[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 242 (Friday, December 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70756-70757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32783]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. RSAC-96-1, Notice No. 19]


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, SW 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, DC 20590, 
(202) 493-6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves to update FRA's last 
announcement of working group activities and status reports on April 6, 
1999 (64 FR 16778). The twelfth full Committee meeting was held 
September 8, 1999. The next meeting of the full Committee is scheduled 
for January 28, 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:
    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was formally withdrawn from the RSAC on June 24, 1997.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.

[[Page 70757]]

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 was 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 was 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 monitored 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). 
A public hearing was held on February 4, 1999, and recommendations were 
developed in response to comments received. The final rule was 
published on November 17, 1999 (64 FR 62828). Contact: George Scerbo 
(202) 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. The RSAC recommended issuance of a 
final rule with the Working Group modifications. The final rule was 
published November 8, 1999 (64 FR 60966). 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 reviewed 
results of the research and is drafting standards for freight and 
passenger 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. A draft sanitation 
NPRM is under review by the Working Group on Cab Working Conditions. 
Task forces on noise and temperature were formed to identify and 
address issues. The Noise Task Force is preparing draft recommendations 
for noise exposure 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, 
completed a report on the future of PTC systems. The report was 
accepted as RSAC's Report to the Administrator at the September 8, 
1999, meeting. The Standards Task Force, formed to develop PTC 
standards, is developing draft recommendations for performance-based 
standards for processor-based signal and train control standards 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 F.R. 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 14, 1999.
Michael J. Logue,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program 
Implementation.
[FR Doc. 99-32783 Filed 12-16-99; 8:45 am]
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