80 FR 16725 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 60 (March 30, 2015)

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 March 13, 2015, FRA issued its ``Railworthiness Directive Under 49 CFR 180.509 for Railroad Tank Cars Equipped With Certain McKenzie Valve & Machining LLC Valves'' and published this Directive in the Federal Register on March 18, 2015. See 80 FR 14027. Also, on March 18, 2015, FRA published a Notice in the Federal Register requesting immediate Emergency Clearance Processing from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection associated with its Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1. See 80 FR 14238. On March 19, 2015, OMB granted FRA's request for Emergency Clearance for its Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1. The information collection activities associated with FRA's Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1 received a six-month approval. FRA now seeks a regular clearance (extension of the current approval for three years) while tank car owners possessing the thousands of tank cars utilizing these problematic unapproved valves have them removed and replaced with approved valves. FRA has issued this Railworthiness Directive (Directive) to all owners of tank cars used to transport hazardous materials within the United States to ensure they identify and appropriately remove and replace these valves with approved valves consistent with Federal regulations. 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.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16725-16727]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07185]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2015-0007-N-5]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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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

[[Page 16726]]

approved information collection activities. On March 13, 2015, FRA 
issued its ``Railworthiness Directive Under 49 CFR 180.509 for Railroad 
Tank Cars Equipped With Certain McKenzie Valve & Machining LLC Valves'' 
and published this Directive in the Federal Register on March 18, 2015. 
See 80 FR 14027. Also, on March 18, 2015, FRA published a Notice in the 
Federal Register requesting immediate Emergency Clearance Processing 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information 
collection associated with its Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1. 
See 80 FR 14238. On March 19, 2015, OMB granted FRA's request for 
Emergency Clearance for its Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1. The 
information collection activities associated with FRA's Railworthiness 
Directive Notice No. 1 received a six-month approval. FRA now seeks a 
regular clearance (extension of the current approval for three years) 
while tank car owners possessing the thousands of tank cars utilizing 
these problematic unapproved valves have them removed and replaced with 
approved valves. FRA has issued this Railworthiness Directive 
(Directive) to all owners of tank cars used to transport hazardous 
materials within the United States to ensure they identify and 
appropriately remove and replace these valves with approved valves 
consistent with Federal regulations.
    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 29, 2015.

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, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 
20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, 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 2130-0606.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via email to Mr. Brogan at 
[email protected], or to Ms. Toone at [email protected]. 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, Office of Planning 
and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 
(202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, 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 60-days 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 are brief summaries of three currently approved information 
collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the Paperwork Reduction Act:
    Title: Railworthiness Directive Notice No. 1.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0606.
    Abstract: Recent FRA investigations identified several railroad 
tank cars transporting hazardous materials and leaking small quantities 
of product from the cars' liquid lines. FRA's investigation revealed 
that the liquid lines of the leaking tank cars were equipped with a 
certain type of 3-inch ball valve marketed and sold by McKenzie Valve & 
Machining LLC (McKenzie) (formerly McKenzie Valve & Machining Company), 
an affiliate company of Union Tank Car Company (UTLX). FRA further 
found certain closure plugs installed on the 3-inch valves cause 
mechanical damage to the valves, which leads to the destruction of the 
valves' seal integrity and that the 3-inch valves, as well as 
similarly-designed 1-inch and 2-inch valves provided by this 
manufacturer are not approved for use on tank cars.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Frequency of Submission: One-time; on occasion.
    Respondent Universe: 100 Tank Car Owners.

[[Page 16727]]



                                                Reporting Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Railworthiness directive notice                            Total annual       Average time per    Total annual
       No. 1:  Requirements        Respondent universe       responses             response        burden hours
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I. Identification of RR tank cars  100 Tank Car Owners  200 identifications/ 2 hours............             400
 equipped with McKenzie valves &    (15,000 affected     reports.
 document providing reporting       tank cars).
 mark and number of each car so
 equipped and type of valve to
 FRA.
--Record of Inspection Date and    100 Tank Car Owners  200 records........  30 minutes.........             100
 Location and Results of            (15,000 affected
 Inspection.                        tank cars).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Estimated Responses: 400.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 500 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 March 25, 2015.
Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-07185 Filed 3-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P