44314 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 30, 2008 / Notices 

operate in the U.S. The American Bus 

Association (ABA) opposed the 

application, citing safety information 

about Rotel that it located on public 

FMCSA Web sites. ABA expressed 

concern about Rotel’s safety 

performance with regard to drivers, 

CMVs, and overall safety management. 

The Agency has examined the safety 

record of Rotel closely in each of these 

areas, and concludes that, while Rotel’s 

safety record may reflect certain 

regulatory compliance issues, the 

information does not relate to driver 

licensing and their employees’

qualifications to operate large 

passenger-carrying vehicles. The record 

reflects that Rotel is responsive in 

correcting safety deficiencies brought to 

its attention and that, as a result of an 

onsite compliance review conducted by 

FMCSA in 2007, Rotel currently has a 

‘‘satisfactory’’ safety rating, as defined 

in 49 CFR part 385. 

FMCSA Decision 

The FMCSA has evaluated Rotel’s 

application and the public comments on 

their merits. The Agency believes that 

Rotel’s overall safety performance as 

reflected in its ‘‘satisfactory’’ rating, as 

well as the knowledge and skills 

possessed by these drivers as a result of 

the training program to which all 

German CDL applicants are exposed, 

ensure that each of these 22 drivers will 

likely achieve a level of safety that is 

equivalent to, or greater than, the level 

of safety achieved without the 

exemption (49 CFR 381.305(a)). The 

Agency hereby grants the exemption for 

a two-year period, beginning July 30, 

2008 and ending July 30, 2010 for the 

following Rotel drivers: Josef Dangl, 

Reinfried Dangl, Herbert Erber, Helmut 

Erbersdobler, Wilhelm Fuchs, Ludwig 

Gerlsberger, Christian Hafner, Peter 

Hess, Michael Huber, Gerhard 

Kinateder, Hermann Lichtenauer, Franz 

Manzinger, Fabian Maurer, Jens Radloff, 

Rudolf Ramsl, Paul Schlo ̈gl, Walter 

Schreiner, Josef Stockinger, Josef Vogl, 

Klaus Weber, Markus Wo ̈lfl, and 

Norbert Zechmeister. 

Interested parties possessing 

information that would demonstrate 

that any or all of these drivers are not 

achieving the requisite statutory level of 

safety should immediately notify 

FMCSA. The Agency will evaluate any 

such information and, if safety is being 

compromised or if the continuation of 

the exemption is not consistent with 49 

U.S.C. 31315(b)(4) and 31136(e), will 

take immediate steps to revoke the 

exemption of the driver(s) in question, 

as well as Rotel’s exemption, if 

warranted. 

Issued on: July 23, 2008. 

Larry W. Minor, 

Associate Administrator for Policy and 

Program Development. 

[FR Doc. E8–17393 Filed 7–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

Notice of Limitation on Claims Against 

Proposed Public Transportation 

Projects 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration 

(FTA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces final 

environmental actions taken by the 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

for public transportation projects in the 

following areas: Houston, Texas, 

Portland, Oregon, and Orlando, Florida. 

The purpose of this notice is to 

announce publicly the environmental 

decisions by FTA on the subject projects 

and to activate the limitation on any 

claims that may challenge these final 

environmental actions. 

DATES: By this notice, FTA is advising 

the public of final agency actions 

subject to Title 23, United States Code 

(U.S.C.), section 139(l). A claim seeking 

judicial review of the FTA actions 

announced herein for the listed public 

transportation projects will be barred 

unless the claim is filed on or before 

January 26, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Zelasko, Environmental 

Protection Specialist, Office of Planning 

and Environment, 202–366–0244, or 

Christopher Van Wyk, AttorneyAdvisor, Office of Chief Counsel, 202–

366–1733. FTA is located at 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 

20590. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 

5:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that FTA has taken final 

agency actions by issuing certain 

approvals for the public transportation 

projects listed below. The actions on 

these projects, as well as the laws under 

which such actions were taken, are 

described in the documentation issued 

in connection with the project to 

comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and 

in other documents in the FTA 

administrative record for the project. 

The final agency environmental 

decision documents—Records of 

Decision (ROD) or Findings of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI)—for the 

listed projects are available online at 

http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/ 

environment/ 

planning_environment_documents.html 

or may be obtained by contacting the 

FTA Regional Office for the 

metropolitan area where the project is 

located. Contact information for the 

FTA Regional Offices may be found at 

http://www.fta.dot.gov. 

This notice applies to all FTA 

decisions on the listed projects as of the 

issuance date of this notice and all laws 

under which such actions were taken, 

including, but not limited to, the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321–4375], Section 

4(f) of the Department of Transportation 

Act of 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303], Section 106 

of the National Historic Preservation Act 

[16 U.S.C. 470f], and the Clean Air Act 

[42 U.S.C. 7401–7671q]. This notice 

does not, however, alter or extend the 

limitation period of 180 days for 

challenges of project decisions subject 

to previous notices published in the 

Federal Register (e.g., this notice does 

not extend the limitation on claims 

announced in the Federal Register on 

November 2, 2007 for the original 

FONSI issued for the Central Florida 

Commuter Rail Transit Project). 

The projects and actions that are the 

subject of this notice are: 

1. Project name and location: North 

Corridor Fixed Guideway Transit 

Project, Houston, Texas. Project 

sponsor: Metropolitan Transit Authority 

of Harris County Texas (METRO). 

Project description: The FTA and 

METRO have completed a 

Supplemental Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (SFEIS) for the North 

Corridor Fixed Guideway Transit 

Project (North Corridor Project). The 

North Corridor Project will extend the 

existing METRORail Red line from the 

University of Houston-Downtown 

Station approximately 5.3 miles north to 

Northline Mall. The project includes 

construction of eight passenger stations 

and five electrical substations; 

improvements to the existing light rail 

transit storage and maintenance facility; 

and the purchase of 12 additional light 

rail transit vehicles. Final Agency 

Actions: ROD signed on July 1, 2008. 

Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement 

signed on June 4, 2008; Project-level Air 

Conformity determination; and Section 

4(f) finding. Supporting documentation: 

North Corridor Fixed Guideway 

Supplemental Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (SFEIS) signed on 

April 18, 2008. 

2. Project name and location: 

Southeast Corridor Fixed Guideway 

Transit Project, Houston, Texas. Project 

sponsor: METRO. Project description: 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 30, 2008 / Notices 44315 

The FTA and METRO have completed 

a SFEIS for the Southeast Corridor Fixed 

Guideway Transit Project (Southeast 

Corridor Project). The Southeast 

Corridor Project will start in downtown 

Houston; connect to the universities 

area including Texas Southern 

University, University of Houston, and 

the Palm Center; and end at a terminus 

on Griggs Road and Beekman Road. The 

light rail will operate in portions of the 

alignment on both restricted street lanes 

and an exclusive bi-directional 

trackway. For the Southeast Corridor 

Project, METRO will also construct a 

vehicle storage facility, ten passenger 

stations, and a traction power electrical 

system. Final agency actions: ROD 

signed on July 16, 2008; Section 4(f) de 

minimis impact finding; Section 106 

Memorandum of Agreement signed on 

June 4, 2008; Project-level Air 

Conformity determination. Supporting 

documentation: Southeast Corridor 

Fixed Guideway Supplemental Final 

Environmental Impact Statement 

(SFEIS) signed on April 25, 2008. 

3. Project name and location: Portland 

Streetcar Loop Project, Portland Oregon. 

Project sponsor: Tri-County 

Metropolitan Transportation District 

(TriMet). Project description: The 

project involves the construction of 3.3 

miles of double track rail lines in 

existing streets and public rights-of-way 

from NW 10th Avenue and Lovejoy 

Street in the Pearl District of northwest 

Portland to the Oregon Museum of 

Science and Industry in southeast 

Portland. TriMet plans to construct 18 

new station pairs with designs similar to 

those along the existing Portland 

Streetcar alignment. The project also 

includes the purchase of 10 streetcars, 

expansion of the existing streetcar 

operations and maintenance facility, 

roadway improvements, and 

elimination of some bus line service. 

Final agency actions: FONSI signed on 

July 2, 2008; Section 106 Finding of No 

Adverse Effect; Project-level Air 

Conformity determination; Section 4(f) 

de minimis impact finding. Supporting 

documentation: Environmental 

Assessment on the Portland Streetcar 

Loop Project issued on February 8, 

2008. 

4. Project name and location: Central 

Florida Commuter Rail Transit Project, 

Orlando, Florida. Project sponsor: 

Florida Department of Transportation 

(FDOT). Project description: FDOT is 

proposing to operate a commuter rail 

project on approximately 61 miles of 

existing freight rail tracks that traverse 

Orange, Seminole, Volusia, and Osceola 

counties in the greater metropolitan area 

of Orlando, Florida. The project will 

involve the construction of 17 stations 

and a new vehicle storage and 

maintenance facility. On April 27, 2007, 

FTA issued a FONSI on the Central 

Florida Commuter Rail Transit (CFCRT) 

North/South Corridor project stating 

that the project would not have a 

significant impact on the environment. 

Since issuing the FONSI, FDOT made 

several changes to stations on the 

CFCRT project and these changes were 

reviewed in a Supplemental EA 

approved on May 8, 2008. The final 

agency actions announced in this notice 

only concern these project changes 

which are of limited scope and do not 

warrant reconsideration of the entire 

project. Final agency actions: FONSI 

signed on July 22, 2008; Section 106 

Finding of No Effect on Historic 

Properties dated June 20, 2008; Section 

4(f) finding. Supporting documentation: 

Supplemental Environmental 

Assessment on the Central Florida 

Commuter Rail Transit North/South 

Corridor Project approved on May 8, 

2008. 

Issued on: July 24, 2008. 

Susan Borinsky, 

Associate Administrator for Planning and 

Environment, Washington, DC. 

[FR Doc. E8–17482 Filed 7–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Ex Parte No. 670 (Sub–No. 1)] 

Notice of Rail Energy Transportation 

Advisory Committee Meeting 

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. 

ACTION: Notice of Rail Energy 

Transportation Advisory Committee 

meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a 

meeting of the Rail Energy 

Transportation Advisory Committee 

(RETAC), pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 

Public Law 92–463, as amended (5 

U.S.C., App. 2). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 

beginning at 9 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in 

the Surface Transportation Board’s 

hearing room on the 1st floor of the 

agency’s headquarters at Patriot’s Plaza, 

395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20423–0001. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Scott M. Zimmerman at 202–245–0202. 

[Assistance for the hearing impaired is 

available through the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at: 

(800) 877–8339]. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RETAC 

arose from a proceeding instituted by 

the Board, in Establishment of a Rail 

Energy Transportation Advisory 

Committee, STB Ex Parte No. 670. 

RETAC was formed to provide advice 

and guidance to the Board, and to serve 

as a forum for discussion of emerging 

issues regarding the transportation by 

rail of energy resources, particularly, but 

not necessarily limited to, coal, ethanol, 

and other biofuels. The purpose of this 

meeting is to continue discussions 

regarding issues such as rail 

performance, capacity constraints, 

infrastructure planning and 

development, and effective coordination 

among suppliers, carriers, and users of 

energy resources. 

The meeting, which is open to the 

public, will be conducted pursuant to 

RETAC’s charter and Board procedures. 

Further communications about this 

meeting may be announced through the 

Board’s Web site at http://www.stb.gov. 

This action will not significantly 

affect either the quality of the human 

environment or the conservation of 

energy resources. 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 721, 49 U.S.C. 11101; 

49 U.S.C. 11121. 

Decided: July 24, 2008. 

By the Board, Anne K. Quinlan, Acting 

Secretary. 

Anne K. Quinlan, 

Acting Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–17375 Filed 7–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Second Draft Report of the Advisory 

Committee on the Auditing Profession 

AGENCY: Office of the Undersecretary for 

Domestic Finance, Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee on 

the Auditing Profession is publishing a 

Second Draft Report and soliciting 

public comment. 

DATES: Comments should be received on 

or before August 26, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted to the Advisory Committee by 

any of the following methods: 

Electronic Comments 

• Use the Department’s Internet 

submission form (http://www.treas.gov/ 

offices/domestic-finance/acap/ 

comments); or 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES