Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices 5721

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Proposed Agency Information

Collection Activities; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and

its implementing regulations, the

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

hereby announces that it is seeking

renewal of the following currently

approved information collection

activities. Before submitting these

information collection requirements for

clearance by the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting

public comment on specific aspects of

the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no

later than April 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

on any or all of the following proposed

activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert

Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and

Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal

Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont

Ave., N.W., Mail Stop 17, Washington,

D.C. 20590, or Ms. Dian Deal, Office of

Information Technology and

Productivity Improvement, RAD–20,

Federal Railroad Administration, 1120

Vermont Ave., N.W., Mail Stop 35,

Washington, D.C. 20590. Commenters

requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt

of their respective comments must

include a self-addressed stamped

postcard stating, ‘‘Comments on OMB

control number 2130—New.

Alternatively, comments may be

transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493–

6265 or (202) 493–6170, or E-mail to Mr.

Brogan at robert.brogan@fra.dot.gov, or

to Ms. Deal at dian.deal@fra.dot.gov.

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: Mr.

Robert Brogan, Office of Planning and

Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal

Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont

Ave., N.W., Mail Stop 17, Washington,

D.C. 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6292)

or Dian Deal, Office of Information

Technology and Productivity

Improvement, RAD–20, Federal

Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont

Ave., N.W., Mail Stop 35, Washington,

D.C. 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6133).

(These telephone numbers are not tollfree.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA), Pub. L. No. 104–13, § 2, 109 Stat.

163 (1995) (codified as revised at 44

U.S.C. §§ 3501–3520), and its

implementing regulations, 5 C.F.R. Part

1320, require Federal agencies to

provide 60-days notice to the public for

comment on information collection

activities before seeking approval for

reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44

U.S.C. § 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR

§§ 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1),

1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites

interested respondents to comment on

the following summary of proposed

information collection activities

regarding (i) whether the information

collection activities are necessary for

FRA to properly execute its functions,

including whether the activities will

have practical utility; (ii) 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; (iii) ways for

FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information being

collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to

minimize the burden of information

collection activities on the public by

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology (e.g., permitting electronic

submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C.

§ 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)–(iv); 5 CFR

§ 1320.8(d)(1)(I)–(iv). FRA believes that

soliciting public comment will promote

its efforts to reduce the administrative

and paperwork burdens associated with

the collection of information mandated

by Federal regulations. In summary,

FRA reasons that comments received

will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce

reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it

organizes information collection

requirements in a ‘‘user friendly’’ format

to improve the use of such information;

and (iii) accurately assess the resources

expended to retrieve and produce

information requested. See 44 U.S.C.

§ 3501.

Below is a brief summary of proposed

new information collection activities

that FRA will submit for clearance by

OMB as required under the PRA:

Title: Rail-Equipment Accident/

Incident Cost Analysis Study.

OMB Control Number: 2130—New.

Abstract: The collection of

information proposes a new method to

calculate dollar damages in the event of

a railroad accident/incident. The

current method of calculating damages

yields accurate but widely varying

results for accidents of approximately

equal severity. The information

collected will be used for a one-time sixmonth study. Participation on the part

of railroads is completely voluntary. If

the statistical analysis from this study

provides valid results, then FRA will

produce an Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking (NPRM) to modify the

current reporting system.

Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.105.

Affected Public: Businesses.

Respondent Universe: 685 railroads.

Frequency of Submission: On

occasion.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,150

hours.

Status: Regular Review.

Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5

CFR §§ 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 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 unless it

displays a currently valid OMB control

number.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. §§ 3501–3520.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on February 1,

2000.

Margaret B. Reid,

Acting Director, Office of Information

Technology and Support Systems, Federal

Railroad Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–2552 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Proposed Agency Information

Collection Activities; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and

its implementing regulations, the

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

hereby announces that it is seeking

renewal of the following currently

approved information collection

activities. Before submitting these

information collection requirements for

clearance by the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting

public comment on specific aspects of

the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no

later than April 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

on any or all of the following proposed

activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert