[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 77 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19855-19856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10048]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. RSAC-96-1, Notice No. 17]


Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (``RSAC''); Working Group 
Activity Update

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Announcement of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) 
Working Group Activities.

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SUMMARY: FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's working group 
activities to reflect the current status of working group activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicky McCully, RSAC Coordinator, FRA, 
400 7th Street, S.W. Washington, DC. 20590, (202) 493-6305 or Grady 
Cothen, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards Program 
Development, FRA, 400 7th Street, SW., Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20590, 
(202) 493-6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves to update FRA's last 
announcement of working group activities and status reports on December 
29, 1998 (63 FR 71668). The tenth full Committee meeting was held 
January 28, 1999. The next meeting of the full Committee is scheduled 
for April 15, 1999, at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington, DC.
    Since its first meeting in April of 1996, the RSAC has accepted 
fifteen tasks. Status for each of the tasks is provided below:

[[Page 19856]]

    Task 96-1--Revising the Freight Power Brake Regulations. This Task 
was formally withdrawn from the RSAC on June 24, 1997. FRA published an 
NPRM on September 9, 1998, reflective of what FRA had learned through 
the collaborative process. Two public hearings were conducted and a 
technical conference was held. The date for submission of written 
comments was extended to March 1, 1999. FRA is preparing a final rule. 
Contact: Thomas Hermann (202)493-6036.
    Task 96-2--Reviewing and recommending revisions to the Track Safety 
Standards (49 CFR part 213) . This task was accepted April 2, 1996, and 
a Working Group was established. Consensus was reached on recommended 
revisions and an NPRM incorporating these recommendations was published 
in the Federal Register on July 3, 1997, (62 FR 36138). The final rule 
was published in the Federal Register on June 22, 1998 (63 FR 33991). 
The effective date of the rule is September 21, 1998. A task force was 
established to address Gage Restraint Measurement System (GRMS) 
technology applicability to the Track Safety Standards. An amendment to 
the final rule is being prepared for presentation to the RSAC. Contact: 
Al MacDowell (202)493-6236.
    Task 96-3--Reviewing and recommending revisions to the Radio 
Standards and Procedures (49 CFR part 220). This Task was accepted on 
April 2, 1996, and a Working Group was established. Consensus was 
reached on recommended revisions and an NPRM incorporating these 
recommendations was published in the Federal Register on June 26, 1997 
( 62 FR 34544). The final rule was published on September 4, 1998 (63 
FR 47182) and becomes effective on January 2, 1999. Contact: Gene Cox 
(202)493-6319.
    Task 96-4--Reviewing the appropriateness of the agency's current 
policy regarding the applicability of existing and proposed regulations 
to tourist, excursion, scenic, and historic railroads. This Task was 
accepted on April 2, 1996, and a Working Group was established. The 
Working Group is monitoring the steam locomotive regulations task. 
Contact: Grady Cothen (202)493-6302.
    Task 96-5--Reviewing and recommending revisions to Steam Locomotive 
Inspection Standards (49 CFR part 230). This Task was assigned to the 
Tourist and Historic Working Group on July 24, 1996. Consensus was 
reached and an NPRM was published on September 25, 1998 (63 FR 51404). 
Written and oral comments have been reviewed and FRA is preparing the 
final rule. Contact: George Scerbo (202)493-493-6349.
    Task 96-6--Reviewing and recommending revisions to miscellaneous 
aspects of the regulations addressing Locomotive Engineer Certification 
(49 CFR part 240). This Task was accepted on October 31, 1996, and a 
Working Group was established. Consensus was reached and an NPRM was 
published on September 22, 1998. The Working Group met to resolve 
issues presented in public comments. At the January 28, 1999, meeting, 
the RSAC recommended issuance of a final rule with the Working Group 
modifications. FRA is preparing the final rule. Contact: John Conklin 
(202)493-6318.
    Task 96-7--Developing On-Track Equipment Safety Standards. This 
task was assigned to the existing Track Standards Working Group on 
October 31, 1996, and a Task Force was established. The Task Force is 
finalizing a proposed rule to present to the RSAC for consideration. 
Contact: Al MacDowell (202)493-6236.
    Task 96-8--This Planning Task evaluated the need for action 
responsive to recommendations contained in a report to Congress 
entitled, Locomotive Crashworthiness & Working Conditions. This 
Planning Task was accepted on October 31, 1996. A Planning Group was 
formed and reviewed the report, grouping issues into categories.
    Task 97-1--Developing crashworthiness specifications to promote the 
integrity of the locomotive cab in accidents resulting from collisions. 
This Task was accepted on June 24, 1997. A Task Force on engineering 
issues was established by the Working Group on Locomotive 
Crashworthiness to review collision history and design options and 
additional research was commissioned. The Working Group is finalizing 
recommended standards for future locomotives to present to the RSAC for 
consideration. Contact: Sean Mehrvazi (202) 493-6237.
    Task 97-2--Evaluating the extent to which environmental, sanitary, 
and other working conditions in locomotive cabs affect the crew's 
health and the safe operation of locomotives, proposing standards where 
appropriate. This Task was accepted June 24, 1997. The Working Group on 
Cab Working Conditions is drafting a standard for locomotive sanitary 
conditions. Task forces on noise and temperature were formed to 
identify and address issues. The Noise Task Force is drafting 
recommendations for hearing conservation program requirements. Contact: 
Brenda Hattery (202)493-6326.
    Task 97-3--Developing event recorder data survivability standards. 
This Task was accepted on June 24, 1997. An Event Recorder Working 
Group and Task Force have been established and are actively meeting. A 
draft proposed rule is being reviewed. Contact: Edward English 
(202)493-6321.
    Task 97-4 and Task 97-5--Defining Positive Train Control (PTC) 
functionalities, describing available technologies, evaluating costs 
and benefits of potential systems, and considering implementation 
opportunities and challenges, including demonstration and deployment.
    Task 97-6--Revising various regulations to address the safety 
implications of processor-based signal and train control technologies, 
including communications-based operating systems. These three tasks 
were accepted on September 30, 1997, and assigned to a single Working 
Group. A Data and Implementation Task Force, formed to address issues 
such as assessment of costs and benefits and technical readiness, is 
finalizing a report on the future of PTC systems. The report will be 
incorporated into a Report to the Congress. The Standards Task Force, 
formed to develop PTC standards, is developing draft recommendations 
for presentation to the RSAC. Contact: Grady Cothen (202)493-6302.
    Task 97-7--Determining damages qualifying an event as a reportable 
train accident. This Task was accepted on September 30, 1997. A working 
group was formed to address this task and conducted their initial 
meeting February 8, 1999. Contact: Robert Finkelstein (202)493-6280.
    Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on 
March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 15, 1999.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 99-10048 Filed 4-21-99; 8:45 am]
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