19752 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 75 / Thursday, April 19, 2007 / Notices 

and concerns voiced by the public and 

the results of the impact analyses. There 

was some support for each alternative. 

Based on the comments TVA received 

during the scoping and EIS review 

processes, there was strong public 

support for maintaining the reservoir 

and the existing recreational uses of the 

reservoir and adjacent public lands; 

Alternative A does this. 

Alternatives C and D would eliminate 

the dam-related flooding. In doing so, 

they would partially or fully eliminate 

the reservoir and many of its current 

recreational uses. They would also 

destroy the wetlands habitats around 

the reservoir, and adversely affect the 

Nolichucky River downstream of the 

dam. While Alternative B would not 

have the adverse impacts of Alternatives 

C and D, it would cost $15 to $20 

million to implement and could result 

in the relocation of many homeowners 

or restrictions on use of their property. 

None of the alternatives would restore 

the recreational benefits that once 

existed at Nolichucky Reservoir and 

have since been lost due to the 

accumulation of sediment. 

TVA has determined that the 

implementation of Alternative A would 

not affect historic properties and has 

consulted with the Tennessee State 

Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in 

accordance with Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act. The 

SHPO concurred with TVA’s 

determination on April 28, 2005. The 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 

also concurred that implementation of 

Alternative A would not adversely affect 

federally listed or proposed endangered 

or threatened species. 

Environmentally Preferred Alternative 

Alternative B is the environmentally 

preferred alternative because it would 

accomplish the project purpose of 

alleviating the flood impacts on private 

land and property, would not involve 

any adverse impacts on the surrounding 

natural and human environment, would 

increase the land area available for 

public recreation, and would enhance 

the conservation of many resources. 

Even though Alternative B is the 

environmentally preferred alternative, 

Alternative A also would not have 

adverse environmental impacts. 

Mitigation 

Alternative A—No Action that TVA 

has selected is not anticipated to 

adversely affect natural or human 

resources, and consequently TVA has 

determined that no associated 

mitigation measures are necessary. TVA 

does commit, however, to providing 

updated flood level information to local 

agencies and individuals so that they 

are better aware of flooding risks. 

Dated: April 13, 2007. 

Kathryn J. Jackson, 

Executive Vice President, River System 

Operations & Environment. 

[FR Doc. E7–7439 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8120–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

[OST–2007–27909] 

Advisory Committee on Impacts of 

Climate Variability and Change on 

Transportation Systems and 

Infrastructure—Gulf Coast Case Study 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting of advisory 

committee. 

SUMMARY: This document announces the 

second meeting of the Advisory 

Committee on Impacts of Climate 

Variability and Change on 

Transportation Systems and 

Infrastructure—Gulf Coast Case Study to 

the U.S. Department of Transportation 

(the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’). The 

purpose of this meeting is to advise the 

Secretary of Transportation on the 

design, implementation and final report 

of Synthesis and Assessment Product 

4.7, which examines how a changing 

climate might affect transportation 

infrastructure and services in the Gulf 

Coast. This research is being conducted 

under the Climate Change Science 

Program. 

DATES: The second meeting of the 

Advisory Committee is scheduled for 

May 16–17, 2007, from 8 a.m. until 5 

p.m. each day. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Tremont House, 2300 Ship’s 

Mechanic Row, Galveston, Texas 77550. 

Phone: 409–763–0300. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Michael Savonis, the Designated Federal 

Official, Office of Natural and Human 

Environment, 202–366–2080, 

(michael.savonis@dot.gov), Federal 

Highway Administration, 400 Seventh 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Through consultation with 

transportation professionals, 

researchers, and partners, the U.S. 

Department of Transportation (DOT) has 

identified a need within the 

transportation community for improved 

information about climate variability 

and change when making transportation 

decisions. A sound transportation 

system is vital to the nation’s social and 

economic future. Investments in 

transportation are substantial, and result 

in infrastructure that is designed to last 

for decades. Transportation plans and 

designs should therefore be carefully 

considered and well informed by a 

range of factors, including consideration 

of climate variability and change. 

Climate also affects the safety, 

operations, and maintenance of 

transportation infrastructure and 

systems. This research will investigate 

the potential impacts of climate 

variability and change on transportation 

infrastructure and its operation, and 

provide guidance as to how 

transportation planners and decision 

makers may incorporate this 

information into transportation 

planning decisions to ensure a reliable 

and robust future transportation 

network. 

The Gulf Coast Study was selected by 

DOT as the first of a series of research 

activities that the Center will pursue to 

address these research priorities. This 

initial product will focus on the lowlying Gulf of Mexico coastal region, 

which has little topographic relief but it 

is heavily populated. In addition, the 

area’s transportation modes are both 

unique and economically significant. 

For example, the Ports of New Orleans 

and Houston are the top two ranking 

U.S. ports in tonnage. Roughly two 

thirds of all U.S. oil imports are 

transported through this region. 

Pipelines traversing the region transport 

over 90 percent of domestic Outer 

Continental Shelf oil and gas. Almost 

half of the Nation’s repetitive flood 

damage claims are paid to homeowners 

and businesses in this region, and the 

efficacy of evacuation during storms is 

an important determinant of the safety 

and well-being of the region’s 

population. This region is subject to the 

direct effects of hurricanes and tropical 

storms. Given its low elevation, the area 

is also particularly vulnerable to 

flooding and storm surges that 

accompany hurricanes and tropical 

storms. These effects may be 

exacerbated by global sea level rise and 

local land subsidence. 

To carry out this study, the U.S. DOT 

published a notice of intent to form an 

Advisory Committee in the Federal 

Register on June 22, 2006 (71 FR 35986). 

That notice, consistent with the 

requirements of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (FACA), announced the 

establishment of the Committee and 

invited comments on the nominations 

for membership. 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 75 / Thursday, April 19, 2007 / Notices 19753 

The U.S. DOT anticipates that this 

will be the last meeting of this Advisory 

Committee. Interested persons shall be 

permitted to attend, appear before, or 

file statements for the record. 

Attendance will necessarily be limited 

by the size of the meeting room. 

The agenda topic for this meeting will 

include a review of the draft report. 

Issued this 13th Day of April, 2007 in 

Washington, DC. 

Robert DeHaan, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation 

Policy. 

[FR Doc. E7–7435 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2007–27389] 

Notice of Request for Comments on 

Renewal of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection: FMCSA 

COMPASS Portal Customer 

Satisfaction Assessment 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

FMCSA announces its plan to submit 

the new Information Collection Request 

(ICR) described below to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and approval. This information 

collection involves the assessment of 

FMCSA’s strategic decision to integrate 

its Information Technology (IT) with its 

business processes using portal 

technology to consolidate its systems 

and databases and launch a 

modernization initiative to create the 

FMCSA COMPASS Portal. The 

information to be collected will be used 

to assess the satisfaction of Federal, 

State and industry customers with the 

FMCSA COMPASS Portal. The Agency 

published a Federal Register notice 

allowing for a 60-day comment period 

on the ICR in October 2006 (71 FR 

61824, Oct. 19, 2006). The Agency did 

not receive any comments from the 

public that were responsive to this 

notice. 

DATES: Please send your comments by 

May 21, 2007. OMB must receive your 

comments by this date in order to act 

quickly on the ICR. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

to the Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, 725 

Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20503, Attention: DOT/FMCSA Desk 

Officer. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Bill Coleman, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; 

phone: (202) 366–4440; fax: (202) 493–

0679; e-mail: bill.coleman@dot.gov. 

Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: FMCSA Portal Customer 

Satisfaction Assessment. 

OMB Control Number: 2126-xxxx. 

Type of Request: Approval of a new 

information collection. 

Respondents: Federal, State, and 

motor carrier industry customers/users. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

142,691 [140,000 motor carrier industry 

respondents + 2,691 State government 

users = 142,691]. 

Estimated Time per Response: 5 

minutes per response. 

Frequency of Response: Three times 

per year (or every 120 days). 

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 

25,106 hours [(5 minutes to complete 

survey × 3 times per year/60 minutes × 

140,000 annual industry respondents × 

.70 (70%) response rate = 24,500) + (5 

minutes to complete survey × 3 times 

per year/60 minutes × 2,691 State 

government users × .90 (90%) response 

rate) = 25,106]. 

Background: Title II, section 207 of 

the E-Government Act of 2002, (Pub. L. 

107–347, April 17, 2003) requires 

Government agencies to improve the 

methods by which government 

information, including information on 

the Internet, is organized, preserved, 

and made accessible to the public. 

FMCSA has made a strategic decision to 

integrate its IT with its business 

processes as it consolidates its systems 

and databases and launches a 

modernization initiative called 

COMPASS. COMPASS is FMCSA’s 

agency-wide initiative to improve its 

business processes; integrate them with 

the Agency’s information systems; and 

make them more seamless, secure, and 

supportive of the Agency’s mission of 

saving lives in the years to come. 

FMCSA’s 21 information systems are 

currently operational. However, having 

this many stand-alone systems has led 

to data quality concerns, a need for 

excessive IDs and passwords, and 

significant operational and maintenance 

costs. Integrating our information 

technologies with our business 

processes will, in turn, improve our 

operations considerably, particularly in 

terms of data quality, ease of use, and 

reduction of maintenance costs. 

In early 2007, FMCSA will launch the 

first of a series of releases of new IT 

applications to its Federal, State, and 

industry customers. Over the coming 

years, more than 15 releases are 

planned, with four planned for the next 

3 years. These releases will use ‘‘portal 

technology’’ to pull together numerous 

services and functions on a single 

screen and provide tailored services that 

seek to meet the needs of specific 

constituencies within our customer 

universe. The FMCSA COMPASS Portal 

will entail considerable expenditure of 

Federal Government dollars over the 

years and fundamentally impact the 

nature of the relationship between the 

Agency and its Federal, State, and 

industry customers. Consequently, the 

Agency intends to conduct regular and 

ongoing assessments of customer 

satisfaction with COMPASS. 

The primary purposes of this 

assessment are to determine the extent 

to which newly released FMCSA 

COMPASS Portal services meet the 

needs of Agency customers, identify and 

prioritize additional modifications, and 

determine the extent that the Portal has 

affected FMCSA’s relationships with its 

main customer groups. The assessment 

will address: 

• Overall customer satisfaction; 

• Customer satisfaction with specific 

items; 

• Performance of contractor (for the 

system) against established objectives; 

• Desired adjustments and 

modifications to systems; 

• Value of investment to FMCSA and 

DOT; 

• Features that customers like best; 

and 

• Customer ideas for improving the 

site. 

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 FMCSA’s performance; 

(2) the accuracy of the estimated 

burden; (3) ways for the FMCSA to 

enhance the quality, usefulness, and 

clarity of the collected information; and 

(4) ways that the burden could be 

minimized without reducing the quality 

of the collected information. 

Issued on: April 10, 2007. 

D. Marlene Thomas, 

Associate Administrator, Administration. 

[FR Doc. E7–7410 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 


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