[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 204 (Monday, October 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 64591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25818]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board


Notice and Request for Comments

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT.

ACTION: 30-day notice of intent to seek extension of approval: Waybill 
Compliance Survey.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (PRA), is 
submitting a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
renewed approval for the Waybill Compliance Survey. The Board 
previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal 
Register on May 9, 2012, at 77 FR 27279. That notice allowed for a 60-
day public review and comment period. No comments were received. The 
Waybill Compliance Survey is described in detail below. Comments may 
now be submitted to OMB concerning (1) the accuracy of the Board's 
burden estimates; (2) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information collected; (3) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on the respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, when appropriate; and (4) whether this collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Board, including whether the collection has practical utility.

Description of Collection

    Title: Waybill Compliance Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0010.
    STB Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement without change of a previously 
approved collection.
    Respondents: Regulated railroads that did not submit carload 
waybill sample information to the STB in the previous year.
    Number of Respondents: 120.
    Estimated Time per Response: .5 hours.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours (annually including all respondents): 60.
    Total ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: No ``non-hour cost'' burdens 
associated with this collection have been identified.
    Needs and Uses: The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Public Law 104-88, 
109 Stat. 803 (1995), which took effect on January 1, 1996, abolished 
the Interstate Commerce Commission and transferred to the STB the 
responsibility for the economic regulation of common carrier rail 
transportation, including the collection and administration of the 
Carload Waybill Sample. Under 49 CFR part 1244, a railroad terminating 
4500 or more carloads, or terminating at least 5% of the total revenue 
carloads that terminate in a particular state, in any of the three 
preceding years, is required to file carload waybill sample information 
(Waybill Sample) for all line-haul revenue waybills terminating on its 
lines. The information in the Waybill Sample is used to monitor the 
rail industry in general, and the nature and quantities of goods being 
shipped by rail in particular. The Board needs to collect information 
in the Waybill Compliance Survey--information on carloads of traffic 
terminated each year by U.S. railroads--in order to determine which 
railroads are required to file the Waybill Sample. In addition, 
information collected in the Waybill Compliance Survey, on a voluntary 
basis, about the total operating revenue of each railroad helps to 
determine whether respondents are subject to other statutory or 
regulatory requirements. Accurate determinations regarding the size of 
a railroad helps the Board minimize the reporting burden for smaller 
railroads. The Board has authority to collect this information under 49 
U.S.C. 11144 and 11145 and under 49 CFR 1244.2.

DATES: Comments on this information collection may be submitted by 
November 21, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Patrick Fuchs, Surface Transportation Board Desk Officer, by 
fax at (202) 395-5167; by mail at OMB, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20500; or by email at [email protected] 
should be identified as ``Statutory Authority to Preserve Rail 
Service.'' When submitting comments, please refer to ``Paperwork 
Reduction Act Comments, Surface Transportation Board, Waybill 
Compliance Survey, OMB control number 2140-0010.''
    For Further Information or to Obtain a Copy of the STB Form, 
Contact: Paul Aguiar at (202) 245-0323 or [email protected]. 
Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, a Federal agency conducting 
or sponsoring a collection of information must display a currently 
valid OMB control number. A collection of information, which is defined 
in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), includes agency requirements 
that persons submit reports, keep records, or provide information to 
the agency, third parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of the PRA 
requires, concurrent with an agency's submitting a collection to OMB 
for approval, a 30-day notice and comment period through publication in 
the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of 
information, including each proposed extension of an existing 
collection of information.

    Dated: October 16, 2012.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2012-25818 Filed 10-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P