[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37092-37093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15085]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2012-0006-N-7]


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 August 20, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Ms. Janet Wylie, Office of 
Planning and Administration, RPD-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 20, 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 2130-0580.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6170, or via email to Ms. Wylie 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: Ms. Janet Wylie, Office of Planning 
and Administration, RPD-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6353) 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 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

[[Page 37093]]

information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    Below is a brief summary of the information collection activities 
that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:
    Title: Notice of Funds Availability and Solicitation of 
Applications for Grants Under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair 
Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0580.
    Status: Regular Review.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair Grant Program 
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Program Number 20.314), 
which was originally supported with up to $20,000,000 of Federal funds 
provided to FRA as part of the Consolidated Security, Disaster 
Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 110-329, 
September 30, 2008). On May 27, 2009, FRA selected 12 projects, 
totaling $15 million under this program. On August 5, 2010, FRA 
selected 10 more projects for the remaining funds. A few revisions to 
grant agreements and close-out of grants are the only remaining 
activities for this program.
    Funds provided under this Program may constitute no more than 80 
percent of the total cost of a selected project, with the remaining 
cost funded from other non-Federal sources. Projects include repairs 
and rehabilitation to Class II and Class III railroad infrastructure 
damaged by hurricanes, floods, and natural disasters that are located 
in counties that were identified in a Disaster Declaration for Public 
Assistance issued by the President (http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema#sev1).
    Class II and Class III railroad infrastructure repaired and 
rehabilitated include railroad rights-of-way, bridges, signals and 
other infrastructure which are part of the general railroad system of 
transportation and primarily used by railroads to move freight traffic. 
FRA anticipates that no further public notification will be made with 
respect to this Program.
    Affected Public: State and local governments, government sponsored 
authorities and corporations, railroads.

                                                Reporting Burden
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                                                            Total annual       Average time per    Total annual
          Grant program            Respondent universe       responses             response        burden hours
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Revision to Grant Applications...  22 States/Local      2 grant revisions..  40 hours...........              80
                                    govt.
Progress/Financial Reports.......  22 States/Local      88 grantees........  2 hours............             176
                                    govt.
Close-out Procedures.............  44 States/Local      44 sets of close-    36 hours...........             792
                                    govt.                out documents.
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    Total Responses: 134.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1,048 hours.
    Frequency of Submission: Quarterly; recordkeeping.
    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 June 14, 2012.
Michael Logue,
Associate Administrator for Administration, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-15085 Filed 6-19-12; 8:45 am]
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