[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 219 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67792-67793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28986]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Docket No. RSPA-2000-6944 (Notice No. 00-12)]


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

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), 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 
Collections Requests (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. The ICRs 
describe the nature of the information collections and their expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on the following collections of information was 
published on August 21, 2000, (65 FR 50741). One comment was received 
regarding OMB Control No. 2137-0034, Hazardous Materials Shipping 
Papers & Emergency Response Information.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 13, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Boothe, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Standards (DHM-10), Research and Special Programs 
Administration, Room 8422, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20590-0001, Telephone (202) 366-8553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers & Emergency Response 
Information.
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0034.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: This information collection consolidates and describes 
the information collection provisions in parts 172, 174, 175, 176, and 
177 of the HMR on the shipping paper and emergency response 
requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce. 
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 or NA 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 posses 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.
    One comment was received from the Hazardous Materials Advisory 
Council (HMAC) requesting clarification on the basis of the 6,500,000 
burden hours for the preparation of shipping papers. HMAC cited a 
recent RSPA study completed in August 1998 that estimated there are 
800,000 daily shipments of hazardous materials in commerce, most 
requiring the preparation of shipping papers. According to the August 
1998 RSPA study, shipments are defined as equivalent to deliveries, and 
in most instances may be distinguished from the number of movements, 
trip segments, or other measures. The estimated number of movements 
associated with these shipments exceeds 1.2 million per day. Because 
most of the 800,000 daily shipments are accomplished with one shipping 
paper and some require multiple shipping papers, RSPA has estimated the 
annual number of shipments for shipping paper calculation purposes to 
be approximately 1 million shipments per day. The information 
collection estimates used by RSPA average out to 1 million/day x 5 
days/week x 52 weeks or 260 million shipments per year. These estimates 
are averages based on the average time it takes all shippers to 
complete shipping paper. This includes shippers who prepare shipping 
papers once a year manually, as well as those shippers who ship 
hundreds of material daily using a permanent reusable

[[Page 67793]]

shipping paper, and shippers who use computer generated shipping papers 
that can be printed out in seconds. RSPA acknowledges that it may take 
more than 1 minute 30 seconds to prepare a number of shipping papers. 
However, other shipping papers can be prepared more quickly by using 
data programs, especially for shippers who continually ship the same 
hazardous materials.
    Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in 
intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 250,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 260,000,000.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 6,500,000.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Title: Radioactive (RAM) Transportation Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0510.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: This information collection consolidates and describes 
the information collection provisions in the HMR (49 CFR parts 171-180) 
involving the transportation of radioactive materials in commerce. 
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 
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.
    Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of radioactive materials in 
commerce.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,807.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 21,319.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 14,480.
    Frequency of Collection: Periodically.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including 
suggestions for reducing the burden, to Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for RSPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.
    Comments are invited on: 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; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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.
    A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 
days of publication.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 7, 2000.
Edward T. Mazzullo,
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-28986 Filed 11-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P