[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 10508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03597]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


60-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Petitions 
for Declaratory Order and Petitions for Relief Not Otherwise Specified

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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 
extensions of the collections regarding petitions for declaratory order 
and petitions for relief not otherwise specified, as described below.

DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by 
April 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Chris Oehrle, Surface Transportation 
Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001, or to [email protected]. 
When submitting comments, please refer to ``Paperwork Reduction Act 
Comments, Petitions for Declaratory Orders and Petitions for Relief Not 
Otherwise Specified.'' For further information regarding this 
collection, contact Michael Higgins, Deputy Director, Office of Public 
Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance at (202) 245-0284 or 
[email protected]. Assistance for the hearing impaired is 
available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For each collection, 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 Collections

Collection Number 1

    Title: Petitions for declaratory order.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0031.
    STB Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Respondents: Affected shippers, railroads, communities, and other 
stakeholders that choose to seek a declaratory order from the Board to 
terminate a controversy or remove uncertainty.
    Number of Respondents: Approximately 10.
    Estimated Time per Response: 183 hours.
    Frequency: On occasion. In calendar years 2017-2019, approximately 
10 petitions for declaratory order were filed with the Board per year.
    Total Burden Hours (annually including all respondents): 1,830 
hours (estimated hours per petition (183) x total number of petitions 
(10)).
    Total ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: $12,360 (estimated non-hour burden 
cost per petition ($1,236) x total number of petitions (10)).
    Needs and Uses: Under 5 U.S.C. 554(e) and 49 U.S.C. 1321, the Board 
may issue a declaratory order to terminate a controversy or remove 
uncertainty. Because petitions for declaratory order can encompass a 
broad range of issues and types of requests, the Board does not 
prescribe specific instructions for their filing. The collection by the 
Board regarding petitions for declaratory order that parties choose to 
file enables the Board to meet its statutory duty to regulate the rail 
industry.

Collection Number 2

    Title: Petitions for relief not otherwise provided.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0030.
    STB Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Respondents: Affected shippers, railroads, communities, and other 
stakeholders that seek to address issues under the Board's jurisdiction 
that are not otherwise specifically provided for under the Board's 
other regulatory provisions.
    Number of Respondents: Approximately four.
    Estimated Time per Response: 25 hours.
    Frequency: On occasion. In calendar years 2017-2019, approximately 
four petitions of this type were filed with the Board per year.
    Total Burden Hours (annually including all respondents): 100 hours 
(estimated hours per petition (25) x total number of petitions (4)).
    Total ``Non-hour Burden'' Cost: $280 (estimated non-hour burden 
cost per petition ($70) x total number of petitions (four)).
    Needs and Uses: Under 49 U.S.C. 1321 and 49 CFR part 1117 (the 
Board's catch-all petition provision), shippers, railroads, and the 
public in general may seek relief (such as waiver of the Board's 
regulations) not otherwise specifically provided for under the Board's 
other regulatory provisions. Under section 1117.1, such petitions 
should contain three items: (a) A short, plain statement of 
jurisdiction, (b) a short, plain statement of petitioner's claim, and 
(c) request for relief. The collection by the Board of these petitions 
that parties choose to file enables the Board to more fully meet its 
statutory duty to regulate the rail industry.
    Under the PRA, a federal agency that conducts or sponsors 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. Under 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), federal 
agencies are required to provide, prior to an agency's submitting a 
collection to OMB for approval, a 60-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.

    Dated: February 19, 2020.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2020-03597 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P