2020-15838. Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR to Ms. Hodan Wells, Information Collection Clearance Officer at email: [e-mail] or telephone: [phone]. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The PRA, 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 to allow comment on information collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the activities will have practical utility; (2) 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; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).

FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in a “user-friendly” format to improve the use of such information; and (3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.

The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB clearance as the PRA requires:

Title: Reflectorization of Freight Rolling Stock.

OMB Control Number: 2130-0566.

Abstract: FRA issued this regulation to mandate the reflectorization of freight rolling stock (using retroreflective material on freight cars and locomotives) to enhance the visibility of trains to reduce the number and severity of accidents at highway-rail grade crossings where visibility was a contributing factor.^[1] FRA uses the information collected to verify that the person responsible for the car reporting mark is notified after the required visual inspection when the freight equipment has less than 80 percent of the required retroreflective sheeting present, undamaged, or unobscured. Further, FRA uses the information collected to verify that the required locomotive records of retroreflective sheeting defects found after inspection are kept in the locomotive cab or in a railroad accessible electronic database FRA can access upon request. Finally, FRA uses the information collected to confirm that railroads/car owners meet the prescribed standards for the inspection and maintenance of the required retroreflective material.

Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Businesses.

Form(s): N/A.

Respondent Universe: 746 railroads/car owners.

Frequency of Submission: On occasion/monthly.

Reporting Burden:

CFR section	Respondent universe	Total annual responses	Average time per responses	Total annual burden hours	Total cost equivalent 2
224.7—Waivers	746 railroads and freight car owners	10 petitions	8 hours	80	$6,160
224.15(b)—Special approval procedures—Petitions for special approval of alternative standard	2 manufacturers	2 petitions	40 hours	80	6,160
224.109(a)—Inspection, repair, and replacement—Railroad freight cars—Railroads notification to person responsible for reporting mark after visual inspection for presence and condition when freight car on either side has less than 80% of its retroreflective sheeting not damaged, obscured, or missing	AAR/300 car shops	33,380 notifications of defect and restriction	5 minutes	2,782	161,356
—(b) Locomotive record of freight retroreflective sheeting defects found after inspection kept in locomotive cab or in railroad accessible electronic database that FRA can access upon request.	746 railroads and freight car owners	2,609 records of defect and restriction	5 minutes	217	12,586
Total	746 railroads	36,001 responses	N/A	3,159	180,102

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 36,001.

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 3,159 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $180,102.

Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 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

Brett A. Jortland,

Deputy Chief Counsel.

Footnotes

1.  See 70 FR 144, Jan. 3, 2005.

2.  The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the Surface Transportation Board's Full Year Wage A&B data series using the appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75-percent overhead charge.