Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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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) abstracted below has been forwarded to the

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. 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 March 30, 1998 [63 FR 15257].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 5, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Paul Scott, Office Engineering,

Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, HNG-

10, Room 3134, 400 7th St., SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, telephone

(202) 366-4104. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., E.T.,

Monday thru Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

1. Title: Develop and Submit Utility Accommodation Policies.

OMB Number: 2125-0514.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Form(s): N/A.

Affected Public: State highway agencies.

Abstract: The FHWA has elected to fulfill its statutory obligations

regarding utility accommodation by requiring the State highway agencies

to develop and submit to FHWA a policy statement on the authority of

utilities to use and occupy highway rights-of-way; the State's

authority to regulate such use; and the policies and/or procedures

employed for accommodating utilities within the rights-of-way of

Federal-aid highway projects. Upon approval of the policy statement,

the State highway agency may take any action required in accordance

with the approved policy statement without case-by-case review by the

FHWA. Utility accommodation policy statements have previously been

approved by the FHWA for all the 50 State highway agencies and the

highway agencies of the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico. Even so, these policy statements must periodically be

reviewed to see if updating is necessary, and must periodically be

updated to reflect policy changes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual reporting

burden is 2,800 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725--17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention FHWA Desk Officer.

Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the Department, including whether the information will have practical

utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the

proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility

and

[[Page 36474]]

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.

A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB

receives it within 30 days of publishing in the Federal Register.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 29, 1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98-17719 Filed 7-2-98; 8:45 am]

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