[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32005-32007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12436]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2013-0002-N-12]


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 re-approval of the following 
information collection activities that were previously approved by OMB 
under Emergency Clearance Procedures. 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 July 29, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of 
Safety, 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-------.'' Alternatively, comments 
may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, 
or via email to Mr. Brogan at [email protected], or to Ms. Toone at 
[email protected]. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number and 
the title of the information collection 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 Safety, 
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 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 of such activities 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

[[Page 32006]]

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 information collection activities 
that FRA will submit for renewed clearance by OMB as required under the 
PRA:
    Title: Notice of Funding Availability and Solicitation of 
Applications for Grants under the Railroad Safety Technology Grant 
Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0587.
    Abstract: The Rail Safety Technology Program is a newly authorized 
program under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) (Pub. L. 
110-432; October 16, 2008). The program was directed by Congress and 
passed into law in the aftermath of a series of major rail accidents 
that culminated in an accident at Chatsworth, California, in 2008. 
Twenty-five people were killed and 135 people were injured in the 
Chatsworth accident. This event turned the Nation's attention to rail 
safety and the possibility that new technologies, such as PTC, could 
prevent such accidents in the future. The RSIA ordered installation of 
PTC by all Class I railroads on any of their mainlines carrying 
poisonous inhalation hazard (PIH) materials and by all passenger and 
commuter railroads on their main lines not later than December 31, 
2015.
    As part of the RSIA, Congress provided $50 million to FRA to award, 
in one or more grants, to eligible projects by passenger and freight 
rail carriers, railroad suppliers, and State and local Governments. 
Although no funds are available for FY 2014, funds were awarded to 
seven projects that have a public benefit of improved railroad safety 
and efficiency, with priority given to projects that make PTC 
technologies interoperable between railroad systems; projects that 
accelerate the deployment of PTC technology on high-risk corridors, 
such as those that have high volumes of hazardous material shipments; 
and for projects over which commuter or passenger trains operate, or 
that benefit both passenger and freight safety and efficiency.
    Funds provided under this grant program could constitute a maximum 
of 80 percent of the total cost of a selected project, with a minimum 
of 20 percent of costs funded from other sources. The funding provided 
under these grants is being made available to grantees on a 
reimbursement basis. Funding made available through grants provided 
under this program, together with funding from other sources that is 
committed by a grantee as part of a grant agreement, needs to be 
sufficient to complete the funded project and achieve the anticipated 
technology development. FRA expects that the seven projects awarded 
grants will be completed over the next three years. FRA is continuing 
to collect information from grantees until all seven projects have been 
completed.
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.146; SF-269; SF-270.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Respondent Universe: 7 Railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    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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Meeting requests with FRA          7 Railroads/Grant    7 meeting requests.  30 minutes.........               4
 Associate Administrator (FRA).     Awardees.
Face to Face Meetings with         7 Railroads/Grant    7 project meetings.  2 hours............              14
 Associate Admin. (FRA).            Awardees.
Revisions to Grant Applications    7 Railroads/Grant    7 grant application  40 hours...........             280
 (HHS).                             Awardees.            revisions.
Execution Process (Progress        7 Railroads/Grant    84 progress reports  1 hour.............              84
 Reports) (FRA).                    Awardees.
Close-Out Procedures:
    Close Out Documents (HHS)....  7 Railroads/Grant    7 close-out          4 hours............              28
                                    Awardees.            documents.
    Final Technical Reports (FRA)  7 Railroads/Grant    7 reports..........  80 hours...........             560
                                    Awardees.
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    Total Responses: 119.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 970 hours (FRA Burden = 662 hours; 
HHS Burden = 308 hours).
    Status: Re-Approval under Regular Clearance Procedures.
    Title: State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0589.
    Abstract: Section 202 of the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) of 
2008 required the Secretary of Transportation (delegated to the Federal 
Railroad Administrator by 49 CFR 1.49) to identify the 10 States that 
have had the most-highway-rail grade crossing collisions, on average, 
over the past three years, and to require those States to develop State 
highway-rail grade crossing action plans, within a reasonable period of 
time, as determined by the Secretary. Section 202 of the law further 
provided that these plans must identify specific solutions for 
improving safety at crossings, including highway-rail grade crossing 
closures or grade separations, and must focus on crossings that have 
experienced multiple accidents or are at high risk for such accidents.
    Section 202 also provided the following: The Secretary will provide 
assistance to the States in developing and carrying out such plans, as 
appropriate; the plans may be coordinated with other State or Federal 
planning requirements; the plans will cover a period of time determined 
to be appropriate by the Secretary; and the Secretary may condition the 
awarding of any grants under 49 U.S.C. 20158, 20167, or 22501, to a 
State identified under this section, on the development of such State's 
plan.
    Lastly, Section 202 provided a review and approval process under 
which, not later than 60 days after the Secretary receives such a State 
action plan, the Secretary must review and either approve or disapprove 
it. In the event that the proposed plan is disapproved, Section 202 
indicates that the Secretary must notify the affected State as to the 
specific areas in which the proposed plan is deficient, and the State 
must correct all deficiencies within 30 days following receipt of 
written notice from the Secretary.
    FRA uses the collection of information to ensure that States meet

[[Page 32007]]

the Congressional mandate and devise and implement suitable plans to 
reduce/eliminate troublingly high numbers of highway-rail grade 
collisions in their States. FRA reviews grade these crossing action 
plans and grade crossing action plan revisions to ensure that these 
plans include the following: (1) Identify specific solutions for 
improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings, including highway-
rail grade crossing closures or grade separations, (2) Focus on 
crossings that have experienced multiple accidents or are at high risk 
for such accidents, and (3) Cover a five-year period of time.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: States.
    Respondent Universe: 10 States.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                   Average time
            CFR section              Respondent universe        Total annual       per response    Total annual
                                                                 responses            (hours)      burden hours
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234.11--State Highway-Rail Grade    10 States............  10 plans.............             600           6,000
 Crossing Action Plans.
--Revised Grade Crossing Action     10 States............  5 plans..............              80             600
 Plans After FRA Review.
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    Total Responses: 15.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 6,400 hours.
    Type of Request: Re-Approval of a Currently Approved Information 
Collection.
    Status: Regular Review.
    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 May 20, 2013.
Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer, Federal Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-12436 Filed 5-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P