[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70478-70479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24616]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Rail 
Depreciation Studies

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3501-3521 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives 
notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for an extension of the collection of Rail Depreciation 
Studies. This information collection is described in detail below. The 
Board previously published a notice about this collection in the 
Federal Register. 81 FR 26,304 (May 2, 2016). That notice allowed for a 
60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received.

DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by 
November 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be identified as ``Paperwork 
Reduction Act Comments, Surface Transportation Board: Rail Depreciation 
Studies.'' These comments should be directed to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Chandana L. Achanta, Surface Transportation Board Desk 
Officer, by email at [email protected]; by fax at (202) 395-
6974; or by mail to Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 
20503. Please also direct comments to Chris Oehrle, Surface 
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001, or 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding this 
collection, contact Michael Higgins, Deputy Director, Office of Public 
Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance at (202) 245-0284 or 
at [email protected]. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available 
through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
8339.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are requested concerning: (1) The 
accuracy of the Board's burden estimates; (2) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (3) 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; and (4) whether 
the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance 
of the functions of the Board, including whether the collection has 
practical utility. Submitted comments will be summarized and included 
in the Board's request for OMB approval.

Description of Collection

    Title: Rail Depreciation Studies.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0028.
    STB Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension with change.
    Respondents: Class 1 railroads.
    Number of Respondents: Seven.
    Frequency: On occasion. (Under 49 CFR part 1201, 4-1 to 4-4, the 
Board requires all Class 1 (large) carriers to submit rail depreciation 
studies no less than every three years for equipment property and every 
six years for road and track property. That means that for any given 
six-year period the Class 1 railroads have to submit no less than three 
depreciation reports or the equivalent of 0.5 depreciation reports per 
year.)
    Total Burden Hours: 3,500 hours (500 hours x 7 Class 1 railroads).
    Total Annual ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: Approximately $262,500 per 
year. Board staff estimates that each study will cost between $50,000 
and $100,000, which equals a cost of approximately $25,000-$50,000 per 
year. Using an average cost ($37,500 per year x 7 Class 1 railroads), 
the non-hour burden cost is estimated to be approximately $262,500 per 
year.
    Needs and Uses: Under 49 CFR part 1201, 4-1 to 4-4, 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 49 
U.S.C. 11145, Class 1 rail carriers are required to submit Rail 
Depreciation Studies to the Board. 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 1 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.
    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.


[[Page 70479]]


    Dated: October 6, 2016.
Brendetta S. Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2016-24616 Filed 10-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P