Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 15781-15785 [2016-06583]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices
slots under all but the most unusual
circumstances. Carriers should plan
schedules in order to meet the
minimum usage requirement.
Consistent with this Notice, the FAA
will treat as used, any slot allocated to
a carrier on January 22 through 26,
2016, for which there was a planned
flight that was subsequently cancelled.
A waiver will not apply to slots without
a corresponding scheduled flight as the
carrier should have already factored
nonuse on those days into their usage
plans. In order to obtain a waiver under
this policy, a carrier must provide a list
of the cancelled flights at each slotcontrolled airport, including the
reported slot identification number,
operating carrier, flight number, date,
scheduled time of operation, scheduled
origin or destination airport, and the
diversion airport, if applicable.
Carriers must submit the detailed slot
and flight information to the FAA Slot
Administration Office by email to
7-awa-slotadmin@faa.gov. Carriers at
LGA, which reported usage in midMarch, will have until April 8, 2016, to
submit additional information to request
a waiver under the terms of this Notice.
At JFK and EWR, usage reports for the
winter 2015–2016 scheduling season are
due by April 25, 2016. Carriers at JFK
and EWR must request a waiver request
under this Notice by the due date of the
reports. The FAA will review the
submission to determine if it meets the
terms of this limited waiver. Based on
the submitted information, the FAA will
respond to individual carriers via email
confirming the slots that will be treated
as used under this policy.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 21,
2016.
Lorelei Peter,
Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2016–06692 Filed 3–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA 2016–0002–N–8]
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Proposed Agency Information
Collection Activities; Comment
Request
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and
its implementing regulations, the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
SUMMARY:
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17:44 Mar 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
hereby announces that it is seeking an
extension of the following currently
approved information collection
activities. On February 19, 2016, FRA
published in the Federal Register its
request for Emergency Clearance for
new Form FRA F 6180.167, Bridge
Inspection Report Public Version
Request Form. See 81 FR 8588. The
information collection activities
associated with Form FRA F 6180.167
received a six-month emergency
approval from OMB on February 25,
2016. FRA seeks a regular clearance
(extension of the current approval for
three years) to continue this effort to
provide a means for a State or a political
subdivision of a State to obtain a public
version of a bridge inspection report
generated by a railroad for a bridge
located within their respective
jurisdiction. Before submitting these
information collection requirements for
clearance by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting
public comment on specific aspects of
the activities identified below.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than May 23, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on any or all of the following proposed
activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert
Brogan, Information Collection
Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad
Safety, Regulatory Safety Analysis
Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC
20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone,
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Office of Information
Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC
20590. Commenters requesting FRA to
acknowledge receipt of their respective
comments must include a self-addressed
stamped postcard stating, ‘‘Comments
on OMB control number 2130–0586.’’
Alternatively, comments may be
transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493–
6216 or (202) 493–6497, or via email to
Mr. Brogan at Robert.Brogan@dot.gov, or
to Ms. Toone at Kim.Toone@dot.gov.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Robert Brogan, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Regulatory
Safety Analysis Division, RRS–21,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 25,
PO 00000
Frm 00105
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15781
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202)
493–6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone,
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Office of Information
Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.
SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC
20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6132).
(These telephone numbers are not tollfree.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13, sec. 2, 109
Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised at
44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part
1320, require Federal agencies to
provide notice to the public for
comment on information collection
activities before seeking approval for
reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1),
1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically,
FRA invites interested respondents to
comment on the following summary of
proposed information collection
activities regarding (i) whether the
information collection activities are
necessary for FRA to properly execute
its functions, including whether the
activities will have practical utility; (ii)
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; (iii) ways for
FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information being
collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to
minimize the burden of information
collection activities on the public by
automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology (e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)(I)–(iv); 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1)(I)–(iv). FRA believes that
soliciting public comment will promote
its efforts to reduce the administrative
and paperwork burdens associated with
the collection of information mandated
by Federal regulations. In summary,
FRA reasons that comments received
will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce
reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it
organizes information collection
requirements in a ‘‘user friendly’’ format
to improve the use of such information;
and (iii) accurately assess the resources
expended to retrieve and produce
information requested. See 44 U.S.C.
3501.
Below is a brief summary of the
currently approved information
collection request that FRA will submit
for clearance by OMB as required under
the PRA:
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices
Title: Bridge Safety Standards.
OMB Control Number: 2130–0586.
Abstract: On December 4, 2015,
President Obama signed into law the
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation
Act (FAST Act) (Pub. L. 114–94).
Section 11405, ‘‘Bridge Inspection
Reports,’’ provides a means for a State
or a political subdivision of a State to
obtain a public version of a bridge
inspection report generated by a railroad
for a bridge located within their
respective jurisdiction. While the FAST
Act specifies that requests for such
reports are to be filed with the Secretary
of Transportation, the responsibility for
fulfilling these requests is delegated to
FRA.
FRA has revised its currently
approved information collection to
account for the additional burden that
will be incurred by States and political
subdivisions of States requesting a
public version of a bridge inspection
report generated by a railroad for a
bridge located within their respective
jurisdiction. FRA developed a new form
titled ‘‘Bridge Inspection Report Public
Version Request Form’’ (see below) to
facilitate such requests by States and
their political subdivisions.
Additionally, FRA has revised its
currently approved information
collection to account for the additional
burden that will be incurred by
railroads to provide the public version
of a bridge inspection report upon
agency request to FRA.
As background, on July 15, 2010, FRA
published its Bridge Safety Standards
Final Rule. See 75 FR 41281. The final
rule on bridge safety standards
normalized and established federal
requirements for railroad bridges. The
final rule established minimum
requirements to assure the structural
integrity of railroad bridges and to
protect the safe operation of trains over
those bridges. The final rule required
railroads/track owners to implement
bridge management programs to prevent
the deterioration of railroad bridges and
to reduce the risk of human casualties,
environmental damage, and disruption
to the Nation’s transportation system
that would result from a catastrophic
bridge failure. Bridge management
programs were required to include
annual inspection of bridges as well as
special inspections, which must be
conducted if natural or accidental
events cause conditions that warrant
such inspections. Lastly, the final rule
required railroads/track owners to audit
bridge management programs and
bridge inspections and to keep records
mandated under 49 CFR part 237. This
final rule culminated FRA’s efforts to
develop and promulgate bridge safety
regulations and fulfilled the Railroad
Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (Pub. L.
110–432, Division A) mandate.
The information collected is used by
FRA to ensure that railroads/track
owners meet Federal standards for
bridge safety and comply with all the
requirements of this regulation. In
particular, the collection of information
is used by FRA to confirm that
railroads/track owners adopt and
implement bridge management
programs to properly inspect, maintain,
modify, and repair all bridges that carry
trains over them for which they are
responsible. Railroads/track owners
must conduct annual inspections of
railroad bridges. Further, railroads/track
owners must incorporate provisions for
internal audit into their bridge
management program and must conduct
internal audits of bridge inspection
reports. The internal audit information
is used by railroads/track owners to
verify that the inspection provisions of
the bridge management program are
being followed and to continually
evaluate the effectiveness of their bridge
management program and bridge
inspection activities. FRA uses this
information to ensure that railroads/
track owners implement a safe and
effective bridge management program
and bridge inspection regime.
Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.167.
Affected Public: States/Political
Subdivisions of States and Businesses.
Respondent Universe: 50 States/State
Political Subdivisions and 693
Railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On
occasion.
Reporting Burden:
CFR Section
Respondent
universe
Total annual
responses
Average time per
response
NEW FAST ACT REQUIREMENTS ...................................................
—Form FRA F 6180.167 .............................................................
50 States/State
Political Subdivision.
693 Railroads ....
75 forms ..............
5 minutes ...........
6
75 reports ............
60 minutes ........
75
693 Railroads ....
15 notifications ....
90 minutes .........
22.5
693 Railroads ....
15 signed statements.
6 petitions ...........
5 plans ................
1,000 designations.
2,000 determinations.
2,000 instructions
30 minutes .........
7.5
4 hours ..............
24 hours ............
30 minutes .........
24
120
400
8 hours ..............
16,000
2 hours ..............
4,000
12.50 hours .......
93,750
40 hours ............
2,000
4 hours ..............
61,800
1 hour ................
30 minutes .........
30 minutes ........
15,450
25
1,000
30 minutes .........
100
16 hours ............
20,000
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
237.71—Determination of Bridge Load Capacities ............................
693 Railroads ....
237.73—Issuance of Instructions to Railroad Personnel by Track
Owner.
237.105—Special Bridge Inspections and Reports/Records .............
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
—Special Underwater Inspections ..............................................
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
—Railroad Submission to FRA of Bridge Inspection Report—
Public Version.
—237.3—Notifications to FRA of Assignment of Bridge Responsibility.
—Signed Statement by Assignee Concerning Bridge Responsibility.
237.9—Waivers—Petitions .................................................................
23731/33—Development/Adoption of Bridge Management Program
237.57—Designation of Qualified Individuals .....................................
693 Railroads ....
237.107 and 237.109—Nationwide Annual Bridge Inspections—Reports.
—Records ....................................................................................
—Report of Deficient Condition on a Bridge ...............................
237.111—Review of Bridge Inspection Reports by RR Bridge Engineers.
—Prescription of Bridge Insp. Procedure Modifications After
Review.
237.131—Design of Bridge Modifications or Bridge Repairs .............
693 Railroads ....
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693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
7,500 insp. and
reports/records.
50 insp. and Reports/rcds..
15,450 insp. & reports.
15,450 records ....
50 reports ............
2,000 insp. rpt. reviews.
200 insp. proc.
modifications.
1,250 designs ......
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Total annual
burden hours
15783
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices
Respondent
universe
Total annual
responses
Average time per
response
—Bridge Modification Repair Reviews/Supervisory Efforts .........
693 Railroads ....
1.50 hours .........
1,875
—Common Standard Designed by Railroad Bridge Engineer ....
237.153—Audits of Inspections ..........................................................
693 Railroads ....
693 Railroads ....
1,250 br. mod. repair reviews.
50 standards .......
725 insp. audits ...
1,200
5,534
237.155—Documents and Records ....................................................
—Establishment of RR Monitoring and Info. Technology Security Systems for Electronic Recordkeeping.
—Employees Trained in System .................................................
693 Railroads ....
5 systems ............
24 hours ............
80 hours/24
hours/6 hours.
80 hours ............
693 Railroads ....
100 employees ....
8 hours ..............
800
CFR Section
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Total Estimated Responses for New
FAST Act Requirements: 150.
Total Estimated Responses for Entire
Information Collection: 49,271.
Total Estimated Total Annual Burden
for New FAST Act Requirements: 81
hours.
Total Estimated Total Annual Burden
Entire Information Collection: 224,689
hours.
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18:48 Mar 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
Type of Request: Extension without
change of a currently approved
information collection under regular
clearance procedures.
Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5
CFR 1320.5(b), 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
PO 00000
Frm 00107
Fmt 4703
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Total annual
burden hours
400
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
Issued in Washington, DC on March 18,
2016.
Amit Bose,
Chief Counsel.
E:\FR\FM\24MRN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
FAST Act Bridge Inspection Report
Requests
The Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation Act (FAST Act) (Pub. L.
114–94) (Dec. 4, 2015), Section 11405,
‘‘Bridge Inspection Reports,’’ provides a
means for a State or a political
subdivision of a State to obtain a public
version of a bridge inspection report
generated by a railroad for a bridge
located within their respective
jurisdiction. While the FAST Act
specifies that requests for such reports
are to be filed with the Secretary of
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Mar 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
Transportation, the responsibility for
fulfilling these requests is delegated to
the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA). See 49 CFR 1.89. The text of
Section 11405 of the FAST Act is
provided in attachment 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who can make a request for a
bridge inspection report under Section
11405 of the FAST Act?
A. Section 11405 of the FAST Act
permits a State or a political subdivision
of a State to file a request for a public
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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version of a bridge inspection report for
a bridge located in that State or political
subdivision’s jurisdiction. Thus, any
duly elected or appointed official of a
State or political subdivision of a State,
acting in his or her official capacity,
may file a request. This includes
officials of a State, city, county, town,
municipality or other political
subdivision of a State.
Q. What information do I need to
provide in my request?
A. Go to FRA’s Web site
(www.fra.dot.gov) and click on the
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15784
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 57 / Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Notices
Bridge Inspection Report link and fill
out the ‘‘Bridge Inspection Report
Public Version Request Form’’ (FRA F
6180.167) in its entirety (a link to the
form is provided at the end of these
questions). Please provide the following
information:
• Your name and title;
• Official address;
• Email address;
• Telephone number;
• Identification of the individual
bridge(s) for which you are requesting a
public version of a bridge inspection
report(s). Bridge identification
information could include a street
name, a nearby intersecting street, a
waterway or a recognizable land feature
where appropriate;
• Name of the railroad that owns and/
or operates over the requested bridge(s)
(if known); and
• An indication that the request is
being made in your official capacity as
a representative of a State or a political
subdivision of a State. The bridge(s) for
which the inspection report(s) is sought
must be within the jurisdiction of the
political subdivision of the State you
represent.
Q. How do I file my request?
A. You can file a request by going to
FRA’s Web site (www.fra.dot.gov) and
clicking on the Bridge Inspection Report
link. There you will find the ‘‘Bridge
Inspection Report Public Version
Request Form’’ (FRA F 6180.167). Please
complete this pdf fillable form by
providing all of the information listed in
the question above and click on the
‘‘submit’’ box when completed. This
will automatically create an email that
will send the completed form directly to
FRA. A link to the form has also been
provided at the end of these questions
below.
If you are unable to submit the form
to FRA directly, please fill out the
‘‘Bridge Inspection Report Public
Version Request Form’’ (FRA F
6180.167) and attach it in an email to
FRABridgeInspectionReportRequest@
dot.gov. Requests will only be accepted
through this email address with the
proper form completely filled out and
attached.
Q. How will FRA handle a request?
A. FRA will evaluate the request and,
if found to be compliant with law, FRA
will promptly request that the railroad
responsible for the bridge provide a
public version of the most recent
inspection report(s) to FRA. Once FRA
has received the report(s), FRA will
review the report(s) to ensure that at
least the minimum information required
by law has been provided. Once
determined to be satisfactory, the
report(s) will be sent to the requester
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17:44 Mar 23, 2016
Jkt 238001
electronically by reply to the request
unless the requester provides an
alternate email address to send the
report to.
Q. What information must a railroad
include in the public version of the
bridge inspection report provided to
FRA?
A. The FAST Act requires the
following information to be included in
a public version of a bridge inspection
report:
1. The date of the last inspection;
2. Length of bridge;
3. Location of bridge;
4. Type of bridge (superstructure);
5. Type of structure (substructure);
6. Features crossed by the bridge;
7. Railroad contact information; and
8. A general statement on the
condition of the bridge.
Q. How much time does a railroad
have to provide the public version of a
bridge inspection report to FRA?
A. FRA interprets the statute to
require a railroad to provide a requested
report containing at least the minimum
specified information within a
reasonable amount of time. FRA
believes that a reasonable time for a
railroad to provide a requested report is
within 30 days of receipt of FRA’s
request.
Q. How long will it take FRA to
produce a public version of a bridge
inspection report to a requester?
A. FRA will handle these requests as
expeditiously as possible and generally
expects to respond to most requests by
providing the requester with a public
version of a bridge inspection report
within 45 days of receipt of the request.
(Link to Form will be located here)
Attachment 1 to Frequently Asked
Questions
FAST Act—Section 11405—Bridge
Inspection Reports
Section 417(d) of the Rail Safety
Improvement Act of 2008 (49 U.S.C.
20103 note) is amended—(1) by striking
‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting the
following: ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The
Secretary’’; and (2) by adding at the end
the following: ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF
BRIDGE CONDITION.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State or
political subdivision of a State may file
a request with the Secretary for a public
version of a bridge inspection report
generated under subsection (b)(5) for a
bridge located in such State or political
subdivision’s jurisdiction.
‘‘(B) PUBLIC VERSION OF
REPORT.—If the Secretary determines
that the request is reasonable, the
Secretary shall require a railroad to
submit a public version of the most
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15785
recent bridge inspection report, such as
a summary form, for a bridge subject to
a request under subparagraph (A). The
public version of a bridge inspection
report shall include the date of last
inspection, length of bridge, location of
bridge, type of bridge, type of structure,
feature crossed by bridge, and railroad
contact information, along with a
general statement on the condition of
the bridge.
‘‘(C) PROVISION OF REPORT.—The
Secretary shall provide to a State or
political subdivision of a State a public
version of a bridge inspection report
submitted under subparagraph (B).
‘‘(D) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—
The Secretary, upon the reasonable
request of State or political subdivision
of a State, shall provide technical
assistance to such State or political
subdivision of a State to facilitate the
understanding of a bridge inspection
report.’’
[FR Doc. 2016–06583 Filed 3–23–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2016–0027 (Notice No.
2016–2)]
Hazardous Materials: Information
Collection Activities
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
PHMSA invites comments on certain
information collections pertaining to
hazardous materials transportation for
which PHMSA intends to request
renewal from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before May 23,
2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by the docket number
(PHMSA–2016–0027) by any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations, U.S.
Department of Transportation, West
Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–
140, Routing Symbol M–30, 1200 New
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 57 (Thursday, March 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15781-15785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06583]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA 2016-0002-N-8]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its
implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
hereby announces that it is seeking an extension of the following
currently approved information collection activities. On February 19,
2016, FRA published in the Federal Register its request for Emergency
Clearance for new Form FRA F 6180.167, Bridge Inspection Report Public
Version Request Form. See 81 FR 8588. The information collection
activities associated with Form FRA F 6180.167 received a six-month
emergency approval from OMB on February 25, 2016. FRA seeks a regular
clearance (extension of the current approval for three years) to
continue this effort to provide a means for a State or a political
subdivision of a State to obtain a public version of a bridge
inspection report generated by a railroad for a bridge located within
their respective jurisdiction. Before submitting these information
collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of
the activities identified below.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than May 23, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory
Safety Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms.
Kimberly Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of
Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters
requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must
include a self-addressed stamped postcard stating, ``Comments on OMB
control number 2130-0586.'' Alternatively, comments may be transmitted
via facsimile to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via email to Mr.
Brogan at Robert.Brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Toone at Kim.Toone@dot.gov.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Robert Brogan, Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Regulatory Safety Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC
20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop
35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These telephone
numbers are not toll-free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13, sec.
2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520),
and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal
agencies to provide notice to the public for comment on information
collection activities before seeking approval for reinstatement or
renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1),
1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites interested
respondents to comment on the following summary of proposed information
collection activities regarding (i) whether the information collection
activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions,
including whether the activities will have practical utility; (ii) 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; (iii) ways for FRA to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and
(iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection
activities on the public by automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology (e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses). See
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)-(iv); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)(I)-(iv). FRA
believes that soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to
reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the
collection of information mandated by Federal regulations. In summary,
FRA reasons that comments received will advance three objectives: (i)
Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it organizes information
collection requirements in a ``user friendly'' format to improve the
use of such information; and (iii) accurately assess the resources
expended to retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C.
3501.
Below is a brief summary of the currently approved information
collection request that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as
required under the PRA:
[[Page 15782]]
Title: Bridge Safety Standards.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0586.
Abstract: On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) (Pub. L. 114-
94). Section 11405, ``Bridge Inspection Reports,'' provides a means for
a State or a political subdivision of a State to obtain a public
version of a bridge inspection report generated by a railroad for a
bridge located within their respective jurisdiction. While the FAST Act
specifies that requests for such reports are to be filed with the
Secretary of Transportation, the responsibility for fulfilling these
requests is delegated to FRA.
FRA has revised its currently approved information collection to
account for the additional burden that will be incurred by States and
political subdivisions of States requesting a public version of a
bridge inspection report generated by a railroad for a bridge located
within their respective jurisdiction. FRA developed a new form titled
``Bridge Inspection Report Public Version Request Form'' (see below) to
facilitate such requests by States and their political subdivisions.
Additionally, FRA has revised its currently approved information
collection to account for the additional burden that will be incurred
by railroads to provide the public version of a bridge inspection
report upon agency request to FRA.
As background, on July 15, 2010, FRA published its Bridge Safety
Standards Final Rule. See 75 FR 41281. The final rule on bridge safety
standards normalized and established federal requirements for railroad
bridges. The final rule established minimum requirements to assure the
structural integrity of railroad bridges and to protect the safe
operation of trains over those bridges. The final rule required
railroads/track owners to implement bridge management programs to
prevent the deterioration of railroad bridges and to reduce the risk of
human casualties, environmental damage, and disruption to the Nation's
transportation system that would result from a catastrophic bridge
failure. Bridge management programs were required to include annual
inspection of bridges as well as special inspections, which must be
conducted if natural or accidental events cause conditions that warrant
such inspections. Lastly, the final rule required railroads/track
owners to audit bridge management programs and bridge inspections and
to keep records mandated under 49 CFR part 237. This final rule
culminated FRA's efforts to develop and promulgate bridge safety
regulations and fulfilled the Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008
(Pub. L. 110-432, Division A) mandate.
The information collected is used by FRA to ensure that railroads/
track owners meet Federal standards for bridge safety and comply with
all the requirements of this regulation. In particular, the collection
of information is used by FRA to confirm that railroads/track owners
adopt and implement bridge management programs to properly inspect,
maintain, modify, and repair all bridges that carry trains over them
for which they are responsible. Railroads/track owners must conduct
annual inspections of railroad bridges. Further, railroads/track owners
must incorporate provisions for internal audit into their bridge
management program and must conduct internal audits of bridge
inspection reports. The internal audit information is used by
railroads/track owners to verify that the inspection provisions of the
bridge management program are being followed and to continually
evaluate the effectiveness of their bridge management program and
bridge inspection activities. FRA uses this information to ensure that
railroads/track owners implement a safe and effective bridge management
program and bridge inspection regime.
Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.167.
Affected Public: States/Political Subdivisions of States and
Businesses.
Respondent Universe: 50 States/State Political Subdivisions and 693
Railroads.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Reporting Burden:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respondent Total annual Average time per Total annual
CFR Section universe responses response burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW FAST ACT REQUIREMENTS........ 50 States/State.... 75 forms........... 5 minutes.......... 6
--Form FRA F 6180.167........ Political
Subdivision.
--Railroad Submission to FRA 693 Railroads...... 75 reports......... 60 minutes......... 75
of Bridge Inspection Report--
Public Version.
--237.3--Notifications to FRA 693 Railroads...... 15 notifications... 90 minutes......... 22.5
of Assignment of Bridge
Responsibility.
--Signed Statement by 693 Railroads...... 15 signed 30 minutes......... 7.5
Assignee Concerning Bridge statements.
Responsibility.
237.9--Waivers--Petitions........ 693 Railroads...... 6 petitions........ 4 hours............ 24
23731/33--Development/Adoption of 693 Railroads...... 5 plans............ 24 hours........... 120
Bridge Management Program.
237.57--Designation of Qualified 693 Railroads...... 1,000 designations. 30 minutes......... 400
Individuals.
237.71--Determination of Bridge 693 Railroads...... 2,000 8 hours............ 16,000
Load Capacities. determinations.
237.73--Issuance of Instructions 693 Railroads...... 2,000 instructions. 2 hours............ 4,000
to Railroad Personnel by Track
Owner.
237.105--Special Bridge 693 Railroads...... 7,500 insp. and 12.50 hours........ 93,750
Inspections and Reports/Records. reports/records.
--Special Underwater 693 Railroads...... 50 insp. and 40 hours........... 2,000
Inspections. Reports/rcds..
237.107 and 237.109--Nationwide 693 Railroads...... 15,450 insp. & 4 hours............ 61,800
Annual Bridge Inspections-- reports.
Reports.
--Records.................... 693 Railroads...... 15,450 records..... 1 hour............. 15,450
--Report of Deficient 693 Railroads...... 50 reports......... 30 minutes......... 25
Condition on a Bridge.
237.111--Review of Bridge 693 Railroads...... 2,000 insp. rpt. 30 minutes......... 1,000
Inspection Reports by RR Bridge reviews.
Engineers.
--Prescription of Bridge 693 Railroads...... 200 insp. proc. 30 minutes......... 100
Insp. Procedure modifications.
Modifications After Review.
237.131--Design of Bridge 693 Railroads...... 1,250 designs...... 16 hours........... 20,000
Modifications or Bridge Repairs.
[[Page 15783]]
--Bridge Modification Repair 693 Railroads...... 1,250 br. mod. 1.50 hours......... 1,875
Reviews/Supervisory Efforts. repair reviews.
--Common Standard Designed by 693 Railroads...... 50 standards....... 24 hours........... 1,200
Railroad Bridge Engineer.
237.153--Audits of Inspections... 693 Railroads...... 725 insp. audits... 80 hours/24 hours/6 5,534
hours.
237.155--Documents and Records... 693 Railroads...... 5 systems.......... 80 hours........... 400
--Establishment of RR
Monitoring and Info.
Technology Security Systems
for Electronic Recordkeeping.
--Employees Trained in System 693 Railroads...... 100 employees...... 8 hours............ 800
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimated Responses for New FAST Act Requirements: 150.
Total Estimated Responses for Entire Information Collection:
49,271.
Total Estimated Total Annual Burden for New FAST Act Requirements:
81 hours.
Total Estimated Total Annual Burden Entire Information Collection:
224,689 hours.
Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved
information collection under regular clearance procedures.
Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b),
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.
Issued in Washington, DC on March 18, 2016.
Amit Bose,
Chief Counsel.
[[Page 15784]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24MR16.001
FAST Act Bridge Inspection Report Requests
The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) (Pub. L.
114-94) (Dec. 4, 2015), Section 11405, ``Bridge Inspection Reports,''
provides a means for a State or a political subdivision of a State to
obtain a public version of a bridge inspection report generated by a
railroad for a bridge located within their respective jurisdiction.
While the FAST Act specifies that requests for such reports are to be
filed with the Secretary of Transportation, the responsibility for
fulfilling these requests is delegated to the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA). See 49 CFR 1.89. The text of Section 11405 of the
FAST Act is provided in attachment 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who can make a request for a bridge inspection report under
Section 11405 of the FAST Act?
A. Section 11405 of the FAST Act permits a State or a political
subdivision of a State to file a request for a public version of a
bridge inspection report for a bridge located in that State or
political subdivision's jurisdiction. Thus, any duly elected or
appointed official of a State or political subdivision of a State,
acting in his or her official capacity, may file a request. This
includes officials of a State, city, county, town, municipality or
other political subdivision of a State.
Q. What information do I need to provide in my request?
A. Go to FRA's Web site (www.fra.dot.gov) and click on the
[[Page 15785]]
Bridge Inspection Report link and fill out the ``Bridge Inspection
Report Public Version Request Form'' (FRA F 6180.167) in its entirety
(a link to the form is provided at the end of these questions). Please
provide the following information:
Your name and title;
Official address;
Email address;
Telephone number;
Identification of the individual bridge(s) for which you
are requesting a public version of a bridge inspection report(s).
Bridge identification information could include a street name, a nearby
intersecting street, a waterway or a recognizable land feature where
appropriate;
Name of the railroad that owns and/or operates over the
requested bridge(s) (if known); and
An indication that the request is being made in your
official capacity as a representative of a State or a political
subdivision of a State. The bridge(s) for which the inspection
report(s) is sought must be within the jurisdiction of the political
subdivision of the State you represent.
Q. How do I file my request?
A. You can file a request by going to FRA's Web site
(www.fra.dot.gov) and clicking on the Bridge Inspection Report link.
There you will find the ``Bridge Inspection Report Public Version
Request Form'' (FRA F 6180.167). Please complete this pdf fillable form
by providing all of the information listed in the question above and
click on the ``submit'' box when completed. This will automatically
create an email that will send the completed form directly to FRA. A
link to the form has also been provided at the end of these questions
below.
If you are unable to submit the form to FRA directly, please fill
out the ``Bridge Inspection Report Public Version Request Form'' (FRA F
6180.167) and attach it in an email to
FRABridgeInspectionReportRequest@dot.gov. Requests will only be
accepted through this email address with the proper form completely
filled out and attached.
Q. How will FRA handle a request?
A. FRA will evaluate the request and, if found to be compliant with
law, FRA will promptly request that the railroad responsible for the
bridge provide a public version of the most recent inspection report(s)
to FRA. Once FRA has received the report(s), FRA will review the
report(s) to ensure that at least the minimum information required by
law has been provided. Once determined to be satisfactory, the
report(s) will be sent to the requester electronically by reply to the
request unless the requester provides an alternate email address to
send the report to.
Q. What information must a railroad include in the public version
of the bridge inspection report provided to FRA?
A. The FAST Act requires the following information to be included
in a public version of a bridge inspection report:
1. The date of the last inspection;
2. Length of bridge;
3. Location of bridge;
4. Type of bridge (superstructure);
5. Type of structure (substructure);
6. Features crossed by the bridge;
7. Railroad contact information; and
8. A general statement on the condition of the bridge.
Q. How much time does a railroad have to provide the public version
of a bridge inspection report to FRA?
A. FRA interprets the statute to require a railroad to provide a
requested report containing at least the minimum specified information
within a reasonable amount of time. FRA believes that a reasonable time
for a railroad to provide a requested report is within 30 days of
receipt of FRA's request.
Q. How long will it take FRA to produce a public version of a
bridge inspection report to a requester?
A. FRA will handle these requests as expeditiously as possible and
generally expects to respond to most requests by providing the
requester with a public version of a bridge inspection report within 45
days of receipt of the request.
(Link to Form will be located here)
Attachment 1 to Frequently Asked Questions
FAST Act--Section 11405--Bridge Inspection Reports
Section 417(d) of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (49
U.S.C. 20103 note) is amended--(1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and
inserting the following: ``(1) IN GENERAL.--The Secretary''; and (2) by
adding at the end the following: ``(2) AVAILABILITY OF BRIDGE
CONDITION.--
``(A) IN GENERAL.--A State or political subdivision of a State may
file a request with the Secretary for a public version of a bridge
inspection report generated under subsection (b)(5) for a bridge
located in such State or political subdivision's jurisdiction.
``(B) PUBLIC VERSION OF REPORT.--If the Secretary determines that
the request is reasonable, the Secretary shall require a railroad to
submit a public version of the most recent bridge inspection report,
such as a summary form, for a bridge subject to a request under
subparagraph (A). The public version of a bridge inspection report
shall include the date of last inspection, length of bridge, location
of bridge, type of bridge, type of structure, feature crossed by
bridge, and railroad contact information, along with a general
statement on the condition of the bridge.
``(C) PROVISION OF REPORT.--The Secretary shall provide to a State
or political subdivision of a State a public version of a bridge
inspection report submitted under subparagraph (B).
``(D) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.--The Secretary, upon the reasonable
request of State or political subdivision of a State, shall provide
technical assistance to such State or political subdivision of a State
to facilitate the understanding of a bridge inspection report.''
[FR Doc. 2016-06583 Filed 3-23-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
