[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 31, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16228-16229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7201]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2010-0005-N-6]


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 re-approval of the following 
information collection activities that were previously approved by OMB 
under Emergency Clearance Procedures. 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 June 1, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of 
Safety, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., 
SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, 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 2130-0587.'' Alternatively, comments 
may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, 
or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at [email protected], or to Ms. Toone 
at [email protected]. Please refer to the assigned OMB control 
number and the title of the information collection 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, 
RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 
Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292) or Ms. 
Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 35, 
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These telephone 
numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, section 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 of such activities 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 the information collection activities 
that FRA will submit for renewed clearance by OMB as required under the 
PRA:

[[Page 16229]]

    Title: Notice of Funding Availability and Solicitation of 
Applications for Grants under the Railroad Safety Technology Grant 
Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0587.
    Abstract: The Rail Safety Technology Program is a newly authorized 
program under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) (Pub. L. 
110-432; October 16, 2008). The program was directed by Congress and 
passed into law in the aftermath of a series of major rail accidents 
that culminated in an accident at Chatsworth, California, in 2008. 
Twenty-five people were killed and 135 people were injured in the 
Chatsworth accident. This event turned the Nation's attention to rail 
safety and the possibility that new technologies, such as PTC, could 
prevent such accidents in the future. The RSIA ordered installation of 
PTC by all Class I railroads on any of their mainlines carrying 
poisonous inhalation hazard (PIH) materials and by all passenger and 
commuter railroads on their main lines not later than December 31, 
2015.
    As part of the RSIA, Congress provided $50 million to FRA to award, 
in one or more grants, to eligible projects by passenger and freight 
rail carriers, railroad suppliers, and State and local Governments. 
Funds will be awarded to projects that have a public benefit of 
improved railroad safety and efficiency, with priority given to 
projects that make PTC technologies interoperable between railroad 
systems; projects that accelerate the deployment of PTC technology on 
high-risk corridors, such as those that have high volumes of hazardous 
material shipments; and for projects over which commuter or passenger 
trains operate, or that benefit both passenger and freight safety and 
efficiency.
    Funds provided under this grant program may constitute a maximum of 
80 percent of the total cost of a selected project, with a minimum of 
20 percent of costs funded from other sources. The funding provided 
under these grants will be made available to grantees on a 
reimbursement basis. FRA anticipates awarding grants to multiple 
eligible participants. FRA may choose to award a grant or grants within 
the available funds in any amount. Funding made available through 
grants provided under this program, together with funding from other 
sources that is committed by a grantee as part of a grant agreement, 
must be sufficient to complete the funded project and achieve the 
anticipated technology development. FRA will begin accepting grant 
applications 10 days after publication of the separate Notice of Funds 
Availability, which will be published on March 29, 2010, in the Federal 
Register detailing the terms of the Railroad Safety Technology Grant 
Program. Applications may be submitted until July 1, 2010. Selection 
announcements will be made on or around September 3, 2010.
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.146; SF-269; SF-270.
    Other Instruments: Information Published with the Notice of Funds 
Availability (NOFA) to be published shortly in the Federal Register.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Respondent Universe: 50 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

                                                Reporting Burden
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                                        Respondent          Total annual      Average time  per    Total annual
          Grant program                  universe            responses             response        burden hours
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Pre-Application Process:
    --Certification Statements     50 Railroads.......  50 statements/forms  2 minutes..........               2
     (Form FRA F 6180.146).
    --Application Process........  50 Railroads.......  50 grant             250 hours..........          12,500
                                                         applications.
    --Meeting requests with FRA    50 Railroads.......  25 meeting requests  30 minutes.........              13
     Associate Administrator.
    --Face to Face Meetings with   50 Railroads.......  25 project meetings  2 hours............              50
     Associate Admin.
    --Revisions to Grant           50 Railroads.......  10 grant             40 hours...........             400
     Applications.                                       application
                                                         revisions.
    --Execution Process (Progress  50 Railroads.......  120 progress         1 hour.............             120
     Reports).                                           reports.
--Close-Out Procedures:
    --Financial Status Report (SF- 50 Railroads.......  10 forms...........  30 minutes.........               5
     269).
    --Audit (OMB A-133 or 49 CFR   50 Railroads.......  10 audit documents.  34 hours...........             340
     19.26).
    --Audit Correction Plan......  50 Railorads.......  1 plan.............  24 hours...........              24
    --Final Progress Report......  50 Railroads.......  10 reports.........  3 hours............              30
    --Final Request for Payment    50 Railroads.......  10 forms...........  1 hour.............              10
     (SF-270).
    --Federal Owner Property       50 Railroads.......  5 reports..........  3 hours............              15
     Report.
    --Final Technical Report.....  50 Railroads.......  10 reports.........  40 hours...........             400
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Responses: 336.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden 13,909 hours.
    Status: Re-Approval under Regular Clearance Procedures
    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 March 26, 2010.
Donna Alwine,
Acting Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-7201 Filed 3-30-10; 8:45 am]
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