[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11541-11542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4995]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

49 CFR Chapter I

[Docket No. RSPA-00-5143; Notice No. 00-2]


Hazardous Materials Safety: Public Meeting Related to Customer 
Service and Regulatory Review

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: RSPA will hold a public meeting to seek information from the 
public on improving safety, reducing costs (especially to small 
businesses) and increasing customer service through RSPA's management 
of the national hazardous materials transportation safety program. This 
meeting is being held in conjunction with a Hazardous Materials 
Multimodal Training Seminar sponsored by RSPA on March 28 and 29, 2000.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 29, 2000, 1 
p.m. to 5 p.m.; however, the meeting may end prior to 5 p.m., dependent 
upon public interest.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Radisson Suite Hotel 
Meadowland, 350 Route 3 West, Secaucus, NJ (201-863-8700). For 
information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities 
or to request special assistance at the meetings, contact Michael 
Stevens at the address or phone number listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT as soon as possible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Stevens, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Standards, RSPA, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Phone (202) 366-8553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Focus on Issues of Interest to Affected Parties

    RSPA (``we'' and ``our'') is interested in soliciting comments on 
the kind and quality of services our customers want and their level of 
satisfaction with the services we currently provide to promote 
understanding and compliance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations 
(HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180). These services include the following:
    (1) Hazardous Materials Information Center (HMIC). A staff of three 
persons is available Monday to Friday (except

[[Page 11542]]

Federal holidays) between 9 am and 5 pm (Eastern time) to address 
telephonic inquiries from shippers, carriers, packaging manufacturers 
and other persons concerning requirements in the HMR for the safe 
transportation of hazardous materials. In 1999, the HMIC handled more 
than 28,000 calls. The toll-free number is 1-800-HMR-4922.
    (2) Internet Access. Our site on the worldwide web (http://hazmat.dot.gov) provides information concerning hazardous materials 
rulemakings, exemptions, letters of clarification, international 
activities, incident data, the 2000 Emergency Response Guidebook and 
much more.
    (3) Fax on Demand. For persons who do not have access to the 
internet, we operate an automated fax-back system that allows callers 
access to more than 600 pages of informational materials, including 
letters of clarification and recently published rulemakings, through 
their own fax machines. A facsimile copy of the catalog of available 
documents may be obtained by accessing the fax-on-demand feature 
through our HMIC number 1-800-HMR-4922.
    (4) Training. To promote compliance with the HMR, we distribute 
brochures, charts, publications, training materials, videotapes, and 
other safety-related information to hazmat employers and hazmat 
employees in the private and government sectors, as well as to the 
general public. Hazardous materials training is provided to Federal, 
State and local enforcement agencies, industry, and emergency response 
personnel. In addition, we provide personal computer based self-study 
programs through a CD-ROM modular training series.
    (5) Government-Industry Partnerships. To the extent permitted 
through our limited resources, we participate in meetings, conferences, 
training workshops, and the like sponsored by public sector, industry, 
and international organizations having an interest in the safe 
transportation of hazardous materials.

Regulations and Administrative Procedures

    On December 20, 1999, we published a notice of regulatory review 
(Docket No. RSPA-99-5143, 64 FR 71098) requesting comments on the 
economic impact of the regulations on small entities. This year we are 
analyzing rules in 49 CFR part 106, Rulemaking Procedures, Part 107, 
Hazardous Materials Program Procedures, and Part 171, General 
Information, Regulations, and Definitions. Meeting participants are 
invited to take this opportunity to suggest whether specific rules in 
these parts should be revised or revoked to lessen the impact on small 
entities.
    We are interested, also, in receiving comments on the quality of 
our processing of written requests for information, applications for 
exemption and approval, registration statements, and other 
administrative actions. Meeting participants are encouraged to provide 
suggestions on how we may improve our performance in processing these 
administrative actions.
    We welcome all comments on ways to improve understanding and 
compliance with the HMR, including removal of obsolete requirements, 
revisions to conflicting or confusing requirements, and the use of 
plain language in regulations. We will address inquiries concerning new 
or proposed requirements recently published in rulemaking actions 
concerning RSPA's registration and fee assessment program (Docket No. 
RSPA-99-5137; 65 FR 7297, February 14, 2000); harmonization of 
requirements in the HMR pertaining to the transportation of radioactive 
materials with standards published by the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (Docket No. RSPA-99-6283; 64 FR 72633, December 28, 1999); and 
the permitted use, until October 1, 2001, of internationally recognized 
POISON and POISON GAS labels on packages intended for transportation in 
international commerce (Docket No. RSPA-99-6195, 64 FR 50260, September 
16, 1999 and 64 FR 51719, September 24, 1999).
    Representatives from the United States Coast Guard, Federal 
Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration will participate with RSPA in this 
public meeting and address modal-specific issues.

Conduct of the Meeting

    This is an informal meeting intended to produce a dialogue between 
agency personnel and persons affected by the hazardous materials 
transportation safety program. The presiding official may find it 
necessary to limit the time available to each person to ensure that all 
participants have an opportunity to speak. Conversely, this meeting may 
conclude early if all persons wishing to participate have been heard. 
While there will be no transcript of the meeting, RSPA will prepare a 
written summary of the meeting and post it in this notice's docket 
(RSPA-99-5143). Persons interested in participating in this public 
meeting need not be registered for the Hazardous Materials Multimodal 
Training Seminar.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on February 25, 2000.
Robert A. McGuire,
Acting Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 00-4995 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
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