[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 201 (Friday, October 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65899-65900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22738]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-24]


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 
December 15, 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: Safety and Health Requirements Related to Camp Cars.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0595.
    Abstract: Subparts C and E of 49 CFR part 228 address the 
construction of railroad-provided sleeping quarters (camp cars) and set 
certain safety and health requirements for such camp cars. 
Specifically, subpart E of part 228 prescribes minimum safety and 
health requirements for camp cars that a railroad provides as sleeping 
quarters to any of its train employees, signal employees, and 
dispatching service employees (covered-service employees) and 
individuals employed to maintain its right-of-way. Subpart E requires 
railroad-provided camp cars to be clean, safe, and sanitary, and be 
equipped with indoor toilets, potable water, and other features to 
protect the health of car occupants. Subpart C of part 228 prohibits a 
railroad from positioning a camp car intended for occupancy by 
individuals employed to maintain the railroad's right-of-way in the 
immediate vicinity of a switching or humping yard that handles railcars 
containing hazardous material. Generally, the requirements of subparts 
C and E to part 228 are intended to provide covered-

[[Page 65900]]

service employees an opportunity for rest free from the interruptions 
caused by noise under the control of the railroad.
    The information collected under this rule is used by FRA to ensure 
railroads operating camp cars comply with all the requirements mandated 
in this regulation to protect the health and safety of camp car 
occupants.
    Type of Request: Extension with change (estimates) of a currently 
approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 1 railroad.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
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                                                                    Total annual  responses                                Total annual     Total cost
            CFR Section \1\                Respondent universe                \2\             Average time per responses   burden hours   equivalent \3\
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228.323(b)(4)--Water hydrants--Records  1 railroad...............  740 inspection records..  2 minutes..................              25          $1,475
 of inspection.
    --Copy of records at central        1 railroad...............  740 record copies.......  10 seconds.................               2             118
     location.
    --(b)(6) Certification from State   1 railroad...............  666 certificates........  1 hour.....................             666          51,282
     or local health authority.
    --Certification by laboratory.....  1 railroad...............  74 certificates.........  20 minutes.................              25           1,925
    --Certification copies at central   1 railroad...............  740 certificate copies..  10 seconds.................               2             118
     location.
    --(c)(4) Storage and distribution   1 railroad...............  111 records.............  30 minutes.................              56           3,304
     system--Flushing and draining--
     Records.
    --(c)(6) Lab report copies........  1 railroad...............  10 lab report copies....  2 minutes..................             .33              20
    --(d) Signage (for non-potable      1 railroad...............  740 signs...............  2.5 minutes................              31           1,817
     water).
228.331(d)--First Aid and Life Safety-- 1 railroad...............  740 modified plans......  15 minutes.................             185          14,245
 Modified Emergency Preparedness Plan.
    --Modified Emergency Preparedness   1 railroad...............  1,560 plan copies.......  3 seconds..................          1 hour              77
     Plan copies.
228.333--Remedial action--A good faith  4 car occupants/employee   4 good faith notices....  15 minutes.................          1 hour              59
 notice of needed repair.                labor organizations.
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  1 railroad...............  6,125 responses.........  N/A........................             994          74,440
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\1\ Note: The current inventory exhibits a total burden of 1,043 hours while the total burden of this requesting notice is 994 hours. FRA determined
  some of the estimates were not derived from 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\ There is currently only one Class I railroad that presently uses camp cars, operating approximately 292 camp cars. The total annual response
  estimates for 228.323(b)(4), 228.323(d) and 228.331(d) are derived from an estimated 292 camp cars, operating as in large, medium, and small groups.
  Most groups are medium-sized in which approximately 37 camp cars are set up and broken down for 10 months each year. Each camp car group moves
  approximately 20 times each year (37 x 20 = 740 connections, records, etc.).
\3\ 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.

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6,125.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 994 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $74,440.
    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 a respondent is not required to 
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information that does 
not display a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-22738 Filed 10-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P