Notice2021-17982
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47195-47198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17982]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2021-0006-N-10]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities
identified in the ICR.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
October 22, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
[[Page 47196]]
should be submitted on <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2021-0006. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. 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: Ms. Hodan Wells, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f890979c9996d68f9d94948bb89c978cd69f978e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5830373c3936762f3d34342b183c372c763f372e">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (202) 493-0440, or Mr. John Purnell, Information Collection
Clearance Officer at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fb91949395d58b8e89959e9797bb9f948fd59c948d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a9c3c6c1c787d9dcdbc7ccc5c5e9cdc6dd87cec6df">[email protected]</span></a> or telephone: (202)
493-0500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 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 to allow comment on information
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities.
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically,
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether
the activities will have practical utility; (2) 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; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards and Event Recorders.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0004.
Abstract: FRA's locomotive safety standards (49 CFR part 229)
require railroads to inspect, repair, and maintain locomotives,
including their event recorders, to ensure they are safe and free of
defects.
The data gathered from locomotive event recorders is used by the
railroad industry 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.
Locomotive event recorders also provide FRA and State railroad safety
inspectors with verified data elements for use in their oversight
responsibilities that show how trains are operated from lead
locomotives.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): FRA F 6180.49A.
Respondent Universe: 754 railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total cost
CFR section 1 Respondent Total annual Average time Total annual equivalent 2
universe responses per responses burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
229.9--Movement of non- 754 railroads.. 1,307 tags..... 1 minute....... 21.79 hours.... $1,566.48
complying locomotives--
Tagging to indicate ``non-
complying locomotive``.
229.15(a)(11)--Remote 754 railroads.. 349 tags....... 1 minute....... 5.82 hours..... 418.40
control locomotives--
Tagging to indicate in
remote control.
229.20(c)--Operational 754 railroads.. 21,000 1 second....... 5.83 hours..... 451.48
requirements--Automatic automatic
notice to railroads each notifications.
time locomotive is due for
inspection or maintenance
(Note: This requirement
does not apply to daily
inspections.).
229.21(a)--Daily inspection-- 754 railroads.. 7,443,020 3 minutes 148,860.40 11,527,749.38
Except for multiple-unit written (paper hours.
(MU) operated locomotive. inspection records) + 1
reports. minute
(electronic
records).
--(b) Written reports of MU 754 railroads.. 1,300,000 3 minutes...... 65,000.00 hours 4,672,850.00
locomotive inspections. written
reports.
229.23(d)-(g)--Periodic 718 railroads.. 28,627 other 15 minutes..... 7,156.75 hours. 514,498.76
Inspection--Locomotive than passenger
Inspection & Repair Record-- locomotives.
Form FRA F 6180.49A.
[[Page 47197]]
229.23(d)-(g)--Periodic 36 railroads... 4,500 passenger 15 minutes..... 1,125.00 hours. 80,876.25
Inspection--Locomotive locomotives.
Inspection & Repair Record--
Form FRA F 6180.49A 3.
229.25(d)(2)--Data 754 railroads.. 5,908 readout 90 minutes..... 8,862.00 hours. 686,273.28
verification readout of records and
event recorder. reports.
229.46--Tagging locomotive 754 railroads.. 2,269 tags..... 1 minute....... 37.81 hours.... 2,718.16
with inoperative or
ineffective automatic/
independent brake that can
only be used in trailing
position.
229.85--Marking of all 754 railroads.. 1,080 decals or 1 minute....... 18.00 hours.... 1,078.02
doors, cover plates, or markings.
barriers having direct
access to high voltage
equipment with words
``Danger High Voltage'' or
with word ``Danger''.
229.123(b)(2)--Locomotives 754 railroads.. 22 markings/ 4 minutes...... 1.44 hours..... 104.96
equipped with a pilot, stencils.
snowplow & plate with
clearance above 6 inches--
Marking/stenciling with
words ``9-inch Maximum End
Plate Height, Yard or Trail
Service Only''.
229.303--Requests to FRA for 754 railroads.. 5 written 1 hour......... 5.00 hours..... 387.20
on-track testing of requests.
products outside a facility.
229.307--Safety Analysis for 754 railroads.. 3 safety 240 hours...... 720.00 hours... 55,756.80
each product subject to analysis
this subpart--Document documents.
establishing minimum
requirements.
229.309--Safety critical 754 railroads.. 5 notifications 8 hours........ 40.00 hours.... 3,097.60
changes to product subject
to this subpart--Notice to
FRA.
--(b) and (c) Report by 3 manufacturers 15 reports..... 8 hours........ 120.00 hours... 9,292.80
product suppliers and
private owners to railroads
of any safety-critical
changes to product.
229.311(a)--Notice to FRA by 754 railroads.. 3 notifications 2 hours........ 6.00 hours..... 464.64
railroad before placing
product in service.
--(d) Railroad maintenance 754 railroads.. 3 databases.... 2 hours........ 6.00 hours..... 464.64
of data base of all safety
relevant hazards
encountered after product
is placed in service.
--(d)(1) Written report to 754 railroads.. 1 written 2 hours........ 2.00 hours..... 154.88
FRA disclosing frequency of report.
safety-relevant hazards for
product exceeding threshold
set forth in Safety
Analysis.
[[Page 47198]]
229.315(b)--Railroad 754 railroads.. 3 filings of 1 minute....... .05 hour....... 3.87
maintenance of Operations manuals.
and Maintenance Manual
containing all documents
related to installation,
maintenance, repair,
modification, & testing of
a product subject to this
part.
--(c) Configuration 754 railroads.. 3 filings of 1 minute....... .05 hour....... 3.87
management control plan. revised plans.
229.317(a)--Training and 754 railroads.. 90 filings of 1 minute....... 1.50 hours..... 116.16
qualification program-- new or revised
Establishment and training
implementation of training programs.
qualification program for
products subject to this
subpart.
--(b) Employees trained 754 railroads.. 10,000 trained 1 minute....... 166.67 hours... 12,906.92
under RR program. employees'
records.
--(f) Periodic refresher 754 railroads.. 1,000 re- 1 minute....... 16.67 hours.... 1,290.92
training of employees. trained
employees'
records.
--(g) RR regular and 754 railroads.. 90 evaluations. 2 hours........ 3.00 hours..... 232.32
periodic evaluation of
effectiveness of its
training program.
--(h) RR record of 754 railroads.. 10,000 1 minute....... 166.67 hours... 12,906.92
individuals designated as electronic
qualified under this records.
section.
Total 4................. 754 railroads.. 8,829,303 N/A............ 232,348 hours.. 17,585,665
responses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 8,829,303.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The current inventory exhibits a total burden of 3,815,751
hours while the total burden of this notice is 232,348 hours. As
part of its review of this ICR renewal, FRA determined many of the
previous estimates were preliminary, outdated, or duplicative.
Moreover, FRA removed locomotive safety requirements outside the
scope of the PRA, thus decreasing the total estimates accordingly in
this notice.
\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the Surface
Transportation Board's 2020 Full Year Wage A&B data series using the
appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75-
percent overhead charge.
\3\ FRA is proposing to create a new form for use by passenger
railroads, Form F 6180-49AP (Passenger Locomotive Inspection and
Repair Record), under OMB Control Number 2130-0035. Once the new
form is approved, FRA will move this under the proposed 49 CFR
229.22 of OMB 2130-0035.
\4\ Totals may not add due to rounding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 232,348 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$17,585,665.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi),
FRA informs all interested parties that a respondent is not required to
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information that does
not display a currently valid OMB control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-17982 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 23, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.