[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35814-35815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13142]


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 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA 2016-0002-N-15]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 
and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks the Office of Management 
and Budget's (OMB) approval of the proposed information collection 
activities abstracted below. However, before submitting this proposed 
information collection request (ICR) to OMB, FRA is soliciting public 
comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the information 
activities described in this notice by mail to either Mr. Robert 
Brogan, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad 
Safety, Regulatory Safety Analysis Division, RRS-21, FRA, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590; or Ms. Kimberly 
Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Information 
Technology, RAD-20, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 35, 
Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting that FRA acknowledge 
receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed 
stamped postcard stating, ``Comments on OMB Control Number 2130-New,'' 
and should also include the title of the collection of information. 
Alternatively, comments may be faxed to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-
6497, or emailed to Mr. Brogan at [email protected], or 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, at (202) 493-6292, 
or Ms. Kimberly Toone, at (202) 493-6132. These telephone numbers are 
not toll-free.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 
1320, Rulemaking Procedures, require Federal agencies to provide 60 
days' notice to the public for comment on information collection 
activities before seeking OMB approval. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), and 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA 
invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of 
proposed information collection activities regarding: (1) Whether the 
information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the activities will have 
practical utility; (2) 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; (3) ways 
FRA can enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (4) ways FRA can 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); 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to 
reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the 
collection of information Federal regulations mandate, including: (1) 
Reducing reporting burdens; (2) organizing information collection 
requirements in a ``user friendly'' format to improve the use of such 
information; and (3) accurately assessing the resources expended to 
retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    Below is a brief summary of the proposed ICR that FRA will submit 
for OMB approval as required under the PRA:
    Title: Survey of Plant and Insular Tourist Railroads subject to FRA 
Bridge Safety Standards (Title 49 CFR part 237).
    OMB Control Number: 2130-New.
    Abstract: FRA Bridge Safety Standards regulations (49 CFR part 237) 
require all owners of railroad track with a gage of 2 feet or more 
supported by a bridge to comply with this part. This includes track 
owners with bridges located within an industrial installation (plant) 
that is not part of the general railroad system of transportation 
(general system) but over which railroad equipment is moved by a 
general system

[[Page 35815]]

railroad. To identify track owners subject to the requirements of part 
237, Bridge Safety Standards, FRA relies on the railroad accident/
incident reports (49 CFR part 225) to be filed monthly. However, plant 
and insular tourist railroads are exempt from the part 225, Railroad 
Accidents/Incidents: Reports Classification, and Investigations, 
reporting requirements.
    FRA will request any railroad serving a plant and moving railroad 
equipment over bridges within the plant, or the plant itself, to advise 
FRA by email that there are railroad bridges within the installation 
potentially subject to FRA Bridge Safety Standards. FRA will also 
request insular tourist railroads, whose tracks are supported by one or 
more bridges, to advise FRA of their existence by email. The email 
notification should include the name of the installation or insular 
tourist railroad, address including city and State, contact name, 
telephone number, and email address. This survey will be ongoing with 
initial approval requested for 3 years.
    FRA desires to identify plant and insular tourist railroads that 
may be subject to part 237 requirements, but are exempt from the part 
225 reporting requirement to analyze risks these entities pose to 
railroad bridge safety and aid in planning bridge safety oversight 
activities and allocating resources.
    Affected Public: Freight railroads, industrial installations 
(plants), insular tourist railroads.
    Respondent Universe: 689 railroads, 500 industrial installations 
(estimated), 20 insular tourist railroads (estimated).
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                   Total annual    Average time
              CFR section                  Respondent universe       responses     per response    Total annual
                                                                     (emails)        (minutes)     burden hours
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Notification of Industrial              Railroads, Industrial                200              15              50
 Installations potentially subject to    Installations.
 part 237.
Notification of Insular Tourist         Insular Tourist                       10              15             2.5
 Railroads subject to part 237.          Railroads.
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    Total Responses: 210.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 53 hours.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Status: Regular Review.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 
FRA informs all interested parties that FRA 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 31, 2016.
Corey Hill,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-13142 Filed 6-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P