December 13, 2023, FR Notice (30-Day)

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

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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

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(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
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

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 60day 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
SUMMARY:

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

‘‘Currently under Review—Open for
Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Joanne Swafford, Information Collection
Clearance Officer, at email:
joanne.swafford@dot.gov or telephone:
(757) 897–9908 or arlette.mussington@
dot.gov or telephone: (571) 609–1285.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA,
44 U.S.C. 3501–3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
two notices seeking public comment on
information collection activities before
OMB may approve paperwork packages.
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8
through 1320.12. On October 2, 2023,
FRA published a 60-day notice in the
Federal Register soliciting public
comment on the ICR for which it is now
seeking OMB approval. See 88 FR
67865. FRA received no comments
related to the proposed collection of
information.
Before OMB decides whether to
approve the proposed collection of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
paperwork packages between 30 and 60
days after the 30-day notice is
published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)–(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes the 30-day
notice informs the regulated community
to file relevant comments and affords
the agency adequate time to digest
public comments before it renders a
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
Therefore, respondents should submit
their respective comments to OMB
within 30 days of publication to best
ensure having their full effect.
Comments are invited on the
following ICR regarding: (1) Whether the
information collection activities are
necessary for FRA to properly execute
its functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of FRA’s estimates of
the burden of the information collection
activities, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used to
determine the estimates; (3) ways for
FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information being
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of information collection
activities on the public, including the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
The summary below describes the ICR
that FRA will submit for OMB clearance
as the PRA requires:
Title: Railroad Safety Appliance
Standards.

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OMB Control Number: 2130–0594.
Abstract: The information collection
associated with 49 CFR part 231 is used
by FRA to promote and enhance the safe
placement and securement of safety
appliances on newly constructed rail
vehicles. The regulation provides a
process for railroads or car owners to
submit requests for the approval of
existing industry standards for safety
appliance arrangements on newly
constructed railroad cars, locomotives,
tenders, or other rail vehicles in lieu of
the specific arrangements in part 231.
Type of Request: Extension without
change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected Public: Businesses
(Railroads).
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 765 railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On
occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 37
hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour
Dollar Cost Equivalent: $3,179.
FRA informs all interested parties that
it may not conduct or sponsor, and a
respondent is not required to respond
to, a collection of information that does
not display a currently valid OMB
control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023–27314 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[DOT–OST–2023–0137]

Advisory Committee on Transportation
Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public
Meeting
Office of the Secretary,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:

DOT OST announces a
meeting of ACTE, which will take place
via Zoom Webinar.
DATES: The meeting will be held Friday,
January 5, 2023, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Eastern Time. Requests for
accommodations because of a disability
must be received by Friday, December
22. Requests to submit questions must
be received no later than Friday,
December 22. The registration form will
close on Thursday, January 4.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
via Zoom. Those members of the public
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who would like to participate virtually
should go to https://
www.transportation.gov/mission/civilrights/advisory-committeetransportation-equity-meetingsmaterials to access the meeting, a
detailed agenda for the entire meeting,
meeting minutes, and additional
information on ACTE and its activities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sandra Norman, Senior Advisor and
Designated Federal Officer,
Departmental Office of Civil Rights, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590, (804) 836–2893, ACTE@dot.gov.
Any ACTE-related request or
submissions should be sent via email to
the point of contact listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Purpose of the Committee
ACTE was established to provide
independent advice and
recommendations to the Secretary of
Transportation about comprehensive,
interdisciplinary issues related to civil
rights and transportation equity in the
planning, design, research, policy, and
advocacy contexts from a variety of
transportation equity practitioners and
community leaders. Specifically, the
Committee will provide advice and
recommendations to inform the
Department’s efforts to:
Implement the Agency’s Equity
Action Plan and Strategic Plan, helping
to institutionalize equity into Agency
programs, policies, regulations, and
activities;
Strengthen and establish partnerships
with overburdened and underserved
communities who have been historically
underrepresented in the Department’s
outreach and engagement, including
those in rural and urban areas;
Empower communities to have a
meaningful voice in local and regional
transportation decisions; and
Ensure the compliance of Federal
funding recipients with civil rights laws
and nondiscrimination programs,
policies, regulations, and activities.
Meeting Agenda
The agenda for the meeting will
consist of:
Opening remarks
ACTE Community Check-In
Brief discussion of ACTE standards
Review of Department updates
Discussion of ACTE rolling
recommendations
Open discussion with the public and
Committee members
Discussion on guidance for the next
round of rolling recommendations

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