[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 200 (Monday, October 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64172-64173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26592]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2011-001-N-13]


Proposed 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 renewal of the following currently 
approved information collection activities. 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 December 16, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of 
Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, 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 2130-0556 
.'' Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 
493-

[[Page 64173]]

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 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 Planning 
and Evaluation Division, 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 No. 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 provide 60-days notice to 
the public for comment on information collection activities before 
seeking approval for reinstatement or renewal 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 currently approved ICR that FRA 
will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:
    Title: U.S. Locational Requirement for Dispatching U.S. Rail 
Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0556.
    Abstract: Part 241 requires, in the absence of a waiver, that all 
dispatching of railroad operations that occurs in the United States be 
performed in this country, with a minor exception. A railroad is 
allowed to conduct extraterritorial dispatching from Mexico or Canada 
in emergency situations, but only for the duration of the emergency. A 
railroad relying on the exception must provide written notification of 
its action to the FRA Regional Administrator of each FRA region in 
which the railroad operation occurs; such notification is not required 
before addressing the emergency situation. The information collected 
under this rule will be used as part of FRA's oversight function to 
ensure that extraterritorial dispatchers comply with applicable safety 
regulations. FRA estimates that approximately one (1) Notification per 
year will be sent to the appropriate FRA Regional Administrators 
regarding dispatching under the circumstances described above. It is 
estimated that it will take the dispatching railroad approximately 
eight (8) hours to prepare each notification letter and send it to the 
appropriate FRA Regional Administrator.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Respondent Universe: 4 Railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On Occasion.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                                              Average time per
              CFR section                 Respondent universe     Total annual responses          response               Total annual burden hours
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241.9--Prohibition against              4 railroads............  1 notification.........  8 hours................  8 hours.
 extraterritorial dispatching;
 exceptions--Notification.
241.11--Prohibition against conducting  4 railroads............  Included under Sec.      Included under Sec.      Included under Sec.   241.9.
 a railroad operation dispatched by an                            241.9.                   241.9.
 extraterritorial dispatcher;
 exceptions.
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241.13--Prohibitions against track    4 railroads..........  Included under Sec.   Included under Sec.   Included under Sec.   Included under Sec.
 owner's requiring or permitting use                           241.9.                241.9.                241.9.               241.9.
 of its line for a railroad
 operation dispatched by an
 extraterritorial dispatcher;
 exceptions.
241.15--Penalties--False Reports/     $628.................  None................  N/A.................  N/A.................  N/A.
 Records.
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    Total Responses: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 8 hours.
    Status: Extension of a Currently Approved Collection.
    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 October 6, 2011.
Kimberly Coronel,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-26592 Filed 10-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P