81 FR 39251 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 116 (June 16, 2016)

Page Range		39251-39252
FR Document		2016-14233
Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 116 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 116 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39251-39252]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14233]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: 2017 Economic Census--Commodity Flow Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0932.
    Form Number(s): CFS-1000.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of an expired 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 2.5.
    Burden Hours: 1,000,000.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2017 
Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), a component of the 2017 Economic Census, 
as it is the only comprehensive source of multi-modal, system-wide data 
on the volume and pattern of goods movement in the United States. The 
CFS is conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and 
Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
    The survey provides a crucial set of statistics on the value, 
weight, mode, and distance of commodities shipped by mining, 
manufacturing, wholesale, and selected retail and services 
establishments, as well as auxiliary establishments that support these 
industries. The Census Bureau will publish these shipment 
characteristics for the nation, census regions and divisions, states, 
and CFS defined geographic areas. As with the 2012 Commodity Flow 
Survey, this survey also identifies export, hazardous material, and 
temperature controlled shipments.
    The DOT views updated information on freight flows as critical to 
understanding the use, performance, and condition of the nation's 
transportation system, as well as informing transportation investments. 
Data on the movement of freight also are important for effective 
analyses of changes in regional and local economic development, safety 
issues, and environmental concerns. They also provide the private 
sector with valuable data needed for critical decision-making on a 
variety of issues including market trends, analysis, and segmentation. 
Each day, governments, businesses, and consumers make countless 
decisions about where to go, how to get there, what to ship and which 
transportation modes to use. Transportation constantly responds to 
external forces such as shifting markets, changing demographics, safety 
concerns, weather conditions, energy and environmental constraints, and 
national defense requirements. Good decisions require having the right 
information in the right form at the right time.
    The CFS provides critical data to federal, state and local 
government agencies to make a wide range of transportation investment 
decisions for developing and maintaining an efficient transportation 
infrastructure that supports economic growth and competitiveness.
    Transportation planners require the periodic benchmarks provided by 
a continuing CFS to evaluate and respond to ongoing geographic shifts 
in production and distribution centers, as well as policies such as 
``just in time delivery.''
    The 2017 CFS will be a mail-out/mail-back or electronic reporting 
sample survey of approximately 100,000 business establishments in the 
mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and selected retail and services 
industries, as well as auxiliary establishments that support these 
industries.
    The CFS is co-sponsored by the BTS and the Census Bureau, with a 
majority of funding (80 percent) provided by the BTS. In addition to 
their funding support, the BTS also provides additional technical and 
planning guidance in the development and implementation of the program.
    The CFS is the primary source of information about freight movement 
in the United States. Estimates of shipment characteristics are 
published at different levels of aggregation. The CFS produces summary 
statistics and a public use microdata file. No confidential data are 
released. The survey covers shipments from establishments in the 
mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and selected retail industries, as 
well as auxiliary establishments that support these industries. Federal 
agencies, state and local transportation planners and policy makers, 
and private sector transportation managers, analysts, and

[[Page 39252]]

researchers strongly support the conduct of the CFS.
    At the federal level, the data from the CFS are required by a 
variety of agencies to help accomplish their missions. Results from the 
CFS help promote economic development and provide for an efficient U.S. 
transportation system. The CFS enables better informed infrastructure 
investment decisions, and policies promoting public safety and 
protecting the natural environment affected by transportation.
    Users and supporters of CFS data at the federal level include:

 Federal Highway Administration
 Federal Railroad Administration
 Maritime Administration
 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration
 Bureau of Transportation Statistics
 Bureau of Economic Analysis
 Bureau of Labor Statistics
 Federal Emergency Management Administration
 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    One of the major uses of the CFS is by the Federal Highway 
Administration and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to incorporate the 
CFS into the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF). The CFS acts as the 
foundation of the FAF and represents almost 70% of the data used to 
construct the FAF. The FAF is used extensively by the states and 
localities to conduct freight planning.
    At the state and local levels, the information from the CFS is 
extremely valuable for economic development and transportation 
planning. The CFS data are used by many localities in responding to 
requirements contained in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
Century.
    Transportation planners and policy makers in special interest areas 
have also identified CFS data as critical to their decision making. For 
example, CFS data on the types and magnitude of hazardous materials 
shipped in various geographic regions are critical in evaluating and 
setting policies on the movement of hazardous materials.
    CFS data are also crucial to transportation managers, analysts, and 
researchers in the private sector. These data are used to identify 
trends in shipping activities, strength of market segments, and 
existing and potential transportation related issues requiring 
additional resources.
    The CFS has received support from a wide range of users expressing 
the need for the unique data produced by the survey.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Frequency: Respondents provide quarterly reports over a one year 
period.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., Sections 8(b), 131 and, 193; 49 
U.S.C., Section 6302.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: June 13, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-14233 Filed 6-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 116 / Thursday, June 16, 2016 / Notices 39251

Need and Use of the Information: Frequency of Responses: Reporting: important for effective analyses of
Borrowers and grant recipients must On occasion. changes in regional and local economic
provide to RUS a written Total Burden Hours: 618. development, safety issues, and
acknowledgment from a registered environmental concerns. They also
Charlene Parker,
architect or engineer responsible for the provide the private sector with valuable
designs of each applicable building Departmental Information Collection data needed for critical decision-making
Clearance Officer.
stating that the seismic provisions to 7 on a variety of issues including market
[FR Doc. 2016–14225 Filed 6–15–16; 8:45 am]
CFR part 1792, subpart C will be used trends, analysis, and segmentation. Each
in the design of the building. RUS will BILLING CODE 3410–15–P day, governments, businesses, and
use this information to: (1) Clarify and consumers make countless decisions
inform the applicable borrowers and about where to go, how to get there,
grant recipients about seismic safety DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE what to ship and which transportation
requirements; (2) improve the modes to use. Transportation constantly
effectiveness of all RUS programs; and Submission for OMB Review; responds to external forces such as
(3) reduce the risk to life and property Comment Request shifting markets, changing
through the use of approved building The Department of Commerce will demographics, safety concerns, weather
codes aimed at providing seismic safety. submit to the Office of Management and conditions, energy and environmental
Description of Respondents: Not-for- Budget (OMB) for clearance the constraints, and national defense
profit institutions; Business or other for- following proposal for collection of requirements. Good decisions require
profit. information under the provisions of the having the right information in the right
Number of Respondents: 97. Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. form at the right time.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: chapter 35). The CFS provides critical data to
On occasion. Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. federal, state and local government
Total Burden Hours: 73. agencies to make a wide range of
Title: 2017 Economic Census—
Rural Utility Service Commodity Flow Survey. transportation investment decisions for
OMB Control Number: 0607–0932. developing and maintaining an efficient
Title: Water and Waste Disposal
Form Number(s): CFS–1000. transportation infrastructure that
Programs Guaranteed Loans.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0122. Type of Request: Reinstatement, with supports economic growth and
Summary of Collection: The Rural change, of an expired collection. competitiveness.
Utilities Service (RUS) is authorized by Number of Respondents: 100,000. Transportation planners require the
Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm Average Hours per Response: 2.5. periodic benchmarks provided by a
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. Burden Hours: 1,000,000. continuing CFS to evaluate and respond
1926) to make loans to public agencies, Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census to ongoing geographic shifts in
nonprofit corporations, and Indian Bureau plans to conduct the 2017 production and distribution centers, as
tribes for the development of water and Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), a well as policies such as ‘‘just in time
waste disposal facilities primarily component of the 2017 Economic delivery.’’
servicing rural residents. The Waste and Census, as it is the only comprehensive The 2017 CFS will be a mail-out/mail-
Water Disposal Programs (WW) of RUS source of multi-modal, system-wide back or electronic reporting sample
provide insured loan and grant funds data on the volume and pattern of goods survey of approximately 100,000
through the WW program to finance movement in the United States. The business establishments in the mining,
many types of projects varying in size CFS is conducted in partnership with manufacturing, wholesale, and selected
and complexity. The Waste and Water the Bureau of Transportation Statistics retail and services industries, as well as
Disposal Guaranteed Program is (BTS), Office of the Assistant Secretary auxiliary establishments that support
implemented through 7 CFR 1779. The for Research and Technology, U.S. these industries.
guaranteed loan program encourages Department of Transportation (DOT). The CFS is co-sponsored by the BTS
lender participation and provides The survey provides a crucial set of and the Census Bureau, with a majority
specific guidance in the processing and statistics on the value, weight, mode, of funding (80 percent) provided by the
servicing of guaranteed WW loans. and distance of commodities shipped by BTS. In addition to their funding
Need and Use of the Information: mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and support, the BTS also provides
Rural Development’s field offices will selected retail and services additional technical and planning
collect information from applicants/ establishments, as well as auxiliary guidance in the development and
borrowers, lenders, and consultants to establishments that support these implementation of the program.
determine eligibility, project feasibility industries. The Census Bureau will The CFS is the primary source of
and to ensure borrowers operate on a publish these shipment characteristics information about freight movement in
sound basis and use loan funds for for the nation, census regions and the United States. Estimates of shipment
authorized purposes. There are agency divisions, states, and CFS defined characteristics are published at different
forms required as well as other geographic areas. As with the 2012 levels of aggregation. The CFS produces
requirements that involve certifications Commodity Flow Survey, this survey summary statistics and a public use
from the borrower, lenders, and other also identifies export, hazardous microdata file. No confidential data are
material, and temperature controlled released. The survey covers shipments
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

parties. Failure to collect proper
information could result in improper shipments. from establishments in the mining,
determinations of eligibility, improper The DOT views updated information manufacturing, wholesale, and selected
use of funds and or unsound loans. on freight flows as critical to retail industries, as well as auxiliary
Description of Respondents: Business understanding the use, performance, establishments that support these
or other for-profit; Not-for-profit and condition of the nation’s industries. Federal agencies, state and
institutions; State, Local or Tribal transportation system, as well as local transportation planners and policy
Government. informing transportation investments. makers, and private sector
Number of Respondents: 10. Data on the movement of freight also are transportation managers, analysts, and

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Document Created: 2016-06-16 00:37:29
Document Modified: 2016-06-16 00:37:29
Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
FR Citation		81 FR 39251