[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 219 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67792-67793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28986]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Special Programs Administration
[Docket No. RSPA-2000-6944 (Notice No. 00-12)]
Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements Agency Information
Collection Activity Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information
Collections Requests (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. The ICRs
describe the nature of the information collections and their expected
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following collections of information was
published on August 21, 2000, (65 FR 50741). One comment was received
regarding OMB Control No. 2137-0034, Hazardous Materials Shipping
Papers & Emergency Response Information.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 13, 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Boothe, Office of Hazardous
Materials Standards (DHM-10), Research and Special Programs
Administration, Room 8422, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC
20590-0001, Telephone (202) 366-8553.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers & Emergency Response
Information.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0034.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: This information collection consolidates and describes
the information collection provisions in parts 172, 174, 175, 176, and
177 of the HMR on the shipping paper and emergency response
requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce.
Shipping papers and emergency response information are a basic
communication tool used in the safe transportation of hazardous
materials. They serve as a principal means of identifying hazardous
materials during transportation, including emergencies, by providing
the proper shipping name, hazard class, UN or NA identification number,
packing group and quantity of each hazardous material being
transported. Shipping papers also provide emergency response
information for use in the mitigation of an incident, and an emergency
response telephone number for use in the event of an emergency. The
telephone number must be monitored at all times the hazardous material
is in transportation, by a person who is either knowledgeable of the
hazardous material being shipped and has comprehensive emergency
response and incident mitigation information for that material, or has
immediate access to a person who posses such knowledge and information.
Shipping papers also serve as a means of notifying transport workers
that hazardous materials are present, so that the proper loading,
unloading, handling and safety procedures may be followed.
One comment was received from the Hazardous Materials Advisory
Council (HMAC) requesting clarification on the basis of the 6,500,000
burden hours for the preparation of shipping papers. HMAC cited a
recent RSPA study completed in August 1998 that estimated there are
800,000 daily shipments of hazardous materials in commerce, most
requiring the preparation of shipping papers. According to the August
1998 RSPA study, shipments are defined as equivalent to deliveries, and
in most instances may be distinguished from the number of movements,
trip segments, or other measures. The estimated number of movements
associated with these shipments exceeds 1.2 million per day. Because
most of the 800,000 daily shipments are accomplished with one shipping
paper and some require multiple shipping papers, RSPA has estimated the
annual number of shipments for shipping paper calculation purposes to
be approximately 1 million shipments per day. The information
collection estimates used by RSPA average out to 1 million/day x 5
days/week x 52 weeks or 260 million shipments per year. These estimates
are averages based on the average time it takes all shippers to
complete shipping paper. This includes shippers who prepare shipping
papers once a year manually, as well as those shippers who ship
hundreds of material daily using a permanent reusable
[[Page 67793]]
shipping paper, and shippers who use computer generated shipping papers
that can be printed out in seconds. RSPA acknowledges that it may take
more than 1 minute 30 seconds to prepare a number of shipping papers.
However, other shipping papers can be prepared more quickly by using
data programs, especially for shippers who continually ship the same
hazardous materials.
Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials in
intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 250,000.
Estimated Number of Responses: 260,000,000.
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 6,500,000.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Title: Radioactive (RAM) Transportation Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0510.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: This information collection consolidates and describes
the information collection provisions in the HMR (49 CFR parts 171-180)
involving the transportation of radioactive materials in commerce.
Information collection requirements for RAM include: shipper
notification to consignees of the dates of shipment 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; 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.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,807.
Estimated Number of Responses: 21,319.
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 14,480.
Frequency of Collection: Periodically.
ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, including
suggestions for reducing the burden, to Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for RSPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
Comments are invited on: 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; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility
and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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.
A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30
days of publication.
Issued in Washington, DC on November 7, 2000.
Edward T. Mazzullo,
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-28986 Filed 11-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P