[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 184 (Tuesday, September 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 56849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22604]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number MARAD-2014-0127]


Information Collection for Quarterly Readiness of Strategic 
Seaport Facilities Reporting

AGENCY: Maritime Administration.

ACTION: Notice of new information collection.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Maritime Administration's (MARAD's) intention to 
request the approval for three years of a an information collection 
related to facilities listed in its pre-emergency standby Port Planning 
Orders (PPOs). MARAD issues PPOs to the Department of Defense-
designated Strategic Commercial Seaports in order to provide the 
Department of Defense (DoD) port facilities in support of military 
deployments during national emergencies. To ensure port capabilities 
and status, MARAD seeks to obtain approval to collect quarterly 
readiness reports from these DOD-designated facilities.

DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before November 24, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number 
MARAD-2014-0127 by any of the following methods:
     Web site/Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on 
the electronic docket site.
     Mail or Hand Delivery to: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West 
Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
     Facsimile/Fax to: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this rulemaking.

    Note:  All comments received will be posted without change to 
http://www.regulations.gov including any personal information 
provided.

    Docket: For access to the docket to read comments received, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room W12-401 of the 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
Holidays.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nuns Jain, (757) 322-5801, Maritime 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 7737 Hampton 
Boulevard, Building 19, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA 23505 or Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title of Information Collection: Information 
Collection for Quarterly Readiness of Strategic Seaport Facilities 
Reporting.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2133-NEW.
    Form Numbers: TBD.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of approval by 
the Office of Management and Budget.
    Summary of Collection of Information: Quarterly reports will seek 
information related to berthing capability, staging and general 
availability of the port by readiness hours.
    Need and Use of the Information: This collection of information 
MARAD will ensure the preparedness of Strategic Commercial Seaports in 
support of military deployments during national emergencies.
    Description of Respondents: Strategic Commercial Seaports who have 
been designated by the Commander, Military Surface Deployment and 
Distribution Command (SDDC) and who have been issued a PPO by MARAD.
    Number of Respondents: 16.
    Frequency of Response: 4.
    Estimated Timer per Response: 1 hour.
    Annual Responses: 64 responses.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 64 hours.
    Background: Pursuant to the Defense Production Act of 1950, as 
amended (Pub. L. 111-67), EO 13603, EO 12656 and 46 CFR part 340, MARAD 
works with the DoD to ensure national defense preparedness. 
Accordingly, MARAD issues Port Planning Orders (PPOs) to Department of 
Defense-designated Strategic Commercial Seaports in order to provide 
the Department of Defense (DoD) port facilities in support of military 
deployments during national emergencies. The proposed collection of 
quarterly information is necessary to validate the port's ability to 
provide the PPO delineated facilities to the DoD within the PPO 
delineated time frame.
    In a February 2, 2014 report entitled STRATEGIC SEAPORTS: 
Opportunities Exist to Improve Interagency Coordination, Readiness 
Reporting, and Port Preparedness, the Government Accounting Office 
(GAO) recommended that MARAD collect readiness data from strategic 
commercial ports. This information will be used by MARAD to assist DoD 
in establishing overall contingency plans necessary to meet national 
emergency preparedness requirements.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: 1. Whether this information 
collection is necessary for proper performance of the functions of the 
agency and will have practical utility; 2. the continued accuracy of 
the burden estimates; 3. ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. ways that the burden 
could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected 
information.

    Authority:  49 CFR 1.93.
* * * * *

    Dated: September 18, 2014.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator,
Julie P. Agarwal,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-22604 Filed 9-22-14; 8:45 am]
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