[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50070-50071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20274]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2014-0098; Notice No. 15-15]
Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICRs)
discussed below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for renewal and extension. These ICRs describe the nature
of the information collections and their expected burdens. A Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on
these ICRs was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2015 [80
FR 23582] under Docket No. PHMSA-2015-0098 (Notice No. 15-8). PHMSA did
not receive any comments in response to the April 29, 2015 notice.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on, or before
September 17, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, by mail to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Attention: Desk Officer for DOT-PHMSA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington,
DC 20503, by fax, 202-395-5806, or by email, to
[email protected]. Comments should refer to the information
collection by title and/or OMB Control Number.
We invite comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of
the proposed information collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Andrews or T. Glenn Foster,
Standards and Rulemaking Division (PHH-12), U.S. Department of
Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC
20590-0001, Telephone (202) 366-8553.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1320.8 (d), Title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations requires Federal agencies to provide interested members of
the public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on
information collection and recordkeeping requests. This notice
identifies information collection requests that PHMSA will be
submitting to OMB for renewal and extension. These information
collections are contained in 49 CFR parts 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, and
177 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180).
PHMSA has revised burden estimates, where appropriate, to reflect
current reporting levels or adjustments based on changes in proposed or
final rules published since the information collections were last
approved. The following information is provided for each information
collection: (1) Title of the information collection, including former
title if a change is being made; (2) OMB Control Number; (3) abstract
of the information collection activity; (4) description of affected
persons; (5) estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping
burden; and (6) frequency of collection. PHMSA will request a three-
year term of approval for each information collection activity and,
when approved by OMB, publish notice of the approvals in the Federal
Register.
PHMSA requests comments on the following information collections:
Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers and Emergency Response
Information.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0034.
Summary: This information collection is for the requirement to
provide a shipping paper and emergency response information with
shipments of hazardous materials. Shipping papers are considered to be
a basic communication tool relative to the transportation of hazardous
materials. The definition of a shipping paper in 49 CFR 171.8 includes
a shipping order, bill of lading, manifest, or other shipping document
serving a similar purpose and containing the information required by
Sec. Sec. 172.202, 172.203, and 172.204 of the HMR. A shipping paper
with emergency response information must accompany most hazardous
materials shipments and be readily
[[Page 50071]]
available at all times during transportation.
Shipping papers serve as the principal source of information
regarding the presence of hazardous materials, identification,
quantity, and emergency response procedures. They also serve as the
source of information for compliance with other requirements, such as
the placement of rail cars containing different hazardous materials in
trains; prevent the loading of poisons with foodstuffs; maintain the
separation of incompatible hazardous materials; and limit the amount of
radioactive materials that may be transported in a vehicle or aircraft.
Shipping papers and emergency response information serve as a means of
notifying transport workers that hazardous materials are present. Most
importantly, shipping papers serve as a principal means of identifying
hazardous materials during transportation emergencies. Firefighters,
police, and other emergency response personnel are trained to obtain
the Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping papers and emergency
response information when responding to hazardous materials
transportation emergencies. The availability of accurate information
concerning hazardous materials being transported significantly improves
response efforts in these types of emergencies.
PHMSA is revising this information collection burden to reflect the
anticipated completion of the collection of information under the
Hazardous Materials Automated Cargo Communications for Efficient and
Safe Shipments (HM-ACCESS) pilot program.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in
commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 260,000.
Total Annual Responses: 185,000,000.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,625,846.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Title: Radioactive (RAM) Transportation Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0510.
Summary: This information collection describes the information
collection provisions in the HMR involving the transportation of
radioactive materials (RAM) in commerce. Information collection
requirements for RAM include: Shipper notification to consignees of the
dates of shipments of RAM; expected arrival; special loading/unloading
instructions; verification that shippers using foreign-made packages
hold a foreign competent authority certificate and verification that
the terms of the certificate are being followed for RAM shipments being
made into this country; and specific handling instructions from
shippers to carriers for fissile RAM, bulk shipments of low specific
activity RAM, and packages of RAM which emit high levels of external
radiation. These information collection requirements help to establish
that proper packages are used for the type of radioactive material
being transported; external radiation levels do not exceed prescribed
limits; and packages are handled appropriately and delivered in a
timely manner, so as to ensure the safety of the general public,
transport workers, and emergency responders.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of radioactive materials in
commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 3,817.
Total Annual Responses: 21,519.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 15,270.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Title: Subsidiary Hazard Class and Number/Type of Packagings.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0613.
Summary: The HMR require that shipping papers and emergency
response information accompany each shipment of hazardous materials in
commerce. In addition to the basic shipping description information, we
also require the subsidiary hazard class or subsidiary division
number(s) to be entered in parentheses following the primary hazard
class or division number on shipping papers. This requirement was
originally required only by transportation by vessel. However, the lack
of such a requirement posed problems for motor carriers with regard to
complying with segregation, separation, and placarding requirements, as
well as posing a safety hazard. For example, in the event the motor
vehicle becomes involved in an accident, when the hazardous materials
being transported include a subsidiary hazard such as ``dangerous when
wet'' or a subsidiary hazard requiring more stringent requirements than
the primary hazard, there is no indication of the subsidiary hazards on
the shipping papers and no indication of the subsidiary risks on
placards. Under circumstances such as motor vehicles being loaded at a
dock, labels are not enough to alert hazardous materials employees
loading the vehicles, nor are they enough to alert emergency responders
of the subsidiary risks contained on the vehicles. Therefore, we
require the subsidiary hazard class or subsidiary division number(s) to
be entered on the shipping paper, for purposes of enhancing safety and
international harmonization.
We also require the number and type of packagings to be indicated
on the shipping paper. This requirement makes it mandatory for shippers
to indicate on shipping papers the numbers and types of packages, such
as drums, boxes, jerricans, etc., being used to transport hazardous
materials by all modes of transportation.
Shipping papers serve as a principal means of identifying hazardous
materials during transportation emergencies. Firefighters, police, and
other emergency response personnel are trained to obtain the DOT
shipping papers and emergency response information when responding to
hazardous materials transportation emergencies. The availability of
accurate information concerning hazardous materials being transported
significantly improves response efforts in these types of emergencies.
The additional information would aid emergency responders by more
clearly identifying the hazard.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in
commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 250,000.
Total Annual Responses: 6,337,500.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 17,604.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
William S. Schoonover,
Deputy Associate Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-20274 Filed 8-17-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P