[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 164 (Monday, August 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52190-52191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18482]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-19]


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 
October 23, 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 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: Track Safety Standards; Concrete Crossties.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0592.
    Abstract: In 2011, FRA mandated specific requirements for effective 
concrete crossties, for rail fastening systems connected to concrete 
crossties, and for automated inspections of track constructed with 
concrete crossties. FRA uses the information collected under 49 CFR 
213.234 to ensure automated track inspections of track constructed with 
concrete crossties are carried out as specified in the rule to 
supplement visual inspections by Class I and Class II railroads, 
intercity passenger railroads, and commuter railroads.

[[Page 52191]]

    Type of Request: Extension with change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 30 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:
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    \1\ Note: The current inventory estimates a total burden of 
4,875 hours while the requesting inventory estimates a total burden 
of 279 hours. FRA determined some of the estimates were double 
counted and/or outdated, while other estimates were not PRA 
requirements, thus leading to the increased figures in the current 
inventory, which were decreased accordingly in this notice. Also, 
totals may not add due to rounding.
    \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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                                                                                           Average time  per       Total annual  burden     Total cost
          CFR Section \1\             Respondent  universe     Total annual  responses         responses                  hours           equivalent \2\
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213.234(e)--Automated inspection    30 railroads............  125 reports.............  15 minutes.............  31 hours...............          $1,813
 of track constructed with
 concrete crossties--Exception
 reports listing all exception to
 Sec.   213.109(d)(4).
--(g) Procedure for integrity of    30 railroads............  30 revised procedures...  2 hours................  60 hours...............           7,200
 data--Track owners to institute
 procedures for maintaining the
 integrity of the data collected
 by the measurement system.
--(h)(3) Training--Track owners to  30 railroads............  2,250 records of trained  5 minutes..............  188 hours..............          10,875
 provide annual training in                                    employees.
 handling rail seat deterioration
 exceptions to all persons
 designated as fully qualified
 under Sec.   213.7 and whose
 territories are subject to the
 requirements of Sec.   213.234--
 Recordkeeping.
    Total.........................  30 railroads............  2,405 Responses.........  N/A....................  279 Hours..............          19,888
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 2,405.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 279 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $19,888.
    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. 2020-18482 Filed 8-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P