Document ID: PHMSA-2018-0020-0007
Agency: phmsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Hazardous Materials
Posted Date: 2018-09-21T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47969-47970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20521]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2018-0020 (Notice No. 2018-13)]

Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA 
invites comments on a new information collection pertaining to 
hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). PHMSA received five 
comments in response to the 60-Day Notice, all of which were outside 
the scope of this information collection request.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 22, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments regarding the burden estimate, 
including suggestions for reducing the burden, identified by Docket No. 
PHMSA-2018-0020 (Notice No. 2018-13), by any of the following methods:
     Mail: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for DOT-PHMSA, 725 
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.
     Fax: 202-395-5806.
     Email to [email protected].
    We invite comments on: (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed information collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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.
    Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Andrews or Shelby Geller, 
Standards and Rulemaking Division, (202) 366-8553, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1320.8(d), Title 5, Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) requires PHMSA to provide interested members of the 
public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping requests. This notice identifies a new 
information collect request that PHMSA will be submitting to OMB. This 
information collection will be contained in 49 CFR 171.6 of the 
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180). PHMSA will 
revise burden estimates, where appropriate, to reflect current 
reporting levels or adjustments based on changes in proposed or final 
rules published once the information collection is approved. The 
following information is provided for this information collection: (1) 
Title of the information collection; (2) summary of the information 
collection activity; (3) description of affected public; (4) estimate 
of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (5) frequency 
of collection. PHMSA will request a 3-year approval for this 
information collection activity and will publish a notice in the 
Federal Register upon OMB's approval. PHMSA requests comments on the 
following information collection:
    Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 
on Agency Service Delivery.
    Abstract: The information collection activity will garner 
qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely 
manner, in accordance with the Department's commitment to improving 
service delivery. Qualitative feedback is information that provides 
useful insights on perceptions and opinions, not statistical surveys 
that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the 
population of study. This feedback will provide insight into customer 
or stakeholder perceptions, opinions, experiences, and expectations, as 
well as an early warning of issues with service or focus attention on 
areas where communication, training, or changes in operations might 
improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow 
for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communications between PHMSA 
and customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to 
contribute directly to the improvement of program management. Feedback 
or information collected under this generic clearance will provide 
useful information, but it

[[Page 47970]]

will not yield data that can be generalized to the overall population.
    The Department will submit a collection for approval under this 
generic clearance if it meets the following conditions:
     The collections are voluntary.
     The collections are low-burden for respondents (based on 
considerations of total burden hours, total number of respondents, or 
burden-hours per respondent) and are low-cost for both the respondents 
and the Federal Government.
     The collections are non-controversial and do not raise 
issues of concern to other Federal agencies.
     Any collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions 
from respondents who have experience with the program or may have 
experience with the program in the near future.
     Personally identifiable information is collected only to 
the extent necessary and is not retained.
     Information gathered is intended to be used only 
internally for general service improvement and program management 
purposes and is not intended for release outside of the Department (if 
released, the Department must indicate the qualitative nature of the 
information).
    This type of generic clearance for qualitative information will not 
be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to 
yield reliably actionable results, such as monitoring trends over time 
or documenting program performance. Such data uses require more 
rigorous designs that address: The target population to which 
generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, the sample design 
(including stratification and clustering), the precision requirements 
or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the 
expected response rate, methods for assessing potential nonresponse 
bias, the protocols for data collection, and any testing procedures 
that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding the study. Depending 
on the degree of influence the results are likely to have, such 
collections may still be eligible for submission for other generic 
mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results.
    Type of Review: New.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households, businesses and 
organizations, State, Local or Tribal Governments.
    Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,000.
    Estimated Annual Responses: 6,000.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 3,000.
    Frequency of Collection: One-time requirement.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 17, 2018.
William S. Schoonover,
Associate Administrator of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-20521 Filed 9-20-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P