[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18676-18677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06936]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board


Information Collection Activities; Rail Depreciation Studies

ACTION: 30-day notice and request for comments.

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[[Page 18677]]

SUMMARY: 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-
3519 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (Board) gives notice that 
it is requesting from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval of the information collection--Rail Depreciation Studies--
further described below. The Board previously published a notice about 
this collection in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012, at 77 FR 
44710. That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment 
period. No comments were received.
    Comments may now be submitted to OMB concerning (1) whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Board, including whether the collection has 
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the Board's burden estimates; 
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collected; and (4) 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.

DATES: Written comments are due on April 26, 2013.

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]. 
Comments should refer to the title of the collection commented upon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, contact 
Paul Aguiar at (202) 245-0323 or [email protected]. [Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the hearing impaired: (800) 877-
8339.]
    Subjects: In this notice the Board is requesting comments on the 
following information collection:
    Title: Rail Depreciation Studies.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-XXXX.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Collection in existence without a Control Number.
    Respondents: Class I railroads.
    Number of Respondents: 7.
    Estimated Time per Response: Between 500 and 540 hours annually, 
depending on whether the rail-carrier respondent has significant 
assistance from outside consultants, resulting in an average of 515 
hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: Every 3 years for equipment; every 6 years 
for other depreciable property.
    Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,605 hours (515 hours x 7 Class I 
railroads).
    Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: Between $8,340 and $30,000 
annually, depending on whether the rail-carrier respondent has 
significant assistance from outside consultants, resulting in an annual 
per railroad average of $20,500 and a cumulative total for all 7 Class 
I railroads of $143,500.
    Needs and Uses: Under 49 U.S.C. 11143, the Board is required to 
identify those classes of property for which rail carriers may include 
depreciation charges under operating expenses, and the Board must also 
prescribe a rate of depreciation that may be charged to those classes 
of property. Pursuant to the Board's authority under Sec.  11145 and 49 
CFR Part 1201, Section 4-2(b), Class I (large) rail carriers are 
required to submit to the Board Depreciation Studies. Information in 
these studies is not available from any other source. The Board uses 
the information in these studies to prescribe depreciation rates. These 
depreciation-rate prescriptions state the period for which the 
depreciation rates therein are applicable. Class I railroads apply the 
prescribed depreciation rates to their investment base to determine 
monthly and annual depreciation expense. This expense is included in 
the railroads' operating expenses, which are reported in their R-1 
reports (OMB Control Number 2140-0009). Operating expenses are used to 
develop operating costs for application in various proceedings before 
the Board, such as in rate reasonableness cases and in the 
determination of railroad revenue adequacy.

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: March 21, 2013.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013-06936 Filed 3-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P