[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5831-5832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2694]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary (OST)


Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information 
Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection 
Requests (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 collection and their expected cost and 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on these collections of information was published 
on November 19, 1997 (61 FR 61859).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 6, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Boothe, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Standards (DHM-10), Research and Special Programs 
Administration, Room 8102, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001, Telephone (202) 366-8553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Research and Special Programs 
Administration, DOT.
    1. Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers and Emergency 
Response Information (Former Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping 
Papers).
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0034.
    Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in 
intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce.
    Abstract: Shipping papers and emergency response information are a 
basic communication tool used in the safe transportation of hazardous 
materials. They serve as a principal means of identifying hazardous 
materials during transportation, including emergencies, by providing 
the proper shipping name, hazard class, UN identification number, 
packing group, and quantity of each hazardous material being 
transported. Shipping papers also provide emergency response 
information for use in the mitigation of an incident, and an emergency 
response telephone number for use in the event of an emergency. The 
telephone number must be monitored at all times the hazardous material 
is in transportation, by a person who is either knowledgeable of the 
hazardous material being shipped and has comprehensive emergency 
response and incident mitigation information for that material, or has 
immediate access to a person who possesses such knowledge and 
information. Shipping papers also serve as a means of notifying 
transport workers that hazardous materials are present, so that the 
proper loading, unloading, handling and safety procedures may be 
followed. This information collection renewal includes new requirements 
for: shippers and carriers to retain shipping papers for one year as 
mandated by Section 5110(e) under the Federal hazardous material 
transportation law; compliance with the HMR by intrastate shippers and 
carriers, published under Docket HM-200, ``Hazardous Materials in 
Intrastate Commerce; Final Rule'', on January 8, 1997 (62 FR 1108); and 
the President's initiative to reduce the regulatory burdens imposed by 
the Federal government.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,500,000.
    2. Title: Radioactive Materials (RAM) Transportation Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0510.
    Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of radioactive materials.
    Abstract: The requirements for transportation of RAM are provided 
in 49 CFR parts 171-180. Information collection requirements for RAM 
include shipper notification to consignees of the dates of shipment of 
RAM, expected arrival, special loading/unloading instructions; 
verification that shippers using foreign-made packages hold a foreign 
competent authority

[[Page 5832]]

certificate and verification that the terms of the certificate are 
being followed for RAM shipments being made into this country; and 
specific handling instructions from shippers to carriers for fissile 
RAM, bulk shipments of low specific activity RAM and packages of RAM 
which emit high levels of external radiation. These information 
collection requirements help to establish that proper packages are used 
for the type of radioactive material being transported, external 
radiation levels do not exceed prescribed limits, packages are handled 
appropriately and delivered in a timely manner, so as to ensure the 
safety of the general public, transport workers and emergency 
responders. This information collection has been adjusted to reflect 
program changes regarding responsibility for the routing of highway 
controlled quantities of radioactive materials.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 14,480.
    Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20503, Attention RSPA Desk Officer.
    OMB is required to make a decision concerning these collections of 
information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document 
in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment to OMB is best assured of 
having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 29, 1998.
Phillip A. Leach,
Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 98-2694 Filed 2-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P