30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Class I Railroad Annual Report, 65881-65882 [2019-25879]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2019 / Notices DAKOTA, dated 09/23/2019, is hereby amended to re-establish the incident period for this disaster as beginning 05/ 21/2019 and continuing through 06/07/ 2019. All other information in the original declaration remains unchanged. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 59008) Cynthia Pitts, Acting Associate Administrator for Disaster Assistance. [FR Doc. 2019–25855 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8026–013–P SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD Description of Collection 30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Class I Railroad Annual Report Title: Class I Railroad Annual Report. OMB Control Number: 2140–0009. Form Number: R–1. Type of Review: Extension without change. Respondents: Class I railroads. Number of Respondents: Seven. Estimated Time per Response: No more than 250 hours per response. This estimate includes time spent reviewing instructions; searching existing data sources; gathering and maintaining the data needed; completing and reviewing the collection of information; and converting the data from the carrier’s individual accounting system to the Board’s Uniform System of Accounts, which ensures that the information will be presented in a consistent format across all reporting railroads. In prior years, the estimate was higher, but many of these functions have become automated and more routine through the respondents’ software programming. Thus, the time per response has been reduced, with additional technological efficiencies anticipated in the future. Frequency of Response: Annual. Total Annual Hour Burden: No more than 1,750 hours annually. Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’ Cost: 1 The respondent carriers are required by statute to submit a copy of the annual report, signed under oath. See 49 U.S.C. 11145. A hard copy of the report is mailed to the agency at an estimated cost of $4.00 per respondent, resulting in a total annual non-burdenhour cost of $28.00 for all seven respondents. No other non-hour costs for operation, maintenance, or purchase of services associated with this collection have been identified, as: (a) This collection will not impose start-up costs on respondents; and (b) an Notice and request for comments. ACTION: Surface Transportation Board. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the collection of Class I Railroad Annual Reports, described below. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register on September 12, 2019. That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by December 30, 2019. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be identified as ‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act Comments, Surface Transportation Board: Class I Railroad Annual Report.’’ These comments should be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Michael J. McManus, Surface Transportation Board Desk Officer: by email at oira_submission@ omb.eop.gov; by fax at (202) 395–1743; or by mail to Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. Please also direct comments to Chris Oehrle, PRA Officer, Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001, or to PRA@stb.gov. For further information regarding this collection, contact Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245–0333 or pedro.ramirez@stb.gov. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. DATES: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES 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. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:49 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 250001 1 In this notice, the Board is adding the ‘‘non-hour burden’’ costs that were inadvertently left out of the 60-day notice related to this collection in the total annual amount of $28. PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 65881 additional copy of the report in Excel format is submitted to the agency electronically. Needs and Uses: Annual reports are required to be filed by Class I railroads under 49 U.S.C. 11145. The reports show operating expenses and operating statistics of the carriers. Operating expenses include costs for right-of-way and structures, equipment, train and yard operations, and general and administrative expenses. Operating statistics include such items as carmiles, revenue-ton-miles, and gross tonmiles. These reports are used by the Board, other Federal agencies, and industry groups to monitor and assess railroad industry growth, financial stability, traffic, and operations, and to identify industry changes that may affect national transportation policy. Information from these reports is also entered into the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS), which is the Board’s general-purpose costing methodology. URCS, which was developed by the Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11161, is used as a tool in rail rate proceedings (in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d)) to calculate the variable costs associated with providing a particular service. The Board also uses information from this collection to more effectively carry out other regulatory responsibilities, including: Acting on railroad requests for authority to engage in Board-regulated financial transactions such as mergers, acquisitions of control, and consolidations, see 49 U.S.C. 11323–24; analyzing the information that the Board obtains through the annual railroad industry waybill sample, see 49 CFR 1244; measuring off-branch costs in railroad abandonment proceedings, in accordance with 49 CFR 1152.32(n); developing the ‘‘rail cost adjustment factors,’’ in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10708; and conducting investigations and rulemakings. Under the PRA, a federal agency that conducts or sponsors 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. E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 65882 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2019 / Notices Dated: November 25, 2019. Jeffrey Herzig, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2019–25879 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD [Docket No. FD 36363] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES CSX Transportation, Inc.—Corporate Family Merger Exemption—The Home Avenue Rail-Road Company CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), a Class I carrier, and The Home Avenue Rail-Road Company (HARR) (collectively, the Parties) have filed a verified notice of exemption for an intra-corporate family transaction under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3). CSXT directly controls and operates HARR. HARR owns approximately 2.9 miles of railroad and 3.99 miles of yard switching track in the State of Ohio. Under the proposed transaction, HARR will be merged into CSXT with CSXT as the surviving corporate entity.1 The Parties state that the purpose of the transaction is to simplify the corporate structure and reduce overhead costs. According to the Parties, the transaction will reduce corporate overhead and duplication by eliminating one corporation, while retaining the same assets to serve customers, and will allow CSXT to obtain various savings. Unless stayed, the exemption will be effective on December 15, 2019 (30 days after the verified notice was filed). The Parties state that they intend to consummate the proposed transaction on or after that date. The Parties state that the transaction will not result in adverse changes in service levels, significant operational changes, or a change in the competitive balance with carriers outside the corporate family. Therefore, the transaction is exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3). Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board may not use its exemption authority to relieve a rail carrier of its statutory obligation to protect the interests of its employees. As a condition to the use of this exemption, any employees adversely affected by this transaction will be protected by the conditions set forth in New York Dock Railway— Control—Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, 360 I.C.C. 60 (1979). 1 An executed copy of the agreement and plan of merger was filed on November 15, 2019, to replace the draft agreement attached to the verified notice of exemption. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:49 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 250001 If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than December 6, 2019 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective). All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36363, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. In addition, one copy of each pleading must be served on Louis E. Gitomer, Esq., Law Offices of Louis E. Gitomer, LLC, 600 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 301, Towson, MD 21204. According to the Parties, this action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c). Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov. Decided: November 25, 2019. By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings. Eden Besera, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2019–25869 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request Tennessee Valley Authority. 30-Day notice of submission of information collection approval and request for comments. the Senior Privacy Program Manager: Christopher A. Marsalis, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 W Summit Hill Dr. (WT 5D), Knoxville, Tennessee 37902–1401; telephone (865) 632–2467 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at camarsalis@tva.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection: Employment Application. OMB Approval Number: 3316–0063. Frequency of Use: On Occasion. Type of Affected Public: Individuals. Small Businesses or Organizations Affected: No. Federal Budget Functional Category Code: 999. Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,683. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,298. Estimated Average Burden Hours per Response: .85. Need for and Use of Information: Applications for employment are needed to collect information on qualifications, suitability for employment, and eligibility for veteran’s preference. The information is used to make comparative appraisals and to assist in selections. The affected public consists of individuals who apply for TVA employment. Andrea S. Brackett, Director, TVA Cybersecurity. [FR Doc. 2019–25823 Filed 11–27–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8120–08–P AGENCY: ACTION: The information collection described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at, oira_submission@ omb.eop.gov, for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Tennessee Valley Authority is soliciting public comments on this proposed collection. DATES: Comments should be sent to the TVA Senior Privacy Program Manager, and the OMB Office of Information & Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington, DC 20503, or email: oira_ submission@omb.eop.gov, no later than December 30, 2019. ADDRESSES: Requests for information, including copies of the information collection proposed and supporting documentation, should be directed to SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00107 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Notice of Product Exclusions: China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice of product exclusions. AGENCY: In September 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed additional duties on goods of China with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion as part of the action in the Section 301 investigation of China’s acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The U.S. Trade Representative initiated a product exclusion process in June 2019, and interested persons have submitted requests for the exclusion of specific SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65881-65882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25879]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD


30-Day Notice of Intent To Seek Extension of Approval: Class I 
Railroad Annual Report

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent 
to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an 
extension of the collection of Class I Railroad Annual Reports, 
described below. The Board previously published a notice about this 
collection in the Federal Register on September 12, 2019. That notice 
allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were 
received.

DATES: Comments on this information collection should be submitted by 
December 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be identified as ``Paperwork 
Reduction Act Comments, Surface Transportation Board: Class I Railroad 
Annual Report.'' These comments should be directed to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Michael J. McManus, Surface Transportation Board Desk 
Officer: by email at [email protected]; by fax at (202) 395-
1743; or by mail to Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 
20503. Please also direct comments to Chris Oehrle, PRA Officer, 
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001, or to [email protected]. For further information regarding this 
collection, contact Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245-0333 or 
[email protected]. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available 
through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.

Description of Collection

    Title: Class I Railroad Annual Report.
    OMB Control Number: 2140-0009.
    Form Number: R-1.
    Type of Review: Extension without change.
    Respondents: Class I railroads.
    Number of Respondents: Seven.
    Estimated Time per Response: No more than 250 hours per response. 
This estimate includes time spent reviewing instructions; searching 
existing data sources; gathering and maintaining the data needed; 
completing and reviewing the collection of information; and converting 
the data from the carrier's individual accounting system to the Board's 
Uniform System of Accounts, which ensures that the information will be 
presented in a consistent format across all reporting railroads. In 
prior years, the estimate was higher, but many of these functions have 
become automated and more routine through the respondents' software 
programming. Thus, the time per response has been reduced, with 
additional technological efficiencies anticipated in the future.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Total Annual Hour Burden: No more than 1,750 hours annually.
    Total Annual ``Non-Hour Burden'' Cost: \1\ The respondent carriers 
are required by statute to submit a copy of the annual report, signed 
under oath. See 49 U.S.C. 11145. A hard copy of the report is mailed to 
the agency at an estimated cost of $4.00 per respondent, resulting in a 
total annual non-burden-hour cost of $28.00 for all seven respondents. 
No other non-hour costs for operation, maintenance, or purchase of 
services associated with this collection have been identified, as: (a) 
This collection will not impose start-up costs on respondents; and (b) 
an additional copy of the report in Excel format is submitted to the 
agency electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ In this notice, the Board is adding the ``non-hour burden'' 
costs that were inadvertently left out of the 60-day notice related 
to this collection in the total annual amount of $28.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Needs and Uses: Annual reports are required to be filed by Class I 
railroads under 49 U.S.C. 11145. The reports show operating expenses 
and operating statistics of the carriers. Operating expenses include 
costs for right-of-way and structures, equipment, train and yard 
operations, and general and administrative expenses. Operating 
statistics include such items as car-miles, revenue-ton-miles, and 
gross ton-miles. These reports are used by the Board, other Federal 
agencies, and industry groups to monitor and assess railroad industry 
growth, financial stability, traffic, and operations, and to identify 
industry changes that may affect national transportation policy. 
Information from these reports is also entered into the Uniform 
Railroad Costing System (URCS), which is the Board's general-purpose 
costing methodology. URCS, which was developed by the Board pursuant to 
49 U.S.C. 11161, is used as a tool in rail rate proceedings (in 
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d)) to calculate the variable costs 
associated with providing a particular service. The Board also uses 
information from this collection to more effectively carry out other 
regulatory responsibilities, including: Acting on railroad requests for 
authority to engage in Board-regulated financial transactions such as 
mergers, acquisitions of control, and consolidations, see 49 U.S.C. 
11323-24; analyzing the information that the Board obtains through the 
annual railroad industry waybill sample, see 49 CFR 1244; measuring 
off-branch costs in railroad abandonment proceedings, in accordance 
with 49 CFR 1152.32(n); developing the ``rail cost adjustment 
factors,'' in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10708; and conducting 
investigations and rulemakings.
    Under the PRA, a federal agency that conducts or sponsors 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.


[[Page 65882]]


    Dated: November 25, 2019.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2019-25879 Filed 11-27-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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