[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 122 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30662-30663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15027]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2009-0001-N-14]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 re-approval of the following 
information collection activities that were previously approved by OMB 
under Emergency Clearance Procedures. 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 August 25, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Ms. Wynne Davis, Office of 
Railroad Development, RDV-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Nakia 
Jackson, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 
20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their 
respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard 
stating, ``Comments on OMB control number 2130-0580.'' Alternatively, 
comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6330 or (202) 
493-6497, or via e-mail to Ms. Davis at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e5ebfcfcf7bcf6f3e4fbe1d2f6fde6bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cfb8b6a1a1aae1abaeb9a6bc8faba0bbe1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a>, or to Ms. 
Jackson at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9a7a8a2a0a8e7a3a8aaa2baa6a789ada6bde7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="741a151f1d155a1e15171f071b1a34101b005a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>. Please refer to the assigned OMB 
control number and the title of the information collection 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: Ms. Wynne Davis, Office of Railroad 
Development, RDV-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave., SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-
6441) or Ms. Nakia Jackson, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 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 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 60-days notice to the public for comment on 
information collection activities before seeking approval of such 
activities 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 the information collection activities 
that FRA will submit for renewed clearance by OMB as required under the 
PRA:
    Title: Notice of Funding Availability and Solicitation of 
Applications for Grants under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair 
Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0580.
    Abstract: On September 30, 2008, President Bush signed Public Law 
110-329, The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2009. As part of this Act, Congress provided $20 
million in disaster relief funds to FRA to award to States in one or 
more grants for eligible projects related to repair and rehabilitation 
of Class II and Class III railroad infrastructure damaged by 
hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters in counties for which 
the President declared a major disaster under title IV of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974. These 
funds are available for rehabilitation and repairs of railroad right-
of-way, bridges, signals, and other infrastructure which are part of 
the general railroad system of transportation and primarily used by 
railroads to move freight traffic. The Secretary may retain up to one-
half of one (1) percent of these funds for the oversight of the design 
and implementation of projects funded by grants under this Program. 
Funds provided under this grant program may constitute no more than 80 
percent of the total cost of a selected project, with the remaining 
cost funded from other sources. The funding provided under these grants 
will be made available to grantees on a reimbursement basis. FRA 
anticipates awarding grants to multiple eligible participants. FRA may 
choose to award a grant or grants within the available funds in any 
amount. Funding made available through grants provided under this 
program, together with funding from other sources that is committed by 
a grantee as part of a grant agreement, must be sufficient to complete 
the funded project and achieve the anticipated rehabilitation and 
repairs to Class II and Class IIII railroads. New applications will be 
accepted after publication of a future

[[Page 30663]]

Federal Register Notice that will be published sometime this fall.
    Form Number(s): SF-424.
    Other Instruments: Information Published with the Notice of Funds 
Availability (NOFA) to be published in Federal Register in Fall of 
2009.
    Affected Public: 50 States/Local governments.
    Respondent Universe: 32 States/Local governments.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

                                                Reporting Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Total annual      Average time  per    Total annual
          Grant program            Respondent universe       responses             response        burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Application Process...........  32 States/Local      10 grant             315 hours..........           3,150
                                    govt.                applications.
--Meeting requests with FRA        32 States/Local      2 requests/letters.  30 minutes.........               1
 Associate Administrator.           govt.
--Face to Face Meetings with       32 States/Local      2 project meetings.  2 hours............               4
 Associate Admin.                   govt.
--Revisions to Grant Applications  32 States/Local      2 grant revisions..  40 hours...........              80
                                    govt.
--Environmental Assessments......  32 States/Local      10 environmental     80 hours...........             800
                                    govt.                documents.
--Close-Out Procedures...........  32 States/Local      10 sets of Close-    4 hours............              40
                                    govt.                out documents.
--Project Reports................  32 States/Local      10 reports.........  80 hours...........             800
                                    govt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Responses: 46.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4,875 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, DC on June 22, 2009.
Kimberly Orben,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-15027 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


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