Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 190 / Tuesday, September 30, 2008 / Notices 56857 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Office of the Secretary 

Privacy Act of 1974; Retirement of 

System of Records 

AGENCY: Privacy Office, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of the retirement of one 

Privacy Act system of records notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of 

Homeland Security is giving notice that 

it proposes to retire the following 

Privacy Act system of records notice, 

Treasury/CS.054 Confidential 

Statements of Employment and 

Financial Interests (66 FR 52984 

October 18, 2001), from its inventory of 

record systems and rely upon the 

Government-wide system of records 

notice issued by the Office of 

Government Ethics, OGE/GOVT–2 

Executive Branch Confidential Financial 

Disclosure Reports (68 FR 24722 May 8, 

2003), which is written to cover all 

confidential statements of employment 

and financial interests record systems 

submitted by Federal Government 

employees. 

DATES: These changes will take effect on 

October 30, 2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, 

Department of Homeland Security, 

Washington, DC 20528, by telephone 

(703) 235–0780 or facsimile (703) 235– 

0442. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 

1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and as part of its 

ongoing integration and management 

efforts, the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) is retiring the system of 

records notice, Treasury/CS.054 

Confidential Statements of Employment 

and Financial Interests (66 FR 52984 

October 18, 2001), that was issued by 

the Customs Service, Department of the 

Treasury prior to the creation of the 

Department of Homeland Security. 

DHS will continue to collect and 

maintain records regarding individuals 

who submit confidential statements of 

employment and financial interests and 

will rely upon the existing Federal 

Government-wide system of records 

notice titled OGE/GOVT–2 Executive 

Branch Confidential Financial 

Disclosure Reports (68 FR 24722 May 8, 

2003), which is written to cover Federal 

employees who submit confidential 

statements of employment and financial 

interests. 

Eliminating this notice will have no 

adverse impacts on individuals, but will 

promote the overall streamlining and 

management of DHS Privacy Act record 

systems. 

Dated: September 24, 2008. 

Hugo Teufel III, 

Chief Privacy Officer, Department of 

Homeland Security. 

[FR Doc. E8–23006 Filed 9–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[Docket No. USCG–2008–0991] 

Proposed Modernization of the Coast 

Guard; Final Programmatic 

Environmental Assessment 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces 

the availability of the Final 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment (PEA) for Coast Guard 

modernization. Based on the PEA’s 

analysis and the mitigation plan 

committed to in the PEA, the Coast 

Guard determined that an 

environmental impact statement is not 

required, and a Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) has been 

issued for the proposed action. 

Availability: Electronic copies of the 

Final PEA and FONSI, as well as 

comments received on the Draft PEA 

and FONSI, are available from the 

Federal Docket Management Facility at 

Internet Web site address: http:// 

www.regulations.gov using the docket 

number USCG–2008–0991. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this notice, 

please contact Ms. Kebby Kelley, USCG, 

telephone (202) 475–5690, e-mail: 

Kebby.Kelley@uscg.mil, or Mr. Frank 

Esposito, USCG, telephone (202) 372– 

3746, e-mail: 

Frank.H.Esposito@uscg.mil. If you have 

questions on viewing the docket, please 

call Ms. Renee Wright, Program 

Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 

(202) 366–9826. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

implemented by the Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508), the Coast Guard 

prepared a Final PEA and FONSI for the 

Proposed Modernization of the Coast 

Guard. 

Response to Comments 

On August 15, 2008, the Coast Guard 

initiated a 30-day public comment 

period with publication of a Notice of 

Availability of the Proposed 

Modernization of the Coast Guard Draft 

PEA in the Federal Register (73 FR 

47959). The Coast Guard received 23 

public comments during this period. 

Summary of Comments and the USCG 

Responses 

Many of the 23 separate comments 

either acknowledged receipt or noted 

approval of the Coast Guard’s 

modernization proposal. The remaining 

comments fell into the following four 

groups. 

Several comments focused on the 

managerial philosophy and motivation 

of the Coast Guard in proposing this 

modernization. While these comments 

are useful to decision makers, they are 

not relevant to the environmental 

impact analyses associated with the 

proposed modernization and, therefore, 

will not be addressed in the Final PEA. 

A second group of comments focused 

on decisions that are yet to be made, 

such as exact locations of possible new 

facilities or precise organizations that 

might or might not be moved. While 

these comments are also useful to 

decision makers, they are not yet ripe 

for further analysis and will not be 

considered further in the Final PEA. As 

stated in the Draft PEA, NEPA analysis 

and documentation may be prepared for 

future individual actions and their sitespecific impacts if such actions are not 

adequately covered by this 

programmatic NEPA document. 

The third group of comments 

advocated moving large segments of the 

Coast Guard to various new locations 

around the nation. These alternatives do 

not meet the purpose and need 

described in the PEA to minimize 

disruption to the workforce, minimize 

costs of modernization (such as, by 

utilizing existing facilities), and 

minimize disruption to mission 

execution. These proposals are, 

therefore, not evaluated in detail in the 

Final PEA. 

Finally, a fourth group of comments 

was not addressed because it raised 

matters, such as the Deepwater 

Replacement contract, that are outside 

the scope of the Coast Guard 

modernization decision. 

Background and Purpose 

The Coast Guard intends to 

modernize its command structure, 

support systems, and business practices 

to position itself for sustainable and 

effective mission execution into the 


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56858 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 190 / Tuesday, September 30, 2008 / Notices 

twenty-first century. The Coast Guard 

prepared a PEA that identified and 

examined the reasonable alternatives 

and assessed their potential 

environmental impacts. The PEA 

identified potential direct, indirect, and 

cumulative impacts associated with 

proposed modernization, including 

Coast Guard mission-related impacts 

and site-specific impacts. 

The Coast Guard developed two 

action alternatives to achieve 

modernization, a full modernization 

alternative and a partial modernization 

alternative. These two alternatives 

represented the upper and lower levels 

of change required to achieve the 

purpose and need of the modernization 

and, therefore, captured the range of 

social, economic, and environmental 

impacts that would occur while 

implementing modernization initiatives. 

The full modernization alternative 

emphasizes co-location of mission 

support and operations resources and 

functions and included potential 

construction at the Coast Guard Yard, 

Curtis Bay, Maryland. The partial 

modernization alternative would focus 

on operating from existing locations 

rather than co-locating functional 

resources in a single location and 

includes no new construction. The 

partial modernization alternative would 

minimally achieve the purpose and 

need for modernization, while the full 

modernization alternative would allow 

the Coast Guard to reach the fully 

envisioned functionality of 

modernization. The Coast Guard prefers 

the full modernization alternative. 

Either modernization alternative would 

be implemented over at least 5 years. 

The Coast Guard has determined that 

the mitigation committed to in the Final 

Coast Guard-prepared PEA will reduce 

all potentially significant environmental 

impacts to a level of insignificance. 

Thus, the Final PEA was determined to 

adequately and accurately discuss the 

environmental issues and impacts of the 

proposed action and provides sufficient 

evidence and analysis for determining 

that an environmental impact statement 

is not required. A Finding of No 

Significant Impact was, therefore, issued 

for the full modernization alternative 

which is the Coast Guard’s preferred 

alternative. 

Dated: September 24, 2008. 

Clifford I. Pearson, 

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief of 

Staff. 

[FR Doc. E8–22934 Filed 9–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Federal Emergency Management 

Agency 

[FEMA–1793–DR] 

Arkansas; Major Disaster and Related 

Determinations 

AGENCY: Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This is a notice of the 

Presidential declaration of a major 

disaster for the State of Arkansas 

(FEMA–1793–DR), dated September 18, 

2008, and related determinations. 

DATES: Effective Date: September 18, 

2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peggy Miller, Disaster Assistance 

Directorate, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–3886. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that, in a letter dated 

September 18, 2008, the President 

declared a major disaster under the 

authority of the Robert T. Stafford 

Disaster Relief and Emergency 

Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121–5207 

(the Stafford Act), as follows: 

I have determined that the damage in 

certain areas of the State of Arkansas 

resulting from severe storms and flooding 

during the period of September 2–8, 2008, 

and continuing, is of sufficient severity and 

magnitude to warrant a major disaster 

declaration under the Robert T. Stafford 

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121–5207 (the Stafford Act). 

Therefore, I declare that such a major disaster 

exists in the State of Arkansas. 

In order to provide Federal assistance, you 

are hereby authorized to allocate from funds 

available for these purposes such amounts as 

you find necessary for Federal disaster 

assistance and administrative expenses. 

You are authorized to provide Public 

Assistance in the designated areas, Hazard 

Mitigation throughout the State, and any 

other forms of assistance under the Stafford 

Act that you deem appropriate. Direct 

Federal assistance is authorized. Consistent 

with the requirement that Federal assistance 

be supplemental, any Federal funds provided 

under the Stafford Act for Hazard Mitigation 

will be limited to 75 percent of the total 

eligible costs. Federal funds provided under 

the Stafford Act for Public Assistance also 

will be limited to 75 percent of the total 

eligible costs, except for any particular 

projects that are eligible for a higher Federal 

cost-sharing percentage under the FEMA 

Public Assistance Pilot Program instituted 

pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 777. If Other Needs 

Assistance under Section 408 of the Stafford 

Act is later requested and warranted, Federal 

funding under that program also will be 

limited to 75 percent of the total eligible 

costs. 

Further, you are authorized to make 

changes to this declaration to the extent 

allowable under the Stafford Act. 

The Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice that 

pursuant to the authority vested in the 

Administrator, under Executive Order 

12148, as amended, Kenneth M. Riley of 

FEMA is appointed to act as the Federal 

Coordinating Officer for this declared 

disaster. 

The following areas of the State of 

Arkansas have been designated as 

adversely affected by this declared 

major disaster: 

Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, 

Cleveland, Conway, Dallas, Drew, Garland, 

Grant, Hot Spring, Lincoln, Montgomery, 

Perry, Prairie, Saline, and Van Buren 

Counties for Public Assistance. Direct 

Federal assistance is authorized. 

All counties within the State of Arkansas 

are eligible to apply for assistance under the 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. 

(The following Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Numbers (CFDA) are to be used 

for reporting and drawing funds: 97.030, 

Community Disaster Loans; 97.031, Cora 

Brown Fund; 97.032, Crisis Counseling; 

97.033, Disaster Legal Services; 97.034, 

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA); 

97.046, Fire Management Assistance Grant; 

97.048, Disaster Housing Assistance to 

Individuals and Households In Presidentially 

Declared Disaster Areas; 97.049, 

Presidentially Declared Disaster Assistance— 

Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals 

and Households; 97.050, Presidentially 

Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals 

and Households—Other Needs; 97.036, 

Disaster Grants—Public Assistance 

(Presidentially Declared Disasters); 97.039, 

Hazard Mitigation Grant. 

R. David Paulison, 

Administrator, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

[FR Doc. E8–22950 Filed 9–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Federal Emergency Management 

Agency 

[FEMA–1786–DR] 

Louisiana; Amendment No. 7 to Notice 

of a Major Disaster Declaration 

AGENCY: Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice amends the notice 

of a major disaster declaration for the 

State of Louisiana (FEMA–1786–DR), 

dated September 2, 2008, and related 

determinations. 


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