Supporting Statement - Water Carrier Tariffs (Final to OMB)

2140-0026
August 2016
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
FOR REQUEST OF OMB APPROVAL
UNDER THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT AND 5 C.F.R. 1320
The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) requests a three-year extension of approval of
the regulations governing the filing of tariffs by regulated water carriers.
A. Justification:
1. Need for Information in Collection. Congress provided that the Board actively
regulate water carriers engaged in transportation of freight in the noncontiguous domestic trade—
i.e., domestic (as opposed to international) shipments moving to or from Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S.
territories or possessions (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the
Northern Mariana Islands). 49 U.S.C. § 13102(17). For common carriage service by water in
noncontiguous domestic trade, water carriers are required to publish their rates in tariffs and file
them at the STB. 49 U.S.C. § 13702(b); 49 C.F.R. § 1312. (A tariff provides a list of prices and
fees that the carrier charges to the shipping public.)
2. Use of Data Collected. Information in this collection is used by the public to learn
about prices and fees charged by water carriers that provide freight transportation in
noncontiguous domestic trade. Historically, the agency has maintained tariffs in a Tariff Library
at the STB headquarters. Recently, the Board began posting them on its website, located at
https://www.stb.dot.gov/recordations.nsf.
3. Reduction through Improved Technology. This collection may be submitted
electronically. The water carrier tariffs are posted on the Board’s website (as linked above).
4. Identification of Duplication. The Board is required by statute to administer this
collection. No other Federal agency collects the information reported in water carrier tariffs.
5. Minimizing Burden for Small Businesses. The Board concludes that this collection
does not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities. It takes no
more than 45 minutes to file the required copy of the tariff with the Board.
6. Consequences if Collection not Conducted or Less Frequent. Failure of noncontiguous domestic water carriers to file these tariffs as required would negatively impact (1)
public access to information about water carrier tariffs and (2) the ability of the Board to fulfill
its statutory mandate.
7. Special Circumstances. No special circumstances apply to this collection.
8. Consultation with Outside Agency. As required, the Board published a notice

providing a 60-day comment period regarding this collection. See 81 Fed. Reg. 26,302 (May 2,
2016). No comments were received. A 30-day notice was published concurrently with this
submission to Office of Management and Budget (OMB). See 81 Fed. Reg. 51,959 (Aug. 5,
2016).
9. Payments or Gifts. The Board does not provide any payment or gift for this collection.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality. All information collected through this report is
available to the public.
11. Sensitive information. This collection contains no information of a sensitive nature.
12. Estimated Burden Hours. The following information pertains to the estimate of
burden hours associated with this collection:
(1) Number of respondents: Approximately 29.
(2) Frequency of response: On occasion. Over the last three years, respondents
have filed an average of 885 responses per year. The same number of filings is expected
during each of the next 3 years.
(3) Annual hour burden per respondent: 663.75 hours (885 filings X .75 hour
estimated time per filing).
13. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Respondents: No non-hour costs have been
identified for this collection. This form may be filed electronically.
14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government: The Board performs periodic cost
studies to determine the cost to the Board of various Board functions. These costs determine the
various fees set by the Board, including the fees for filing of water carrier tariffs. The fee study
shows the total annual cost to the Board for this collection is $23,399.40.
15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments. This is an existing collection,
which is being adjusted to update the burdens and costs based on the quantities experienced by
the Board for the collection of water carrier tariffs since the last approval of this collection by
OMB in 2013. Since then, the number of tariffs submitted to the Board decreased, and the cost
to the federal government decreased due to technology improvements.
16. Publication of Data and/or Results: There are no plans to tabulate or publish this
collection. The Board posts the tariffs on its website, located at
https://www.stb.dot.gov/recordations.nsf.
17. Display of expiration date for OMB approval. No exception is sought. The required
content for a water carrier tariff is specified in the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions.
See 49 U.S.C. § 13702(b); 49 C.F.R. § 1312. There is no form or other applicable instructions.
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The control number and expiration date for this collection will be published in the Federal
Register as provided in 5 C.F.R. § 1320.3(f)(3).
18. Exceptions to Certification Statement. Not applicable

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:
Not applicable

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