81 FR 93725 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 245 (December 21, 2016)

On October 18, 2016, under its emergency processing procedures, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the information collection activities associated with FRA's Railworthiness Directive No. 2016-01. This 6-month approval expires on April 30, 2017. Since OMB's approval of the information collection activities associated with Railworthiness Directive No. 2016-01, on November 18, 2016, FRA issued a revised Railworthiness Directive which supersedes the original Directive. FRA is now seeking approval for the revised information collection activities and associated burden listed below. Before submitting this information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities, which are identified in this notice.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93725-93727]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30740]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2016-0002-N-26]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On October 18, 2016, under its emergency processing 
procedures, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the 
information collection activities associated with FRA's Railworthiness 
Directive No. 2016-01. This 6-month approval expires on April 30, 2017. 
Since OMB's approval of the information collection activities 
associated with Railworthiness Directive No. 2016-01, on November 18, 
2016, FRA issued a revised Railworthiness Directive which supersedes 
the original Directive. FRA is now seeking approval for the revised 
information collection activities and associated burden listed below. 
Before submitting this information collection request (ICR) to OMB for 
approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific

[[Page 93726]]

aspects of the activities, which are identified in this notice.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 21, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory 
Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590; or Ms. Kim 
Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Information 
Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue 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 2130-0616.'' Alternatively, comments may be faxed to (202) 493-
6216 or (202) 493-6497, or emailed to Mr. Brogan at 
[email protected], or 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, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory 
Safety Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 
(202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, 
DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These telephone numbers are not 
toll free.)

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 to implement them. 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). 
Accordingly, FRA invites interested persons to comment on the following 
summary of proposed information collection activities 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 by automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques 
and 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 soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to 
reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the 
collection of information that its actions 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.
    Below is a brief summary of currently approved information 
collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the PRA:
    Title: RAIL WORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (RWD) RWD No. 2016-01 [REVISED] 
(previously approved by OMB under the title Railworthiness Directive 
for Certain Tank Cars Equipped with Bottom Outlet Valve Assembly and 
Constructed by American Railcar Industries and ACF Industries).
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0616.
    Abstract: An FRA investigation identified a certain design of 
specification DOT-111 tank cars that American Railcar Industries, Inc. 
(ARI) and ACF Industries, LLC (ACF) manufactured using welding 
practices not in conformance with Federal regulations and Association 
of American Railroads' welding specifications. The cars are built to 
the ARI and ACF 300 stub sill design and are equipped with a two-piece 
cast sump and bottom outlet valve (BOV) skid. As a result of the 
nonconforming welding practices, these cars may have substantial weld 
defects at the sump and BOV skid groove attachment welds, potentially 
affecting each tank car tank's ability to retain its contents during 
transportation. On September 30, 2016, FRA issued Railworthiness 
Directive No. 2016-01. On November 18, 2016, FRA issued a revised 
Railworthiness Directive (Revised Directive) on its Web site to all 
owners of ARI or ACF general purpose tank cars in the United States 
manufactured to this design. This ICR applies to the Revised Directive. 
The Revised Directive generally requires owners to: (1) Identify tank 
cars in their fleet covered by this Revised Directive; and (2) ensure 
appropriate inspection and testing of each tank car's sump and BOV skid 
attachment welds to ensure no flaw exists that could result in the loss 
of tank integrity.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Affected Public: Businesses (tank car owners, shippers, and tank 
car facilities).
    Respondent Universe: 100 tank car owners.
    Frequency of Submission: One-time; on occasion.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Reporting Burden:

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    Section of RWD No. 2016-01                              Total annual       Average time per    Total annual
            [REVISED]              Respondent universe       responses             response        burden hours
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Identification of tank cars        20 tank car owners   20 ID reports......  4 hours............              80
 covered by the directive for       (100 lessees/sub-
 certain railroad tank cars         lessees).
 equipped with bottom outlet
 valve assembly and constructed
 by American Railcar Industries
 and ACF Industries (14,800 cars).
Visual inspection of sump weld     20 tank car owners   88,800 inspections/  5 min..............           7,400
 area of all tank cars identified   (100 lessees/sub-    records.
 under this directive (performed    lessees).
 prior to each loaded trip)
Inspect and test sump and BOV      20 tank car owners   2,200 records......  3 hours............           6,600
 skid groove as stipulated in       (100 lessees/sub-
 directive and maintain record      lessees).
 results.

[[Page 93727]]

 
Personnel qualification and        10 tank car          100 checks.........  15 min.............              25
 certification check (100 tank      facility operators.
 car mechanics).
Train and test tank car mechanics  10 tank car          33 trained and       4 hours............             132
 who are ``not qualified'' on NDT   facility operators.  tested mechanics.
 procedures and record
 qualification (\1/3\ of the 100
 tank car mechanics).
Tank car owner notification to     20 tank car owners   100 notices........  1 hour.............             100
 all parties under contract to      (100 lessees/sub-
 car owner, including lessees and/  lessees).
 or sub-lessees, using cars
 subject to directive of terms of
 this directive and inspection/
 testing schedule.
Report of inspection, test, and    20 tank car owners   2,200 reports......  90 min. per car/              3,300
 repair information stipulated in   (100 lessees/sub-                         report.
 paragraph 2(g) of directive to     lessees).
 FRA.
Repairs: 15 percent of relevant    10 tank car          330 car reports/     16 hours...........           5,280
 tank fleet of 14,800 cars--        facility operators.  records.
 record and report of repairs to
 tank car owners.
Tank car facility request to tank  10 tank car          20 requests + 20     10 min. + 10 min...               7
 car owner for written permission   facility operators.  written
 and approval of qualification                           permissions.
 and maintenance program it will
 use consistent with Appendices
 D, R, and W of the Tank Car
 Manual and 49 CFR 180.513 prior
 to initiating any repairs.
Tank car facility report of all    10 tank car          Burden included      N/A................             N/A
 work performed to tank car owner   facility operators.  directly above.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 93,823.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 22,924 hours.
    Type of Request: Regular clearance of an information collection 
previously approved under emergency processing procedures.
    Under 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 December 8, 2016.
Patrick T. Warren,
Acting Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-30740 Filed 12-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P