[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 30132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10383]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Transportation Security Administration


Notice of Intent To Request Approval From the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) of One Public Collection of Information; 
Port Security Training Exercise Program

AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: TSA invites public comment on a new information collection 
requirement abstracted below that will be submitted to OMB for approval 
in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES: Send your comments by July 25, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or delivered to Katrina Wawer, 
Information Collection Specialist, Office of Transportation Security 
Policy, TSA-9, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th 
Street, Arlington, VA 22202-4220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katrina Wawer at the above address or 
by telephone (571) 227-1995 or facsimile (571) 227-2594.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), an agency may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of 
information, unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Therefore, 
in preparation for submission to renew clearance of the following 
information collection, TSA is soliciting comments to--
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed information requirement is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

Purpose of Data Collection

    TSA is currently conducting a national effort to develop a Port 
Security Training Exercise Program (PortStep) that will increase the 
port industry's level of preparedness to prevent, respond to, and 
recover from a terrorist or security event. As part of this effort, TSA 
needs to collect data on various aspects of our nation's public and 
privately owned ports in order to group each port according to the 
level of potential vulnerability to terrorist threats. TSA has 
performed an exhaustive search for other potential sources of the data 
needed, including a search of reports and databases within the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), and U.S. 
Coast Guard (USCG). TSA was able to locate several limited sources of 
data; however, available data from these sources is five to ten years 
old, and did not include specific data activities and changes made as a 
result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Description of Data Collection

    TSA will conduct the information collection via the Internet, using 
a Web-based survey. The information collection will target, nationwide, 
relevant port stakeholders, including Port Authorities, USCG Captains 
of the Port, USCG Area Maritime Security Committees, state and local 
transportation security managers, emergency managers and emergency 
responders, private port service providers, and industry and labor 
associations. TSA estimates the total number of respondents to be 360 
and the estimated annual reporting burden to be 150 hours annually. TSA 
may need to re-administer this survey periodically after 2007 to refine 
and refresh data collections; however, this requirement is not certain.

Use of Results

    Data will be compiled and assigned weights to produce a score that 
TSA will use to create a tiered list of prioritized ports that may 
selectively receive a PortStep training exercise. Data will be stored 
securely and will not be released publicly. The data will be used only 
for the purposes of creating the Tiered Approach Report.
    TSA will use these results to determine which U.S. ports should 
receive a TSA-sponsored exercise, the type and sophistication of the 
exercise, and the level of TSA involvement.

    Issued in Arlington, Virginia, on May 19, 2005.
Lisa S. Dean,
Privacy Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-10383 Filed 5-24-05; 8:45 am]
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