the 

transaction cannot occur until October 27, 2004.

assessment information on each 

proposed safety standard to the advisory 

committees. The TPSSC and/or 

THLPSSC evaluate the merits of the data 

and the methods used in these analyses 

and, when appropriate, provide 

recommendations on the adequacy of 

the cost-benefit analyses. 

In addition to the advisory committee 

meetings, OPS will soon publish a 

separate notice to announce four public 

meetings to be held during the week of 

December 13–17, 2004. These public 

meetings will include sessions on gas 

distribution system integrity 

management, the pipeline operator drug 

and alcohol program, updates to the 

operator personnel qualification 

program, and pipeline safety 

communications. These public meetings 

are being scheduled during the same 

week as the advisory committee 

meetings to afford members of the 

advisory committees, state pipeline 

safety representatives, and the general 

public the maximum opportunity to 

attend both the advisory committee 

meetings and the issue-specific public 

meetings. 

Preliminary Meeting Schedule 

On Tuesday, December 14, 2004, from 

8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. e.s.t., a meeting of 

the THLPSSC will be held. The agenda 

includes briefings on the following: 

1. American Petroleum Institute (API) 

Petition—Changes to Liquid Integrity 

Management Program (IMP). 

2. Response Plans for Onshore Oil 

Pipelines. 

3. Direct Assessment for Hazardous 

Liquid Pipelines (scheduled for VOTE). 

On Wednesday, December 15, 2004, 

from 8:30 p.m. to 12 p.m. e.s.t., the 

THLPSSC and the TPSSC will meet in 

joint session. OPS will provide the 

committees with briefings on the 

following: 

1. Common Ground Alliance. 

2. Community and Technical 

Assistance State Damage Prevention 

Assessment Briefing. 

3. Pipeline Industry Implementation 

of Public Awareness Programs 

(scheduled for VOTE). 

4. Annual Update of Standards 

Incorporated by Reference (scheduled 

for VOTE). 

5. Transportation Research Board 

Report. 

6. Passage of Internal Inspection 

Devices. 

On Wednesday, December 15, from 1 

p.m. to 5 p.m. e.s.t., a meeting of the 

TPSSC will be held. The following 

topics will be discussed: 

1. Gas Gathering Line Definition. 

2. Direct Assessment for Gas 

Pipelines. 

3. Protocols for Gas Integrity 

Management Program. 

4. Technical Studies by Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission and 

Department of Energy.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60102, 60115.

Issued in Washington, DC on October 18, 

2004. 

Richard D. Huriaux, 

Director, Technical Standards, Office of 

Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 04–23588 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Finance Docket No. 34562] 

Norfolk Southern Railway Company—

Trackage Rights Exemption—Delaware 

and Hudson Railway Company, Inc. 

Pursuant to a trackage rights 

agreement dated September 30, 2004, 

between Norfolk Southern Railway 

Company (NSR) and Delaware and 

Hudson Railway Company, Inc. (D&H),1

D&H has agreed to grant NSR 

approximately 155.24 miles of overhead 

trackage rights over the following lines: 

(1) Between milepost 37.10± of D&H’s 

Canadian Main Line in Saratoga 

Springs, NY, and the point of 

connection between D&H’s Canadian 

Main Line and D&H’s Freight Main Line 

at CPF 480, located at milepost 21.70±

of D&H’s Canadian Main Line, a total 

distance of approximately 15.4 miles; 

(2) between milepost 480.36± and 

milepost 611.15± of D&H’s Freight Main 

Line in Binghamton, NY, a distance of 

approximately 130.79 miles; and (3) 

between milepost 611.15± and milepost 

620.20± of D&H’s Freight Main Line 

(including tracks into and within D&H’s 

East Binghamton Yard) in Binghamton, 

NY, a distance of approximately 9.05 

miles.

The transaction was scheduled to be 

consummated on or after the anticipated 

October 8, 2004, effective date of this 

exemption.2

The purpose of the trackage rights is 

to allow for: (1) The overhead 

movement between Saratoga Springs 

and Binghamton of trains by NSR, 

which are currently handled by D&H for 

NSR’s account between Saratoga 

Springs and Rouses Point, NY, pursuant 

to a haulage agreement between NSR 

and D&H, and (2) movements over 

D&H’s terminal trackage, including 

within D&H’s East Binghamton Yard. 

Additionally, traffic moved by the 

trackage rights will be blocked and 

switched in D&H’s East Binghamton 

Yard pursuant to a switching agreement 

between NSR and D&H. 

As a condition of this exemption, any 

employees affected by the trackage 

rights will be protected by the 

conditions imposed in Norfolk and 

Western Ry. Co.—Trackage Rights—BN,

354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in 

Mendocino Coast Ry., Inc.—Lease and 

Operate, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980). 

This notice is filed under 49 CFR 

1180.2(d)(7). If it contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

may be filed at any time. The filing of 

a petition to revoke will not 

automatically stay the transaction. 

An original and 10 copies of all 

pleadings, referring to STB Finance 

Docket No. 34562, must be filed with 

the Surface Transportation Board, 1925 

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each 

pleading must be served on Richard A. 

Allen, Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger 

LLP, 888 Seventeenth Street, Suite 600, 

Washington, DC 20006–3939. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http://

www.stb.dot.gov.

Decided: October 13, 2004.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 04–23450 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Finance Docket No. 34561] 

Canadian Pacific Railway Company—

Trackage Rights Exemption—Norfolk 

Southern Railway Company 

Pursuant to a trackage rights 

agreement dated September 30, 2004, 

between Canadian Pacific Railway 

Company (CPRC) and Norfolk Southern