Notice2023-06082
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
March 24, 2023
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
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 57 (Friday, March 24, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17917-17919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06082]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-5]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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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
May 23, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be submitted on <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0599) 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. Arlette Mussington, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#96f7e4faf3e2e2f3b8fbe3e5e5fff8f1e2f9f8d6f2f9e2b8f1f9e0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3a5b48565f4e4e5f14574f494953545d4e55547a5e554e145d554c">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (571) 609-1285, or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acc6c3cdc2c2c982dfdbcdcacac3dec8ecc8c3d882cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbd1d4dad5d5de95c8ccdaddddd4c9dffbdfd4cf95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (757) 897-9908.
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: System Safety Program Plan.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0599.
Abstract: In 2020, FRA issued a final rule \1\ that requires
passenger rail operations to develop and implement a system safety
program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. Each passenger
rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP to its specific
railroad operations.
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\1\ 85 FR 12826 (Mar. 4, 2020).
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FRA uses the information collected to help ensure that commuter and
intercity passenger rail operations establish and implement SSPs to
improve the safety of their operations and to confirm compliance with
the rule. Each railroad operation should use its SSP to proactively
identify and mitigate or eliminate hazards and the resulting risk on
its system at an early stage to reduce the number of railroad
accidents, incidents, and associated injuries, fatalities, and property
damage. A passenger rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP
to its specific operations. An SSP will be implemented when FRA
approves a passenger rail operation's submitted SSP plan. Under the SSP
regulation, FRA will audit a passenger rail operation's compliance with
its SSP plan and will use the information collected to ensure
compliance with this regulation.
In this 60-day notice, FRA has made multiple adjustments to its
estimated paperwork burden, resulting in a reduction of 388 hours, from
2,279 hours in the current inventory to 1,891 hours in the requested
inventory. The primary reason for the reduction in the estimated
paperwork burden is the expected decrease in the number of responses.
Specifically, all passenger rail operations currently subject to the
regulation have already submitted their SSP plans, leading to a
decrease in the overall PRA burden. This reduction in submissions,
reduced by 427 hours, has significantly contributed to the overall
decrease in the estimated paperwork burden hours in the requested
inventory. FRA has uploaded a table on <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under Docket No.
FRA-2023-0002, which displays all the burden adjustments.
Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in
estimates) of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 33 passenger rail operations + 1 new passenger
rail operation.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
[[Page 17918]]
Reporting Burden
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Total annual Average time per Total annual burden Total cost equivalent
CFR section Respondent universe responses response hours in U.S. dollar
..................... (A).................. (B).................. (C = A * B).......... (D = C * wage rates)
\2\
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270.101--System safety program; The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec. 270.103.
general.
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270.103--System safety program plan 1 new passenger rail 1.00 plan............ 40 hours............. 40.00 hours.......... $4,389.60
(SSP plan)--Comprehensive written operation.
SSP plan that meets all of this
section's requirements and
approved by FRA under the process
specified in Sec. 270.201.
--(e)(6)(iii) Copies of 1 new passenger rail 1.00 copy............ 2 minutes............ .03 hour............. 2.34
passenger rail operation (PRO) operation.
designations to non-profit
employee labor organizations.
--(e)(6) Designation 1 new passenger rail 1.00 notice.......... 5 minutes............ .08 hour............. 6.23
notifications to employees not operation.
represented by non-profit
employee labor organizations.
--(i)(6) Records of system 33 passenger rail 510.00 records....... 15 seconds........... 2.13 hours........... 165.95
safety training for employees/ operations + 1 new
contractors/others. passenger rail
operation.
--(q)(1) Risk-based hazard 33 passenger rail 34.00 analyses 20 hours............. 680.00 hours......... 52,978.80
analysis--Performance of risk- operations + 1 new results.
based hazard analyses and passenger rail
furnishing of results of risk- operation.
based hazard analyses upon
request of FRA/participating
part 212 States.
--(q)(2) Identification and 33 passenger rail 34.00 mitigation 10 hours............. 340.00 hours......... 26,489.40
implementation of risk operations + 1 new methods descriptions.
mitigation methods and passenger rail
furnishing of descriptions of operation.
specific risk mitigation
methods that address hazards
upon request of FRA/
participating part 212 States.
--(q)(3) Ad hoc risk-based 33 passenger rail 3.00 analyses........ 10 hours............. 30.00 hours.......... 2,337.30
hazard analysis pursuant to operations + 1 new
paragraphs (q)(1) and (q)(2) passenger rail
of this section when there are operation.
significant operational
changes, system extensions,
system modifications, or other
circumstances that have direct
impact on railroad safety.
--(r)(1) Performance of 33 passenger rail 34.00 results of 10 hours............. 340.00 hours......... 26,489.40
technology analysis and operations + 1 new technology analysis.
furnishing of results of passenger rail
system's technology analysis operation.
upon request of FRA/
participating part 212 States.
270.107(a)--Consultation 33 passenger rail 6.00 consults (w/ 1 hour............... 6.00 hours........... 467.46
requirements--Consultation with operations + 1 new labor union reps.).
directly affected employees on SSP passenger rail
plan. operation.
--(a)(3)(ii) Notification to 33 passenger rail 6.00 notices......... 30 minutes........... 3.00 hours........... 233.73
directly affected employees of operations + 1 new
preliminary meeting at least passenger rail
60 days before being held. operation.
--(b) Consultation statements 33 passenger rail 6.00 statements...... 1 hour............... 6.00 hours........... 467.46
that include service list with operations + 1 new
name & contact information for passenger rail
labor organization operation.
chairpersons & non-union
employees who participated in
process.
--(b)(3) Copies of consultation 33 passenger rail 6.00 copies.......... 1 minute............. .10 hour............. 7.79
statements to service list operations + 1 new
individuals. passenger rail
operation.
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--(c) Statements from directly FRA anticipates zero submissions during this 3-year ICR period.
affected employees.
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--(d) Consultation requirements The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec. 270.103.
for SSP plan amendments.
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270.201(b)--Filing and approval SSP 33 passenger rail 5.00 amended plans... 30 hours............. 150.00 hours......... 11,686.50
plan--Amended or corrected SSP operations + 1 new
plan. passenger rail
operation.
--(c) Review of amended SSP 33 passenger rail 1.00 further amended 20 hours............. 20.00 hours.......... 1,558.20
Plan found deficient and operations + 1 new plan.
requiring further amendment. passenger rail
operation.
--(d) Reopened review of 33 passenger rail 1.00 amended plan.... 30 hours............. 30.00 hours.......... 2,337.30
initial SSP plan approval for operations + 1 new
cause stated. passenger rail
operation.
270.203--Retention of SSP plan-- 33 passenger rail 34.00 copies......... 10 minutes........... 5.67 hours........... 441.75
Retained copies of SSP plans. operations + 1 new
passenger rail
operation.
270.303--Annual internal SSP 33 passenger rail 34.00 evaluations/ 2 hours.............. 68.00 hours.......... 5,297.88
assessments. operations + 1 new reports.
passenger rail
operation.
--(c) Certification of results 33 passenger rail 34.00 certification 2 hours.............. 68.00 hours.......... 7,462.32
of internal assessment by operations + 1 new statements.
chief safety official. passenger rail
operation.
270.305(b)(1)--External safety 33 passenger rail 6.00 plans........... 12 hours............. 72.00 hours.......... 7,901.28
audit--Submission of improvement operations + 1 new
plans in response to results of passenger rail
FRA audit. operation.
[[Page 17919]]
--(b)(2) Improvement plans 33 passenger rail 2.00 amended plans... 10 hours............. 20.00 hours.......... 1,558.20
found deficient by FRA and operations + 1 new
requiring amendment. passenger rail
operation.
--(b)(3) Status report to FRA 33 passenger rail 2.00 reports......... 4 hours.............. 8.00 hours........... 623.28
of implementation of operations + 1 new
improvements set forth in the passenger rail
improvement plan. operation.
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Subpart E--Fatigue Risk Management The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under OMB Control Number 2130-0633.
Programs.
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Appendix B--Additional documents 33 passenger rail 4.00 documents....... 15 minutes........... 1.00 hour............ 77.91
provided to FRA upon request. operations + 1 new
passenger rail
operation.
Appendix C--Written requests to 33 passenger rail 2.00 written requests 15 minutes........... .50 hour............. 38.96
file required submissions operations + 1 new
electronically. passenger rail
operation.
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Totals \3\..................... 33 passenger rail 767 responses........ N/A.................. 1,891 hours.......... 153,019
operations + 1 new
passenger rail
operation.
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 767.
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\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2021 Surface
Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using the
appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75-
percent overhead charge.
\3\ Totals may not add due to rounding.
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Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,891 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$153,019.
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 that does not display a currently valid OMB control
number.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520)
Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-06082 Filed 3-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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