[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44357-44358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15838]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-15]


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 Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
September 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR to 
Ms. Hodan Wells, Information Collection Clearance Officer at email: 
[email protected] or telephone: (202) 493-0440. 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

[[Page 44358]]

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 ICR 
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 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 summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Reflectorization of Freight Rolling Stock.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0566.
    Abstract: FRA issued this regulation to mandate the 
reflectorization of freight rolling stock (using retroreflective 
material on freight cars and locomotives) to enhance the visibility of 
trains to reduce the number and severity of accidents at highway-rail 
grade crossings where visibility was a contributing factor.\1\ FRA uses 
the information collected to verify that the person responsible for the 
car reporting mark is notified after the required visual inspection 
when the freight equipment has less than 80 percent of the required 
retroreflective sheeting present, undamaged, or unobscured. Further, 
FRA uses the information collected to verify that the required 
locomotive records of retroreflective sheeting defects found after 
inspection are kept in the locomotive cab or in a railroad accessible 
electronic database FRA can access upon request. Finally, FRA uses the 
information collected to confirm that railroads/car owners meet the 
prescribed standards for the inspection and maintenance of the required 
retroreflective material.
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    \1\ See 70 FR 144, Jan. 3, 2005.
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    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 746 railroads/car owners.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion/monthly.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                  Respondent      Total annual     Average time    Total annual     Total cost
         CFR section               universe        responses      per responses    burden hours   equivalent \2\
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224.7--Waivers...............  746 railroads    10 petitions...  8 hours........              80          $6,160
                                and freight
                                car owners.
224.15(b)--Special approval    2 manufacturers  2 petitions....  40 hours.......              80           6,160
 procedures--Petitions for
 special approval of
 alternative standard.
224.109(a)--Inspection,        AAR/300 car      33,380           5 minutes......           2,782         161,356
 repair, and replacement--      shops.           notifications
 Railroad freight cars--                         of defect and
 Railroads notification to                       restriction.
 person responsible for
 reporting mark after visual
 inspection for presence and
 condition when freight car
 on either side has less than
 80% of its retroreflective
 sheeting not damaged,
 obscured, or missing.
--(b) Locomotive record of     746 railroads    2,609 records    5 minutes......             217          12,586
 freight retroreflective        and freight      of defect and
 sheeting defects found after   car owners.      restriction.
 inspection kept in
 locomotive cab or in
 railroad accessible
 electronic database that FRA
 can access upon request..
    Total....................  746 railroads..  36,001           N/A............           3,159         180,102
                                                 responses.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 36,001.
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    \2\ The dollar equivalent cost 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: 3,159 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$180,102.
    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,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-15838 Filed 7-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P