Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

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 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 October 2, 2006.

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, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Mr. Victor Angelo, Office of Support Systems, RAD-43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., 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 2130-0008.” Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6230 or (202) 493-6170, or E-mail to Mr. Brogan at

robert.brogan@dot.gov,

or to Mr. Angelo at

victor.angelo@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, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 21, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292) or Victor Angelo, Office of Support Systems, RAD-43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6470). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Pub. L. No. 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 information collection request (ICR) that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:

Title:

Inspection Brake System Safety Standards For Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains and Equipment (Power Brakes and Drawbars).

OMB Control Number:

2130-0008.

Abstract:

Section 7 of the Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act of 1992, Public Law No. 102-365, amended Section 202 of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C. 421, 431 et seq.), empowered the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a review of the Department's rules with respect to railroad power brakes and, where applicable, prescribe standards regarding dynamic brake equipment. In keeping with the Secretary's mandate and the authority delegated from him to the FRA Administrator, FRA recently published a comprehensive regulatory revision of the then current requirements related to the inspection, testing, and maintenance of the brake equipment used in freight car operations. The Final Rule focused solely on freight and other non-passenger trains, and codified and solidified the maintenance requirements related to the power brake system and its components. The collection of information is used by FRA to monitor and enforce safety requirements related to power brakes on freight cars. The collection of information is also used by locomotive engineers and road crews to verify that the terminal air brake test has been performed in a satisfactory manner.

Form Number(s):

None.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Respondent Universe:

545 railroads.

Frequency of Submission:

On occasion.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Reporting Burden:

CFR section

Respondent universe

Total annual responses

Average time per response

Total annual burden hours

Total annual burden cost

229.27—Annual Tests

20,000 Locomotives

18,000 tests

15 minutes

4,500

$166,500

232.1—Scope—Requests For Earlier Application of Requirements in Subparts A-C, F

545 Railroads

4 requests

1 hour

4

224

232.3—Applicability—Cars Not Used in Service

545 Railroads

8 cards

10 minutes

1

35

232.7—Waivers

545 railroads

20 petitions

40 hours

800

28,000

232.11—Penalties

545 railroads

1 false record

10 minutes

.20

6

232.15—Movement of Defective Equipment

1,620,000 cars/locomotives

128,400 tags

2.5 minutes

5,350

197,950

232.15—Notice of Defective Car/Locomotive and Restrictions

1,620,000 cars/locomotives

25,000 notices

3 minutes

1,250

46,250

232.17—Special Approval Procedure

545 railroads

4 petitions

100 hours

400

22,400

—Petitions For Special Approval of Pre-Revenue Service Acceptance Testing Plan

545 railroads

2 petitions

100 hours

200

11,200

—Copies of Petitions For Special Approval Procedure

545 railroads

4 petitions

40 hours

160

5,600

—Statements of Interest

Public/Railroads

14 statements

8 hours

112

3,920

—Comments on Special Approval Procedure Petition

Public/Railroads

13 comments

4 hours

52

1,820

232.103—General Requirements For All Train Brakes

370,000 cars

66,660 stickers

10 minutes

11,110

230,644

232.105—General Requirements For Locomotives

20,000 locomotives

20,000 forms

5 minutes

1,667

61,679

232.107—Air Source Requirements—Plans To Monitor All Air Yard Sources: First Year

545 railroads

50 plans

40 hours

2,000

112,000

—Subsequent Years

25 new railroads

1 plan

40 hours

40

2,240

—Amendments to Plan

50 Existing Plans

10 amendments

20 hours

200

11,200

—Record Keeping

50 Existing Plans

1,150 records

20 hours

23,000

805,000

—Written Operating Procedures/Plans

545 railroads

37 plans

20 hours

740

41,440

232.109—Dynamic Brake Requirements—Records

545 railroads

1,656,000 records

4 minutes

110,400

3,864,000

—Repair of Inoperative Dynamic Brakes

20,000 locomotives

6,358 records

4 minutes

424

14,840

—Locomotives with Inoperative Dynamic Brakes—Tag

20,000 locomotives

6,358 tags

30 seconds

53

1,961

—Deactivated Dynamic Brakes—Markings

8,000 locomotives

2,800 markings

5 minutes

233

8,621

—Subsequent Years—Markings

8,000 locomotives

20 markings

5 minutes

2

74

—Written Operating Rules—Safe Train Handling

545 railroads

100 oper. rules

4 hours

400

22,400

—Subsequent Years—Safe Train Handling Procedures

5 new railroads

5 oper. rules

4 hours

20

1,120

—Amendments

545 railroads

15 amendments

1 hour

15

525

—Over Speed Top Rules

545 railroads

545 rules

1 hour

545

30,520

—Requests to Increase 5 MPH Over Speed Restriction

545 railroads

5 requests

20.5 hours

103

3,605

—Locomotive Engineer Certification Programs/PBrake

545 railroads

100 amendments

16 hours

1,600

89,600

—Subsequent Years

5 new railroads

5 amendments

16 hours

80

4,480

232.111—Train Information Handling—Procedures

545 railroads

545 procedures

140 hours

21,890

1,225,840

—Subsequent Years

10 new railroads

10 procedures

40 hours

400

22,400

—Amendments

100 railroads

100 amendments

20 hours

2,000

70,000

—Reports to Train Crews

545 railroads

2,112,000 rpts.

10 minutes

352,000

13,024,000

232.203—Training Requirements: Training Programs

545 railroads

300 programs

100 hours

30,000

1,680,000

—Subsequent Years

15 railroads

1 program

100 hours

100

5,600

—Amendments to Written Program

545 railroads

545 amendments

8 hours

4,360

152,600

—Training Records

545 railroads

67,000 records

8 minutes

8,933

312,655

—Training Notifications

545 railroads

67,000 notices

3 minutes

3,350

117,250

—Validation/Assessment Plans

545 railroads

545 copies

40 hours/1 minute

49

2,375

Amendments to Validation/Assessment Plans

545 railroads

50 amendments

20 hours

1,000

35,000

232.205—Class I Brake Test—Initial Terminal Insp

545 railroads

1,656,000

45 minutes

20,7000

931,500

232.207—Class I A Brake Tests: 1000 Mile Insp

545 railroads

25 designations

30 minutes

13

455

—Subsequent Years

545 railroads

1 designation

1 hour

1

35

—Amendments

545 railroads

5 amendments

1 hour

5

175

232.209—Class II Brake Tests—Intermediate Insp

545 railroads

1,600,000 commnt

3 seconds

1,333

59,985

232.213—Extended Haul Trains—Designations

84,000 train movements

100 designations

15 minutes

25

875

—Records

84,000 train movements

25,200 records

20 minutes

8,400

294,000

232.303—General Requirements—Track Brake Test

1,600,000 freight cars

5,600 tags

5 minutes

467

17,279

—Location of Last Track Brake Test/Single Car Test

1,600,000 freight cars

320,000 stenciling

5 minutes

26,667

986,679

232.305—Single Car Tests

1,600,000 freight cars

320,000 tests/rcds.

45 minutes

240,000

8,880,000

232.309—Equipment and Devices—Tests/Calibrations

640 shops

5,000 tests

30 minutes

2,500

92,500

232.403—Design Standards For One-way EOT Devices—Unique Code

245 railroads

12 requests

5 minutes

1 hour

35

232.407—Operations Requiring 2-Way EOTs

245 railroads

50,000 commun

30 seconds

417

18,765

232.409—Inspection and Testing of 2-Way EOTs

245 railroads

450,000 commun

30 seconds

3,750

138,750

—Testing Telemetry Equipment

245 railroads

32,708 markings

60 seconds

545

20,165

232.503—Process to Introduce New Brake System Technology—Special Approval

545 railroads

1 request/letter

60 minutes

1

56

—Pre-Revenue Service Demonstration

545 railroads

1 request

3 hours

3

168

232.505—Pre-Revenue Service Acceptance Testing Plan: Maintenance Procedure—1st Year

545 railroads

1 procedure

160 hours

160

8,960

—Subsequent Years

545 railroads

1 procedure

160 hours

160

8,960

—Amendments

545 railroads

1 amendment

40 hours

40

1,400

—Design Description-Petitions

545 railroads

1 petition

67 hours

67

3,752

—Results Pre-Revenue Service Acceptance Testing

545 railroads

1 report

13 hours

13

455

—Description of Brake Systems Technologies Previously Used in Revenue Service

545 railroads

5 descriptions

40 hours

200

7,000

Total Responses:

8,644,448.

Total Estimated Total Annual Burden:

895,011 hours.

Status:

Regular Review.

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 July 24, 2006.

D.J. Stadtler,

Director, Office of Budget, Federal Railroad Administration.

[FR Doc. E6-12406 Filed 8-1-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P