Overview
Title
Collection of Information Under Review by Office of Management and Budget; OMB Control Number 1625-0088
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The U.S. Coast Guard, which helps keep boats and ships safe, wants people's opinions on a plan to gather info from boat owners about how they travel with big tank barges. This info will help them make sure boats carrying oil travel safely.
Summary AI
The U.S. Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is asking for public comments on an information collection request related to voyage planning for tank barge transits in the Northeast U.S. This request, identified by the OMB Control Number 1625-0088, aims to extend the current approval without changes and intends to collect data from owners and operators of towing vessels. The data is crucial for improving safety and minimizing accidents in waterway transportation involving tank barges carrying petroleum oil. Comments can be submitted online until April 9, 2025.
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR), abstracted below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0088, Voyage Planning for Tank Barge Transits in the Northeast United States; without change. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The U.S. Coast Guard, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, has issued a request for public comments regarding their ongoing information collection effort related to voyage planning for tank barge transits in the Northeast United States. This request, identified by OMB Control Number 1625-0088, is seeking to renew approval without any changes. The goal of the data collection is to enhance safety measures and reduce the risk of accidents in the transportation of petroleum products by barge.
General Overview
The document is a public invitation from the Coast Guard for comments on an information collection request. This practice is in line with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, which aims to limit burdens associated with government-required paperwork. The specific collection addresses safety regulations for tanker barges towing oil in bulk, a significant concern given the environmental and economic implications of potential spills or accidents.
Key Issues and Concerns
One of the notable issues identified in the document is the increased burden estimate, which has risen from 937 hours to 1,544 hours. Although this increase is attributed to a rise in the number of respondents, the document does not offer deeper insights into why these additional hours are necessary or how many more respondents there are.
Another point of concern is the lack of clarity regarding specific measures to reduce this burden on the respondents. While the document encourages the use of automated data collection, it does not specify any concrete plans for implementing such technologies.
Moreover, the document provides a broad summary of the utility of collecting this information but leaves out detailed explanations of how this benefits public safety or enhances operational efficiencies.
Lastly, while the document outlines a procedure for public comments, it lacks transparency about how these comments might influence decisions. It remains unclear how the feedback will be analyzed and integrated into the process.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
For the general public, the collection of this information is meant to ensure safer waterways, minimizing the risk of environmental pollution and protecting commercial activities related to maritime transport. However, given the increased burden of reporting, this could result in additional operational costs for companies involved, potentially influencing product pricing and market dynamics.
Specific stakeholders such as towing vessel owners and operators are directly affected. They might face increased administrative responsibilities without adequate clarification on measures to minimize these burdens. Moreover, if the increase in respondent burden lacks justification or is not effectively managed, it could lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction.
Overall, while this information collection initiative is aligned with public safety goals, greater transparency and a clearer strategy for reducing compliance burdens could enhance stakeholder support and efficacy. Improving communication on how public comments are integrated might also encourage more active participation and trust in the process.
Issues
• The document does not clarify why the burden estimate has increased from 937 hours to 1,544 hours, besides mentioning an increase in the number of respondents. Additional context would be beneficial.
• The document does not outline any specific measures or plans to minimize the increased burden on respondents, other than encouraging the use of automated collections or technology.
• There is no detailed information about the practical utility of collecting this information, as the document only provides a brief summary.
• The document could be clearer about how public comments might influence the decision-making process by OIRA.
• While the document provides instructions for submitting comments, it does not clarify how these comments will be utilized or considered during the review process.
• The forms section states 'None,' which might be misleading as it implies no structured data collection forms exist, which could lead to confusion regarding submissible information formats.
• The language related to accessing comments and documents online could be simplified to enhance reader understanding and accessibility.