Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities
Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 2015)
Federal Register Volume 80, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 2015)
Notices
Pages 50070-50071
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2015-20274
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Docket No. PHMSA-2014-0098; Notice No. 15-15
Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) discussed below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal and extension. These ICRs describe the nature of the information collections and their expected burdens. A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on these ICRs was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2015 80 FR 23582 under Docket No. PHMSA-2015-0098 (Notice No. 15-8). PHMSA did not receive any comments in response to the April 29, 2015 notice.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on, or before September 17, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including suggestions for reducing the burden, by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for DOT-PHMSA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, by fax, 202-395-5806, or by email, to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov. Comments should refer to the information collection by title and/or OMB Control Number.
We invite comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Andrews or T. Glenn Foster, Standards and Rulemaking Division (PHH-12), U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001, Telephone (202) 366-8553.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1320.8 (d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations requires Federal agencies to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping requests. This notice identifies information collection requests that PHMSA will be submitting to OMB for renewal and extension. These information collections are contained in 49 CFR parts 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, and 177 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180). PHMSA has revised burden estimates, where appropriate, to reflect current reporting levels or adjustments based on changes in proposed or final rules published since the information collections were last approved. The following information is provided for each information collection: (1) Title of the information collection, including former title if a change is being made; (2) OMB Control Number; (3) abstract of the information collection activity; (4) description of affected persons; (5) estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (6) frequency of collection. PHMSA will request a three-
year term of approval for each information collection activity and, when approved by OMB, publish notice of the approvals in the Federal Register.
PHMSA requests comments on the following information collections:
Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers and Emergency Response Information.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0034.
Summary: This information collection is for the requirement to provide a shipping paper and emergency response information with shipments of hazardous materials. Shipping papers are considered to be a basic communication tool relative to the transportation of hazardous materials. The definition of a shipping paper in 49 CFR 171.8 includes a shipping order, bill of lading, manifest, or other shipping document serving a similar purpose and containing the information required by Sec. Sec. 172.202, 172.203, and 172.204 of the HMR. A shipping paper with emergency response information must accompany most hazardous materials shipments and be readily
Page 50071
available at all times during transportation.
Shipping papers serve as the principal source of information regarding the presence of hazardous materials, identification, quantity, and emergency response procedures. They also serve as the source of information for compliance with other requirements, such as the placement of rail cars containing different hazardous materials in trains; prevent the loading of poisons with foodstuffs; maintain the separation of incompatible hazardous materials; and limit the amount of radioactive materials that may be transported in a vehicle or aircraft. Shipping papers and emergency response information serve as a means of notifying transport workers that hazardous materials are present. Most importantly, shipping papers serve as a principal means of identifying hazardous materials during transportation emergencies. Firefighters, police, and other emergency response personnel are trained to obtain the Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping papers and emergency response information when responding to hazardous materials transportation emergencies. The availability of accurate information concerning hazardous materials being transported significantly improves response efforts in these types of emergencies.
PHMSA is revising this information collection burden to reflect the anticipated completion of the collection of information under the Hazardous Materials Automated Cargo Communications for Efficient and Safe Shipments (HM-ACCESS) pilot program.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 260,000.
Total Annual Responses: 185,000,000.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,625,846.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Title: Radioactive (RAM) Transportation Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0510.
Summary: This information collection describes the information collection provisions in the HMR involving the transportation of radioactive materials (RAM) in commerce. Information collection requirements for RAM include: Shipper notification to consignees of the dates of shipments of RAM; expected arrival; special loading/unloading instructions; verification that shippers using foreign-made packages hold a foreign competent authority certificate and verification that the terms of the certificate are being followed for RAM shipments being made into this country; and specific handling instructions from shippers to carriers for fissile RAM, bulk shipments of low specific activity RAM, and packages of RAM which emit high levels of external radiation. These information collection requirements help to establish that proper packages are used for the type of radioactive material being transported; external radiation levels do not exceed prescribed limits; and packages are handled appropriately and delivered in a timely manner, so as to ensure the safety of the general public, transport workers, and emergency responders.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of radioactive materials in commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 3,817.
Total Annual Responses: 21,519.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 15,270.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Title: Subsidiary Hazard Class and Number/Type of Packagings.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0613.
Summary: The HMR require that shipping papers and emergency response information accompany each shipment of hazardous materials in commerce. In addition to the basic shipping description information, we also require the subsidiary hazard class or subsidiary division number(s) to be entered in parentheses following the primary hazard class or division number on shipping papers. This requirement was originally required only by transportation by vessel. However, the lack of such a requirement posed problems for motor carriers with regard to complying with segregation, separation, and placarding requirements, as well as posing a safety hazard. For example, in the event the motor vehicle becomes involved in an accident, when the hazardous materials being transported include a subsidiary hazard such as ``dangerous when wet'' or a subsidiary hazard requiring more stringent requirements than the primary hazard, there is no indication of the subsidiary hazards on the shipping papers and no indication of the subsidiary risks on placards. Under circumstances such as motor vehicles being loaded at a dock, labels are not enough to alert hazardous materials employees loading the vehicles, nor are they enough to alert emergency responders of the subsidiary risks contained on the vehicles. Therefore, we require the subsidiary hazard class or subsidiary division number(s) to be entered on the shipping paper, for purposes of enhancing safety and international harmonization.
We also require the number and type of packagings to be indicated on the shipping paper. This requirement makes it mandatory for shippers to indicate on shipping papers the numbers and types of packages, such as drums, boxes, jerricans, etc., being used to transport hazardous materials by all modes of transportation.
Shipping papers serve as a principal means of identifying hazardous materials during transportation emergencies. Firefighters, police, and other emergency response personnel are trained to obtain the DOT shipping papers and emergency response information when responding to hazardous materials transportation emergencies. The availability of accurate information concerning hazardous materials being transported significantly improves response efforts in these types of emergencies. The additional information would aid emergency responders by more clearly identifying the hazard.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in commerce.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Number of Respondents: 250,000.
Total Annual Responses: 6,337,500.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 17,604.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
William S. Schoonover,
Deputy Associate Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
FR Doc. 2015-20274 Filed 8-17-15; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
