Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 4 / Friday, January 5, 2018 / Notices 691 

1 GLTRR states that the transaction described here 

is its initial railroad acquisition. 

2A draft copy of the operating agreement was 

submitted with the notice of exemption. 

3See Effingham R.R.—Pet. for Declaratory 

Order—Constr. at Effingham, Ill., NOR 41986 et al., 

slip op. at 5 (STB served Sept. 18, 1998), aff’d sub 

nom. United Transp. Union-Ill. Legislative Bd. v. 

STB, 183 F.3d 606 (7th Cir. 1999). 

4 GLTRR initially submitted its verified notice of 

exemption on December 8, 2017, but the notice is 

deemed officially filed on December 20, 2017, when 

the Board received the appropriate filing fee. 

By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2018–00043 Filed 1–4–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

[Docket No. FD 36160] 

Great Lakes Terminal Railroad, LLC— 

Lease and Operation Exemption—Rail 

Line of Great Lakes Reloading, LLC 

Great Lakes Terminal Railroad, LLC 

(GLTRR), a noncarrier,1 has filed a 

verified notice of exemption under 49 

CFR 1150.31 to sublease from Great 

Lakes Reloading, LLC (GLR), and to 

operate,2 approximately 12,500 feet 

(2.37 miles) of railroad right-of-way and 

trackage and transloading facilities 

located at 13535 S. Torrence Avenue, in 

Chicago, Ill. (the Chicago Transload 

Facility Trackage). 

According to GLTRR, there are no 

mileposts associated with the Chicago 

Transload Facility Trackage. GLTRR 

states that Centerpoint Chicago 

Enterprise, LLC, owns the Chicago 

Transload Facility Trackage, and leases 

it to GLR. GLTRR further states that the 

trackage is used to transload steel rebar, 

steel pipe, and agriculture and 

construction equipment from truck to 

rail. According to GLTRR, the trackage 

is used in conjunction with 

interchanging with the Indiana Harbor 

Belt Railroad Company. 

GLTRR asserts that, because the 

trackage in question will constitute the 

entire line of railroad of GLTRR, this 

trackage is a line of railroad under 49 

U.S.C. 10901, rather than spur, 

switching, or side tracks excepted from 

Board acquisition and operation 

authority under 49 U.S.C. 10906.3

Although GLTRR states in its verified 

notice that the operations were 

proposed to be consummated on or 

about December 1, 2017, this transaction 

may not be consummated until January 

19, 2018 (30 days after the verified 

notice was filed).4

GLTRR certifies that its projected 

annual revenues as a result of this 

transaction do not exceed those that 

would qualify it as a Class III rail carrier 

and will not exceed $5 million. GLTRR 

also certifies that there are no provisions 

or agreements that may limit future 

interchange with a third-party 

connecting carrier. 

If the verified notice 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 effectiveness of 

the exemption. Petitions to stay must be 

filed no later than January 12, 2018 (at 

least seven days before the exemption 

becomes effective). 

An original and 10 copies of all 

pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 

36160, must be filed with the Surface 

Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20423–0001. In 

addition, a copy of each pleading must 

be served on GLTRR’s representative, 

David C. Dillon, Dillon & Nash, Ltd., 

3100 Dundee Road, Suite 508, 

Northbrook, IL 60062. 

According to GLTRR, this action is 

categorically excluded from 

environmental review under 49 CFR 

1105.6(c) and from historic reporting 

under 49 CFR 1105.8(b). 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our website at 

‘‘WWW.STB.GOV.’’ 

Decided: January 2, 2018. 

By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2018–00020 Filed 1–4–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2016–0325] 

Motor Carrier Safety Assistance 

Program Multi-Year Plans 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Fixing America’s Surface 

Transportation Act (FAST Act), requires 

the Secretary to prescribe procedures for 

a State to submit multiple-year 

commercial vehicle safety plans 

(‘‘multi-year plans’’) and annual updates 

for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance 

Program (MCSAP) grants. In a prior 

notice, FMCSA requested information 

and posed specific questions to improve 

the Agency’s development and 

implementation of multi-year plans. 

This notice announces FMCSA’s 

voluntary implementation of multi-year 

plans. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Thomas Liberatore, Chief, State 

Programs Division, Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 

20590, Telephone (202) 366–3030 or by 

email at Thomas.Liberatore@dot.gov. 

Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 

p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. If you have 

questions regarding viewing or 

submitting material to the docket, 

contact Docket Services, telephone (202) 

366–9826. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The goal of the MCSAP is to ensure 

that there is a partnership between the 

U.S. Department of Transportation and 

the States to establish programs to 

improve motor carrier, commercial 

motor vehicle (CMV), and driver safety 

to support a safe and efficient surface 

transportation system. MCSAP makes 

targeted investments to promote CMV 

safety, including the transportation of 

passengers and hazardous materials. 

FMCSA encourages the States and 

Territories to invest in activities likely 

to maximize reductions in the number 

and severity of CMV crashes and 

fatalities resulting from such crashes. 

This is accomplished by adopting and 

enforcing effective motor carrier, CMV, 

and driver safety regulations and 

practices consistent with Federal 

requirements, assessing and improving 

statewide performance by setting 

program goals, and meeting 

performance standards, measures, and 

benchmarks. 

FMCSA amended its regulations to 

conform to 49 U.S.C. 31102(c)(1), as 

amended by the FAST Act, Public Law 

114–94 (2015), section 5101, and 

removed the requirements for the 

annual plans in the final rule titled, 

‘‘Amendments to Implement Grants 

Provisions of the Fixing America’s 

Surface Transportation Act.’’ FMCSA 

published this rule in the Federal 

Register on October 14, 2016 [81 FR 

71010]. These changes allow States to 

use a multi-year plan, but do not require 

it. 

The FAST Act section 5101, 

amending 49 U.S.C. 31102, required 

significant changes to the Agency’s 

grant programs, including moving the 

border enforcement and new entrant 

programs into the MCSAP for allocation 

via the formula. In addition, section 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
692 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 4 / Friday, January 5, 2018 / Notices 

5106 required a working group to 

develop recommendations for a new 

distribution formula for the MCSAP 

funds. The MCSAP Working Group has 

met four times, to date, and FMCSA 

received the group’s funding formula 

recommendations on April 7, 2017. 

Some States expressed concern about 

moving to a multi-year plan before 

knowing the new formula. With these 

complex changes in progress, FMCSA 

developed a phased, voluntary 

implementation plan for multi-year state 

plans as described below. 

Responses to October 2016 Notice 

In a notice published October 27, 

2016, FMCSA asked 14 questions that 

would assist the Agency in developing 

an information technology system form 

and procedures for submission of a 

multiple-year plan, see (81 FR 74862). 

Twenty-three States and the Owner 

Operator Independent Driver 

Association provided responses. 

Regarding questions on the length of 

the multi-year plan, responses to this 

question varied with some States 

indicating that they are not interested in 

a multi-year plan and some States 

expressing interest in a 5-year plan. 

However, the largest number of States 

recommended a 3-year period. In 

addition, this time period is the best fit 

for FMCSA’s implementation as 

explained below. 

The majority of the States agreed that 

the multi-year plan length should be the 

same for all States. FMCSA agrees that 

this is the easiest implementation and 

maintenance solution. In addition, 

while States indicated that their 

Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP) 

vary in length from 1 year to 5 years, 

almost all respondents commented that 

there was no safety benefit from aligning 

the length of these two planning 

documents because the programs are 

already aligned through the States’ 

SHSP development processes. 

Regarding the accuracy of available 

data, all States confidently reported that 

they can provide complete and accurate 

data, with many States recommending 2 

or 3 years for the multi-year plan. These 

States advised that their responses were 

specific to their recommended 

timeframes. These responses confirmed 

FMCSA’s expectations. 

Many States recommended changes to 

the requirements in 49 CFR part 350 and 

to the electronic Commercial Vehicle 

Safety Plan (eCVSP) to allow grant 

application forms to be submitted in one 

system. FMCSA’s goal is one access 

point for quarterly reporting and eCVSP 

submissions. The Agency intends to 

complete these changes as funds are 

available. 

The States were divided about their 

confidence in multi-year plans that will 

extend beyond the expiration of the 

MCSAP authorization. While some 

States advised that an expiring 

authorization would not cause them 

concern, as long as there was an 

opportunity to adjust the multi-year 

plan based on any unanticipated 

impacts, other States responded that 

they would not be confident in a multiyear plan that went beyond a MCSAP 

authorization period. However, it 

seemed that these commenters did not 

anticipate that there would be required 

annual updates to the multi-year plan. 

The Agency clarifies this in this notice. 

The number of responses supporting 

a phased implementation proposal was 

nearly equal to the responses supporting 

all States concurrently instituting a 

multi-year plan. However, FMCSA 

believes that a phased-in approach will 

best allow the Agency to test the new 

eCVSP and make needed modifications 

as States start using the revised 

application and updated modules. 

The States requested additional 

elements and features in the multi-year 

plan. FMCSA will consider these for the 

FY 2019 eCVSP process. FMCSA 

determined which eCVSP data fields 

States must validate or update annually, 

which include prior-year activity 

objectives, current-year activity goals, 

current-year spending plans, etc. 

With the exception of the few States 

that currently want to remain with a 1- 

year plan; the majority of States agreed 

that there is no benefit to an annual 

plan. As described in the Agency’s 

implementation information below, the 

multi-year plan will be a 3-year plan 

with information carrying over from one 

year to the next, where appropriate. 

Regarding the requirement for States/ 

Territories to provide detailed spending 

plans or estimate their costs utilizing 

the SF–424A budget categories for the 

multi-year plan and annual update in 

the eCVSP tool, all of the States’ 

comments supported the use of the SF– 

424A. Several States commented that 

the existing requirements for detailed 

budgets is impractical and results in 

more changes. 

Several States requested changes that 

require statutory or regulatory updates, 

such as the period of time the funds are 

available, the order the funds must be 

expensed, and the percentage of budget 

changes allowed without formal Agency 

approval. These issues are not within 

the scope of this notice. 

Implementation 

Phased-In Schedule 

FMCSA considered the October 27, 

2016, Federal Register Notice 

comments, the status of the FAST Act 

Formula Working Group’s 

recommendations, and necessary eCVSP 

tool modifications. As a result, FMCSA 

decided that the FY 2018 eCVSP would 

allow at least 18 States and Territories 

to complete a multi-year plan based on 

the States that volunteered. The 3-year 

plan for this group of States will include 

FYs 2018, 2019, and 2020. All other 

States will submit 1-year eCVSP for the 

FY 2018 MCSAP applications. 

Using the experience and feedback of 

the FY 2018 users, FMCSA intends to 

make any necessary modifications prior 

to the FY 2019 eCVSP process. As a 

result, FMCSA will then solicit another 

group of States to volunteer to start their 

3-year plans by August 1, 2018. The 3- 

year plan for these States will include 

FYs 2019, 2020, and 2021. States that 

did not move to the 3-year plan in FY 

2018 or FY 2019 will have the option to 

complete the 1-year eCVSP. 

FMCSA expects that the remaining 

States will move to the 3-year eCVSP by 

August 1, 2019. This group of States 

will complete their 3-year plans for FYs 

2020, 2021, and 2022. If a State is 

unable to transition to a 3-year plan, 

States can continue to submit 1-year 

eCVSP until FMCSA decides whether or 

not to require the multi-year plan. 

FMCSA expects that States will 

remain on one of these 3-year planning 

cycles, with the States that begin 

submitting multi-year plans in FY 2017 

for FY 2018 grants to submit a complete 

a 3-year plan again in 2020 for the FY 

2021 grants. As a result of distributing 

State’s complete plans across three years 

and only requiring annual updates, 

FMCSA anticipates the workload of the 

States to decrease by 40 percent, as 

information will carry over (unless 

authorization requires changes). 

Additionally, FMCSA expects that this 

change will improve and expedite the 

Agency’s eCVSP reviews. 

First Year of the 3-Year Plan 

FMCSA is modifying the eCVSP to 

allow States to submit the following 

information/documentation in the first 

year of the 3-year plan: 

1. eCVSP with program goals for all 3 

years; 

2. Certification of MCSAP 

Conformance; 

3. Annual Certification of 

Compatibility; 

4. New Laws and Regulations; and 

5. Substantiation of Maintenance of 

Effort (MOE) Calculations. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 4 / Friday, January 5, 2018 / Notices 693 

States will submit the following 

documentation in the Grants.gov 

system: 

1. SF–424 Application for Federal 

Assistance; 

2. SF–424A Budget Information for 

Non-Construction Programs; 

3. SF–424B Assurances for NonConstruction Programs; 

4. Grants.gov Lobbying Form; 

5. SF–LLL Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities, as required; 

6. Key Contacts Form; 

7. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement; 

8. Title VI Assurance; and 

9. Supplemental Attachments. 

Second and Third Years of 3-Year Plan 

In the second and third years of the 

3-year plan, FMCSA is planning for 

States to revise budgets to reflect current 

costs and revise program goals and 

certifications, if needed, as part of the 

annual update and to submit the 

Substantiation of MOE Calculations. 

Unanticipated Funding or Program 

Changes 

FMCSA will require States to update 

their 3-year plan if there are unexpected 

changes in funding or authorization 

resulting in different requirements and 

will notify States accordingly. 

Additional Information 

For other information on this 

program, please see https://

www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants/mcsap-basicincentive-grant/motor-carrier-safetyassistance-program-mcsap-grant. 

Issued on: December 20, 2017. 

Cathy F Gautreaux, 

Deputy Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2018–00014 Filed 1–4–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2017–0319] 

Parts and Accessories Necessary for 

Safe Operation; Application for an 

Exemption From the Agricultural and 

Food Transporters Conference of 

American Trucking Associations 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of application for 

exemption; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

requests public comment on an 

application for exemption from the 

Agricultural and Food Transporters 

Conference (AFTC) of the American 

Trucking Associations (ATA) to allow 

certain alternate methods for the 

securement of agricultural commodities 

transported in wood and plastic boxes 

and bins and large fiberglass tubs, and 

hay, straw, and cotton bales that are 

grouped together into large singular 

units. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Regulations (FMCSR) generally require 

loads to be secured by a minimum 

number of tiedowns based on article 

length, and the aggregate working load 

limit of those tiedowns must be at least 

one-half times the weight of the article 

or group of articles being transported. 

Based on the results of a comprehensive 

test program conducted by FMCSA in 

collaboration with the California 

Highway Patrol (CHP), the California 

Department of Food and Agriculture, 

the California Trucking Association, and 

others, AFTC believes that use of certain 

alternate cargo securement methods will 

maintain a level of safety that is 

equivalent to, or greater than, the level 

of safety achieved without the 

exemption because the test results 

confirmed that the performance 

requirements of the regulations are met 

when using the alternate securement 

methods. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before February 5, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

bearing the Federal Docket Management 

System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA– 

2017–0319 using any of the following 

methods: 

• Website: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on the Federal electronic docket site. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, DOT Building, 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. e.t., Monday– 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the Agency name and docket 

number for this notice. For detailed 

instructions on submitting comments 

and additional information on the 

exemption process, see the ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ heading below. Note that 

all comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. Please 

see the ‘‘Privacy Act’’ heading for 

further information. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov or to Room W12– 

140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 

U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 

from the public to better inform its 

rulemaking process. DOT posts these 

comments, without edit, including any 

personal information the commenter 

provides, to www.regulations.gov, as 

described in the system of records 

notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can 

be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. 

Public participation: The http://

www.regulations.gov website is 

generally available 24 hours each day, 

365 days each year. You may find 

electronic submission and retrieval help 

and guidelines under the ‘‘help’’ section 

of the http://www.regulations.gov 

website as well as the DOT’s http://

docketsinfo.dot.gov website. If you 

would like notification that we received 

your comments, please include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope or 

postcard or print the acknowledgment 

page that appears after submitting 

comments online. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Luke Loy, Vehicle and Roadside 

Operations Division, Office of Carrier, 

Driver, and Vehicle Safety, MC–PSV, 

(202) 366–0676, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 4007 of the Transportation 

Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA– 

21) [Pub. L. 105–178, June 9, 1998, 112 

Stat. 401] amended 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 

31136(e) to provide authority to grant 

exemptions from the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). 

On August 20, 2004, FMCSA published 

a final rule (69 FR 51589) implementing 

section 4007. Under this rule, FMCSA 

must publish a notice of each exemption 

request in the Federal Register (49 CFR 

381.315(a)). The Agency must provide 

the public with an opportunity to 

inspect the information relevant to the 

application, including any safety 

analyses that have been conducted. The 

Agency must also provide an 

opportunity for public comment on the 

request. 

The Agency reviews the safety 

analyses and the public comments and 

determines whether granting the 

exemption would likely achieve a level 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES