Document ID: FRA-2008-0006-0001
Agency: fra
Document Type: Rule
Title: Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
Posted Date: 2008-01-28T05:00Z

[Federal Register: January 28, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 18)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4943-4944]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ja08-134]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The 
ICRs describes the nature of the information collections and their 
expected burdens. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment 
period soliciting comments on the following collections of information 
was published on November 19, 2007 (72 FR 65128).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2008.

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. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems 
Staff, RAD-43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., 
SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6139). 
(These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 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 issue two notices seeking 
public comment on information collection activities before OMB may 
approve paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On November 19, 2007, FRA published a 60-day 
notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on ICRs that the 
agency was seeking OMB approval. 72 FR 65128. FRA received no comments 
after issuing this notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these 
information collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified 
under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval 
pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30 day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 day notice 
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords 
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summary below describes the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The proposed 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: Safety Integration Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0557.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Form(s): N/A.

[[Page 4944]]

    Abstract: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Surface 
Transportation Board (STB), working in conjunction with each other, 
issued joint final rules establishing procedures for the development 
and implementation of safety integration plans (``SIPs'' or ``plans'') 
by a Class I railroad proposing to engage in certain specified merger, 
consolidation, or acquisition of control transactions with another 
Class I railroad, or a Class II railroad with which it proposes to 
amalgamate operations. The scope of the transactions covered under the 
two rules is the same. FRA uses the information collected, notably the 
required SIPs, to maintain and promote a safe rail environment by 
ensuring that affected railroads (Class I's and some Class II's) 
address critical safety issues unique to the amalgamation of large, 
complex railroad operations.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 528 hours.
    Title: Locomotive Crashworthiness.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0564.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Abstract: In a final rule published June 28, 2006, the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) issued comprehensive standards for 
locomotive crashworthiness. These crashworthiness standards are 
intended to help protect locomotive cab occupants in the event of a 
locomotive collision. The collection of information is used by FRA to 
ensure that locomotive manufacturers and railroads meet minimum 
performance standards and design load requirements for newly 
manufactured and re-manufactured locomotives in order to help protect 
locomotive cab occupants in the event that one of these covered 
locomotives collides with another locomotive, the rear of another 
train, a piece of on-track equipment, a shifted load on a freight car 
on an adjacent parallel track, or a highway vehicle at a rail-highway 
grade crossing.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 6,672 hours.
    Title: Safety Appliance Concern Recommendation Report; Guidance 
Checklist Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.4(a)-(q).
    Abstract: In an ongoing effort to conduct more thorough and more 
effective inspections of railroad freight equipment and to further 
enhance safe rail operations, FRA has developed a safety concern 
recommendation report form, and a group of guidance checklist forms 
that facilitate railroad, rail car owner, and rail equipment 
manufacturer compliance with agency Railroad Safety Appliance Standards 
regulations. In lieu of completing an official inspection report (Form 
FRA F 6180.96), which takes subject railroad equipment out of service 
and disrupts rail operations, Form FRA F 6180.4(a) enables Federal and 
State safety inspectors to report to agency headquarters systemic or 
other safety concerns. FRA headquarters safety specialists can then 
contact railroads, car owners, and equipment manufacturers to address 
the reported issue(s) and institute necessary corrective action(s) in a 
timely fashion without unnecessarily having to take affected rail 
equipment out of service, unless deemed defective. Forms FRA F 
6180.4(b)-(q) are used in conjunction with the Special Inspection of 
Safety Appliance Equipment form (Form FRA F 6180.4) to assist Federal 
Motive, Power, and Equipment (MP&E) field inspectors in ensuring that 
critical sections of 49 CFR Part 231 (Railroad Safety Appliance 
Standards), pertaining to various types of freight equipment, are 
complied with through use of a check-off list. By simplifying their 
demanding work, check-off lists for 16 essential sections of Part 231 
ensure that FRA MP&E field personnel completely and thoroughly inspect 
each type of freight car for compliance with its corresponding section 
in Part 231. The Guidance Checklist forms may later be used by state 
field inspectors as well. FRA believes that this collection of 
information will result in improved construction of newly designed 
freight cars and improved field inspections of all freight cars 
currently in use. This, in turn, will serve to reduce the number of 
accidents/incidents and corresponding injuries and fatalities that 
occur every year due to unsafe or defective equipment that was not 
promptly repaired/replaced.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 182 hours.
    Addressee: Send comments regarding these information collections to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, 
Attention: FRA Desk Officer, or via e-mail to OMB at the following 
address: oira--submissions@omb.eop.gov.
    Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed 
collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimates of 
the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 22, 2008.
D.J. Stadtler,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-1365 Filed 1-25-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-06-P