27946 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 107 / Monday, June 3, 1996 / Notices

1Formerly docketed as Special Tariff Authority

No. 9601.

2 Fuel Surcharge Increase on One Day’s Notice

(Crowley Marine Services, Inc.), Special Tariff

Authority No. 2 (STB May 6, 1996); Fuel Surcharge

Increase on One Day’s Notice (Viking Freight

Systems, Inc.), Special Tariff Authority No. 3 (STB

May 10, 1996).

roadway alignments, expanding existing

railroad service, new railroad

alignments, and bus ways. In

conducting the MIS an advisory

committee was established with

representation from the corridor towns.

During the MIS process, more than

thirty public meetings were held in

addition to five public informational

meetings. At the completion of the MIS,

a scoping meeting will beheld to solicit

public input for the EIS as well as to

report on the findings of the MIS. This

meeting is anticipated to be conducted

in June 1996.

To ensure that a full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues

identified, comments, and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposed action and the EIS should be

directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above.

During the EIS a number of public

informational meetings will be held at

major milestones in the process. In

addition, the Department will hold a

public hearing or hearings

approximately 30 days after the draft

EIS has been made available for public

and agencies review and comment.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program number 20.205, Highway Planning

and Construction. The regulation

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities apply to this

program)

Issued on: May 22, 1996.

Donald J. West,

Division Administrator, Hartford,

Connecticut.

[FR Doc. 96–13769 Filed 5–31–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[STB Special Tariff Authority No. 1] 1

Petition To Allow Short-Term Notice of

Fuel Cost-Related Increases

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of decision.

SUMMARY: On April 16, 1996, the

American Trucking Associations, Inc.,

the Interstate Truckload Carriers

Conference, and the American Movers

Conference (collectively petitioners)

jointly requested the Surface

Transportation Board (Board) to permit

motor carriers still subject to statutory

tariff-filing requirements to implement

fuel-related surcharges on one day’s

notice. After receiving public comment

on petitioners’ request, the Board has

decided to deny the relief sought.

DATES: This action is effective on May

28, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ronald A. Hall, (202) 927–5639.

[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

927–5721.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Petitioners

sought blanket short-notice rate increase

authority to facilitate prompt recovery

of increased fuel costs incurred by

household goods carriers and carriers

participating in joint motor/water rates

in the noncontiguous domestic trade. In

our decision served April 19, 1996, we

concluded that, although they must

themselves maintain tariffs, household

goods carriers do not need short notice

relief because, like most other motor

carriers, they do not file tariffs with the

Board, nor are their tariffs subject to the

Board’s tariff filing regulations at 49

CFR Part 1312; thus, they may adjust

their rates to deal with fuel cost

increases free from the Board’s

oversight. Noting that it was unclear

whether rising fuel costs had a

substantial impact ‘‘on the extremely

limited amount of service that remains

subject to the Board’s tariff-filing

jurisdiction, and hence over which the

Board has authority to grant the relief

sought by petitioners,’’ we sought

comment on petitioners’ request as it

pertains to motor carriers providing

joint-rate service with water carriers in

the noncontiguous domestic trade.

We received only one comment, from

the Distilled Spirits Council of the

United States, Inc. (DISCUS). DISCUS

opposes the relief sought.

We are denying the relief sought. The

initial petition presented general

information on fuel price increases, but

no interest responded to our request for

input on the impact that rising fuel costs

have had on the noncontiguous

domestic trade. Moreover, it appears

that recent fuel price increases have

leveled off. According to information

from the U.S. Department of Energy’s

periodic survey, diesel fuel prices

appear to have peaked during the

second half of April, and have since

begun to stabilize and even drop. Even

on the West Coast—the region hit the

hardest by the recent fuel price

increases—prices have stabilized since

the beginning of the month.

We recently granted individual

applications of two carriers—one water

carrier and one motor carrier—seeking

relief from the 7-day rule.2 We will

continue to entertain individual

requests for relief when appropriate. It

does not appear on this record,

however, that an across-the-board

waiver is warranted.

Accordingly, we deny the broad relief

sought here.

It is ordered:

The petition is denied.

Small Entities

This action will not have significant

economic effects on a substantial

number of small entities.

Environment

This action will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources.

Decided: May 20, 1996.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice

Chairman Simmons, and Commissioner

Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–13802 Filed 5–31–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Agency Information Collection:

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

AGENCY: National Cemetery System,

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The National Cemetery

System (NCS), Department of Veterans

Affairs, has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) the

following proposals for the collection of

information under the provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35).

OMB Control Number: 2900–0232.

Title and Form Number: Verification

of Eligibility for Burial in a National

Cemetery, VA Form 40–4962.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Need and Uses: The information is

used to verify and determine eligibility

for burial in a national cemetery and to

establish permanent records of

interments.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 11,754

hours.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 107 / Monday, June 3, 1996 / Notices 27947

Estimated Average Burden Per

Respondent: 10 minutes.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

70,522.

ADDRESSES: Copies of these submissions

may be obtained from Ron Taylor, VA

Clearance Officer (045A4), Department

of Veterans Affairs, 8l0 Vermont

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420,

(202) 273–8015.

Comments and recommendations

concerning the submissions should be

directed to VA’s OMB Desk Officer,

Allison Eydt, OMB Human Resources

and Housing Branch, New Executive

Office Building, Room 10235,

Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395–4650.

DO NOT send requests for benefits to

this address.

DATES: Comments on the information

collections should be directed to the

OMB Desk Officer on or before July 3,

1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron

Taylor, VA Clearance Officer (045A4),

(202) 273–8015.

Dated: May 17, 1996.

By direction of the Secretary.

William T. Morgan,

Management Analyst.

[FR Doc. 96–13747 Filed 5–31–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P