Implementing Quality Environmental Documentation

Federal Register Notices

Attached [below] is a copy of a memorandum from the Chief Counsel regarding certain requirements of the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) for the publication of documents in the Federal Register.

Julie Downey, an attorney in my office, serves as FHWA's liaison with the OFR. In that capacity, she (or another member of our staff) receives calls from the OFR regarding questions they have concerning our documents or changes they require before they will publish those documents.

The purpose of the attached memo is to remind you (and members of your staff) of certain basic requirements with which we must comply to assure our documents will be published timely in the Federal Register.

If you have any questions about this, please call Julie Downey at the number provided, or you may call me at 202-366-1383.

Thank you,

Thomas P. Holian
Assistant Chief Counsel
Legislation and Regulations Division

MEMORANDUM
Subject: INFORMATION Publication of documents in the Federal Register	Date: Aug. 16, 2006
From: James D. Ray Chief Counsel	Reply to: Attn. of: HCC-10
To: Division Administrators

It has come to my attention, through the Office of the Federal Register, that several FHWA documents from Division Offices have not been in the proper format and have required additional action by my office to correct these errors to avoid delays in publication. In some cases the Federal Register has returned the documents for correction, causing unwanted delays in publication. Therefore, I am sending this memorandum to remind you and your staff of some of the basic requirements for documents to be published in the Federal Register. The following is a list of the most frequent types of mistakes that can easily be avoided:

• There must be three original signed copies;
• The official whose name appears in the signature block must be the individual to sign the document (you cannot sign "for" someone else);
• The date the document is signed must appear near the signature block (we are not permitted to post-date or pre-date these documents);
• You must send an electronic copy on a disk of the document exactly as it appears on the paper copy, along with the three original signed copies;
• If you need to request an emergency publication, you must provide a reason for your request; and
• The address to which you must send the documents (including via Fed Ex or overnight mail) is as follows:
  
  Director, Office of the Federal Register
  800 North Capital Street, Northwest
  7th Floor, Suite 700
  Washington, D.C. 20408

I have also enclosed a sample copy of the cover letter that should accompany the three original signed copies.

Additionally, the Federal Register has produced a "Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook" that is available on-line at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/handbook/ddh.pdf. This handbook provides federal agencies with guidance and examples for complying with the Office of the Federal Register's format and editorial requirements for Federal Register documents. All the information you need to prepare a "notice" document is in one place.

Finally, should you ever have any questions about publishing documents in the Federal Register, you may contact Julie Downey, the FHWA Regulations Officer/Office of the Federal Register Liaison. Julie may be reached at (202) 366-1376 or via email at julie.downey@dot.gov.

400 Seventh St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20590

Mr. Raymond Mosley
Director, Office of the Federal Register
800 North Capital Street, Northwest
7th Floor, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20408

Dear Mr. Mosley:

I hereby certify that the enclosed diskette contains a true and accurate copy of the three signed paper copies of the notice of intent.

Sincerely yours,

YOUR NAME

Enclosures