[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13140-13141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03479]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2024-0003]


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) summarized 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 
April 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2024-0003. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0595) in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in a subsequent 30-day 
notice and include them in its information collection submission to 
OMB.

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, 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.
    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

[[Page 13141]]

that handles railcars containing hazardous materials. Generally, the 
requirements of subparts C and E of part 228 are intended to provide 
covered-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. FRA estimates that there is one railroad that may choose to 
use camp cars in the three-year period covered by this ICR. That 
estimate is unchanged from the last ICR submitted to OMB in 2021. Since 
March 2020, no railroads have used camp cars. However, camp cars were 
used by one railroad before the COVID-19 pandemic led to 
discontinuation of their use and it is possible the same railroad or 
another railroad may decide to again use camp cars in the next three 
years. Therefore, in this 60-day notice, FRA makes no adjustments to 
the previously approved burden hours in the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) inventory.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Changes to the total cost equivalent in U.S. dollars, a 
category not included in the OIRA inventory, are due to updated 
statistics from the 2022 Surface Transportation Board (STB) Full 
Year Wage A&B data Series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 1 railroad.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.

                                                                    Reporting Burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                            Total cost
             CFR section                Respondent universe     Total annual responses     Average time per      Total annual     Wage    equivalent in
                                                                                               response          burden hours     rate     U.S. dollars
                                                               (A)....................  (B)...................     (C = A * B)             (D = C * wage
                                                                                                                                              rates) \2\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
228.323(b)(4)--Water hydrants--       1 railroad.............  740 inspection records.  2 minutes.............           24.67    63.07        $1,555.94
 Records of inspection.
    --Copy of records at central      1 railroad.............  740 record copies......  10 seconds............            2.06    63.07           129.92
     location.
    --(b)(6) Certification from       1 railroad.............  666 certificates.......  1 hour................          666.00    85.93        57,229.38
     State or local health authority.
    --Certification by laboratory...  1 railroad.............  74 certificates........  20 minutes............           24.67    85.93         2,119.89
    --Certification copies at         1 railroad.............  740 certificate copies.  10 seconds............            2.06    63.07           129.92
     central location.
    --(c)(4) Storage and              1 railroad.............  111 records............  30 minutes............           56.00    63.07         3,531.92
     distribution system--Flushing
     and draining--Records.
    --(c)(6) Lab report copies......  1 railroad.............  10 lab report copies...  2 minutes.............            0.33    63.07            20.81
    --(d) Signage (for non-potable    1 railroad.............  740 signs..............  3 minutes.............           30.83    63.07         1,944.45
     water).
228.331(d)--First aid and life        1 railroad.............  740 modified plans.....  15 minutes............          185.00    85.93        15,897.05
 safety--Modified emergency
 preparedness plan.
    --Modified emergency              1 railroad.............  1,560 plan copies......  3 seconds.............            1.30    85.93           111.71
     preparedness plan--copies.
228.333--Remedial action--A good      1 car occupant/employee  4 good faith notices...  15 minutes............            1.00    63.07            63.07
 faith notice of needed repair.        labor organization.
                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total \3\...................  1 railroad.............  6,125 responses........  N/A...................             994      N/A           82,734
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6,125.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2022 STB Full 
Year Wage A&B data series using employee group 200: (Professional & 
Administrative) hourly wage rate of $49.10 and employee group 600 
(Transportation (Train & Engine)) hourly wage rate of $36.04. The 
total burden wage rate (straight time plus 75%) used for group 200 
is $85.93 ($49.10 x 1.75 = $85.93). The total burden wage rate used 
for group 600 is $63.07 ($36.04 x 1.75 = $63.07).
    \3\ Totals may not add up due to rounding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 994.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: $82,734.
    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.

Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2024-03479 Filed 2-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P