Proposed Rules. Grant; petition for waiver

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BILLING CODE 4910-60-M DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA-04-19091; Grant 2] Pipeline Safety: Petition for Waiver; Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Grant; petition for waiver. SUMMARY: Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company (Tuscarora) requests a waiver of the pipeline safety regulation on valve spacing from PHMSA. The pipeline safety regulation requires each point on a pipeline in a Class 1 location be within 10 miles of a block valve.

This document grants Tuscarora's request for waiver. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The pipeline safety regulation at 49 CFR 192.179(a)(4) requires each point on a pipeline in a Class 1 location be within 10 miles of a block valve, the maximum not to exceed 20 miles. PHMSA, however, reserves the right to approve an alternative spacing, which will provide an equivalent level of safety. During a review of its records, Tuscarora discovered that the upstream portions of its pipeline in Lassen County, CA, were slightly re-routed during construction to avoid a sensitive environmental habitat.

As a result, the valve spacing between main line valve

(MLV)8 and MLV-9 exceeds the PHMSA mandated maximum valve space of 20 miles by 1,065 feet. Due to this excessive valve space, Tuscarora requests a waiver of the valve spacing requirement for this section of line. As part of its review, PHMSA has taken the following information into consideration in regards to Tuscarora's waiver request: • The pipeline was re-routed during construction to avoid a sensitive environmental habitat; • All mainline block valves on the Tuscarora system are equipped with automatic line break detection and automatic closure devices; • An existing dirt roadway provides ease of access to the affected valve location; and • The pipeline segment from MLV-8 to MLV-10 is designed, operated, and maintained to Class 1 requirements in accordance with 49 CFR part 192. On October 26, 2004, PHMSA published a notice in the **Federal Register** requesting public comment on Tuscarora's waiver request (69 FR 62516). No comments were received. Grant of Waiver Based on the information above, PHMSA finds that a waiver from the requirement of § 192.179(a)(4) is not inconsistent with pipeline safety and does provide an equivalent level of safety to that required by the regulation. Specifically, Tuscarora's entire mainline block valves are equipped with automatic line break detection and automatic closure devices. Therefore, Tuscarora's request for waiver from the regulatory requirements of § 192.179(a)(4) is granted between MLV-8 and MLV-9. Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60118(c) and 49 CFR 1.53. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 6, 2006. Joy Kadnar, Director-Engineering Services, Security, and Emergency Response. [FR Doc. E6-11011 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research and Innovative Technology Administration Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Confidential Close Call Reporting System AGENCY: Research & Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request

(ICR)described below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)for approval for a new information collection in support of a five-year research study aiming at improving rail safety by analyzing information on close calls and other unsafe occurrences in the rail industry. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The **Federal Register** notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on April 27, 2006 (71 FR 24913) and the comment period ended on June 26, 2006. The 60-day notice produced no comments. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 14, 2006. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Demetra V. Collia, Room 3430, RITA, BTS, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone

(202)366-1610, Fax

(202)493-0568 or e-mail *demetera.collia@dot.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *Title:* Confidential Close Call Reporting System. *Type of Request:* Approval of a new information collection. *OMB Control Number:* New. *Affected Public:* Workers in the railroad industry. *Number of Respondents:* 350. *Number of Responses:* 350. *Total Annual Burden:* 175 hours (Average estimate of 30 minutes to complete the survey resulting in a total of 175 hours). *Abstract:* Collecting data on the nation's transportation system is an important component of BTS's responsibility to the transportation community and is authorized in BTS statutory authority (49 U.S.C. 111(c)(1) and

(2)and 49 U.S.C. 111(c)(5) (j)). BTS and FRA share a common interest in promoting rail safety based on better data. To that end, FRA's Office of Research and Development is sponsoring the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C 3 RS) Demonstration Project to investigate the effectiveness of such system in improving rail safety. A close call represents a situation in which an ongoing sequence of events was stopped from developing further, preventing the occurrence of potentially serious safety-related consequences. This might include the following:

(1)Events that happen frequently, but have low safety consequences;

(2)events that happen infrequently but have the potential for high consequences (e.g., a train in dark territory proceeds beyond its authority);

(3)events that are below the FRA reporting threshold (e.g., an event that causes a minor injury); and

(4)events that are reportable to FRA but have the potential for a far greater accident than the one reported (e.g., a slow speed collision with minor damage to the equipment and no injuries.). Employees involved in a close call will be asked to fill out a reporting form which will be made available on the Web and at their work site and mail it to BTS. The close call reporting form will ask the respondent to provide information on:

(1)Name and contact information;

(2)time and location of the incident;

(3)a short description of the event;

(4)contributing factors to the close call; and

(5)any other information that might be useful in determining a root cause of such event. BTS will collect close call reports submitted by railroad employees, develop an analytical database containing the reported data and other pertinent information, and protect the confidentiality of these data through its own statute (49 U.S.C. 111(i)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). Accordingly, only statistical and non-sensitive information will be made available through publications and reports. Through the analysis of close calls the FRA and the railroad community will receive information about factors that may contribute to unsafe events and use that information to develop new training programs and identify root causes of potentially adverse events. The database will also provide other users such as rail safety researchers with valuable data regarding precursors to safety risks and contribute to research and development of intervention programs aimed at preventing accidents and fatalities. It is estimated that the close call reporting form will take no more than 30 minutes to complete for a maximum total burden of 175 hours (350 reports*30 minutes/60 = 175 hours). Reports are submitted when there is a qualifying event, i.e., a close call occurs within a pilot site. The frequency of such event is estimated to be approximately one per day. ADDRESSES: The agency seeks public comments on its proposed information collection. Comments should address whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: BTS Desk Officer. Issued in Washington, DC on this 6th day of July, 2006. William Bannister, Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Advanced Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. [FR Doc. E6-11034 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-HY-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research and Innovative Technology Administration Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Collection of Data for Program Evaluation AGENCY: Research & Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), DOT. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request

(ICR)described below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)for approval for a new information collection related to the evaluation of a five-year demonstration/research program on voluntary reporting of close calls and near misses in the rail environment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The **Federal Register** notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on May 10, 2006 (71 FR 27313) and the comment period ended on July 9, 2006. The 60-day notice produced no comments. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 14, 2006. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Demetra V. Collia, Room 3430, RITA, BTS, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone

(202)366-1610, Fax

(202)493-0568 or e-mail *demetera.collia@dot.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *Title:* Collection of Data for Program Evaluation. *Type of Request:* Approval of a new information collection. *OMB Control Number:* New. *Affected Public:* Workers in the railroad industry. *Number of Respondents:* 1200. *Number of Responses:* 1200. *Total Annual Burden:* 600 hours (Average estimate of 30 minutes to complete the survey resulting in a total of 600 hours). *Abstract:* Collecting data on the nation's transportation system is an important component of BTS' responsibility to the transportation community and is authorized in BTS statutory authority (49 U.S.C. 111(c)(1) and

(2)and 49 U.S.C. 111(c)(5)(j)). Further, BTS and FRA share a common interest in promoting rail safety based on better data. In recognition of the need for new approaches to improving safety, the FRA has initiated a research program called the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C 3 RS). The C 3 RS is designed to identify safety issues and propose corrective actions based on voluntary reports of close calls submitted to BTS. BTS will collect reports on close calls and near misses submitted by railroad employees, develop an analytical database containing the reported data and other pertinent information, and protect the confidentiality of these data through its own statute (49 U.S.C. 111(i)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). BTS is seeking a separate OMB approval for the collection of close call reports (71 FR 24913, April 27, 2006) which does not involve the evaluation of the reporting system. While C 3 RS is being implemented with the participation of the FRA, railroad labor, and railroad management, there are legitimate questions about whether it is being implemented in the most effective way, and whether it will have its intended effect. Further, even if C 3 RS is successful, it will be necessary to know if it is successful enough to implement on a wide scale. To address these important questions, the FRA is implementing a formative evaluation to guide program development, a summative evaluation to assess impact, and a sustainability evaluation to determine how C 3 RS can continue after the test period is over. BTS will collect, process, and analyze the survey data for the evaluation of C 3 RS. Employees of selected railroad sites (pilot sites) will be asked to fill out a questionnaire which will be made available to them at town hall meetings and mail back to BTS. Data will be collected from the entire population of affected workers (estimate 1200 or less). The survey will ask respondents to provide information on:

(a)Beliefs about rail safety;

(b)issues and personal concerns related to implementation of safety programs in their work environment;

(c)knowledge and views on voluntary reporting of unsafe events; and

(d)opinions and observations about the operation of C 3 RS at their work site. It is estimated that the survey will take no more than 30 minutes to complete for a maximum total burden of 600 hours (1200 respondents*30 minutes/60 = 600 hours). ADDRESSES: The agency seeks public comments on its proposed information collection. Comments should address whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: BTS Desk Officer. Issued in Washington, DC, on this 6th day of July, 2006. William Bannister, Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Advanced Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. [FR Doc. E6-11035 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-HY-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 34891] Lackawaxen-Honesdale Shippers Association, Inc.—Acquisition Exemption—Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Lackawaxen-Honesdale Shippers Association, Inc. (LHSA), has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 for the acquisition of approximately 24.74 miles of rail line from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in Wayne and Pike Counties, PA. The line, known as the Honesdale Branch, extends from milepost 110.26, in Lackawaxen, PA, to milepost 135.00, in Honesdale, PA. The Honesdale Branch was conveyed by PennDOT to LHSA on January 31, 2003. 1 Due to lack of familiarity with the Board's regulatory requirements, LHSA failed to obtain acquisition authority on an exemption for the transaction. Accordingly, to rectify that omission, LHSA files this notice of exemption from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10901. 1 The Stourbridge Railroad Company, Inc., obtained operating authority for this rail line in *Stourbridge Railroad Company, Inc.—Operation Exemption* —in *Wayne and Pike Counties, PA,* Finance Docket No. 31508 (ICC served January 25, 1990). LHSA certifies that its projected revenues as a result of the transaction will not result in LHSA becoming a Class II or Class I rail carrier. The exemption became effective on June 21, 2006 (7 days after the exemption was filed). If the 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 transaction. An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to STB Finance Docket No. 34891, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of each pleading must be served on Richard R. Wilson, Esq., 127 Lexington Avenue, Ste. 100, Altoona, PA 16601. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at *http://www.stb.dot.gov.* Decided: July 5, 2006. By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-10942 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915-01-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-994X] Kettle Falls International Railway, LLC—Abandonment Exemption—in Ferry County, WA On June 23, 2006, Kettle Falls International Railway, LLC (KFR), filed with the Board a petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903 to abandon an approximately 28.361-mile line of railroad, extending from milepost 48.779, near Danville, to milepost 77.14, at San Poil, in Perry County, WA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 99118, 99121 and 99150. The line does not contain federally granted rights-of-way. Any documentation in KFR's possession will be made available promptly to those requesting it. The interest of railroad employees will be protected by the conditions set forth in *Oregon Short Line R. Co.—Abandonment—Goshen* , 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). By issuing this notice, the Board is instituting an exemption proceeding pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final decision will be issued by October 11, 2006. Any offer of financial assistance

(OFA)under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will be due no later than 10 days after service of a decision granting the petition for exemption. Each OFA must be accompanied by a $1,300 filing fee. *See* 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). All interested persons should be aware that, following abandonment of rail service and salvage of the line, the line may be suitable for other public use, including interim trail use. Any request for a public use condition under 49 CFR 1152.28 or for trail use/rail banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will be due no later than August 2, 2006. Each trail use request must be accompanied by a $200 filing fee. *See* 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(27). All filings in response to this notice must refer to STB Docket No. AB-994X, and must be sent to:

(1)Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001; and

(2)Karl Morell, Ball Janik LLP, 1455 F Street, NW., Suite 225, Washington, DC 20005. Replies to the petition are due on or before August 2, 2006. Persons seeking further information concerning abandonment procedures may contact the Board's Office of Public Services at

(202)565-1592 or refer to the full abandonment or discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR part 1152. Questions concerning environmental issues may be directed to the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis

(SEA)at

(202)565-1539. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service

(FIRS)at 1-800-877-8339.] An environmental assessment

(EA)(or environmental impact statement (EIS), if necessary), prepared by SEA, will be served upon all parties of record and upon any agencies or other persons who commented during its preparation. Other interested persons may contact SEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS). EAs in these abandonment proceedings normally will be made available within 60 days of the filing of the petition. The deadline for submission of comments on the EA will generally be within 30 days of its service. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at *http://www.stb.dot.gov.* Decided: July 6, 2006. By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6-10943 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915-01-P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Departmental Offices; Debt Management Advisory Committee Meeting Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App. 2, § 10(a)(2), that a meeting will be held at the Hay-Adams Hotel, 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, on August 1, 2006 at 11:30 a.m. of the following debt management advisory committee: Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee of The Bond Market Association (“Committee”). The agenda for the meeting provides for a charge by the Secretary of the Treasury or his designate that the Committee discuss particular issues, and a working session. Following the working session, the Committee will present a written report of its recommendations. The meeting will be closed to the public, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App. 2, § 10(d) and Public law 103-202, § 202(c)(1)(B) (31 U.S.C. 3121 note). This notice shall constitute my determination, pursuant to the authority placed in heads of agencies by 5 U.S.C. App. 2 § 10(d) and vested in me by Treasury Department Order No. 101-05, that the meeting will consist of discussions and debates of the issues presented to the Committee by the Secretary of the Treasury and the making of recommendations of the Committee to the Secretary, pursuant to Public Law 103-202, § 202(c)(1)(B). Thus, this information is exempt from disclosure under that provision and 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(3)(B). In addition, the meeting is concerned with information that is exempt from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(A). The public interest requires that such meetings be closed to the public because the Treasury Department requires frank and full advice from representatives of the financial community prior to making its final decisions on major financing operations. Historically, this advice has been offered by debt management advisory committees established by the several major segments of the financial community. When so utilized, such a committee is recognized to be an advisory committee under 5 U.S.C. App. 2, § 3. Although the Treasury's final announcement of financing plans may not reflect the recommendations provided in reports of the Committee, premature disclosure of the Committee's deliberations and reports would be likely to lead to significant financial speculation in the securities market. Thus, this meeting falls within the exemption covered by 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(A). Treasury staff will provide a technical briefing to the press on the day before the Committee meeting, following the release of a statement of economic conditions, financing estimates and technical charts. This briefing will give the press an opportunity to ask questions about financing projections and technical charts. The day after the Committee meeting, Treasury will release the minutes of the meeting, any charts that were discussed at the meeting, and the Committee's report to the Secretary. The Office of Debt Management is responsible for maintaining records of debt management advisory committee meetings and for providing annual reports setting forth a summary of Committee activities and such other matters as may be informative to the public consistent with the policy of 5 U.S.C. 552(b). The Designated Federal Officer or other responsible agency official who may be contacted for additional information is Jeff Huther, Director, Office of Debt Management, at

(202)622-1868. Dated: July 6, 2006. Emil W. Henry, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Financial Institutions. [FR Doc. 06-6172 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am]

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