Document ID: FRA-2008-0110-0001
Agency: fra
Document Type: Rule
Title: Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Posted Date: 2008-09-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 187)]
[Notices]               
[Page 55589-55591]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25se08-104]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Proposed 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 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 November 24, 2008.

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, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop-25, 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 2130-0571.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at 
robert.brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Jackson at nakia.jackson@dot.gov. 
Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in

[[Page 55590]]

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, 1200 
New Jersey Ave., SE., 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., 
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), 
Pub. L. No. 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 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 currently approved information 
collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the PRA:
    Title: Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating 
Employees.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0571.
    Abstract: The collection of information is used by FRA to ensure 
that railroads covered by this rule establish and implement--by 
specified dates--noise monitoring, hearing conservation, and 
audiometric testing programs, as well as hearing conservation training 
programs, to protect their employees against the damaging and 
potentially dangerous effects of excessive noise in the everyday rail 
environment.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Respondent Universe: 460 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Total annual       Average time per    Total annual
           CFR section             Respondent universe       responses             response        burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
227.9--Waivers...................  460 Railroads......  5 petitions........  60 minutes.........               5
227.103--Noise Monitoring Program  460 Railroads......  460 programs.......  2 hours/8 hours/600           5,165
                                                                              hours.
    --Notification of Employee of  460 Railroads......  905 lists..........  30 minutes.........             453
     Monitoring.
227.107--Hearing Conservation      460 Railroads......  461 HCPs...........  150 hrs/2 hrs/31              2,875
 Program (HCP).                                                               hrs/7.5 hours.
    --Revised Hearing              460 Railroads......  92 HCPs............  1.74 hours.........             160
     Conservation Programs (HCPs).
227.109--Audiometric Testing       78,000 Employees...  60,000 audiograms +  7 min./25 minutes..   7,000 + 2,500
 Program--Existing Employees--                           6,000 audiograms.
 Baseline Audiograms.
    --Periodic Audiograms........  78,000 Employees...  8,000 audiograms...  25 minutes.........           3,333
    --Evaluation of Audiograms...  78,000 Employees...  2,330 evaluations +  6 min./2.5 hours...             466
                                                         93 retests.
    --Problem Audiograms.........  8,000 Employees....  45 documents.......  10 minutes.........               8
    --Follow-up Procedures--       8,000 Employees....  93 notifications...  15 minutes.........              24
     Notifications.
    --Fitting/Training of          240 Employees......  240 tr. sessions...  2 minutes..........               8
     Employees: Hearing
     Protectors.
    --Referrals for Clinical/      240 Employees......  20 referrals/        2 hours............              40
     Otological Examinations.                            results.
    --Notification to Employee of  240 Employees......  20 notifications...  5 minutes..........               2
     Need: Otological Examination.
    --New Audiometric              240 Employees......  20 notifications...  5 minutes..........               2
     Interpretation.
227.111--Audiometric Test          1,000 Mobile Vans..  1,000 tests........  45 minutes.........             750
 Requirements.
227.117--Hearing Protection        460 Railroads......  50 evaluations.....  30 minutes.........              25
 Attenuation--Evaluation.
    --Re-Evaluations.............  460 Railroads......  10 re-evaluations..  30 minutes.........               5
227.119--Hearing Conservation      460 Railroads/AAR..  461 programs.......  8 hours/2 hours/116             956
 Training Program--Development.                                               hours/1 hour.
    --Employee Training..........  460 Railroads......  26,000 tr. Empl....  30 minutes.........          13,000
    --Periodic Training..........  460 Railroads......  7,000 tr. Empl.....  30 minutes.........           3,500
227.121--Recordkeeping--Authoriza  460 Railroads......  10 requests + 10     10 min. + 15 min...               5
 tion: Records.                                          responses.
    --Request for Copies of        460 Railroads......  150 requests + 150   21 min. + 45 min...             166
     Reports.                                            responses.
    --Records Transfer When        460 Railroads......  10 records.........  24 minutes.........               4
     Carrier Becomes Defunct.

[[Page 55591]]

    --Railroad Audiometric Test    460 Railroads......  26,000 records.....  2 minutes..........             867
     Records.
    --Hearing Conservation         460 Railroads......  54,000 records.....  45 seconds.........             675
     Program (HCP) Records.
    --HCP Training Records of      460 Railroads......  26,000 records.....  30 seconds.........             217
     Employees.
    --Records: Standard Threshold  460 Railroads......  280 records........  7 minutes..........              33
     Shifts of Employees.
229.121--Locomotive Cab Noise--    3 Equipment          700 tests/certific.  40 min. + 5 min....             111
 Tests/Certifications.              Manufacturers.
    --Equipment Maintenance:       460 Railroads......  3,000 reports +      10 min. + 5 min....             750
     Excessive Noise Reports.                            3,000 records.
    --Maintenance Records........  460 Railroads......  3,750 records......  8 minutes..........             500
    --Internal Auditable           570 Railroads......  570 systems........  36 min. + 8.25 hour             572
     Monitoring Systems.
Appendix H--Static Test Protocols/ 700 Locomotives....  2 retests + 2        35 min. + 5 min....               1
 Records.                                                records.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Responses: 230,939.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 44,178 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 September 19, 2008.
D.J. Stadtler,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-22563 Filed 9-24-08; 8:45 am]

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