42624 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices

complete within the requirements of

section 158.25 of Part 158. The FAA

will approve or disapprove the

application, in whole or in part, no later

than November 28, 1997.

The following is a brief overview of

the application.

PFC application number: 97–02–C–

00–ATW.

Level of the proposed PFC: $3.00.

Proposed charge effective date:

October 1, 1997.

Proposed charge expiration date:

January 1, 1999.

Total estimated PFC revenue:

$656,250.

Brief description of proposed

project(s): Baggage Claim Expansion.

Any person may inspect the

application in person at the FAA office

listed above under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

In addition, any person may, upon

request, inspect the application, notice

and other documents germane to the

application in person at the Outagamie

County Airport W6390 Challenger

Drive, Suite 201, Appleton, WI 54915.

Issued in DesPlaines, IL on July 31, 1997.

Benito De Leon,

Manager, Planning/Programming Branch,

Airports Division, Great Lakes Region.

[FR Doc. 97–20867 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

Voluntary Intermodal Sealift

Agreement (VISA) (62 FR 6837,

February 13, 1997)

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting with Tug/

Barge Operators and Charter Carriers.

Introduction

On June 25, 1997, the Maritime

Administration (MARAD) and the

United States Transportation Command

(USTRANSCOM), co-hosted a public

meeting focused primarily on the U.S.-

flag tug/barge and charter carriers to

provide background information and

discuss the advantages of becoming a

participant in the Voluntary Intermodal

Sealift Agreement (VISA) Program.

The VISA program was established

pursuant to section 708 of the Defense

Production Act of 1950, as amended,

which provides for voluntary

agreements for preparedness programs.

After review of a one-year prototype,

VISA was approved January 30, 1997

and published in the Federal Register

on February 13, 1997.

The mission of VISA is to make

intermodal shipping services/systems,

including ships, ships’ space,

intermodal equipment and related

management services available to the

Department of Defense (DoD) as

required to support the emergency

deployment and sustainment of U.S.

military forces.

Subsequent to publication in the

Federal Register, MARAD and DoD

centered attention on enrolling carriers

in the U.S. liner trades in the VISA

program. Currently, 18 U.S. carriers

have enrolled in the program.

MARAD and DoD have expanded

their focus to the tug/barge operators

and charter carriers. Tug/barge operators

are targeted because they can play an

important role in executing contingency

plans. Tug/barge operators can provide

capacity for intertheater logistics and

domestic trade backfill. Charter carriers

are important because they provide

capacity for sealift, prepositioning and

other DoD charters.

The June 25 meeting was attended by

11 representatives, including brokers, of

the tug/barge and charter industry,

MARAD and various DoD agencies to

include USTRANSCOM and Military

Sealift Command.

Purpose of the meeting

The purpose of the meeting was to

establish contact with and inform the

U.S.-flag tug/barge and charter industry

about the objectives and benefits of the

VISA program. The U.S. Government’s

objectives include: assured access to

capacity when needed; contractual

commitment and prenegotiated rates;

and, planned partnership with

commercial sector. The benefits to the

industry include: knowledge of DoD

sealift requirements; fair compensation

for risk incurred; protection of market

share; and, flexibility to provide a full

range of sealift services not just specific

ships.

Advantages of participation during

peacetime

Because enrollment of carriers in the

VISA provides assured access to sealift

services based on a level of commitment

as well as a mechanism for joint

planning, DoD will prioritize the award

of peacetime cargo to VISA participants.

This will apply to liner trades and

charter contracts alike.

The joint DoD/Department of

Transportation/Industry planning

authority provided under VISA is a

significant step forward in fostering a

partnership between industry and

Government. The forum allows the

Government and industry to learn about

their respective needs and capabilities,

and will facilitate better coordination of

combined resources during

contingencies.

Participants

Any U.S.-flag vessel operator willing

to commit sealift assets and assume the

related consequential risks, may be

eligible to participate in the VISA

program.

While vessel brokers and agents play

an important role as a conduit to locate

and secure appropriate vessel tonnage

for the carriage of DoD cargo, they may

not become participants in the VISA

program. However, the carriers they

represent should be encouraged to join

the program.

Commitment

A carrier desiring to participate in

DoD peacetime contracts/traffic must

commit no less than 50 percent of its

total U.S.-flag capacity in Stage III of the

VISA program. Under Stages I and II,

DoD will annually develop and publish

minimum commitment requirements.

To minimize domestic commercial

disruption, a participant exclusively

operating vessel capacity in the

domestic Jones Act trade is not required

to commit vessel capacity to VISA

Stages I and II. Commitment

requirements are based on annual

enrollment.

In order to protect a carrier’s market

share during activation, VISA allows

participants to join with other carriers

in Carrier Coordination Agreements to

satisfy its commercial or DoD

contingency requirements. VISA

provides a defense against antitrust laws

in accordance with section 708 of the

Defense Production Act of 1950.

Compensation

In addition to receiving priority in the

award of DoD peacetime cargo,

compensation during activation is

revenue based on a rate methodology

which is commensurate with risk and

service provided. The rate methodology

determination for liners and charters

continues to undergo development.

Enrollment

In order to participate in the VISA

program a carrier should submit

duplicate originals of the VISA

Agreement to Participate to MARAD.

Once MARAD has reviewed, approved

and countersigned the VISA agreement,

the participant will execute a VISA

Enrollment Contract with the Military

Traffic Management Command/Joint

Traffic Management Command which

specifies its Stage III commitment and

codifies the terms and conditions.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices 42625

1This pooling authority was approved in Finance

Docket No. 27590 (Sub-No.2), TTX Company,

et.al.— Application For Approval of the Pooling of

Car Service With Respect to Flat Cars, served

August 31, 1994.

CONTACT PERSON FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION: Raymond Barberesi,

Director, Office of Sealift Support (202)

366–2323; fax (202) 493–2180.

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Dated: August 4, 1997.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–20839 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 27590 (Sub–No.2)]

TTX Company, et al.—Application for

Approval of the Pooling of Car Service

With Respect to Flat Cars

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board,

DOT.

ACTION: Decision.

SUMMARY: In this proceeding, the

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

provided for the monitoring of TTX

Company (TTX) during the 10-year term

of its pooling extension. The Board

reopened this proceeding to take

comments from interested parties on

whether any of TTX’s activities require

any action or particular oversight on the

Board’s part at this time. No comments

were filed, and the Board is taking no

further action at this time.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This decision will be

effective on its date of service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melvin F. Clemens, Jr., (202) 565–1573.

[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

565–1695.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a 1994

decision approving a 10-year extension

of TTX’s pooling authority,1 the ICC

required its Office of Compliance and

Enforcement (OCE) to monitor TTX’s

operations and to report on any

problems at the end of the third and

seventh years. Pursuant to the ICC

Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No.

104–88, 109 Stat. 803 (1995) (ICCTA),

effective January 1, 1996, the ICC was

abolished; a number of its functions

were eliminated; and its remaining rail

and certain non-rail functions were

transferred to the Surface

Transportation Board (Board), newly

established under the ICCTA.

Because the authority over TTX’s

pooling arrangement was transferred to

the Board under the ICCTA, the Board

is now responsible for monitoring TTX’s

activities. To carry out that

responsibility, on March 7, 1997, the

Board requested comments on whether

any of TTX’s activities require any

action or particular oversight on the

Board’s part at this time. No comments

were filed by any party wishing to

express a concern about TTX’s

activities. Therefore, the Board does not

believe that any further monitoring

action is necessary or appropriate at this

time.

Environment

This action will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources.

It is ordered:

1. No further action by the Board to

monitor TTX’s activities is required at

this time.

2. This decision is being served on all

parties appearing on the service list in

Finance Docket No. 27590 (Sub-No.2).

3. This decision is effective on the

service date.

Decided: July 29, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–20843 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Senior Executive Service; Combined

Performance Review Board (PRB)

AGENCY: Treasury Department.

ACTION: Notice of members of combined

Performance Review Board (PBR).

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C.

4314(c)(4), this notice announces the

appointment of members of the

Combined PRB for the Bureau of

Engraving and Printing, the Financial

Management Service, the U.S. Mint and

the Bureau of the Public Debt. The

Board reviews the performance

appraisals of career senior executives

below the level of bureau head and

principal deputy in the four bureaus,

except for executives below the

Assistant Commissioner level in the

Financial Management Service. The

Board makes recommendations

regarding proposed performance

appraisals, ratings, bonuses and other

appropriate personnel actions.

COMPOSITION OF COMBINED PRB: The

Board shall consist of at least three

voting members. In case of an appraisal

of a career appointee, more than half of

the members shall consist of career

appointees. The names and titles of the

Combined PRB members are as follows:

PRIMARY MEMBERS: Gregory D. Carper,

Associate Director (Chief Financial

Officer), E&P Constance E. Craig,

Assistant Commissioner, Information

Resources, FMS Andrew Cosgarea, Jr.,

Associate Director for Operations, Mint

Kenneth R. Papaj, Director, Government

Securities Regulations Staff, PD.

ALTERNATE MEMBERS: Carla F. Kidwell,

Associate Director (Chief Operating

Officer), E&P, Larry D. Stout, Assistant

Commissioner, Federal Finance, FMS,

Jay M. Weinstein, Associate Director for

Policy and Management & CFO, Mint,

Thomas W. Harrison, Assistant

Commissioner (Administration), PD.

DATES: Membership is effective August

7, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gregory D. Carper, Bureau of Engraving

and Printing, Associate Director (Chief

Financial Officer), Room 113, 14th & C

Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20228,

(202) 874–2020.

This notice does not meet the

Department’s criteria for significant

regulations.

Dated: July 28, 1997.

Gregory D. Carper,

Associate Director (Chief Financial Officer),

Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

[FR Doc. 97–20779 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4840–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900–0544]

Proposed Information Collection

Activity: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Reinstatement

AGENCY: Veterans Health

Administration, Department of Veterans

Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Veterans Health

Administration (VHA) is announcing an

opportunity for public comment on the

proposed collection of certain

information by the agency. Under the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of

1995, Federal agencies are required to

publish notice in the Federal Register

concerning each proposed collection of

information, including each proposed

reinstatement, without change, of a

previously approved collection for

which approval has expired, and allow

60 days for public comment in response

to the notice. This notice solicits

comments on requirements relating to