
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55726-55727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23007]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2011-001-N-12]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration.

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 renewal of the following currently 
approved information collection activities. 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 November 7, 2011.

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 25, 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 2130-0571.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via e-mail to Mr. Brogan at 
Robert.Brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Toone at Kimberly.Toone@dot.gov. 
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 25, 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 is a brief summary of currently approved information 
collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the PRA:
    Title: Occupational Noise Exposure for Railroad Operating 
Employees.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0571.
    Abstract: The collection of information is used by FRA to ensure 
that railroads covered by this rule establish and implement--by 
specified dates--noise monitoring, hearing conservation, and 
audiometric testing programs, as well as hearing conservation training 
programs, to protect their employees against the damaging and 
potentially dangerous effects of excessive noise in the everyday rail 
environment.
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Respondent Universe: 460 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                         Total annual      Average time per      Total annual
          CFR Section            Respondent universe       responses           response          burden hours
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227.9--Waivers.................  460 Railroads......  5 petitions.......  60 minutes........  5 hours.
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227.103--Noise Monitoring        460 Railroads......  460 programs......  2 hours/8 hours     5,165 hours.
 Program.                                                                  600 hours.
--Notification of Employee of    460 Railroads......  905 lists.........  30 minutes........  453 hours.
 Monitoring.
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[[Page 55727]]

 
227.107--Hearing Conservation    460 railroads......  461 HCPs..........  150 hrs/2 hrs/31    2,875 hours.
 Program (HCP).                                                            hrs.
--Revised Hearing Conservation   460 railroads......  92 HCPs...........  /7.5 hours........  160 hours.
 Programs (HCPs).                                                         1.74 hours........
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227.109--Audiometric Testing     78,000 Employees...  60,000 audiograms   7 minutes +.......  7,000 hours +
 Program--Existing Employees--                         + 6,000 a-grams.   25 minutes........  2,500 hours.
 Baseline Audiograms.
--Periodic Audiograms..........  78,000 Employees...  8,000 a-grams       25 minutes 6 min./  3,333 hours.
                                                       2,330 eval. + 93    2.5 hrs.
                                                       retests.
--Evaluation of Audiograms.....  ...................  ..................  ..................  466 hours.
--Problem Audiograms...........  78,000 Employees...  45 documents 93     10 minutes........  8 hours
                                                       notices.           15 minutes........  24 hours.
--Follow-up Procedures--
 Notifications.
--Fitting/Training of            8,000 Employees....  240 tr. session...  2 minutes.........  8 hours.
 Employees: Hearing Protectors.
--Referrals For Clinical/        8,000 Employees....  20 referrals......  2 hours...........  40 hours.
 Otological Examinations.
--Notification to Employee of    240 Employees......  20 notices........  5 minutes.........  2 hours.
 Need: Otological Examination.
--New Audiometric                240 Employees......  20 notices........  5 minutes.........  2 hours.
 Interpretation.
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227.111--Audiometric Test        1,000 Mobile Vans..  1,000 tests.......  45 minutes........  750 hours.
 Requirements.
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227.117--Hearing Protection      460 Railroads......  50 evaluations....  30 minutes........  25 hours.
 Attenuation--Evaluation.
--Re-Evaluations...............  460 Railroads......  10 reevaluations..  30 minutes........  5 hours.
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227.119--Hearing Conservation    460 Railroads/AAR..  441 programs......  8 hours/2 hours/    706 hours.
 Training Program--Development.                                            116 hours/1 hour
                                                                           30 minutes.
--Employee Training............  460 Railroads......  26,000 tr. Empl...  ..................  13,000 hours.
--Periodic Training............  460 Railroads......  7,000 tr. Empl....  30 minutes........  3,500 hours.
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227.121--Record Keeping--        460 Railroads......  10 requests + 10    10 min. + 15 min..  5 hours.
 Authorization: Records.                               Responses.
--Request for Copies of Reports  460 Railroads......  150 requests + 150  21 min. + 45 min..  166 hours.
                                                       resp..
--Records Transfer When Carrier  460 Railroads......  10 records........  24 minutes........  4 hours.
 Becomes Defunct.
--Railroad Audiometric Test      460 Railroads......  26,000 records....  2 minutes.........  867 hours.
 Records.
--Hearing Conservation Program   460 Railroads......  54,000 records....  45 seconds........  675 hours.
 (HCP) Records.
--HCP Training Records of        460 Railroads......  26,000 records....  30 seconds........  217 hours.
 Employees.
--Records: Standard Threshold    460 Railroads......  280 records.......  7 minutes.........  33 hours.
 Shifts of Employees.
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229.121--Locomotive Cab Noise--  3 Equipment          700 tests/rcds....  40 min. + 5 min...  111 hours.
 Tests/Certifications.            Manufacturers.
--Equipment Maintenance:         460 Railroads......  3,000 reports +     10 min. + 5 min...  750 hours.
 Excessive Noise Reports.                              3,000 records.
--Maintenance Records..........  460 Railroads......  3,750 records.....  8 minutes.........  500 hours.
--Internal Auditable Monitoring  570 Railroads......  570 systems.......  36 min. + 8.25      572 hours.
 Systems.                                                                  hours.
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Appendix H--Static Test          700 Locomotives....  2 retests + 2       35 min. + 5 min...  1 hour.
 Protocols/Records.                                    records.
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    Total Responses: 230,919.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 43,928 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 September 2, 2011.
Kimberly Coronel,
Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-23007 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


