7628 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA 2016–0002–N–4] 

Proposed Agency Information 

Collection Activities; Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: FRA hereby gives notice that 

it is submitting the following 

information collection request (ICR) to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for Emergency Processing under 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

FRA requests that OMB authorize the 

collection of information identified 

below seven days after publication of 

this Notice for a period of 180 days. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Robert Brogan, Information Collection 

Clearance Officer, Regulatory Safety 

Analysis Division, RRS–21, Federal 

Railroad Administration, 1200 New 

Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 25, 

Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 

493–6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, Office of Information 

Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. 

SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 

20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6132). 

(These telephone numbers are not tollfree.) 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), Public Law 104–13, sec. 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 

provide 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. 

Organizations and individuals 

desiring to submit comments on these 

information collection requirements 

should send them directly to the Office 

of Management and Budget, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 725 

17th St. NW., Washington, DC 20503, 

Attention: FRA Desk Officer. Comments 

may also be sent via email to the Office 

of Management and Budget at the 

following address: oira_submissions@

omb.eop.gov. 

Below is a brief summary of the 

currently approved ICR that FRA will 

submit for clearance by OMB as 

required under the PRA: 

Title: Bridge Safety Standards. 

OMB Control Number: 2130–0586. 

Abstract: On July 15, 2010, FRA 

published its Bridge Safety Standards 

Final Rule. See 75 FR 41281. The final 

rule on bridge safety standards 

normalized and established federal 

requirements for railroad bridges. The 

final rule established minimum 

requirements to assure the structural 

integrity of railroad bridges and to 

protect the safe operation of trains over 

those bridges. The final rule required 

railroads/track owners to implement 

bridge management programs to prevent 

the deterioration of railroad bridges and 

to reduce the risk of human casualties, 

environmental damage, and disruption 

to the Nation’s transportation system 

that would result from a catastrophic 

bridge failure. Bridge management 

programs were required to include 

annual inspection of bridges as well as 

special inspections, which must be 

conducted if natural or accidental 

events cause conditions that warrant 

such inspections. Lastly, the final rule 

required railroads/track owners to audit 

bridge management programs and 

bridge inspections and to keep records 

mandated under 49 CFR part 237. This 

final rule culminated FRA’s efforts to 

develop and promulgate bridge safety 

regulations and fulfilled the Railroad 

Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 

110–432, Division A) mandate. 

The information collected is used by 

FRA to ensure that railroads/track 

owners meet Federal standards for 

bridge safety and comply with all the 

requirements of this regulation. In 

particular, the collection of information 

is used by FRA to confirm that 

railroads/track owners adopt and 

implement bridge management 

programs to properly inspect, maintain, 

modify, and repair all bridges that carry 

trains over them for which they are 

responsible. Railroads/track owners 

must conduct annual inspections of 

railroad bridges. Further, railroads/track 

owners must incorporate provisions for 

internal audit into their bridge 

management program and must conduct 

internal audits of bridge inspection 

reports. The internal audit information 

is used by railroads/track owners to 

verify that the inspection provisions of 

the bridge management program are 

being followed and to continually 

evaluate the effectiveness of their bridge 

management program and bridge 

inspection activities. FRA uses this 

information to ensure that railroads/

track owners implement a safe and 

effective bridge management program 

and bridge inspection regime. 

On December 4, 2015, President 

Obama signed into law the Fixing 

America’s Surface Transportation Act 

(FAST Act) (Pub. L. 114–94). Section 

11405, ‘‘Bridge Inspection Reports,’’ 

provides a means for a State or a 

political subdivision of a State to obtain 

a public version of a bridge inspection 

report generated by a railroad for a 

bridge located within their respective 

jurisdiction. While the FAST Act 

specifies that requests for such reports 

are to be filed with the Secretary of 

Transportation, the responsibility for 

fulfilling these requests is delegated to 

FRA. See 49 CFR 1.89. 

FRA is revising its currently approved 

information collection to account for the 

additional burden that will be incurred 

by States and political subdivisions of 

States requesting a public version of a 

bridge inspection report generated by a 

railroad for a bridge located within their 

respective jurisdiction. FRA has 

developed a new Form titled ‘‘Bridge 

Inspection Report Public Version 

Request Form’’ to facilitate such 

requests by States and their political 

subdivisions. Additionally, FRA is 


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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices 7629 

revising its currently approved 

information collection to account for the 

additional burden that will be incurred 

by railroads to provide the public 

version of a bridge inspection report 

upon agency request to FRA. 

As provided under 49 CFR 1320.13, 

FRA is requesting emergency processing 

for this new collection of information as 

specified in the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 and its implementing 

regulations. FRA cannot reasonably 

comply with normal clearance 

procedures since they would be 

reasonably likely to disrupt the 

collection of information. With the 

recent passage of the FAST Act, FRA 

expects States and their political 

subdivisions to immediately request a 

public version of bridge inspection 

reports that affect critical infrastructure 

within their jurisdiction to ensure 

public safety. Upon receipt of such 

requests, FRA will require railroads to 

submit to the agency a public version of 

the most recent bridge inspection report. 

Therefore, FRA is requesting OMB 

approval as soon as possible (i.e., 7 days 

after publication of this Notice) for this 

collection of information. 

Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.167. 

Affected Public: States/Political 

Subdivisions of States and Businesses. 

Respondent Universe: 50 States/State 

Political Subdivisions and 693 

Railroads. 

Frequency of Submission: On 

occasion. 

REPORTING BURDEN

CFR section Respondent universe Total annual responses Average time per 

response 

Total annual 

burden hours 

NEW FAST ACT REQUIREMENTS: 

—Form FRA F 6180.167 .............................. 50 States/State Political 

Subdivision.

75 forms ....................... 5 minutes ..................... 6 

—Railroad Submission to FRA of Bridge Inspection Report—Public Version.693 Railroads ............... 75 reports ..................... 60 minutes ................... 75 

237.3—Notifications to FRA of Assignment of 

Bridge Responsibility.

693 Railroads ............... 15 notifications ............. 90 minutes ................... 22.5 

—Signed Statement by Assignee Concerning Bridge Responsibility.693 Railroads ............... 15 signed statements ... 30 minutes ................... 7.5 

237.9—Waivers—Petitions .................................. 693 Railroads ............... 6 petitions ..................... 4 hours ......................... 24 

23731/33—Development/Adoption of Bridge 

Management Program.

693 Railroads ............... 5 plans ......................... 24 hours ....................... 120 

237.57—Designation of Qualified Individuals ...... 693 Railroads ............... 1,000 designations ....... 30 minutes ................... 400 

237.71—Determination of Bridge Load Capacities.693 Railroads ............... 2,000 determinations ... 8 hours ......................... 16,000 

237.73—Issuance of Instructions to Railroad 

Personnel by Track Owner.

693 Railroads ............... 2,000 instructions ......... 2 hours ......................... 4,000 

237.105—Special Bridge Inspections and Reports/Records.693 Railroads ............... 7,500 insp. and reports/

records.

12.50 hours .................. 93,750 

—Special Underwater Inspections ............... 693 Railroads ............... 50 insp. and Reports/

rcds.

40 hours ....................... 2,000 

237.107 and 237.109—Nationwide Annual 

Bridge Inspections—Reports.

693 Railroads ............... 15,450 insp. & reports 4 hours ......................... 61,800 

—Records ..................................................... 693 Railroads ............... 15,450 records ............. 1 hour ........................... 15,450 

—Report of Deficient Condition on a Bridge 693 Railroads ............... 50 reports ..................... 30 minutes ................... 25 

237.111—Review of Bridge Inspection Reports 

by RR Bridge Engineers.

693 Railroads ............... 2,000 insp. rpt. reviews 30 minutes ................... 1,000 

—Prescription of Bridge Insp. Procedure 

Modifications After Review.

693 Railroads ............... 200 insp. proc. modifications.30 minutes ................... 100 

237.131—Design of Bridge Modifications or 

Bridge Repairs.

693 Railroads ............... 1,250 designs ............... 16 hours ....................... 20,000 

—Bridge Modification Repair Reviews/Supervisory Efforts.693 Railroads ............... 1,250 br. mod. repair 

reviews.

1.50 hours .................... 1,875 

—Common Standard Designed by Railroad 

Bridge Engineer.

693 Railroads ............... 50 standards ................ 24 hours ....................... 1,200 

237.153—Audits of Inspections ........................... 693 Railroads ............... 725 insp. audits ............ 80 hours/24 hours/6 

hours.

5,534 

237.155—Documents and Records: 

—Establishment of RR Monitoring and Info. 

Technology Security Systems for Electronic Recordkeeping.

693 Railroads ............... 5 systems ..................... 80 hours ....................... 400 

—Employees Trained in System .................. 693 Railroads ............... 100 employees ............. 8 hours ......................... 800 

Total Estimated Responses for New 

FAST Act Requirements: 150. 

Total Estimated Responses for Entire 

Information Collection: 49,271. 

Total Estimated Total Annual Burden 

for New FAST Act Requirements: 81 

hours. 

Total Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Entire Information Collection: 224,689 

hours. 

Type of Request: Emergency 

Clearance to the revision of a currently 

approved information collection. 

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, DC, on February 9, 

2016. 

Corey Hill, 

Acting Executive Director. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02892 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 


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