[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 73 (Wednesday, April 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21066-21068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07910]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-7]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. 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) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below. Before submitting these 
ICRs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the ICRs activities by mail to 
either: Ms. Hodan Wells, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory Analysis Division, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590; or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Administration, Office of Information Technology, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their 
respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard 
stating, ``Comments on OMB Control Number 2130-XXXX,'' (the relevant 
OMB control number for each ICR is listed below) and should also 
include the title of the ICR. Alternatively, comments may be faxed to 
202-493-6216 or 202-493-6497, or emailed to Ms. Wells 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICRs 
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

[[Page 21067]]

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 for FRA to minimize the burden of 
information collection activities on the public, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summaries below describe the ICRs that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0545.
    Abstract: Under 49 CFR part 239, FRA requires railroads to meet 
minimum Federal standards for the preparation, adoption, and 
implementation of emergency preparedness plans connected with the 
operation of passenger trains, including freight railroads hosting 
passenger rail service operations. The information collected is 
necessary for compliance with the regulation.
    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 34 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                 Respondent      Total annual     Average time     Total annual     Total cost
         CFR section              universe        responses      per responses     burden hours   equivalent \1\
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239.13--Waivers.............  34 railroads...  1 waiver         10 hours.......  10 hours.......            $760
                                                petition.
239.101/201/203--Emergency    34 railroads...  6 amended plans  16 hours.......  96 hours.......           7,296
 preparedness plan: amended
 plans.
--Non-substantive changes to  34 railroads...  4 amended plans  1 hour.........  4 hours........             304
 emergency preparedness plan.
--Emergency preparedness      34 railroads...  1 new plan.....  80 hours.......  80 hours.......           6,080
 plans for new/start-up
 railroads.
239.101(a)(1)(ii)--RR         34 railroads...  34 designations  5 minutes......  2.8 hours......             213
 designation of employees
 responsible for maintaining
 emergency phone numbers for
 use in contacting outside
 emergency responders and
 appropriate RR officials
 that a passenger emergency
 has occurred.
--Commuter/intercity          34 railroads...  34 lists/        1 hour.........  34 hours.......           2,584
 passenger RRs gathering/                       updated
 keeping emergency phone                        records.
 numbers.
239.101(a)(7)--RR             1 new railroad.  350 cards/1      5 minutes......  29.3 hours.....           2,227
 dissemination of                               safety message.
 information regarding
 emergency procedures/
 instructions.
                              34 railroads...  1,000 cards/100  5 minutes......  91.7 hours.....           6,969
                                                safety
                                                messages.
239.105(d)--Debrief and       34 railroads...  25 debrief/      5 minutes......  2.1 hours......             160
 critique sessions.                             critique
                                                records.
    Total...................  34 railroads...  1,556..........  N/A............  350 hours......          26,592
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 1,556.
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    \1\ The dollar equivalent cost throughout this document is 
derived from the Surface Transportation Board's Full Year Wage A&B 
data series using the appropriate employee group hourly wage rate 
that includes a 75-percent overhead charge.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 350 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $26,592.
    Title: Critical Incident Stress Plans.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0602.
    Abstract: Under 49 CFR part 272, Class I, intercity passenger, and 
commuter railroads are required to develop, and submit to FRA for 
approval, critical incident stress plans that provide for appropriate 
support services to be offered to their employees who are affected by a 
critical incident as defined in 49 CFR 272.9. FRA uses the information 
collected to ensure the minimum standards of part 272 are met.
    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses/Rail Labor Unions.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 41 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                 Respondent      Total annual     Average time     Total annual     Total cost
         CFR section              universe        responses      per responses     burden hours     equivalent
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272.103(a)--Railroad          1 new railroad.  1 plan.........  12 hours.......  12 hours.......            $912
 submission of critical
 incident stress plan (CISP)
 to FRA for approval.
--(b) RR CISP copy to 5       41 railroads...  20 plan copies.  5 minutes......  1.7 hours......             129
 labor organizations.

[[Page 21068]]

 
--(c)(1) Rail labor           5 employee       5 comments.....  2 hours........  10 hours.......             760
 organization comment to FRA   labor
 on CISP submission.           organizations.
--(c)(2) Rail labor           5 employee       5                5 minutes......  .4 hours.......              30
 affirmative statement to      labor            certifications.
 FRA that comment copy has     organizations.
 been served on railroad.
--(e) Railroad submission of  41 railroads...  4 updated/       6 hours........  24 hours.......           1,824
 updated/modified existing                      modified plans.
 CISP to FRA for approval.
--(f) Copy to RR employees    41 railroads...  5,000 copies...  5 minutes......  416.7 hours....          31,669
 of updated/modified CISP\2\.
--(g) Railroads make copies   41 railroads...  25 plan copies.  5 minutes......  2.1 hours......             160
 of CISP available to FRA
 inspector upon request.
272.105--Requirement to file  41 railroads...  4 CISP           8 minutes......  .5 hours.......              38
 CISP electronically.                           electronic
                                                submissions.
Total.......................  41 railroads...  5,064 responses  N/A............  467 hours......          35,522
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 5,064.
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    \2\ FRA understands most railroads provide their CISP 
information to employees via a company portal or other electronic 
means, thus FRA reduced the estimate of actual physical copies to 
5,000 to reflect that understanding.
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    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 467 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $35,522.
    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. 2020-07910 Filed 4-14-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P