The proposed collection of information
will be used by FRA to ensure that railroad carriers transporting
one (1) million gallons or more of Bakken crude oil through the
various States fulfill the requirements that are set out in the
Secretary's Emergency Order (Docket No. OST-2014-0067).
Specifically, FRA will use the information collected to verify that
railroads send the required notifications – and updated
notifications where there is a material change (i.e., there is an
increase or decrease of 25% in the number of implicated trains) –
to the appropriate State Emergency Response Commission
(SERC).
The Secretary of
Transportation has determined that public safety compels the
issuance of Emergency Order Docket No. DOT-OST-2014-0067, which
requires affected railroad carriers to provide notifications to the
State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) for each State through
which their trains carrying 1 million gallons or more of Bakken
crude oil are traveling regarding the expected movement of such
trains through the counties in that State. The EO is the
Department’s direct and proactive response to a recent series of
train accidents involving the transportation of petroleum crude
oil, a hazardous material the transportation of which is regulated
by the Department. The most recent accident occurred on April 30,
2014, when a train transporting petroleum crude oil derailed in
Lynchburg, Virginia and released approximately 30,000 gallons of
its contents into the James River. Further, the EO explains that,
with the rising demand for rail transportation of petroleum crude
oil throughout the United States, the risk of rail incidents has
increased commensurate with the increase in the volume of the
material shipped and that there have been several significant
derailments in both the U.S. and Canada over the last several
months causing deaths and property and environmental damage that
involved petroleum crude oil. DOT emergency orders are rare and the
EO itself describes the most recent accidents and circumstances
leading the agency to issue the EO. The collection of information
included under this EO is aimed at ensuring that railroads that
transport in a single train a large quantity of petroleum crude oil
(1 million gallons or more), particularly crude oil from the Bakken
shale formation in the Williston Basin, provide certain information
to the relevant State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) in
each State in which the railroad operates such trains. Ensuring
that railroads provide this information to SERCs is critical to
ensuring that local and State emergency responders are aware of the
large quantities of crude oil that are being transported through
their jurisdictions and are prepared to respond to accidents
involving such trains should they occur.
US Code:
49
USC 29=0103 Name of Law: Federal Railroad Safety Act of
1970
These are new information
collection requirements associated with Secretary Foxx's Emergency
Order No. DOT-OST-2014-0067 issued on May 7, 2014. By definition,
this entire submission's burden of 3,778 hours is a program change.
As stated above, upon OMB Emergency Clearance approval for 180
days, FRA will initiate necessary steps to obtain regular Clearance
of this information collection.
$3,384
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Karl Alexy 202 493-6245
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
49 U.S.C. 5121.doc
Transportation Secretary's Emergency Order Docket No. DOT-OST-2014-0067