[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81710-81711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32557]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0005-N-20]


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 October 18, 2010 (75 FR 63889).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 27, 2011.

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. 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, 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 October 18, 2010, FRA published a 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register soliciting comment on ICRs that the agency was seeking 
OMB approval. 75 FR 63889. 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 without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Form(s): N/A.
    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 Is and some Class IIs) 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: Revision 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: 6,544 hours.
    Title: Safety Appliance Concern Recommendation Report; Guidance 
Checklist Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
    Type of Request: Revision 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

[[Page 81711]]

service and disrupts rail operations, Form FRA F 6180.4a 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: 168 hours.
    Title: Passenger Train Emergency Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0576.
    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Abstract: The collection of information is due to passenger train 
emergency regulations set forth in 49 CFR part 238 to further the 
safety of passenger train occupants through both enhancements and 
additions to FRA's existing requirements. The collection of information 
is used by FRA, railroad employees, rescue workers, and the public. 
Emergency responders use the information collected to be able to 
quickly find and understand how to operate passenger cars' emergency 
windows, doors, and roof hatches so that they can successfully perform 
their jobs and save lives. The information collected is used by train 
passengers to: (1) Recognize and immediately report potential 
emergencies train crew members; (2) recognize hazards; (3) recognize 
and know how and when to operate appropriate emergency-related features 
and equipment, such as fire extinguishers, train doors, and emergency 
exits; and (4) recognize the potential special needs of fellow 
passengers, such as children, the elderly, and disabled, during an 
emergency; and (5) know how to quickly and safely evacuate the train in 
the event of an emergency, such as a collision, derailment, explosion, 
fire, or some other unanticipated occurrence. Luminescent or lighted 
emergency exit markings are used by train passengers and emergency 
responders to determine where the closest and most accessible emergency 
exit is located as well as how to operate the emergency exit 
mechanisms. Records of the inspection, maintenance, and repairs of 
emergency window and door exits and operational efficiency tests are 
used by FRA inspectors to monitor railroads' regulatory compliance with 
this Part.
    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: [email protected].
    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 December 21, 2010.
Kimberly Coronel,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-32557 Filed 12-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P