[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2023)] [Notices] [Pages 17917-17919] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2023-06082] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-5] Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 May 23, 2023. ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA- 2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number (2130-0599) 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or telephone: (571) 609-1285, or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or telephone: (757) 897-9908. 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: System Safety Program Plan. OMB Control Number: 2130-0599. Abstract: In 2020, FRA issued a final rule \1\ that requires passenger rail operations to develop and implement a system safety program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. Each passenger rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP to its specific railroad operations. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 85 FR 12826 (Mar. 4, 2020). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRA uses the information collected to help ensure that commuter and intercity passenger rail operations establish and implement SSPs to improve the safety of their operations and to confirm compliance with the rule. Each railroad operation should use its SSP to proactively identify and mitigate or eliminate hazards and the resulting risk on its system at an early stage to reduce the number of railroad accidents, incidents, and associated injuries, fatalities, and property damage. A passenger rail operation has the flexibility to tailor an SSP to its specific operations. An SSP will be implemented when FRA approves a passenger rail operation's submitted SSP plan. Under the SSP regulation, FRA will audit a passenger rail operation's compliance with its SSP plan and will use the information collected to ensure compliance with this regulation. In this 60-day notice, FRA has made multiple adjustments to its estimated paperwork burden, resulting in a reduction of 388 hours, from 2,279 hours in the current inventory to 1,891 hours in the requested inventory. The primary reason for the reduction in the estimated paperwork burden is the expected decrease in the number of responses. Specifically, all passenger rail operations currently subject to the regulation have already submitted their SSP plans, leading to a decrease in the overall PRA burden. This reduction in submissions, reduced by 427 hours, has significantly contributed to the overall decrease in the estimated paperwork burden hours in the requested inventory. FRA has uploaded a table on regulations.gov under Docket No. FRA-2023-0002, which displays all the burden adjustments. Type of Request: Extension without change (with changes in estimates) of a currently approved collection. Affected Public: Businesses. Form(s): N/A. Respondent Universe: 33 passenger rail operations + 1 new passenger rail operation. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. [[Page 17918]] Reporting Burden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total annual Average time per Total annual burden Total cost equivalent CFR section Respondent universe responses response hours in U.S. dollar ..................... (A).................. (B).................. (C = A * B).......... (D = C * wage rates) \2\ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 270.101--System safety program; The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec. 270.103. general. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 270.103--System safety program plan 1 new passenger rail 1.00 plan............ 40 hours............. 40.00 hours.......... $4,389.60 (SSP plan)--Comprehensive written operation. SSP plan that meets all of this section's requirements and approved by FRA under the process specified in Sec. 270.201. --(e)(6)(iii) Copies of 1 new passenger rail 1.00 copy............ 2 minutes............ .03 hour............. 2.34 passenger rail operation (PRO) operation. designations to non-profit employee labor organizations. --(e)(6) Designation 1 new passenger rail 1.00 notice.......... 5 minutes............ .08 hour............. 6.23 notifications to employees not operation. represented by non-profit employee labor organizations. --(i)(6) Records of system 33 passenger rail 510.00 records....... 15 seconds........... 2.13 hours........... 165.95 safety training for employees/ operations + 1 new contractors/others. passenger rail operation. --(q)(1) Risk-based hazard 33 passenger rail 34.00 analyses 20 hours............. 680.00 hours......... 52,978.80 analysis--Performance of risk- operations + 1 new results. based hazard analyses and passenger rail furnishing of results of risk- operation. based hazard analyses upon request of FRA/participating part 212 States. --(q)(2) Identification and 33 passenger rail 34.00 mitigation 10 hours............. 340.00 hours......... 26,489.40 implementation of risk operations + 1 new methods descriptions. mitigation methods and passenger rail furnishing of descriptions of operation. specific risk mitigation methods that address hazards upon request of FRA/ participating part 212 States. --(q)(3) Ad hoc risk-based 33 passenger rail 3.00 analyses........ 10 hours............. 30.00 hours.......... 2,337.30 hazard analysis pursuant to operations + 1 new paragraphs (q)(1) and (q)(2) passenger rail of this section when there are operation. significant operational changes, system extensions, system modifications, or other circumstances that have direct impact on railroad safety. --(r)(1) Performance of 33 passenger rail 34.00 results of 10 hours............. 340.00 hours......... 26,489.40 technology analysis and operations + 1 new technology analysis. furnishing of results of passenger rail system's technology analysis operation. upon request of FRA/ participating part 212 States. 270.107(a)--Consultation 33 passenger rail 6.00 consults (w/ 1 hour............... 6.00 hours........... 467.46 requirements--Consultation with operations + 1 new labor union reps.). directly affected employees on SSP passenger rail plan. operation. --(a)(3)(ii) Notification to 33 passenger rail 6.00 notices......... 30 minutes........... 3.00 hours........... 233.73 directly affected employees of operations + 1 new preliminary meeting at least passenger rail 60 days before being held. operation. --(b) Consultation statements 33 passenger rail 6.00 statements...... 1 hour............... 6.00 hours........... 467.46 that include service list with operations + 1 new name & contact information for passenger rail labor organization operation. chairpersons & non-union employees who participated in process. --(b)(3) Copies of consultation 33 passenger rail 6.00 copies.......... 1 minute............. .10 hour............. 7.79 statements to service list operations + 1 new individuals. passenger rail operation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --(c) Statements from directly FRA anticipates zero submissions during this 3-year ICR period. affected employees. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --(d) Consultation requirements The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under Sec. 270.103. for SSP plan amendments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 270.201(b)--Filing and approval SSP 33 passenger rail 5.00 amended plans... 30 hours............. 150.00 hours......... 11,686.50 plan--Amended or corrected SSP operations + 1 new plan. passenger rail operation. --(c) Review of amended SSP 33 passenger rail 1.00 further amended 20 hours............. 20.00 hours.......... 1,558.20 Plan found deficient and operations + 1 new plan. requiring further amendment. passenger rail operation. --(d) Reopened review of 33 passenger rail 1.00 amended plan.... 30 hours............. 30.00 hours.......... 2,337.30 initial SSP plan approval for operations + 1 new cause stated. passenger rail operation. 270.203--Retention of SSP plan-- 33 passenger rail 34.00 copies......... 10 minutes........... 5.67 hours........... 441.75 Retained copies of SSP plans. operations + 1 new passenger rail operation. 270.303--Annual internal SSP 33 passenger rail 34.00 evaluations/ 2 hours.............. 68.00 hours.......... 5,297.88 assessments. operations + 1 new reports. passenger rail operation. --(c) Certification of results 33 passenger rail 34.00 certification 2 hours.............. 68.00 hours.......... 7,462.32 of internal assessment by operations + 1 new statements. chief safety official. passenger rail operation. 270.305(b)(1)--External safety 33 passenger rail 6.00 plans........... 12 hours............. 72.00 hours.......... 7,901.28 audit--Submission of improvement operations + 1 new plans in response to results of passenger rail FRA audit. operation. [[Page 17919]] --(b)(2) Improvement plans 33 passenger rail 2.00 amended plans... 10 hours............. 20.00 hours.......... 1,558.20 found deficient by FRA and operations + 1 new requiring amendment. passenger rail operation. --(b)(3) Status report to FRA 33 passenger rail 2.00 reports......... 4 hours.............. 8.00 hours........... 623.28 of implementation of operations + 1 new improvements set forth in the passenger rail improvement plan. operation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subpart E--Fatigue Risk Management The estimated paperwork burden for this regulatory requirement is covered under OMB Control Number 2130-0633. Programs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix B--Additional documents 33 passenger rail 4.00 documents....... 15 minutes........... 1.00 hour............ 77.91 provided to FRA upon request. operations + 1 new passenger rail operation. Appendix C--Written requests to 33 passenger rail 2.00 written requests 15 minutes........... .50 hour............. 38.96 file required submissions operations + 1 new electronically. passenger rail operation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals \3\..................... 33 passenger rail 767 responses........ N/A.................. 1,891 hours.......... 153,019 operations + 1 new passenger rail operation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Estimated Annual Responses: 767. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2021 Surface Transportation Board Full Year Wage A&B data series using the appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes a 75- percent overhead charge. \3\ Totals may not add due to rounding. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,891 hours. Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $153,019. 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 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. 2023-06082 Filed 3-23-23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P