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 November 24, 2008.

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. Nakia Jackson, 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 2130-0571.” 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. Jackson at

nakia.jackson@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. Nakia Jackson, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6073). (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 currently approved information collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:

Title:

Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating Employees.

OMB Control Number:

2130-0571.

Abstract:

The collection of information is used by FRA to ensure that railroads covered by this rule establish and implement—by specified dates—noise monitoring, hearing conservation, and audiometric testing programs, as well as hearing conservation training programs, to protect their employees against the damaging and potentially dangerous effects of excessive noise in the everyday rail environment.

Affected Public:

Businesses.

Respondent Universe:

460 railroads.

Frequency of Submission:

On occasion.

Reporting Burden:

CFR section

Respondent

universe

Total annual

responses

Average time

per response

Total annual

burden hours

227.9—Waivers

460 Railroads

5 petitions

60 minutes

5

227.103—Noise Monitoring Program

460 Railroads

460 programs

2 hours/8 hours/600 hours

5,165

—Notification of Employee of Monitoring

460 Railroads

905 lists

30 minutes

453

227.107—Hearing Conservation Program (HCP)

460 Railroads

461 HCPs

150 hrs/2 hrs/31 hrs/7.5 hours

2,875

—Revised Hearing Conservation Programs (HCPs)

460 Railroads

92 HCPs

1.74 hours

160

227.109—Audiometric Testing Program—Existing Employees—Baseline Audiograms

78,000 Employees

60,000 audiograms + 6,000 audiograms

7 min./25 minutes

7,000 + 2,500

—Periodic Audiograms

78,000 Employees

8,000 audiograms

25 minutes

3,333

—Evaluation of Audiograms

78,000 Employees

2,330 evaluations + 93 retests

6 min./2.5 hours

466

—Problem Audiograms

8,000 Employees

45 documents

10 minutes

8

—Follow-up Procedures—Notifications

8,000 Employees

93 notifications

15 minutes

24

—Fitting/Training of Employees: Hearing Protectors

240 Employees

240 tr. sessions

2 minutes

8

—Referrals for Clinical/Otological Examinations

240 Employees

20 referrals/results

2 hours

40

—Notification to Employee of Need: Otological Examination

240 Employees

20 notifications

5 minutes

2

—New Audiometric Interpretation

240 Employees

20 notifications

5 minutes

2

227.111—Audiometric Test Requirements

1,000 Mobile Vans

1,000 tests

45 minutes

750

227.117—Hearing Protection Attenuation—Evaluation

460 Railroads

50 evaluations

30 minutes

25

—Re-Evaluations

460 Railroads

10 re-evaluations

30 minutes

5

227.119—Hearing Conservation Training Program—Development

460 Railroads/AAR

461 programs

8 hours/2 hours/116 hours/1 hour

956

—Employee Training

460 Railroads

26,000 tr. Empl

30 minutes

13,000

—Periodic Training

460 Railroads

7,000 tr. Empl

30 minutes

3,500

227.121—Recordkeeping—Authorization: Records

460 Railroads

10 requests + 10 responses

10 min. + 15 min

5

—Request for Copies of Reports

460 Railroads

150 requests + 150 responses

21 min. + 45 min

166

—Records Transfer When Carrier Becomes Defunct

460 Railroads

10 records

24 minutes

4

—Railroad Audiometric Test Records

460 Railroads

26,000 records

2 minutes

867

—Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) Records

460 Railroads

54,000 records

45 seconds

675

—HCP Training Records of Employees

460 Railroads

26,000 records

30 seconds

217

—Records: Standard Threshold Shifts of Employees

460 Railroads

280 records

7 minutes

33

229.121—Locomotive Cab Noise—Tests/Certifications

3 Equipment Manufacturers

700 tests/certific

40 min. + 5 min

111

—Equipment Maintenance: Excessive Noise Reports

460 Railroads

3,000 reports + 3,000 records

10 min. + 5 min

750

—Maintenance Records

460 Railroads

3,750 records

8 minutes

500

—Internal Auditable Monitoring Systems

570 Railroads

570 systems

36 min. + 8.25 hour

572

Appendix H—Static Test Protocols/Records

700 Locomotives

2 retests + 2 records

35 min. + 5 min

1

Total Responses:

230,939.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

44,178 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 September 19, 2008.

D.J. Stadtler,

Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad Administration.

[FR Doc. E8-22563 Filed 9-24-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P