Rules and Regulations. Notice of public hearing

Agency: Surface Transportation Board, DOT
Action: Notice of public hearing
Citation: FR Doc. 07-1135 · STB Ex Parte No. 671

Summary

The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at its new offices in Washington, DC. The purpose of the public hearing will be to examine issues related to rail traffic forecasts and infrastructure requirements. Persons wishing to speak at the hearing should notify the Board in writing.

Dates

The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. Any person wishing to speak at the hearing should file with the Board a written notice of intent to participate, and should identify the party, the proposed speaker, the time requested, and the topic(s) to be covered, as soon as possible but no later than March 21, 2007. Each speaker should also file with the Board his/her written testimony by April 4, 2007. Written submissions by interested persons who do not wish to appear at the hearing will also be due by April 4, 2007.

Supplementary Information

In recent years, there has been growing recognition that rail capacity in the United States has become constrained. Those capacity constraints come at the same time as many forecasts predict that rail freight demands will continue to grow over the next twenty years. Railroads experienced a more than 50% increase in traffic from 1990 to 2003, and traffic is projected to continue to increase as the economy grows. 1 Some forecasters predict that multimodal freight tonnage in the United States will rise by nearly 70% between 1998 and 2020. 2 The convergence of increased demand with constrained capacity has highlighted the need to address what further infrastructure investment will be required to meet these demands. While some railroads have announced significant infrastructure investment plans, some observers have questioned whether that investment alone will be sufficient to meet the rail transport needs of a growing economy. 1 Congressional Budget Office Report, Freight Rail Transportation: Long-Term Issues, at 4-5 (January 2006). 2 Id. at 6, citing, Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework (October 2002). In regulating the railroad industry, the Board is called upon, among other things, to ensure the development and continuation of a sound rail transportation system with effective competition and coordination between rail carriers and other modes. Pursuant to that objective, the Board will hold a public hearing as a forum for interested persons to provide views and information about: Freight traffic forecasts; the extent of the capacity constraints and the ability of the railroads to meet the rising demand; the infrastructure investment needed to ensure that the Nation's freight rail system continues to operate in an efficient and reliable manner; possible solutions to the challenges presented by growing rail traffic and limited capacity; and the potential role of public-private partnerships and innovative financing tools in meeting these challenges. We look forward to hearing from all parties affected by these issues, including carriers, shippers, port administrators, state entities and federal agencies. Date of Hearing. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, in the 1st floor hearing room at the Board's new headquarters at 395 E Street, SW., in Washington, DC, and will continue, with short breaks if necessary, until every person scheduled to speak has been heard. Notice of Intent To Participate. Any person wishing to speak at the hearing should file with the Board a written notice of intent to participate, and should identify the party, the proposed speaker, the time requested, and topic(s) to be covered, as soon as possible, but no later than March 21, 2007. Testimony. Each speaker should file with the Board his/her written testimony by April 4, 2007. Also, any interested person who wishes to submit a written statement without appearing at the April 11 hearing should file that statement by April 4, 2007. Board Releases and Live Audio Available Via the Internet. Decisions and notices of the Board, including this notice, are available on the Board's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. This hearing will be available on the Board's Web site by live audio streaming. To access the hearing, click on the “Live Audio” link under “Information Center” at the left side of the home page beginning at 9 a.m. on April 11, 2007. This action will not significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the conservation of energy resources. Dated: March 6, 2007. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. 4 [FR Doc. E7-4421 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915-01-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 34951 (Sub-No. 1)] Portland & Western Railroad, Inc.—Trackage Rights Exemption—BNSF Railway Company AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Petition for partial revocation. SUMMARY: The Board, under 49 U.S.C. 10502, exempts the trackage rights described in Portland & Western Railroad, Inc.—Trackage Rights Exemption—BNSF Railway Company, STB Finance Docket No. 34951 (STB served Nov. 22, 2006) 1 to permit them to expire on May 30, 2016, in accordance with the agreement of the parties, subject to the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon Short Line R. Co.—Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). 1 On November 3, 2006, Portland & Western Railroad, Inc. (PNWR), filed a notice of exemption under the Board's class exemption procedures at 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7). That notice covered the agreement by BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) to grant overhead trackage rights to PNWR over BNSF's rail lines between: (a) Milepost 10.0 in Vancouver, WA, on the BNSF Fallbridge Subdivision, and milepost 0.69 (Main Track 1) and milepost 0.91 (Main Track 2) in Portland, OR; and (b) milepost 132.5 and milepost 136.5 in Vancouver, WA, on the BNSF Seattle Subdivision, a total distance of approximately 13.31 miles. The trackage rights operations under the exemption were scheduled to be consummated on or after November 13, 2006. DATES: The exemption will be effective on April 11, 2007. Petitions to stay must be filed by March 22, 2007. Petitions to reopen must be filed by April 2, 2007. ADDRESSES: An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to STB Finance Docket No. 34951 (Sub-No. 1) must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of all pleadings must be served on petitioner's representative: Eric M. Hocky, Gollatz, Griffin & Ewing, P.C., Four Penn Center Plaza, Suite 200, 1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19103-2808. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Farr, (202) 245-0359. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Additional information is contained in the Board's decision. To purchase a copy of the full decision, write, e-mail, or call: ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706; e-mail: asapdc@verizon.net; telephone: (202) 306-4004. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through FIRS at 1-800-877-8339.] Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. Decided: March 5, 2007. By the Board, Chairman Nottingham, Vice Chairman Buttrey, and Commissioner Mulvey. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-4423 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915-01-P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Terrorism Risk Insurance Program; Recordkeeping Requirements for Insurers Compensated Under the Program AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office is seeking comments regarding Recordkeeping Requirements for Insurers Compensated Under the Program. DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 11, 2007 to be assured of consideration. ADDRESSES: Submit comments by e-mail to triacomments@do.treas.gov or by mail (if hard copy, preferably an original and two copies) to: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, Public Comment Record, Suite 2100, Department of the Treasury, 1425 New York Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20220. Because paper mail in the Washington, DC area may be subject to delay, it is recommended that comments be submitted electronically. All comments should be captioned with “PRA Comments—Recordkeeping Requirements for Insurers Compensated Under the Program”. Please include your name, affiliation, address, e-mail address and telephone number in your comment. Comments will be available for public inspection by appointment only at the Reading Room of the Treasury Library. To make appointments, call (202) 622-0990 (not a toll-free number). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information should be directed to: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office at (202) 622-6770 (not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Number: 1506-0197. Title: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program—Recordkeeping Requirements for Insurers Compensated Under the Program. Abstract: Sections 103(a) and 104 of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-297) (as extended by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-144) authorize the Department of the Treasury to administer and implement the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program established by the Act. In 31 CFR part 50, subpart F (Sec. 50.50-50.55) Treasury established requirements and procedures for insurers that file claims for payment of the Federal share of compensation for insured losses resulting from a certified act of terrorism under the Act. Section 50.60 allows Treasury access to records of an insurer pertinent to amounts paid as the Federal share of compensation for insured losses in order to conduct investigations, confirmations and audits. Section 50.61 requires insurers to retain all records as are necessary to fully disclose all material matters pertaining to insured losses. The collection of information addressed in this notice is the recordkeeping requirement in § 50.61. Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection. Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Federal Government. Estimated Number of Respondents: 100. Estimated Time per Respondent: 8.3 hours. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 833 hours. Request for Comments: An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance and purchase of services to provide information. Dated: March 6, 2007. Jeffrey S. Bragg, Director, Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. [FR Doc. E7-4358 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4811-42-P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Terrorism Risk Insurance Program; Litigation Management Submissions AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office is seeking comments regarding Litigation Management Submissions. DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 11, 2007 to be assured of consideration. ADDRESSES: Submit comments by e-mail to triacomments@do.treas.gov or by mail (if hard copy, preferably an original and two copies) to: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, Public Comment Record, Suite 2100, Department of the Treasury, 1425 New York Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20220. Because paper mail in the Washington, DC area may be subject to delay, it is recommended that comments be submitted electronically. All comments should be captioned with “PRA Comments—Litigation Management Submissions”. Please include your name, affiliation, address, e-mail address and telephone number in your comment. Comments will be available for public inspection by appointment only at the Reading Room of the Treasury Library. To make appointments, call (202) 622-0990 (not a toll-free number). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information should be directed to: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office at (202) 622-6770 (not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Number: 1506-0196. Title: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program—Litigation Management Submissions. Form: Treasury TRIP-03. Abstract: Section 103(a) and 104 of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-297) authorize the Department of the Treasury to administer and implement the temporary Terrorism Risk Insurance Program established by the Act. Section 107 contains specific provisions designed to manage litigation arising out of or resulting from a certified act of terrorism. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005, Public Law 109-144, added section 107(a)(6) to TRIA, which provides that procedures and requirements established by the Secretary under 31 CFR 50.82, as in effect on the date of issuance of that section in final form [July 28, 2004], shall apply to any Federal cause of action described in section 107(a)(1). Section 50.82 of the regulations requires insurers to submit to Treasury for advance approval certain proposed settlements involving an insured loss, any part of the payment of which the insurer intends to submit as part of its claim for Federal payment under the Program. The collection of information in the notice of proposed settlement in Section 50.83 that insurers must submit to implement the settlement approval process prescribed by Section 50.82. Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection. Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Federal Government. Estimated Number of Respondents: 100 Estimated Time per Respondent: 12.86 hours. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,141 hours. Request for Comments: An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance and purchase of services to provide information. Dated: March 6, 2007. Jeffrey S. Bragg, Director, Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. [FR Doc. 07-1135 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am]