Information Collection Activities; Rail Depreciation Studies, 18676-18677 [2013-06936]
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18676
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 59 / Wednesday, March 27, 2013 / Notices
collections are described in more detail
below.
For each collection, comments are
requested concerning: (1) The accuracy
of the Board’s burden estimates; (2)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information collected; (3)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
when appropriate; and (4) whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the Board, including
whether the collection has practical
utility. Submitted comments will be
summarized and included in the
Board’s request for OMB approval.
DATES: Comments on this information
collection should be submitted by April
26, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be directed to the Office of Management
and Budget, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Patrick
Fuchs, Surface Transportation Board
Desk Officer, by fax at (202) 395–5167;
by mail at OMB, Room 10235, 725 17th
Street NW., Washington, DC 20500; or
by email at
OIRA_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV
and refer to the title of the collection(s)
commented upon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marilyn Levitt at levittm@stb.dot.gov or
(202) 245–0269. [Assistance for the
hearing impaired is available through
the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.] Relevant
STB regulations may be viewed on the
STB’s Web site under E-Library >
Reference: STB Rules, https://
www.stb.dot.gov/stb/elibrary/
ref_stbrules.html.
Subjects: In this notice the Board is
requesting comments on the following
information collections:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Collection Number 1
Title: Recordations (Rail and Water
Carrier Liens).
OMB Control Number: 2140–00XX.
STB Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Existing collection in
use without an OMB control number.
Respondents: Parties holding liens on
rail equipment or water carrier vessels,
carriers filing proof that a lien has been
removed.
Number of Respondents: An annual
average of 2125 recordations was filed
during the last three years by 50
respondents.
Frequency: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours (annually
including all respondents): 1,240 hours
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:10 Mar 26, 2013
Jkt 229001
(estimated 35 minutes per response ×
2125 responses).
Total ‘‘Non-hour Burden’’ Cost (such
as start-up and mailing costs): There are
no non-hourly burden costs for this
collection. The collection may be filed
electronically.
Needs and Uses: Under the Interstate
Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. 11301 and
related regulations at 49 CFR 1177, liens
on rail equipment must be filed with the
STB in order to perfect a security
interest in the equipment. Subsequent
assignments of rights or release of
obligations under such instruments
must also be filed with the agency. This
information is maintained by the Board
for public inspection. Recordation at the
STB obviates the need for recording
such a lien in individual States.
Retention Period: Recordations of
liens are destroyed 60 years after the last
filing.
Collection Number 2
Title: Water Carrier Tariffs
OMB Control Number: 2140–00XX.
STB Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Existing collection in
use without an OMB control number.
Respondents: Water carriers that
provide freight transportation in
noncontiguous domestic trade.
Number of Respondents:
Approximately 25.
Frequency: On occasion, for an annual
total of 1917 tariffs filed.
Total Burden Hours (annually
including all respondents): 1,254 hours
(1672 filings × .75 hour (estimated time
per filing)).
Total ‘‘Non-hour Burden’’ Cost (such
as start-up costs and mailing costs):
There are no non-hourly burden costs
for this collection. The collection may
be filed electronically.
Needs and Uses: While rail carriers
are no longer required to file rate tariffs
at the STB, a statutory requirement
exists for water carriers that provide
freight transportation in noncontiguous
domestic trade (i.e., domestic (as
opposed to international) shipments
moving to or from Alaska, Hawaii, or
the U.S. territories or possessions
(Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, and the Northern
Mariana Islands)). A tariff provides a list
of prices and fees that the carrier
charges to the shipping public.
Retention Period: After cancellation,
tariffs are placed in a ‘‘Cancelled
Tariffs’’ file. They are destroyed five
years after the end of the year in which
they were cancelled.
Collection Number 3
Title: Agricultural Contract
Summaries.
PO 00000
Frm 00118
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
OMB Control Number: 2140–00XX.
STB Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Existing collection in
use without an OMB control number.
Number of Respondents:
Approximately 10.
Frequency: On occasion, for a total
from all respondents of approximately
141 submissions per year (which must
be submitted as soon as possible, but
not longer than seven days after
effective date of contract or
amendment).
Total Burden Hours (annually
including all respondents): 106 hours
(141 submissions × .75 hours (45
minutes) estimated per submission).
Total Annual ‘‘Non-hour Burden’’
Cost (such as start-up and mailing
costs): There are no non-hourly burden
costs for this collection. The collection
is filed electronically.
Needs and Uses: While the terms of
a rail transportation contract are treated
as confidential, railroads are required by
statute to file a summary of the
nonconfidential terms of any contract
for the transportation of agricultural
products.
Retention Period: Paper copies of this
collection are destroyed six months after
the expiration of the referenced
contract.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA, a Federal agency conducting or
sponsoring a collection of information
must display a currently valid OMB
control number. A collection of
information, which is defined in 44
U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c),
includes agency requirements that
persons submit reports, keep records, or
provide information to the agency, third
parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of
the PRA requires, concurrent with an
agency’s submitting a collection to OMB
for approval, a 30-day notice and
comment period through publication in
the Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information,
including each proposed extension of an
existing collection of information.
Dated: March 22, 2013.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013–07056 Filed 3–26–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
Information Collection Activities; Rail
Depreciation Studies
30-day notice and request for
comments.
ACTION:
E:\FR\FM\27MRN1.SGM
27MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 59 / Wednesday, March 27, 2013 / Notices
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork burdens, and as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3519 (PRA),
the Surface Transportation Board
(Board) gives notice that it is requesting
from the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval of the
information collection—Rail
Depreciation Studies—further described
below. The Board previously published
a notice about this collection in the
Federal Register on July 30, 2012, at 77
FR 44710. That notice allowed for a 60day public review and comment period.
No comments were received.
Comments may now be submitted to
OMB concerning (1) whether this
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the Board, including
whether the collection has practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the Board’s
burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, when
appropriate.
Written comments are due on
April 26, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be directed to the Office of Management
and Budget, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Patrick
Fuchs, Surface Transportation Board
Desk Officer, by fax at (202) 395–5167;
by mail at OMB, Room 10235, 725 17th
Street NW., Washington, DC 20500; or
by email at
OIRA_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV.
Comments should refer to the title of the
collection commented upon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information, contact Paul
Aguiar at (202) 245–0323 or
aguiarp@stb.dot.gov. [Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the
hearing impaired: (800) 877–8339.]
Subjects: In this notice the Board is
requesting comments on the following
information collection:
Title: Rail Depreciation Studies.
OMB Control Number: 2140–XXXX.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Collection in
existence without a Control Number.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: 7.
Estimated Time per Response:
Between 500 and 540 hours annually,
depending on whether the rail-carrier
respondent has significant assistance
from outside consultants, resulting in an
average of 515 hours per response.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:10 Mar 26, 2013
Jkt 229001
Frequency of Response: Every 3 years
for equipment; every 6 years for other
depreciable property.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,605
hours (515 hours × 7 Class I railroads).
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: Between $8,340 and $30,000
annually, depending on whether the
rail-carrier respondent has significant
assistance from outside consultants,
resulting in an annual per railroad
average of $20,500 and a cumulative
total for all 7 Class I railroads of
$143,500.
Needs and Uses: Under 49 U.S.C.
11143, the Board is required to identify
those classes of property for which rail
carriers may include depreciation
charges under operating expenses, and
the Board must also prescribe a rate of
depreciation that may be charged to
those classes of property. Pursuant to
the Board’s authority under § 11145 and
49 CFR Part 1201, Section 4–2(b), Class
I (large) rail carriers are required to
submit to the Board Depreciation
Studies. Information in these studies is
not available from any other source. The
Board uses the information in these
studies to prescribe depreciation rates.
These depreciation-rate prescriptions
state the period for which the
depreciation rates therein are
applicable. Class I railroads apply the
prescribed depreciation rates to their
investment base to determine monthly
and annual depreciation expense. This
expense is included in the railroads’
operating expenses, which are reported
in their R–1 reports (OMB Control
Number 2140–0009). Operating
expenses are used to develop operating
costs for application in various
proceedings before the Board, such as in
rate reasonableness cases and in the
determination of railroad revenue
adequacy.
Under the
PRA, a Federal agency conducting or
sponsoring a collection of information
must display a currently valid OMB
control number. A collection of
information, which is defined in 44
U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c),
includes agency requirements that
persons submit reports, keep records, or
provide information to the agency, third
parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of
the PRA requires, concurrent with an
agency’s submitting a collection to OMB
for approval, a 30-day notice and
comment period through publication in
the Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information,
including each proposed extension of an
existing collection of information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00119
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18677
Dated: March 21, 2013.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013–06936 Filed 3–26–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35720]
Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad
Company—Temporary Trackage
Rights Exemption—Norfolk Southern
Railway Company
Norfolk Southern Railway Company
(NS), pursuant to a written trackage
rights Agreement (Agreement), has
agreed to grant non-exclusive,
temporary, overhead trackage rights to
Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad
Company (N&BE) over NS’s line of
railroad between milepost BR 194.2, at
Lock Haven, PA, and milepost BR 139.2,
at Driftwood, PA, a distance of 55
miles.1
The transaction may be consummated
on or after April 10, 2013, the effective
date of the exemption (30 days after the
verified notice of exemption was filed).
The temporary trackage rights are
scheduled to expire on or about
December 30, 2013. The purpose of the
temporary trackage rights is to allow
N&BE to operate bridge train service for
temporary, seasonal traffic.
As a condition to this exemption, any
employees affected by the acquisition of
the temporary trackage rights will be
protected by the conditions imposed in
Norfolk & Western Railway—Trackage
Rights—Burlington Northern, Inc., 354
I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in
Mendocino Coast Railway, Inc.—Lease
& Operate—California Western
Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980), and any
employees affected by the
discontinuance of those trackage rights
will be protected by the conditions set
out in Oregon Short Line Railroad—
Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch
Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham &
Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C.
91 (1979).
This notice is filed under 49 CFR
1180.2(d)(8). If it contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
1 A redacted version of the Agreement between
NS and N&BE was filed with the notice of
exemption. N&BE simultaneously filed a motion for
protective order to protect the confidential and
commercially sensitive information contained in
the unredacted version of the Agreement, which
N&BE submitted under seal in this proceeding. That
motion will be addressed in a separate decision.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18676-18677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06936]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
Information Collection Activities; Rail Depreciation Studies
ACTION: 30-day notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 18677]]
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens,
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3519 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (Board) gives notice that
it is requesting from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval of the information collection--Rail Depreciation Studies--
further described below. The Board previously published a notice about
this collection in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012, at 77 FR
44710. That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment
period. No comments were received.
Comments may now be submitted to OMB concerning (1) whether this
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Board, including whether the collection has
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the Board's burden estimates;
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on the respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology, when appropriate.
DATES: Written comments are due on April 26, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to the Office of
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Patrick Fuchs, Surface Transportation Board Desk Officer, by
fax at (202) 395-5167; by mail at OMB, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20500; or by email at OIRA_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV.
Comments should refer to the title of the collection commented upon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, contact
Paul Aguiar at (202) 245-0323 or aguiarp@stb.dot.gov. [Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the hearing impaired: (800) 877-
8339.]
Subjects: In this notice the Board is requesting comments on the
following information collection:
Title: Rail Depreciation Studies.
OMB Control Number: 2140-XXXX.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Collection in existence without a Control Number.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: 7.
Estimated Time per Response: Between 500 and 540 hours annually,
depending on whether the rail-carrier respondent has significant
assistance from outside consultants, resulting in an average of 515
hours per response.
Frequency of Response: Every 3 years for equipment; every 6 years
for other depreciable property.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,605 hours (515 hours x 7 Class I
railroads).
Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: Between $8,340 and $30,000
annually, depending on whether the rail-carrier respondent has
significant assistance from outside consultants, resulting in an annual
per railroad average of $20,500 and a cumulative total for all 7 Class
I railroads of $143,500.
Needs and Uses: Under 49 U.S.C. 11143, the Board is required to
identify those classes of property for which rail carriers may include
depreciation charges under operating expenses, and the Board must also
prescribe a rate of depreciation that may be charged to those classes
of property. Pursuant to the Board's authority under Sec. 11145 and 49
CFR Part 1201, Section 4-2(b), Class I (large) rail carriers are
required to submit to the Board Depreciation Studies. Information in
these studies is not available from any other source. The Board uses
the information in these studies to prescribe depreciation rates. These
depreciation-rate prescriptions state the period for which the
depreciation rates therein are applicable. Class I railroads apply the
prescribed depreciation rates to their investment base to determine
monthly and annual depreciation expense. This expense is included in
the railroads' operating expenses, which are reported in their R-1
reports (OMB Control Number 2140-0009). Operating expenses are used to
develop operating costs for application in various proceedings before
the Board, such as in rate reasonableness cases and in the
determination of railroad revenue adequacy.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, a Federal agency conducting
or sponsoring a collection of information must display a currently
valid OMB control number. A collection of information, which is defined
in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), includes agency requirements
that persons submit reports, keep records, or provide information to
the agency, third parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of the PRA
requires, concurrent with an agency's submitting a collection to OMB
for approval, a 30-day notice and comment period through publication in
the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of
information, including each proposed extension of an existing
collection of information.
Dated: March 21, 2013.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2013-06936 Filed 3-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
