[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4943-4944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1365]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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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 Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The
ICRs describes the nature of the information collections and their
expected burdens. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the following collections of information
was published on November 19, 2007 (72 FR 65128).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning
and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200
New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone:
(202) 493-6292), or Ms. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems
Staff, RAD-43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.,
SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6139).
(These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
Public Law No. 104-13, Sec. 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as
revised at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5
CFR Part 1320, require Federal agencies to issue two notices seeking
public comment on information collection activities before OMB may
approve paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5,
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On November 19, 2007, FRA published a 60-day
notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on ICRs that the
agency was seeking OMB approval. 72 FR 65128. FRA received no comments
after issuing this notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these
information collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified
under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C.
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30 day
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 day notice
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
The summary below describes the nature of the information
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The proposed
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by
the PRA.
Title: Safety Integration Plans.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0557.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Railroads.
Form(s): N/A.
[[Page 4944]]
Abstract: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Surface
Transportation Board (STB), working in conjunction with each other,
issued joint final rules establishing procedures for the development
and implementation of safety integration plans (``SIPs'' or ``plans'')
by a Class I railroad proposing to engage in certain specified merger,
consolidation, or acquisition of control transactions with another
Class I railroad, or a Class II railroad with which it proposes to
amalgamate operations. The scope of the transactions covered under the
two rules is the same. FRA uses the information collected, notably the
required SIPs, to maintain and promote a safe rail environment by
ensuring that affected railroads (Class I's and some Class II's)
address critical safety issues unique to the amalgamation of large,
complex railroad operations.
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 528 hours.
Title: Locomotive Crashworthiness.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0564.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Railroads.
Form(s): N/A.
Abstract: In a final rule published June 28, 2006, the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) issued comprehensive standards for
locomotive crashworthiness. These crashworthiness standards are
intended to help protect locomotive cab occupants in the event of a
locomotive collision. The collection of information is used by FRA to
ensure that locomotive manufacturers and railroads meet minimum
performance standards and design load requirements for newly
manufactured and re-manufactured locomotives in order to help protect
locomotive cab occupants in the event that one of these covered
locomotives collides with another locomotive, the rear of another
train, a piece of on-track equipment, a shifted load on a freight car
on an adjacent parallel track, or a highway vehicle at a rail-highway
grade crossing.
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 6,672 hours.
Title: Safety Appliance Concern Recommendation Report; Guidance
Checklist Forms.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Railroads.
Form(s): FRA F 6180.4(a)-(q).
Abstract: In an ongoing effort to conduct more thorough and more
effective inspections of railroad freight equipment and to further
enhance safe rail operations, FRA has developed a safety concern
recommendation report form, and a group of guidance checklist forms
that facilitate railroad, rail car owner, and rail equipment
manufacturer compliance with agency Railroad Safety Appliance Standards
regulations. In lieu of completing an official inspection report (Form
FRA F 6180.96), which takes subject railroad equipment out of service
and disrupts rail operations, Form FRA F 6180.4(a) enables Federal and
State safety inspectors to report to agency headquarters systemic or
other safety concerns. FRA headquarters safety specialists can then
contact railroads, car owners, and equipment manufacturers to address
the reported issue(s) and institute necessary corrective action(s) in a
timely fashion without unnecessarily having to take affected rail
equipment out of service, unless deemed defective. Forms FRA F
6180.4(b)-(q) are used in conjunction with the Special Inspection of
Safety Appliance Equipment form (Form FRA F 6180.4) to assist Federal
Motive, Power, and Equipment (MP&E) field inspectors in ensuring that
critical sections of 49 CFR Part 231 (Railroad Safety Appliance
Standards), pertaining to various types of freight equipment, are
complied with through use of a check-off list. By simplifying their
demanding work, check-off lists for 16 essential sections of Part 231
ensure that FRA MP&E field personnel completely and thoroughly inspect
each type of freight car for compliance with its corresponding section
in Part 231. The Guidance Checklist forms may later be used by state
field inspectors as well. FRA believes that this collection of
information will result in improved construction of newly designed
freight cars and improved field inspections of all freight cars
currently in use. This, in turn, will serve to reduce the number of
accidents/incidents and corresponding injuries and fatalities that
occur every year due to unsafe or defective equipment that was not
promptly repaired/replaced.
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 182 hours.
Addressee: Send comments regarding these information collections to
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503,
Attention: FRA Desk Officer, or via e-mail to OMB at the following
address: [email protected].
Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed
collections of information are 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 estimates of
the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
ways to minimize the burden of the collections 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 publication of this notice in the Federal
Register.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Issued in Washington, DC on January 22, 2008.
D.J. Stadtler,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-1365 Filed 1-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P