Notice2023-27497
Request for Clearance for an Information Collection: Annual Tank Car Survey
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
December 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentTransportation Statistics Bureau
Abstract
This notice announces the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) intention to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approves a 3-year extension of a currently approved information collection for the "Annual Tank Car Survey."
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 239 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 239 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86728-86729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27497]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Transportation Statistics Bureau
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2017-0010]
Request for Clearance for an Information Collection: Annual Tank
Car Survey
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
(BTS) intention to request that the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approves a 3-year extension of a currently approved information
collection for the ``Annual Tank Car Survey.''
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
February 12, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. DOT-OST-
2017-0010 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. You may also submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID
Number DOT-OST-2017-0010 to the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), Dockets Management System (DMS). You may submit your comments by
mail or in person to the Docket Clerk, Docket Management System, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. Comments should identify the docket
number as indicated above. Paper comments should be submitted in
duplicate. The DMS is open for examination and copying, at the above
address, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal
holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your
written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard
with the following statement: ``Comments on Docket DOT-OST-2017-0010.''
The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to
you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays in the delivery
of U.S. mail to Federal offices in Washington, DC, we recommend that
persons consider an alternative method (the internet, fax, or
professional delivery service) to submit comments to the docket and
ensure their timely receipt at U.S. DOT. You may fax your comments to
the DMS at (202) 493-2251. Comments can also be viewed and/or submitted
via the Federal Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Please note that anyone is able to electronically search all
comments received into our docket management system by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19475-19570)
or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at <a href="http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/">http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl Cloyed, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and
Technology, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Room E34-455, Washington, DC 20590, Telephone (202) 366-2857.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Annual Tank Car Survey
Background: On December 4, 2015, President Barack Obama signed
legislation entitled ``Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of
2015,'' or the ``FAST Act.'' See Public Law 114-94. The FAST Act
includes the
[[Page 86729]]
``Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2015''
(see sections 7001 through 7311) and instructs the Secretary of
Transportation to make specific regulatory amendments to the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180), including
requirements for rail tank car manufacturers to report their progress
toward modifying rail tank cars used for the transportation of Class 3
flammable liquids in accordance with the timeline established in
section 7304 of the FAST Act.
This notice is applicable to section 7308(c) of the FAST Act which
directs the Secretary to conduct an annual survey of tank car shops to
acquire projections of the number of tank cars to be built or
manufactured to the new safer specifications. This includes new tank
cars built to the DOT Specification 117, or equivalent, as well as tank
cars modified to the DOT Specification 117R. Tank cars will include,
but may not be limited to, those originally built to Specifications:
DOT105, DOT109, DOT111, DOT112, DOT114, DOT115, and DOT120.
Respondents: There are approximately 400 tank car facilities that
are currently registered or certified to build or modify tank cars.
However, the majority of these do not have the capacity to modify or
build to the 117 or 117R Specifications. At most, an estimated 140 tank
car shops have the capacity to build or modify to these new safety
standards.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: An estimated 140 facilities
will provide a response to this request for information on an annual
basis. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete, including
record keeping and reporting. This notice is intended to accurately
account for the annual burden.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated burden is equal to 70
annual burden hours (i.e., 140 responses per year x 0.5 hour per
response). The total burden cost is estimated at $3,665 (i.e., 70
burden hours x $52.36 per hour for a manager in Transportation,
Storage, and Distribution).
Frequency: The survey frequency is prescribed by section 7308(d) of
the FAST Act. Specifically, the Secretary is required to conduct the
survey annually until May 1, 2029 under section 7308(c).
Public Comments Invited: Interested parties are invited to send
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection,
including, but not limited to: (1) the necessity and utility of the
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of
the DOT; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, clarity and content of the collected information;
and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the
quality of the collected information. Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's
clearance of this information collection.
Issued in Washington, DC, on 7th of December 2023.
Cha-Chi Fan,
Director, Office of Data Development and Standards, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2023-27497 Filed 12-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 14, 2023.
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.