Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2011-001-N-8]

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements (ICRs) for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES:

Comments must be received no later than August 12, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on any or all of the following proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard stating, “Comments on OMB control number 2130-0004.” Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at

Robert.Brogan@dot.gov,

or to Ms. Toone at

Kimberly.Toone@dot.gov.

Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB for approval.

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. Kimberly Toone,

Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (

telephone:

(202) 493-6132). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13, § 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 provide 60-days notice to the public for comment on information collection activities before seeking approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of proposed information collection activities regarding (i) whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the activities will have practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on the public by automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology (

e.g.,

permitting electronic submission of responses).

See

44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)-(iv); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)(I)-(iv). FRA believes that soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of information mandated by Federal regulations. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it organizes information collection requirements in a “user friendly” format to improve the use of such information; and (iii) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested.

See

44 U.S.C. 3501.

Below is a brief summary of the currently approved ICRs that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:

Title:

Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards and Event Recorder.

OMB Control Number:

2130-0004.

Abstract:

The Locomotive Inspection requires railroads to inspect, repair, and maintain locomotives and event recorders so that they are safe, free of defects, and can be placed in service without peril to life. Crashworthy locomotive event recorders provide FRA with verifiable factual information about how trains are maintained and operated, and are used by FRA and State inspectors for Part 229 rule enforcement. The information garnered from crashworthy event recorders is also used by railroads to monitor railroad operations and by railroad employees (locomotive engineers, train crews, dispatchers) to improve train handling, and promote the safe and efficient operation of trains throughout the country, based on a surer knowledge of different control inputs.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Respondent Universe:

744 Railroads.

Frequency of Submission:

On occasion.

Reporting Burden:

CFR section

Respondent

universe

Total annual

responses

Average time per response

Total annual burden hours

229.9—Movement of Non-Complying Locomotives

744 Railroads

21,000 tags

1 minute

350

229.17—Accident Reports

744 Railroads

1 report

15 minutes

.25

29.21—Daily Inspection

744 Railroads

5,655,000 insp. reports/records

1 minute or 3 minutes

155,350

Written Reports of MU Locomotive Inspections

744 Railroads

250 written reports

3 minutes

13

Form FRA F 6180.49A

744 Railroads

4,000 forms

2 minutes

133

210.31—Locomotive Noise Emission Test

744 Railroads

100 tests/remarks

15 minutes

25

229.23—Periodic Inspections of Locomotives and Steam Generators

744 Railroads

87,000 tests/forms

8 hours

696,000

229.33—Out of Use Credit for Locomotives

744 Railroads

500 out-of-use notations

5 minutes

42

229.25—Periodic Inspection of Event Recorders—Written Copy of Instructions—Amendments

744 Railroads

200 amendments

15 minutes

50

Data Verification Readout

744 Railroads

4,025 readout records/reports

90 minutes

6,038

Pre-Maintenance Test Failures

744 Railroads

700 test failure notations

30 minutes

350

229.135—Removal from Service

744 Railroads

1,000 removal tags

1 minute

17

Preserving Accident Data

744 Railroads

2,930 data reports

15 minutes

733

229.27—Annual Tests

744 Railroads

700 test records

90 minutes

1,050

229.135—Certified Memory Modules

744 Railroads

200 certified memory modules

2 hours + 200 hours for test design

600

Lead Locomotives w/Certified Module

744 Railroads

600 certified memory modules

2 hours

1,200

Re-Manufactured Event Recorders with Certified Module

744 Railroads

1,000 certified memory modules

2 hours

2,000

Form(s):

FRA F 6180.49A.

Total Responses:

5,779,206.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

863,951 hours.

Type of Request:

Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Authority:

44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2011.

Kimberly Coronel,

Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad Administration.

[FR Doc. 2011-14549 Filed 6-10-11; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P