[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25114-25115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11222]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2019-0004-N-7]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice 
announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Requests 
(ICRs) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and comment. The ICRs describe the information collections 
and their expected burden. On February 22, 2019, FRA published a notice 
providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICRs.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 1, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the ICRs to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer. 
Comments may also be sent via email to OMB at the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory 
Analysis Division, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Room W33-497, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-
6292); or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Administration, Office of Information Technology, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W34-212, 
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection 
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C. 
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. On February 22, 2019, FRA 
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on 
the ICRs for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 84 FR 5807. FRA 
received no comments in response to this notice.
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. Federal law 
requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 
60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5 
CFR 1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB 
believes the 30-day notice informs the regulated community to file 
relevant comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest public 
comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. 
Therefore, respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB 
within 30 days of publication to best ensure having their full effect.
    Comments are invited on the following ICRs regarding: (1) Whether 
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the information 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 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of information 
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    The summaries below describe the ICRs that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Safety Appliance Standards Guidance Checklist Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0565.
    Abstract: Sample car/locomotive inspections are performed upon 
request as a courtesy to the car manufacturers to ensure that the 
equipment is built in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR). Car manufacturers that desire to have FRA review their equipment 
for compliance with the CFR may submit their request to FRA for review 
at least 60 days prior to initial construction. Although a sample car 
inspection is not required, most car manufacturers today request the 
inspection. By helping ensure that rolling stock equipment is built 
compliant with the CFR, the sample car inspection program reduces the 
safety risk to railroad employees, passengers, and the general public.
    In an ongoing effort to conduct more thorough and effective 
inspections of freight railroad equipment and to further enhance safe 
rail operations, FRA has developed a group of guidance checklist forms 
that facilitate railroad, rail car owner, and rail equipment 
manufacturer compliance with 49 CFR part 231, Railroad Safety Appliance 
Standards. Because 49 CFR part 231 was supplemented and expanded 
several

[[Page 25115]]

years ago, FRA developed Forms FRA F 6180.161(a)-(k) to cover new types 
of cars. For these new types of cars, FRA follows the standard 
established by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), Standard 
2044 or S-2044.
    A car manufacturer's request to FRA for a sample car inspection 
generally includes a logo, company name, signature block, specific 
drawings, reflectorization application, and engineering information, 
such as test or modeling of components. In addition, the request may 
include car reporting marks and the number of cars that would be 
constructed in the car series. The request would also provide the 
inspection location, contact person, title, and contact information. 
The request typically contains several paragraphs explaining the cited 
regulations that the car manufacturer believes are related to the car 
construction. For the many cars built today considered cars of special 
construction, detailed information explaining the similarities between 
the car being built and the nearest car type identified in the 
regulation is provided to help determine which regulatory requirements 
are applicable. Based on the information submitted, a formal on-site 
inspection may be required. FRA reviews the information and responds to 
the car manufacturer.
    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses (Car manufacturers).
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.161(a)-(k).
    Respondent Universe: Car manufacturers/state inspectors.
    Frequency of Submission: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 121.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 121 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $7,406.
    Title: System for Telephonic Notification of Unsafe Conditions at 
Highway-Rail and Pathway Grade Crossings.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0591.
    Abstract: The collection of information is set forth under 49 CFR 
part 234, Grade Crossing Safety, implementing Section 205 of the Rail 
Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), Public Law 110-432, Div. A (Oct. 
16, 2008). Generally, the rule is intended to increase safety at 
highway-rail and pathway grade crossings. Section 205 of the RSIA 
mandates that the Secretary of Transportation require certain railroad 
carriers to take a series of specified actions related to setting up 
and using systems by which the public can notify the railroads by toll-
free telephone number of safety problems at their highway-rail and 
pathway grade crossings. Such systems are commonly known as Emergency 
Notification Systems or ENS. The information collected is used by FRA 
to ensure that railroad carriers establish and maintain a toll-free 
telephone service to report unsafe conditions at public and private 
highway-rail and pathway grade crossings for rights-of-way over which 
they dispatch trains.
    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved information collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 625 Railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 298,292.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 15,305 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$1,091,934.
    Title: Control of Alcohol and Drug Use in Railroad Operations: 
Post-Accident Toxicological Testing for Controlled Substances.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0598.
    Abstract: Since 1985, as part of its accident investigation 
program, FRA has conducted post-accident alcohol and drug tests on 
railroad employees who have been involved in serious train accidents 
(50 FR 31508, Aug. 2, 1985). If an accident meets FRA's criteria for 
post-accident testing (see 49 CFR 219.201), FRA conducts tests for 
alcohol and for certain drugs classified as controlled substances under 
the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Title II of the Comprehensive Drug 
Abuse Prevention Substances Act of 1970 (CSA, 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). 
The Drug Enforcement Agency, which is primarily responsible for 
enforcing the CSA, oversees the classification of controlled substances 
into five schedules. Schedule I contains illicit drugs, such as heroin, 
which has no legitimate medical use under Federal law. Currently, FRA 
routinely conducts post-accident tests for the following controlled 
substances: marijuana, cocaine, phencyclidine, and certain opioids, 
amphetamines, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines. Controlled substances 
are drugs or chemicals that are prohibited or strictly regulated 
because of their potential for abuse or addiction. FRA reports results 
of testing for controlled substances to the railroad's Medical Review 
Officer (MRO) and the employee, and the MRO must review positive 
results and report results of the review to FRA. (See 49 CFR 219.211(b) 
and (c)).
    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved information collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 692 Railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 18.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 3 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $330.
    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 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.

Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2019-11222 Filed 5-29-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P