8828 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 9, 2021 / Notices 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public 

comments about our intention to request 

the Office of Management and Budget’s 

(OMB) approval for a new information 

collection, which is summarized below 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We 

are required to publish this notice in the 

Federal Register by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Please submit comments by 

April 12, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by DOT Docket ID Number 

2021–0002 by any of the following 

methods: 

Website: 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: 1–202–493–2251. 

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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Chandler, 617–866–8679/ 

david.chandler@dot.gov; Martha 

Kenley, 202–604–6879/Martha.kenley@

dot.gov, Office of Civil Rights, Federal 

Highway Administration, Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. 

Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: On-the-Job Training (OJT) 

Program Report. 

Background: The Findings in a 

September 2011 Government 

Accountability Office (GAO) Report 

concerning FHWA’s administration of 

the OJT requirements indicated that 

FHWA needs to strengthen its 

stewardship and oversite of the OJT 

Program. Specifically, the GAO report 

cited, ‘‘FHWA does not know what these 

programs have accomplished or how 

effectively these activities have 

advanced the broader goal of bringing 

underrepresented individuals into the 

highway construction workforce, 

because FHWA has performed only 

limited assessments of these programs 

over their nearly 40-year history.’’ 

The OJT regulations (23 CFR 

230.111(a)) require State DOT recipients 

to determine annually which contracts 

should include Training Special 

Provisions and the minimum number of 

trainees or trainee hours to be specified 

in those provisions. By delegated 

authority from the FHWA Office of Civil 

Rights (HCR), this information is 

submitted by the State DOT to the 

respective FHWA division office for 

concurrence and approval of the total 

number of training slots or hours. This 

total number then becomes the State 

DOT’s annual OJT program goal. 

Once an OJT goal is set, the 

regulations at § 230.111(b) require State 

DOTs that do not meet their annual 

goals to evaluate and report the reasons 

for the shortfall and remedial steps to be 

taken in the next calendar year. This 

information is due to FHWA no later 

than 30 days after the calendar year. 

Notwithstanding these requirements, 

there is no prescribed format for 

reporting this information to FHWA, so 

State DOT reports are varied. Further, 

there is no general reporting 

requirement that would allow HCR to 

evaluate the effectiveness of the OJT 

program nationally in meeting the 

primary objective: To employ, train, and 

upgrade minorities and women in the 

highway construction trades. Without 

any broader reporting requirement, 

FHWA lacks the necessary data to 

provide meaningful stewardship and 

oversight or to measure the effectiveness 

of OJT Programs nationally, as cited in 

GOA’s 2011 Report. In addition, this 

lack of data limits FHWA’s ability to 

respond to requests from stakeholders, 

including Congress, regarding program 

accomplishments. 

The information FHWA proposes to 

collect in its OJT Program Report is 

based on existing requirements found in 

23 CFR 230, Subpart A; therefore, State 

DOTs should have this information 

readily available. Use of the OJT 

Program Report is optional, and it will 

be made available through the Civil 

Rights Connect System currently used 

by FHWA recipients. 

Respondents: A maximum of fiftythree recipients may respond using the 

OJT Program Report provided by HCR. 

Frequency: Every year by January 

30th. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response: The estimated number of 

hours for each of fifty-three (53) 

recipients to compile and submit the 

requested data is estimated to be not 

more than four (4) employee hours 

annually. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: Approximately 212 hours for 

fifty-three (53) recipients annually. 

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. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

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

and 49 CFR 1.48. 

Issued on: February 3, 2021. 

Michael Howell, 

Information Collection Office. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02567 Filed 2–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions 

on the North Houston Highway 

Improvement Project (NHHIP) in Texas 

AGENCY: Texas Department of 

Transportation (TxDOT), Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims 

for judicial review of actions by TxDOT 

and Federal agencies. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces actions 

taken by TxDOT and Federal agencies 

that are final. The environmental 

review, consultation, and other actions 

required by applicable Federal 

environmental laws for this project are 

being, or have been, carried-out by 

TxDOT pursuant to an assignment 

agreement executed by FHWA and 

TxDOT. These actions grant licenses, 

permits, and approvals for the North 

Houston Highway Improvement Project 

(NHHIP), from US 59/I–69 at Spur 527 

to I–45 at Beltway 8 North, in Harris 

County, Texas. 

DATES: By this notice, TxDOT is 

advising the public of final agency 

actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A 

claim seeking judicial review of TxDOT 

and Federal agency actions on the 

NHHIP will be barred unless the claim 

is filed on or before the deadline. For 

the NHHIP, the deadline is 150 days 

from the date of publication. If the 

Federal law that authorizes judicial 

review of a claim provides a time period 

of less than 150 days for filing such a 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 9, 2021 / Notices 8829 

claim, then that shorter time period still 

applies. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carlos Swonke, Environmental Affairs 

Division, Texas Department of 

Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, 

Austin, Texas 78701; telephone: (512) 

416–2734; email: carlos.swonke@

txdot.gov. TxDOT’s normal business 

hours are 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (central 

time), Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

NHHIP includes construction of 

roadway improvements to add four 

managed express (MaX) lanes on I–45 

from Downtown Houston to Beltway 8 

North, reroute I–45 to be parallel with 

I–10 on the north side of Downtown 

Houston and parallel to US 59/I–69 on 

the east side of Downtown Houston, 

realign sections of I–10 and US 59/I–69 

in the Downtown area to eliminate the 

current roadway reverse curves that 

limit capacity, and depress US 59/I–69 

between I–10 and Spur 527 south of 

Downtown to remove the problematic 

weaving sections. The NHHIP also 

includes reconstruction of mainlanes 

and frontage roads; addition of bicycle/ 

pedestrian realms along the streets that 

cross the freeways, including a 15- to 17 

foot-wide pedestrian realm that will 

create a buffer between the bicycle/ 

pedestrian traffic and the vehicular 

traffic; addition of sidewalks along 

frontage roads; and addition of pass– 

through lanes on I–10 that will separate 

traffic desiring to go to Downtown from 

traffic destined to go through 

Downtown. The total project length is 

approximately 25.3 miles. The purpose 

of the NHHIP is to implement an 

integrated system of transportation 

improvements that would manage I–45 

traffic congestion in the NHHIP area 

through added capacity, MaX lanes, 

options for SOV lanes, and improved 

operations; improve mobility on I–45 

between US 59/I–69 and Beltway 8 

North by accommodating projected 

population growth and latent demand in 

the project area; provide expanded 

transit and carpool opportunities; bring 

I–45, I–10, and US 59/I–69 up to current 

design standards to improve safety and 

operations; improve the capabilities of 

I–45 as an emergency evacuation route; 

improve stormwater drainage on I–45; 

and support the projected significant 

increase in travel on the regional 

highways in the Houston-Galveston 

area. 

The actions by TxDOT and Federal 

agencies and the laws under which such 

actions were taken are described in the 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(FEIS), the Record of Decision (ROD) 

issued on February 3, 2021, and other 

documents in the TxDOT project file. 

The FEIS, ROD, and other documents in 

the TxDOT project file are available by 

contacting the TxDOT Houston District 

Office at TxDOT Houston District 

Office, Advanced Project Development 

Director, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 

77251, or by phone by calling (713) 

802–5070. The FEIS and ROD can also 

be viewed and downloaded from the 

following website: 

www.ih45northandmore.com. 

The environmental review, 

consultation, and other actions required 

by applicable Federal environmental 

laws for the NHHIP are being, or have 

been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 

23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of 

Understanding dated December 9, 2019, 

and executed by FHWA and TxDOT. 

Notice is hereby given that TxDOT 

and Federal agencies have taken final 

agency actions by issuing licenses, 

permits, and approvals for the NHHIP in 

the State of Texas. 

This notice applies to all TxDOT and 

Federal agency decisions as of the 

issuance date of this notice and all laws 

under which such actions were taken, 

including but not limited to: 

1. General: National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321– 

4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 

U.S.C. 109]. 

2. Air: Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401– 

7671(q)]. 

3. Land: Section 4(f) of the 

Department of Transportation Act of 

1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and 

Scenic Enhancement (Wildflowers) [23 

U.S.C. 319]. 

4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act 

[16 U.S.C. 1531–1544 and Section 

1536], Marine Mammal Protection Act 

[16 U.S.C. 1361], Fish and Wildlife 

Coordination Act [16 U.S.C. 661– 

667(d)], Migratory Bird Treaty Act [16 

U.S.C. 703–712]. 

5. Historic and Cultural Resources: 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, as amended 

[54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.]; Archeological 

Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16 

U.S.C. 470(aa)–11]; Archeological and 

Historic Preservation Act [54 U.S.C. 

312501 et seq.]; Native American Grave 

Protection and Repatriation Act 

(NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001–3013]. 

6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights 

Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000(d)– 

2000(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious 

Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland 

Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C. 

4201–4209]. 

7. Wetlands and Water Resources: 

Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. 1251–1377] 

(Section 404, Section 401, Section 319); 

Land and Water Conservation Fund 

(LWCF) [16 U.S.C. 4601–4604]; Safe 

Drinking Water Act (SDWA) [42 U.S.C. 

300(f)–300(j)(6)]; Rivers and Harbors Act 

of 1899 [33 U.S.C. 401–406]; Wild and 

Scenic Rivers Act [16 U.S.C. 1271– 

1287]; Emergency Wetlands Resources 

Act [16 U.S.C. 3921, 3931]; TEA–21 

Wetlands Mitigation [23 U.S.C. 

103(b)(6)(m), 133(b)(11)]; Flood Disaster 

Protection Act [42 U.S.C. 4001–4128]. 

8. Executive Orders: E.O. 11990 

Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988 

Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898 

Federal Actions to Address 

Environmental Justice in Minority 

Populations and Low Income 

Populations; E.O. 11593 Protection and 

Enhancement of Cultural Resources; 

E.O. 13007 Indian Sacred Sites; E.O. 

13287 Preserve America; E.O. 13175 

Consultation and Coordination with 

Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514 

Protection and Enhancement of 

Environmental Quality; E.O. 13112 

Invasive Species. (Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance Program Number 

20.205, Highway Planning and 

Construction.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). 

Michael T. Leary, 

Director, Planning and Program Development, 

Federal Highway Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02661 Filed 2–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0442; FMCSA– 

2014–0216; FMCSA–2015–0322; FMCSA– 

2015–0323; FMCSA–2016–0007; FMCSA– 

2016–0008; FMCSA–2018–0056] 

Qualification of Drivers; Exemption 

Applications; Epilepsy and Seizure 

Disorders 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), Department 

of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of final disposition. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its 

decision to renew exemptions for 11 

individuals from the requirement in the 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate 

commercial motor vehicle (CMV) 

drivers have ‘‘no established medical 

history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy 

or any other condition which is likely 

to cause loss of consciousness or any 

loss of ability to control a CMV.’’ The 

exemptions enable these individuals 

who have had one or more seizures and 

are taking anti-seizure medication to 

continue to operate CMVs in interstate 

commerce. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES