[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34512-34513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12119]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Emergency Review; Environmental Streamlining Survey

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Emergency notice.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA has submitted the following request for emergency 
processing of a public information collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The collection involves surveying 
transportation and resource agencies involved in environmental 
streamlining in order to measure their performance. The information 
that is collected will be used to provide benchmarks for the agencies 
themselves and to focus on areas where process improvements can be 
made.

DATES: Please submit comments by May 24, 2002.
    Comments: You may send comments to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 Seventeenth 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: DOT Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Kreig Larson, 202-366-2056, 
Planning and Environment, Federal Highway Administration, Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office 
hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Type of Request: New.
    Title: Environmental Streamlining: Measuring the Performance of 
Stakeholders in the Transportation Project Development Process.
    Background: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FHWA, has 
contracted with the Gallup Organization to conduct a survey of 
professionals associated with transportation and resource agencies in 
order to gather their views on the workings of the environmental review 
process for transportation projects and how the process can be 
streamlined.
    The purpose of the survey is to: (1) Collect the perceptions of 
agency professionals involved in conducting the decisionmaking 
processes mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
other resource protection laws in order to develop benchmark 
performance measures; and (2) identify where the performance of the 
process might be improved by the application of techniques for 
streamlining.
    The survey is an essential aspect of one of the goals of the U.S. 
DOT's Strategic Plan, which is to ``Improve environmental 
decisionmaking processes in order to expedite surface transportation 
projects * * *'' The FHWA Administrator has designated Environmental 
Stewardship and Streamlining as one of the agency's ``Vital Few'' 
initiatives, meaning it is a goal to which the FHWA will focus its 
activities and efforts to meet the

[[Page 34513]]

mandate of Sec. 1309 (Environmental Streamlining) of the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century.
    The FHWA has requested the emergency OMB approval by May 24, 2002, 
in order to respond promptly to the needs of Congress, and our 
partners, in addressing improvements to the environmental review 
process for transportation projects.
    Respondents: Approximately 800 professionals/officials from state 
and local transportation and natural resource agencies.
    Frequency: This is a one-time survey.
    Estimated Burdens: Approximately 15 minutes average per respondent; 
the total estimated annual burden is 200 hours.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: May 10, 2002.
James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 02-12119 Filed 5-13-02; 8:45 am]
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