Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 50914-50916 [2022-17731]

Agencies

• Federal Railroad Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 159 (Thursday, August 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50914-50916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17731]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2021-0006-N-8]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 17, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2021-0006. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. 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: Ms. Hodan Wells, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (202) 868-9412.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its 
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICR 
regarding: (1) whether the information collection activities are 
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether 
the activities will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's 
estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to 
determine the estimates; (3) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (4) ways 
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on 
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Railroad Operating Rules.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0035.
    Abstract: On July 24, 2019, FRA published in the Federal Register a 
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing inward- and outward-
facing image recording devices be required on all lead passenger train 
locomotives as required by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation 
Act (FAST Act).\1\
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    \1\ 84 FR 35712.
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    Specifically, FRA proposed requiring passenger railroads to notate 
under the REMARKS section of Form F 6180-49A \2\ (Locomotive Inspection 
and Repair Record) on each lead locomotive in commuter or intercity 
rail passenger service: (1) the presence of any image or audio 
recording system; and (2) the date when a locomotive image recording 
device has been removed from service. For convenience to the railroad 
industry and to avoid confusion as to the application of locomotives 
recording device requirements, FRA would create a new form for use by 
passenger railroads, Form F 6180-49AP (Passenger Locomotive Inspection 
and Repair Record), to record this information.
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    \2\ Covered under OMB Control Number 2130-0004.

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[[Page 50915]]

    Form F 6180-49AP would essentially be the same as existing Form F 
6180-49A, and all information required to be entered on existing Form F 
6180-49A would also be included on Form F 6180-49AP. In fact, the only 
substantive difference between the two forms, aside from adding 
``Passenger'' to the form's title, would be the inclusion of an 
additional, designated row for entering information about the testing 
of locomotive image recording devices proposed under Sec.  229.136 in 
the July 2019 NPRM. This new form would in no way affect use of the 
existing F 6180-49A form for locomotives in freight or switching 
service, which account for the vast majority of locomotives in the 
United States and are not subject to the requirements of this rule. Nor 
would it affect use of the F 6180-49A form by non-lead locomotives used 
in commuter or intercity passenger service. It would also conserve 
valuable space on the existing F 6180-49A form.
    Because the proposed F 6180-49AP form was not discussed in the 
NPRM, FRA is soliciting additional public comment specific to this 
form.
    Type of Request: Revision.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Form(s): N/A.
    Respondent Universe: 765 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                     Average time per      Total annual     Total cost
         CFR section \3\                 Respondent universe           Total annual responses            responses         burden hours   equivalent \4\
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217.7(a)--Operating rules; filing  2 new railroads...............  2 documents..................  1 hour................               2            $154
 and recordkeeping--Filing of
 code of operating rules,
 timetables, and timetable
 special instructions by Class I,
 Class II, Amtrak, and commuter
 railroads with FRA.
    --(b) Amendments to code of    53 railroads..................  312 revised documents........  20 minutes............             104           8,008
     operating rules, timetables,
     and timetable special
     instructions by Class I,
     Class II, Amtrak, and
     commuter railroads with FRA.
    --(c) Class III and other      2 new railroads...............  2 documents..................  1 hour................               2             154
     railroads--Copy of code of
     operating rules, timetables,
     and timetable special
     instructions at system
     headquarters.
    --(c) Class III and other      714 railroads.................  1,596 amendments.............  15 minutes............             399          30,723
     railroads--Amendments to
     code of operating rules,
     timetables, and timetable
     special instructions at
     system headquarters.
217.9(b)(2)--Program of            765 railroads.................  4,732 records................  2 minutes.............             158          12,166
 operational tests and
 inspections; recordkeeping--
 Written records documenting
 qualification of each railroad
 testing officer.
    --(b)(3) Development and       36 railroads..................  12 adopted procedures........  24 hours..............             288          33,120
     adoption of procedure
     ensuring random selection of
     employees by railroads
     utilizing inward-facing
     locomotive and in-cab audio
     recordings to conduct
     operational tests and
     inspections (New
     requirement).
    --(c) Written program of       2 new railroads...............  2 programs...................  10 hours..............              20           2,400
     operational tests and
     inspections.
    --(d)(1) Records of            765 railroads.................  9,120,000 test records and     5 minutes.............         760,000      58,520,000
     operational tests/                                             updates.
     inspections.
    --(d)(2) Railroad copy of      53 railroads..................  159 program revisions........  70 minutes............             186          14,322
     current program operational
     tests/inspections--
     Amendments.
    --(e)(1)(i) Written quarterly  8 (Amtrak + 7 Class I)          32 reviews...................  2 hours...............              64           4,928
     review of operational tests/   railroads.
     inspections by RRs other
     than passenger RRs.
    --(e)(1)(ii) 6-month review    7 Class I railroads...........  14 reviews...................  2 hours...............              28           2,156
     of operational tests/
     inspections/naming of
     officer.
    --(e)(2) 6-month review by     35 (Amtrak + 34 passenger)      70 reviews...................  2 hours...............             140          10,780
     passenger railroads            railroads.
     designated officers of
     operational testing and
     inspection data.
    --(e)(3) Records of periodic   50 railroads..................  116 records..................  1 minute..............               2             154
     reviews.
    --(f)-(g) Annual summary of    50 railroads..................  71 summary records...........  1 hour................              71           5,467
     operational tests and
     inspections.
    --(h)(1)(i) RR amended         765 railroads.................  6 revised programs...........  30 minutes............               3             231
     program of operational tests/
     inspections.
    --(h)(1)(ii) FRA disapproval   765 railroads.................  6 supporting documents.......  1 hour................               6             462
     of RR program of operational
     tests/inspections and RR
     written response in support
     of program.
217.11(a)--RR periodic             2 new railroads...............  2 written programs...........  8 hours...............              16           1,232
 instruction of employees on
 operating rules--New railroads.
217.11(b)--RR copy of amendment    765 railroads.................  110 modified written programs  30 minutes............              55           4,235
 of program for periodic
 instruction of employees.
218.95(a)(5)-(b)--Instruction,     765 railroads.................  85,600 employees' records....  1 minute..............           1,427         109,879
 training, examination--Employee
 records.
    --(c)(1)(i) Amended RR         765 railroads.................  5 amended programs...........  30 minutes............               3             231
     program of instruction,
     testing, examination.
218.97(b)(4)--RR copy of good      765 railroads.................  4,732 copies to new employees  6 minutes.............             473          36,421
 faith challenge procedures.
218.97(c)(1) and (c)(4)--RR        10 workers....................  10 gd. faith challenges......  15 minutes............               3             231
 employee good faith challenge of
 RR directive.
    --(c)(5) RR resolution of      2 new railroads...............  5 responses..................  15 minutes............               1              77
     employee good faith
     challenge.
    --(d)(1) RR officer immediate  2 new railroads...............  3 reviews....................  30 minutes............               2             154
     review of unresolved good
     faith challenge.
    --(d)(2) RR officer            2 new railroads...............  3 answers....................  15 minutes............               1              77
     explanation to employee that
     Federal law may protect
     against employer retaliation
     for refusal to carry out
     work if employee refusal is
     a lawful, good faith act.

[[Page 50916]]

 
    --(d)(3) Employee written/     2 new railroads...............  3 written protests...........  15 minutes............               1              77
     electronic protest of
     employer final decision.
    --(d)(3) Employee copy of      2 new railroads...............  3 copies.....................  1 minute..............             0.1               8
     protest.
    --(d)(4) Employer further      2 new railroads...............  2 further reviews............  15 minutes............             0.5              39
     review of good faith
     challenge after employee
     written request.
    --(d)(4) RR verification       2 new railroads...............  2 decisions..................  15 minutes............             0.5              39
     decision to employee in
     writing.
    --(e) Recordkeeping and        765 railroads.................  765 copies...................  5 minutes.............              64           4,928
     record retention--Employer's
     copy of written procedures
     at division headquarters.
218.99(a)--Shoving or pushing      2 new railroads...............  2 rule modifications.........  1 hour................               2             154
 movement--RR operating rule
 complying with section's
 requirements.
218.101(a)-(c)--Leaving equipment  2 new railroads...............  2 rule modifications.........  30 minutes............               1              77
 in the clear--Operating rule
 that complies with this section.
218.103(a)(1)--Hand-Operated       2 new railroads...............  2 rule modifications.........  30 minutes............               1              77
 Switches--Operating Rule that
 Complies with this section.
229.22--Locomotive image           36 railroads..................  4,500 passenger locomotives..  15 minutes............           1,125          86,625
 recording systems--Form FRA F
 6180-49AP (New requirements) \5\.
229.136(f)(1)--Passenger           36 railroads..................  12 c of c procedures.........  48 hours..............             576          44,352
 railroads adoption and
 development of chain of custody
 (c of c) procedures (New
 requirements).
    --(f)(2)-(3) Passenger         36 railroads..................  140 saved recordings.........  10 minutes............              23           1,771
     railroad preservation of
     accident/incident data of
     image and audio recording
     system from locomotive using
     such system at time of
     accident/incident (includes
     voluntary freight railroads
     & restates previous
     requirement under section
     229.135(e)) (New
     requirements).
    --(g) Locomotive image         36 railroads..................  12 descriptions/plans........  20 hours..............             240          18,480
     recording system approval
     process--Description of
     technical aspects any
     locomotive image recording
     system to FRA for approval
     (New requirements).
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        Total....................  765 railroads.................  9,223,047 responses..........  N/A...................         765,488      58,954,389
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    \3\ FRA anticipates that no procedures will be disapproved under 
Sec.  217.9(b)(4). Additionally, the burdens associated under Sec.  
299.449 and appendix A to part 299 have been accounted for under the 
burden associated with Sec.  229.136(f) and (g).
    \4\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the Surface 
Transportation Board's Full Year Wage A&B data series using the 
appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that includes 75-percent 
overhead charges.
    \5\ The burdens for Sec. Sec.  229.21, 229.136(a)(3), (e)(2), 
and 229.139(i) are covered under Sec.  229.22.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 9,223,047.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 765,488 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$58,954,389.
    FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection 
of information that does not display a currently valid OMB control 
number.
    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2022-17731 Filed 8-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P