Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 36750-36751 [E7-13016]

Download as PDF 36750 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 128 / Thursday, July 5, 2007 / Notices sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES proposed exemption is that these operations will be required to ensure that they employ safe drivers and that safe equipment is used on the roads. NAAA states that section 383.3(f)(3) requires restricted-CDL holders to have a ‘‘good driving record.’’ These operators are required to perform random drug tests on employees and to ensure that drivers have hazardous materials endorsements, which require a background check by the Transportation Security Administration. Furthermore, under 49 CFR part 180 Subpart E, ‘‘Qualification and Maintenance of Cargo Tanks,’’ regulations are in place to ensure the structural integrity of the cargo tanks used to transport fuel in the event that the tanks are involved in a crash. A recent NAAA survey found that 95.3% of aerial application businesses surveyed had never been involved in any type of accident while transporting fuel or chemicals. The results also show that 92.9% of those surveyed travel on roads in rural areas with minimal traffic and that a vehicle transporting fuel or chemicals travels an average of 57.81 miles per day. NAAA notes that several operators also mentioned that they do not travel this many miles every day. In many cases, driving is done only once or twice a week to a satellite facility. To ensure that the current safety level is preserved, NAAA states that it is in a strong position to provide meaningful continuing education on highway safety to a large portion of the small business owners of agricultural aviation operations throughout the country through its education program known as the Professional Aerial Application Support System (PAASS). The focus of the PAASS program is to educate individuals in the aerial application industry on the latest techniques and technologies to mitigate agricultural aviation flying accidents and off-target application incidents, in addition to enhancing the security of aerial application operations. According to NAAA, in addition to educating its industry on security and pilot safety, PAASS can also be used to further educate its members on highway transportation safety issues. A copy of the NAAA exemption application is available for review in the docket for this notice. Request for Comments In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(4) and 31136(e), FMCSA requests public comment on NAAA’s application for exemption from the 49 CFR part 383 CDL requirements. The Agency will consider all comments received by close of business on August VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:43 Jul 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 6, 2007. Comments will be available for examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The Agency will file comments received after the comment closing date in the public docket, and will consider them to the extent practicable. In addition to late comments, FMCSA will also continue to file, in the public docket, relevant information that becomes available after the comment closing date. Interested persons should monitor the public docket for new material. Issued on: June 26, 2007. Larry W. Minor, Acting Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development. [FR Doc. E7–13021 Filed 7–3–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Federal Railroad Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 approval of the following information collection activities. 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. It should be noted that this notice supersedes and corrects the Federal Register Notice that was published on June 11, 2007 (see 72 FR 32159), which inadvertently listed an erroneous title for the proposed study. DATES: Comments must be received no later than September 4, 2007. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems, RAD–43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 postcard stating, ‘‘Comments on OMB control number 2130–New.’’ Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493– 6230 or (202) 493–6170, or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at robert.brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Christodoulou at gina.christodoulou@dot.gov. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number or collection title 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, Office of Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6292) or Ms. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems, RAD–43, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6139). (These telephone numbers are not tollfree.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Pub. L. No. 104–13, 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 60-days notice to the public for comment on information collection activities before seeking approval 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 E:\FR\FM\05JYN1.SGM 05JYN1 sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 128 / Thursday, July 5, 2007 / Notices 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 proposed new information collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA: Title: Confidential Close Call Reporting System Evaluation-Related Interview Data Collection. OMB Control Number: 2130–New. Abstract: In the U.S. railroad industry, injury rates have been declining over the last 25 years. Indeed, the industry incident rate fell from a high of 12.1 incidents per 100 workers per year in 1978 to 3.66 in 1996. As the number of incidents has decreased, the mix of causes has also changed toward a higher proportion of incidents that can be attributed to human and organizational factors. This combination of trends— decrease in overall rates but increasing proportion of human factors-related incidents—has left safety managers with a need to shift tactics in reducing injuries to even lower rates than they are now. In recognition of the need for new approaches to improving safety, FRA has instituted the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS). The operating assumption behind C3RS is that by assuring confidentiality, employees will report events which, if dealt with, will decrease the likelihood of accidents. C3RS, therefore, has both a confidential reporting component, and a problem analysis/solution component. C3RS is expected to affect safety in two ways. First, it will lead to problem solving concerning specific safety conditions. Second, it will engender an organizational culture and climate that supports greater awareness of safety and a greater cooperative willingness to improve safety. If C3RS works as intended, it could have an important impact on improving safety and safety culture in the railroad industry. While C3RS has been developed and implemented with the participation of FRA, railroad labor, and railroad management, there are legitimate questions about whether it is being implemented in the most beneficial way, and whether it will have its intended effect. Further, even if C3RS VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:43 Jul 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 is successful, it will be necessary to know if it is successful enough to implement on a wide scale. To address these important questions, FRA is implementing a formative evaluation to guide program development, a summative evaluation to assess impact, and a sustainability evaluation to determine how C3RS can continue after the test period is over. The evaluation is needed to provide FRA with guidance as to how it can improve the program, and how it might be scaled up throughout the railroad industry. Program evaluation is an inherently data driven activity. Its basic tenet is that as change is implemented, data can be collected to track the course and consequences of the change. Because of the setting in which C3RS is being implemented, that data must come from the railroad employees (labor and management) who may be affected. Critical data include beliefs about safety and issues related to safety, and opinions/observations about the operation of C3RS. The proposed study is a five-year demonstration project to improve rail safety, and is designed to identify safety issues and propose corrective action based on voluntary reports of close calls submitted to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation. Because of the innovative nature of this program, FRA is implementing an evaluation, which will be carried out by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), U.S. Department of Transportation, to determine whether the program is succeeding, how it can be improved and, if successful, what is needed to spread the program throughout the railroad industry. Confidential interviews to evaluate the close call reporting system will be conducted with two groups: (1) Key stakeholders to the process (e.g., FRA officials, industry labor, and carrier management within participating railroads); and (2) Employees in participating railroads who are eligible to submit close call reports to the Confidential Close Call Reporting System. Different questions will be addressed to each of these two groups. Confidential interviews will be semistructured, with follow-up questions asked as appropriate depending on the respondent’s initial answer. Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.126A; FRA F 6180.126B. Affected Public: Railroad Employees and Key Non-railroad Stakeholders. Respondent Universe: 300 Select Railroad Employees/Non-railroad Stakeholders. PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 36751 Frequency of Submission: On Occasion. Estimated Annual Burden: 267 Hours. Status: Regular Review. 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 June 28, 2007. Belinda Ashton, Acting Director, Office of Budget, Federal Railroad Administration. [FR Doc. E7–13016 Filed 7–3–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Petition for Waiver of Compliance In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance from certain requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the petitioner’s arguments in favor of relief. Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad [Docket Number FRA–2007–28097] By letter dated April 26, 2001, the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad (BSV) petitioned FRA for a waiver of compliance from the requirements of 49 CFR 223.11, Existing locomotives, for four diesel electric locomotives, under Docket Number FRA–2001–9607. These four locomotives are: Numbers 1858 and 2254 (built by General Electric), Number 1098 model S–2 (American Locomotive Company), and Number 1003 model NW–2 (Electromotive Division of General Motors). On October 2, 2001, the Railroad Safety Board approved this requested waiver for a period of 5 years, with an option for renewal. On December 6, 2006, the Board extended the waiver for an additional 5 years. However, the BSV also operates a steam locomotive, Number JS8419, over approximately 12 miles of their line from Boone, IA, in conjunction with their tourist and excursion service. Since this locomotive was built after January 1, 1946, it is required to be equipped with glazing E:\FR\FM\05JYN1.SGM 05JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 128 (Thursday, July 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36750-36751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13016]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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

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 approval of the following 
information collection activities. 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. It should be noted that this notice 
supersedes and corrects the Federal Register Notice that was published 
on June 11, 2007 (see 72 FR 32159), which inadvertently listed an 
erroneous title for the proposed study.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than September 4, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of 
Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 
20590, or Ms. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems, RAD-43, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., 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-New.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6230 or (202) 493-6170, or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at 
robert.brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Christodoulou at 
gina.christodoulou@dot.gov. Please refer to the assigned OMB control 
number or collection title 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, Office of Planning 
and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 
Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6292) or Ms. Gina Christodoulou, Office of Support Systems, RAD-43, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, 
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6139). (These telephone 
numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Pub. L. No. 104-13, 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 60-days notice to the public for 
comment on information collection activities before seeking approval 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

[[Page 36751]]

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 proposed new information collection 
activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under 
the PRA:
    Title: Confidential Close Call Reporting System Evaluation-Related 
Interview Data Collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-New.
    Abstract: In the U.S. railroad industry, injury rates have been 
declining over the last 25 years. Indeed, the industry incident rate 
fell from a high of 12.1 incidents per 100 workers per year in 1978 to 
3.66 in 1996. As the number of incidents has decreased, the mix of 
causes has also changed toward a higher proportion of incidents that 
can be attributed to human and organizational factors. This combination 
of trends--decrease in overall rates but increasing proportion of human 
factors-related incidents--has left safety managers with a need to 
shift tactics in reducing injuries to even lower rates than they are 
now.
    In recognition of the need for new approaches to improving safety, 
FRA has instituted the Confidential Close Call Reporting System 
(C\3\RS). The operating assumption behind C\3\RS is that by assuring 
confidentiality, employees will report events which, if dealt with, 
will decrease the likelihood of accidents. C\3\RS, therefore, has both 
a confidential reporting component, and a problem analysis/solution 
component. C\3\RS is expected to affect safety in two ways. First, it 
will lead to problem solving concerning specific safety conditions. 
Second, it will engender an organizational culture and climate that 
supports greater awareness of safety and a greater cooperative 
willingness to improve safety.
    If C\3\RS works as intended, it could have an important impact on 
improving safety and safety culture in the railroad industry. While 
C\3\RS has been developed and implemented with the participation of 
FRA, railroad labor, and railroad management, there are legitimate 
questions about whether it is being implemented in the most beneficial 
way, and whether it will have its intended effect. Further, even if 
C\3\RS is successful, it will be necessary to know if it is successful 
enough to implement on a wide scale. To address these important 
questions, FRA is implementing a formative evaluation to guide program 
development, a summative evaluation to assess impact, and a 
sustainability evaluation to determine how C\3\RS can continue after 
the test period is over. The evaluation is needed to provide FRA with 
guidance as to how it can improve the program, and how it might be 
scaled up throughout the railroad industry.
    Program evaluation is an inherently data driven activity. Its basic 
tenet is that as change is implemented, data can be collected to track 
the course and consequences of the change. Because of the setting in 
which C\3\RS is being implemented, that data must come from the 
railroad employees (labor and management) who may be affected. Critical 
data include beliefs about safety and issues related to safety, and 
opinions/observations about the operation of C\3\RS.
    The proposed study is a five-year demonstration project to improve 
rail safety, and is designed to identify safety issues and propose 
corrective action based on voluntary reports of close calls submitted 
to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of 
Transportation. Because of the innovative nature of this program, FRA 
is implementing an evaluation, which will be carried out by the Volpe 
National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), U.S. Department 
of Transportation, to determine whether the program is succeeding, how 
it can be improved and, if successful, what is needed to spread the 
program throughout the railroad industry. Confidential interviews to 
evaluate the close call reporting system will be conducted with two 
groups: (1) Key stakeholders to the process (e.g., FRA officials, 
industry labor, and carrier management within participating railroads); 
and (2) Employees in participating railroads who are eligible to submit 
close call reports to the Confidential Close Call Reporting System. 
Different questions will be addressed to each of these two groups. 
Confidential interviews will be semi-structured, with follow-up 
questions asked as appropriate depending on the respondent's initial 
answer.
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.126A; FRA F 6180.126B.
    Affected Public: Railroad Employees and Key Non-railroad 
Stakeholders.
    Respondent Universe: 300 Select Railroad Employees/Non-railroad 
Stakeholders.
    Frequency of Submission: On Occasion.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 267 Hours.
    Status: Regular Review.
    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 June 28, 2007.
Belinda Ashton,
Acting Director, Office of Budget, Federal Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-13016 Filed 7-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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