86442 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 238 / Wednesday, December 13, 2023 / Notices 

rotorcraft from Boeing, through direct 

commercial and foreign military sales. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27277 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Docket No. FAA–2023–0975] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Requests for Comments; 

Clearance of Renewed Approval of 

Information Collection: Experimental 

Permits for Reusable Suborbital 

Rockets 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 

invites public comments about our 

intention to request the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approval to renew an information 

collection. The Federal Register Notice 

with a 60-day comment period soliciting 

comments on the following collection of 

information was published on April 17, 

2023. The FAA collects information 

from applicants for experimental 

permits in order to determine whether 

they satisfy the requirements for 

obtaining an experimental permit. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

submitted by January 12, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles Huet by email at: Charles.huet@

faa.gov; phone: 202–267–7427. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspect of this 

information collection, including (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for FAA’s 

performance; (b) the accuracy of the 

estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to 

enhance the quality, utility and clarity 

of the information collection; and (d) 

ways that the burden could be 

minimized without reducing the quality 

of the collected information. 

OMB Control Number: 2120–0722. 

Title: Experimental Permits for 

Reusable Suborbital Rockets. 

Form Numbers: There are no FAA 

forms associated with this collection. 

Type of Review: Renewal of an 

information collection. 

Background: The Federal Register 

Notice with a 60-day comment period 

soliciting comments on the following 

collection of information was published 

on April 17, 2023, (88 FR 23491). There 

were no comments. 14 CFR part 437 

established requirements for the FAA’s 

authority to issue experimental permits 

for reusable suborbital rockets to 

authorize launches for the purpose of 

research and development, crew 

training and showing compliance with 

the regulations. The information 

collected includes data required for 

performing a safety review, which 

includes a technical assessment to 

determine if the applicant can launch a 

reusable suborbital rocket without 

jeopardizing public health and safety 

and the safety of property. This 

information collection requirement is 

intended for incorporating acquired data 

into the experimental permit, which 

then becomes binding on the launch or 

reentry operator. The applicant is 

required to submit information that 

enables FAA to determine, before 

issuing a permit, if issuance of the 

experimental permit would jeopardize 

the foreign policy or national security 

interests of the U.S. 

Respondents: Approximately 10 

applicants for experimental permits. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response: 18.6 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 

2,567 hours per year. 

Issued in Washington, DC. 

James A. Hatt, 

Space Policy Division Manager, Office of 

Commercial Space Transportation. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27353 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Availability for a Joint Draft 

Environmental Impact Report/ 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Last Chance Grade Permanent 

Restoration Project on U.S. Highway 

101 in Del Norte County, California 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (USDOT). 

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) of 

a draft environmental impact report/ 

environmental impact statement (Draft 

EIR/EIS) for the Last Chance Grade 

Permanent Restoration Project. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans), is issuing this notice to 

advise the public that a joint Draft EIR/ 

EIS is available for review for the Last 

Chance Grade Permanent Restoration 

Project (project), a proposed roadway 

improvement project on U.S. Highway 

101 in Del Norte County, California. A 

separate Notice of Availability of the 

joint Draft EIR/EIS has been issued by 

Caltrans to meet the requirements of the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). 

DATES: This notice will be accompanied 

by a 60-day public comment period 

from December 15, 2023, to February 13, 

2024. The deadline for public comments 

is 5:00 p.m. (PST) on February 13, 2024. 

Caltrans will be holding a Virtual Public 

Open House from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

PST on January 24, 2024. The Virtual 

Open House link and a downloadable 

version of the Draft EIR/EIS can be 

found at the project website: 

www.lastchancegrade.com. Questions 

and comments during the virtual 

meeting will not be considered public 

comments on the Draft EIR/EIS. Public 

comments on the Draft EIR/EIS must be 

submitted in writing to the email or 

address listed below. Comments 

received in writing during the public 

comment period will become part of the 

project administrative record and will 

be addressed in the Final EIR/EIS, 

scheduled for Winter 2025. 

The Draft EIR/EIS discloses the range 

of alternatives considered, those that 

were eliminated from further study, and 

the Build Alternatives being considered 

along with the No-Build Alternative. 

The Draft EIR/EIS details the public 

scoping process and provides a 

summary of the scoping comments 

received including information relative 

to the comments. The Draft EIR/EIS also 

discloses potential impacts, including 

cumulative impacts to environmental 

resources; avoidance and minimization 

measures to reduce potential impacts; 

and proposed mitigation measures to 

offset environmental impacts. 

A public Notice of Availability for the 

Draft EIR/EIS will be printed in a local 

newspaper, a copy of which will also be 

available on the project website. In 

addition, notifications will be 

distributed to the public based on 

information collected during the Notice 

of Intent (NOI) public scoping process 

and on other previous outreach efforts. 

The newspaper ad, email notifications 

to interested parties, and project website 

will provide information on the Virtual 

Public Open House. 

The public can submit formal 

comments on the Draft EIR/EIS through 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 238 / Wednesday, December 13, 2023 / Notices 86443 

email at DEDcomments@

lastchancegrade.com, or via USPS letter 

to P.O. Box 3700, Eureka, CA 95502– 

3700 with Attention to Steve Croteau, 

Senior Environmental Scientist. 

To request the Draft EIR/EIS in 

alternative formats or alternative 

language translation services, please call 

or leave a voicemail message with Myles 

Cochrane, Public Information Officer, at 

(707) 498–4272. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIR/EIS is 

available for review on the project 

website, www.lastchancegrade.com, and 

at the following locations: 

• California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans) District 1 

Office, 1656 Union Street, Eureka, CA 

95501 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

• Main Library—Crescent City 

Branch, 190 Price Mall, Crescent City, 

CA 95531. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaime Matteoli, Project Manager, 

Caltrans District 1, P.O. Box 3700, 

Eureka, CA 95502–3700, telephone 707– 

498–0961, or email jaime.matteoli@

dot.ca.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective 

July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, and 

Caltrans assumed, environmental 

responsibilities for this project pursuant 

to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the 

assigned National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) agency and CEQA lead 

agency, prepared a joint Draft EIR/EIS 

on a proposal for improvements along a 

portion of U.S. Highway 101 (U.S. 101) 

in Del Norte County, California known 

as ‘‘Last Chance Grade’’. 

Last Chance Grade is the 3.5-milelong section of U.S. 101 (post miles 

[PMs] 12.7 to 16.5) located 

approximately 10 miles south of 

Crescent City. The project area is almost 

entirely within portions of Redwood 

National and State Parks. 

The project would realign the 

highway in response to landslide and 

roadway failures which have caused 

damage for decades. The purpose of the 

project is to: 

• Provide a more reliable connection. 

• Reduce maintenance costs. 

• Protect the economy, natural 

resources, and cultural resources. 

Last Chance Grade is located in an 

area of geologic instability; there is a 

landslide complex that is approximately 

3 miles long with more than 30 active 

landslides. This instability has required 

significant expenditures of tax dollars 

on emergency construction projects and 

maintenance activities to keep the 

highway open and safe. Between 1997 

and 2021, landslide mitigation efforts, 

including retaining walls, drainage 

improvements, and roadway repairs, 

cost more than $85 million. There is no 

foreseeable end to such expenditures, 

and effects of climate change may 

exacerbate conditions. A long-term 

sustainable solution at Last Chance 

Grade is needed to address: 

• Economic ramifications of a longterm failure and closure. 

• Risk of delay/detour to traveling 

public. 

• Increasing maintenance and 

emergency project costs. 

• Increase in frequency and severity 

of large storm events caused by climate 

change. 

Over the past several years, with 

input from numerous project partners, 

Caltrans has considered multiple 

alignment alternatives in seeking a longterm feasible and sustainable solution 

suitable for the unique geologic and 

natural features of the project area. As 

a result of these past alternatives 

screening processes, Caltrans has 

elected to move forward with the 

environmental review of two action 

alternatives. The Draft EIR/EIS evaluates 

either taking no action (No-Build 

Alternative) or proceeding with one of 

the two build alternatives (X and F). 

Alternative X would involve 

reengineering and partially realigning a 

1.6-mile-long section of the existing 

highway to minimize the risk of 

landslides. Main project components 

would include 1.6 miles of retaining 

walls along the roadway, an 

underground drainage system to help 

reduce landslide risk by capturing 

groundwater, and strategic eastward 

retreats from the existing roadway. 

Alternative F would involve 

constructing a 1.1-mile-long tunnel east 

of the existing highway to avoid the 

most intense areas of known landslides 

and geologic instability. Main 

components would include a tunnel and 

associated portals, a bridge from the 

northern portal to reconnect to existing 

U.S. 101, and an on-site Operations and 

Maintenance Center (OMC) for tunnel 

support. 

Notifications describing the proposed 

action and soliciting comments will be 

sent to the appropriate federal, state, 

participating agencies, tribal 

governments, and local agencies, and to 

private organizations and citizens who 

have previously expressed or are known 

to have interest in this proposal. 

To ensure interested parties have the 

opportunity to comment and provide 

suggestions on the full range of potential 

issues related to this proposed action, 

the Draft EIR/EIS will be available for 

public and agency review and comment 

over a 60-day circulation period, 

starting on December 15, 2023. Caltrans 

will respond in the Final EIR/EIS 

(expected in winter 2025) to all the 

public comments received in writing 

during the public comment period. 

Following circulation for public 

review and consideration of comments 

received, Caltrans will issue a combined 

Final EIR/EIS and Record of Decision 

document unless statutory criteria or 

practicability considerations preclude 

such issuance. 

Comments or questions concerning 

this proposed action and the Draft EIR/ 

EIS should be directed to Caltrans at the 

address indicated above (under Further 

Information). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Antonio Johnson, 

Director of Planning, Environment and Right 

of Way, Federal Highway Administration, 

California Division. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27287 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2023–0002–N–40] 

Proposed Agency Information 

Collection Activities; Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 

implementing regulations, this notice 

announces that FRA is forwarding the 

Information Collection Request (ICR) 

summarized below to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and comment. The ICR describes 

the information collection and its 

expected burden. On October 2, 2023, 

FRA published a notice providing a 60- 

day period for public comment on the 

ICR. FRA received no comments in 

response to the notice. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before January 

12, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed ICR 

should be sent within 30 days of 

publication of this notice to 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Find the particular ICR by selecting 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES