[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59086-59088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23255]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2013-0002-N-20]


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 an extension of the following 
currently approved information collection activities. These information 
collection activities received a six-month emergency approval from OMB 
on August 29, 2013. FRA seeks this extension while it is determining 
the proper course of action to take to ensure that certain unattended 
trains and vehicles on mainline track or mainline siding outside of a 
yard or terminal, particularly ones transporting hazardous materials, 
are properly secured against unintended movement. 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 November 25, 2013.

[[Page 59087]]


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 2130-0601.'' 
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 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 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 are brief summaries of three currently approved information 
collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the PRA:
    Title: Emergency Order No. 28, Notice No. 1.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0601.
    Abstract: FRA has determined that public safety compelled the 
issuance of Emergency Order No. 28, which requires railroads operating 
on the general system of transportation to implement additional 
processes and procedures to ensure that unattended trains and vehicles 
on mainline track or sidings are properly secured against unintended 
movement. Emergency Order No. 28 was published in the Federal Register 
on August 7, 2013, in response to the catastrophic accident that 
occurred in Lac-M[eacute]gantic, Quebec, Canada, on July 6, 2013. See 
78 FR 48218. Emergency Order No. 28 is intended to address some of the 
human factors failures that may cause unattended equipment to be 
improperly secured in order to protect the general public and 
communities near the general system of rail transportation and railroad 
equipment that is used on it against derailment situations similar to 
that which occurred at Lac-M[eacute]gantic.
    The collection of information is being used by FRA to ensure that 
railroads and their employees fulfill all the requirements that are set 
out in the Emergency Order. Among other purposes, FRA will use the 
information collected to verify that railroads develop, adopt, and 
comply with a plan that identifies specific locations and circumstances 
when a train or vehicle transporting the type and quantity of hazardous 
materials described in Appendix A of this Emergency Order shall be left 
unattended on a mainline track or mainline siding outside of a yard or 
terminal. FRA will also use the collection of information to confirm 
that railroads review and verify and adjust, as necessary, existing 
procedures and processes related to the number of hand brakes to be set 
on all unattended trains and equipment. Railroads must ensure the means 
of verifying that the number is appropriate. FRA will use the 
collection of information to enforce compliance, where necessary.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Frequency of Submission: One-time; on occasion.
    Respondent Universe: 655 railroads; 100,00 Railroad Employees.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                           Total annual       Average time per     Total annual
    Emergency order item No.      Respondent universe       responses             response         burden hours
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(1) RR Plans identifying          655 railroads......  491 plans..........  40 hours............          19,640
 specific locations and
 circumstances of trains
 carrying hazardous materials:
    --Revised Plans.............  655 railroads......  50 revised plans...  10 hours............             500
    --Notifications to FRA by RR  655 railroads......  50 notifications...  30 minutes..........              25
     of Plan Development Prior
     to Its Operation Pursuant
     to Plan.
(2)(a)--RR Development of         655 railroads......  491 processes......  60 minutes..........             491
 Process for Securing Unattended
 Trains or Vehicles:
    (b)--RR Employees             100,000 Employees..  26,000 exchanges/    5 minutes...........           2,167
     communication to                                   communications.
     dispatchers of information
     regarding securement of
     train.

[[Page 59088]]

 
    (c)--Dispatcher's Record of   655 railroads......  26,000 records.....  2 minutes...........             867
     Information Exchanged or
     Communicated.
    (d)--Train Dispatcher or      655 railroads......  26,000               2 minutes...........             867
     Other Qualified Employee                           verifications and
     Verification and                                   confirmations.
     Confirmation of Train
     Securement Meeting RR's
     Requirements.
(3) RR Review and Revision of     655 railroads......  491 revised          6 hours.............           2,946
 Existing Procedures and                                procedures and
 Processed Related to the number                        processes.
 of Hand Brakes Set on All
 Unattended Trains:
(4) RR Revision of Operating      655 railroads......  491 revised          2 hours.............             982
 Rules and Practices to Require                         operating rules
 Job Briefing of Train                                  and practices.
 Securement:
    --Daily Job Briefings.......  100,000 RR           23,400,000           30 seconds..........         195,000
                                   Employees.           briefings.
(5) Development of RR Procedure   655 railroads......  491 Procedures.....  60 minutes..........             491
 to Ensure a Qualified Employee
 Inspects All Equipment Visited
 by Emergency Responder for
 Proper Securement Before Train
 or Vehicle is Left Unattended:
    --Inspections of Equipment..  655 railroads......  1,000 inspections..  4 hours.............           4,000
(6) RR Employees Copy of FRA EO   100,000 RR           100,000 copies.....  1 minute............           1,667
 28:                               Employees.
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    Total Estimated Responses: 23,581,555.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 229,643 hours.
    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.

Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-23255 Filed 9-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P