Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 181 / Monday, September 21, 2009 / Notices 48119 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit object, contact Julie 

Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of 

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of 

State (telephone: 202–632–6467). The 

address is U.S. Department of State, L/ 

PD, SA–5, 2200 C Street, NW., Suite 

5H03, Washington, DC 20522–0505. 

Dated: September 11, 2009. 

Maura M. Pally, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional 

and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E9–22536 Filed 9–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2009–0001–N–23] 

Notice and Request for Comments 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice 

announces that the Information 

Collection Requirement (ICR) abstracted 

below has been forwarded to the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and comment. The ICR describes 

the nature of the information collection 

and its expected burden. The Federal 

Register notice with a 60-day comment 

period soliciting comments on the 

following collection of information was 

published on July 6, 2009 (74 FR 

32029). 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before October 21, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, 

Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS– 

21, Federal Railroad Administration, 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 3rd Floor, 

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., 3rd Floor, 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), Public Law No. 104–13, Section 

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 issue 

two notices seeking public comment on 

information collection activities before 

OMB may approve paperwork packages. 

44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 

1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On July 6, 2009, 

FRA published a 60-day notice in the 

Federal Register soliciting comment on 

this ICR that the agency was seeking 

OMB approval. 74 FR 32029. FRA 

received one comment—a letter—in 

response to this notice. 

The letter came from Mr. Freddie 

Simpson, President of the Brotherhood 

of Maintenance of Way Employees 

Division of the International 

Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED). 

BMWED is a rail labor organization 

representing approximately 36,000 

railroad workers who build, maintain, 

repair and inspect tracks, bridges, and 

related railroad infrastructure 

throughout North America. In his 

remarks, Mr. Simpson stated the 

following: 

In response to the Proposed Agency 

Information Collection Activities; Comment 

Request published in the Federal Register on 

July 6, 2009, (Volume 74, Number 127, pages 

32029–32030) BMWED supports the 

proposed study and related information 

collection activities. As such, BMWED 

respectfully requests OMB approval. 

BMWED offers the following 

comments in support: 

• The proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the Department to fulfill its 

Congressional mandate under the RSIA to 

conduct a track inspection time study. This 

information is necessary to evaluate the 

conditions under which visual track 

inspections are conducted and to develop a 

report to the Congress responsive to Section 

403 of the RSIA. 

• The collected information will have 

practical utility to the Secretary of 

Transportation and the Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA) in their analysis of 

track inspection issues within the industry. 

• The Department’s estimates of burden 

hours and costs are reasonable. 

• The methodology proposed for this 

information collection activity is suitable and 

appropriate for the study and the respondent 

population and will facilitate the collection 

of data with high utility. 

• The proposed information collection 

activity has been designed to be minimally 

burdensome on respondents and the 

proposed information collection activity is of 

limited duration. 

Visual track inspections conducted under 

49 CFR Parts 213.233, 213.235 and 213.365 

play a vital and integral role in maintaining 

track structural integrity and the safety of 

railroad operations. BMWED believes that the 

‘‘Track Transportation [track inspection] 

Time Study, OMB Control Number: 2130– 

NEW, Docket No. FRA–2009–0001–N–16’’ is 

necessary to allow the Secretary to fulfill the 

Congressional mandate of Section 403 of the 

RSIA to: (1) determine whether the required 

intervals of track inspections for each class 

of track should be amended; (2) determine 

whether track remedial action requirements 

should be amended; (3) determine whether 

different track inspection and repair 

priorities or methods should be required; and 

(4) determine whether the speed at which 

railroad track inspection vehicles operate and 

the scope of the territory they generally cover 

allow for proper inspection of the track and 

whether such speed and appropriate scope 

should be regulated by the Secretary. 

FRA received no other comments in 

response to this notice. Accordingly, 

DOT announces that these information 

collection activities have been evaluated 

and certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 

forwarded to OMB for review and 

approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.10(a). 

Before OMB decides whether to 

approve these proposed collections of 

information, it must provide 30 days for 

public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5 

CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires 

OMB to approve or disapprove 

paperwork packages between 30 and 60 

days after the 30 day notice is 

published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)–(c); 5 CFR 

1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, 

Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 

day notice informs the regulated 

community to file relevant comments 

and affords the agency adequate time to 

digest public comments before it 

renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 

29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 

submit their respective comments to 

OMB within 30 days of publication to 

best ensure having their full effect. 5 

CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983, 

Aug. 29, 1995. 

The summary below describes the 

nature of the information collection 

requirement (ICR) and the expected 

burden for the ICR being submitted for 

clearance by OMB as required by the 

PRA. 

Title: Track Transportation Time 

Study. 

OMB Control Number: 2130–New. 

Type of Request: Regular Approval of 

a New Collection of Information. 

Affected Public: Track Inspectors/ 

Track Inspector Supervisors/Division 

and Chief Engineers 

Abstract: The Rail Safety 

Improvement Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110– 

432) calls for a track inspection time 

study to be performed by FRA. The 

information required to develop the 

report will be at least partially obtained 

through a series of information 

gathering surveys which are focused on 

various aspects of track inspection. Each 

survey will be customized for a 

particular segment of the workforce and 

will include track inspectors, track 

supervisors or roadmasters, middle 

management (division engineers), and 

senior management (chief engineers). 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

48120 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 181 / Monday, September 21, 2009 / Notices 

The purpose of the proposed study is 

to address four issues raised in the Rail 

Safety Improvement Act: (1.) Determine 

whether the required intervals of track 

inspections for each class of track 

should be amended; (2.) Determine 

whether track remedial action 

requirements should be amended; (3.) 

Determine whether different track 

inspection and repair priorities or 

methods should be required; and (4.) 

Determine whether the speed at which 

railroad track inspection vehicles 

operate and the scope of the territory 

they generally cover allow for proper 

inspection of the track and whether 

such speed and appropriate scope 

should be regulated by the Secretary. 

Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.136; 

FRA F 6180.137. 

Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 133 

hours. 

Addressee: Send comments regarding 

this information collection to the Office 

of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 725 

Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to OMB at the following address: 

oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov. 

Comments are invited on the 

following: Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the Department, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; the accuracy of the 

Department’s estimate of the burden of 

the proposed information collection; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

A comment to OMB is best assured of 

having its full effect if OMB receives it 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice in the Federal Register. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. 

Issued in Washington, DC on September 

14, 2009. 

Kimberly Orben, 

Director, Office of Financial Management, 

Federal Railroad Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–22583 Filed 9–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2009–0080] 

Notice of Application for Approval of 

Discontinuance or Modification of a 

Railroad Signal System or Relief From 

the Requirements of Title 49 Code of 

Federal Regulations Part 236 

Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 49 

U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad 

has petitioned the Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA) seeking approval 

for the discontinuance or modification 

of the signal system or relief from the 

requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as 

detailed below. 

Applicant: Canadian National Railway, 

Southern Region, Mr. Mark Ryon, 

Senior Manager Signal and 

Communications, 17641 South 

Ashland Avenue, Homewood, Illinois 

60430. 

The Canadian National Railway (CN) 

seeks approval of the proposed 

discontinuance and removal of the 

traffic control system (TCS) from 

Milepost (MP) 8.7 to MP 11.8, on the 

Elsdon Subdivision, Chicago, Illinois, to 

include the control signals and the 

conversion of the power-operated 

switch to hand-operation at Elsdon 

control point, MP 8.7. TCS is to be 

replaced with the extension of CN Rule 

520 from MP 8.7 to MP11.8. The 

application includes the removal of the 

signals No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the railroadat-grade crossing on the connection 

track. Railroad-at-grade signals to be 

replaced with gate and stop signs on 

connection track to govern movement 

over the diamond. 

Nine signals, including automatic 

signals No. 102 and 103, are to be 

removed and the power-operated switch 

is to be converted to hand-operation. 

The power-operated switch provides for 

movement from the main track to the 

connection track. 

The reason given for the proposed 

changes is that there have been no train 

movements on the connection track in 

over 5 years with any plans for future 

use. 

Any interested party desiring to 

protest the granting of an application 

shall set forth specifically the grounds 

upon which the protest is made and 

include a concise statement of the 

interest of the party in the proceeding. 

Additionally, one copy of the protest 

shall be furnished to the applicant at the 

address listed above. 

FRA expects to be able to determine 

these matters without an oral hearing. 

However, if a specific request for an oral 

hearing is accompanied by a showing 

that the party is unable to adequately 

present his or her position by written 

statements, an application may be set 

for public hearing. 

All communications concerning this 

proceeding should be identified by 

Docket Number FRA–2009–0080 and 

may be submitted by one of the 

following methods: 

• Web site: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on the DOT electronic site; 

• Fax: 202–493–2251; 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590; or 

• Hand Delivery: Room W12–140 of 

the U.S. Department of Transportation 

West Building Ground Floor, 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Communications received within 45 

days of the date of this notice will be 

considered by FRA before final action is 

taken. Comments received after that 

date will be considered as far as 

practicable. All written communications 

concerning these proceedings are 

available for examination during regular 

business hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) at the 

above facility. All documents in the 

public docket are also available for 

inspection and copying on the Internet 

at the docket facility’s Web site at 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

FRA wishes to inform all potential 

commenters that anyone is able to 

search the electronic form of all 

comments received into any of our 

dockets 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 19477– 

78). 

Issued in Washington, DC on September 

14, 2009. 

Grady C. Cothen, Jr., 

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety 

Standards and Program Development. 

[FR Doc. E9–22596 Filed 9–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES