Rules and Regulations. Notice and request for comments

Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT)
Action: Notice and request for comments
Citation: FR Doc. 2016-06603 · Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0027 (Notice No. 2016-2)

Summary

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on certain information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Dates

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before May 23, 2016.

Supplementary Information

Section 1320.8 (d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations requires PHMSA 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 171.6 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171 through 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) summary of the information collection activity; (4) description of affected public; (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 a notice of the approval in the Federal Register . PHMSA requests comments on the following information collection: Title: Inspection and Testing of Portable Tanks and Intermediate Bulk Containers. OMB Control Number: 2137-0018. Summary: This information collection consolidates provisions for documenting qualifications, inspections, tests, and approvals pertaining to the manufacture and use of portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers under various provisions of the HMR. It is necessary to ascertain whether portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers have been qualified, inspected, and retested in accordance with the HMR. The information is used to verify that certain portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers meet required performance standards prior to their being authorized for use, and to document periodic requalification and testing to ensure the packagings have not deteriorated due to age or physical abuse to a degree that would render them unsafe for the transportation of hazardous materials. Affected Public: Manufacturers and owners of portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 8,770. Total Annual Responses: 86,100. Total Annual Burden Hours: 66,390. Frequency of collection: On occasion. 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 §§ 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 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 also 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 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. It should be noted that PHMSA recently completed a collection of information under the Hazardous Materials Automated Cargo Communications for Efficient and Safe Shipments (HM-ACCESS) pilot program. This program has concluded and the burden hours posted in this notice no longer reflect the collection of information related to the 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: Cargo Tank Motor Vehicles in Liquefied Compressed Gas Service. OMB Control Number: 2137-0595. Summary: These information collection and recordkeeping requirements pertain to the manufacture, certification, inspection, repair, maintenance, and operation of certain DOT specification and non-specification cargo tank motor vehicles used to transport liquefied compressed gases. These requirements are intended to ensure cargo tank motor vehicles used to transport liquefied compressed gases are operated safely, and to minimize the potential for catastrophic releases during unloading and loading operations. They include: (1) Requirements for operators of cargo tank motor vehicles in liquefied compressed gas service to develop operating procedures applicable to unloading operations and carry the operating procedures on each vehicle; (2) inspection, maintenance, marking, and testing requirements for the cargo tank discharge system, including delivery hose assemblies; and (3) requirements for emergency discharge control equipment on certain cargo tank motor vehicles transporting liquefied compressed gases that must be installed and certified by a Registered Inspector. Affected Public: Carriers in liquefied compressed gas service, manufacturers and repairers. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 6,958. Total Annual Responses: 920,538. Total Annual Burden Hours: 200,914. Frequency of collection: On occasion. Title: Inspection and Testing of Meter Provers. OMB Control Number: 2137-0620. Summary: This information collection and recordkeeping burden results from the requirements pertaining to the use, inspection, and maintenance of mechanical displacement meter provers (meter provers) used to check the accurate flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings, such as portable tanks and cargo tank motor vehicles, under the HMR. These meter provers are used to ensure that the proper amount of liquid hazardous materials is being loaded and unloaded involving bulk packagings, such as cargo tanks and portable tanks. These meter provers consist of a gauge and several pipes that always contain small amounts of the liquid hazardous material in the pipes as residual material, and, therefore, must be inspected and maintained in accordance with the HMR to ensure they are in proper calibration and working order. These meter provers are not subject to the specification testing and inspection requirements in part 178. However, these meter provers must be visually inspected annually and hydrostatic pressure tested every five years in order to ensure they are properly working as specified in § 173.5a of the HMR. Therefore, this information collection requires that: (1) Each meter prover must undergo and pass an external visual inspection annually to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR. (2) Each meter prover must undergo and pass a hydrostatic pressure test at least every five years to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR. (3) Each meter prover must successfully complete the test and inspection and must be marked in accordance with §§ 180.415(b) and 173.5a. (4) Each owner must retain a record of the most recent visual inspection and pressure test until the meter prover is requalified. Affected Public: Owners of meter provers used to measure liquid hazardous materials flow into bulk packagings such as cargo tanks and portable tanks. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 50. Total Annual Responses: 250. Total Annual Burden Hours: 175. Frequency of collection: On occasion. Signed in Washington, DC, on March 18, 2016. William S. Schoonover, Deputy Associate Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. [FR Doc. 2016-06603 Filed 3-23-16; 8:45 am]