Notice2024-03479
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
February 21, 2024
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) summarized 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 89 Issue 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13140-13141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03479]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2024-0003]
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) summarized 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
April 22, 2024.
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-
2024-0003. All comments received will be posted without change to the
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0595) in any correspondence
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in a subsequent 30-day
notice and include them in its information collection submission to
OMB.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1c7d6e70796868793271696f6f75727b6873725c787368327b736a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1677647a73626273387b6365657f78716279785672796238717960">[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#94fefbf5fafaf1bae7e3f5f2f2fbe6f0d4f0fbe0baf3fbe2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfd5d0ded1d1da91ccc8ded9d9d0cddbffdbd0cb91d8d0c9">[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, 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: Safety and Health Requirements Related to Camp Cars.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0595.
Subparts C and E of 49 CFR part 228 address the construction of
railroad-provided sleeping quarters (camp cars) and set certain safety
and health requirements for such camp cars. Specifically, subpart E of
part 228 prescribes minimum safety and health requirements for camp
cars that a railroad provides as sleeping quarters to any of its train
employees, signal employees, and dispatching service employees
(covered-service employees) and individuals employed to maintain its
right-of-way. Subpart E requires railroad-provided camp cars to be
clean, safe, and sanitary, and be equipped with indoor toilets, potable
water, and other features to protect the health of car occupants.
Subpart C of part 228 prohibits a railroad from positioning a camp car
intended for occupancy by individuals employed to maintain the
railroad's right-of-way in the immediate vicinity of a switching or
humping yard
[[Page 13141]]
that handles railcars containing hazardous materials. Generally, the
requirements of subparts C and E of part 228 are intended to provide
covered-service employees an opportunity for rest free from the
interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad.
The information collected under this rule is used by FRA to ensure
railroads operating camp cars comply with all the requirements mandated
in this regulation to protect the health and safety of camp car
occupants. FRA estimates that there is one railroad that may choose to
use camp cars in the three-year period covered by this ICR. That
estimate is unchanged from the last ICR submitted to OMB in 2021. Since
March 2020, no railroads have used camp cars. However, camp cars were
used by one railroad before the COVID-19 pandemic led to
discontinuation of their use and it is possible the same railroad or
another railroad may decide to again use camp cars in the next three
years. Therefore, in this 60-day notice, FRA makes no adjustments to
the previously approved burden hours in the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) inventory.\1\
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\1\ Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. dollars, a
category not included in the OIRA inventory, are due to updated
statistics from the 2022 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Full
Year Wage A&B data Series.
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Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved
collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 1 railroad.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden
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Total cost
CFR section Respondent universe Total annual responses Average time per Total annual Wage equivalent in
response burden hours rate U.S. dollars
(A).................... (B)................... (C = A * B) (D = C * wage
rates) \2\
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228.323(b)(4)--Water hydrants-- 1 railroad............. 740 inspection records. 2 minutes............. 24.67 63.07 $1,555.94
Records of inspection.
--Copy of records at central 1 railroad............. 740 record copies...... 10 seconds............ 2.06 63.07 129.92
location.
--(b)(6) Certification from 1 railroad............. 666 certificates....... 1 hour................ 666.00 85.93 57,229.38
State or local health authority.
--Certification by laboratory... 1 railroad............. 74 certificates........ 20 minutes............ 24.67 85.93 2,119.89
--Certification copies at 1 railroad............. 740 certificate copies. 10 seconds............ 2.06 63.07 129.92
central location.
--(c)(4) Storage and 1 railroad............. 111 records............ 30 minutes............ 56.00 63.07 3,531.92
distribution system--Flushing
and draining--Records.
--(c)(6) Lab report copies...... 1 railroad............. 10 lab report copies... 2 minutes............. 0.33 63.07 20.81
--(d) Signage (for non-potable 1 railroad............. 740 signs.............. 3 minutes............. 30.83 63.07 1,944.45
water).
228.331(d)--First aid and life 1 railroad............. 740 modified plans..... 15 minutes............ 185.00 85.93 15,897.05
safety--Modified emergency
preparedness plan.
--Modified emergency 1 railroad............. 1,560 plan copies...... 3 seconds............. 1.30 85.93 111.71
preparedness plan--copies.
228.333--Remedial action--A good 1 car occupant/employee 4 good faith notices... 15 minutes............ 1.00 63.07 63.07
faith notice of needed repair. labor organization.
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Total \3\................... 1 railroad............. 6,125 responses........ N/A................... 994 N/A 82,734
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Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6,125.
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\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 STB Full
Year Wage A&B data series using employee group 200: (Professional &
Administrative) hourly wage rate of $49.10 and employee group 600
(Transportation (Train & Engine)) hourly wage rate of $36.04. The
total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used for group 200
is $85.93 ($49.10 x 1.75 = $85.93). The total burden wage rate used
for group 600 is $63.07 ($36.04 x 1.75 = $63.07).
\3\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
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Total Estimated Annual Burden: 994.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $82,734.
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.
Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-03479 Filed 2-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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