[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11441-11442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03992]


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

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


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

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 an 
extension of the collection of Rail Depreciation Studies, described 
below. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in 
the Federal Register on December 12, 2019 (84 FR 67,990). 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 
March 30, 2020.

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: Michael J. McManus, Surface Transportation Board Desk 
Officer: By email at [email protected]; by fax at (202) 395-
1743; or by mail to Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 
20503. Please also direct comments to Chris Oehrle, PRA Officer, 
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001, or to [email protected]. For further information regarding this 
collection, contact Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245-0333 or 
[email protected]. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available 
through the Federal Relay Service at (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.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Respondents: Class I railroads.
    Number of Respondents: 7.
    Estimated Time per Response: Approximately 250 hours per study 
(estimating that studies will require between 125 hours and 375 hours 
depending on the extent to which the carriers assist outside 
consultants perform the study).
    Frequency of Response: Bi-annual. (Under 49 CFR part 1201, section 
4-1 to 4-4, the Board requires all Class I (large) carriers to submit 
depreciation studies no less than every three years for equipment 
property and every six years for road property. That means that for any 
given six-year period, the Class I railroads must submit no less than 
three depreciation reports, or the equivalent of 0.5 depreciation 
reports per year.)
    Total Annual Hour Burden: 875 hours (250 hours x 0.5 studies/year x 
7 Class I railroads).
    Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: Approximately $175,000 per 
year. Board staff estimates that each study will cost between $20,000 
and $80,000, which equals a cost of approximately $10,000-$40,000 per 
year. Using an average cost ($25,000 per year x 7 Class I railroads), 
the non-hour burden cost is estimated to be approximately $175,000 per 
year.
    Needs and Uses: Under 49 CFR part 1201, section 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. Under 49 U.S.C. 11145, Class I 
rail carriers are required to submit 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 I 
railroads apply the prescribed depreciation rates to their investment 
base to determine a monthly

[[Page 11442]]

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 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. 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.
    Information from certain schedules contained in these reports is 
available at the Board's website at www.stb.gov by navigating to 
``Reports & Data'' and clicking on ``Economic Data.'' Information in 
these reports is not available from any other source.

    Dated: February 24, 2020.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2020-03992 Filed 2-26-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P