[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 78 (Friday, April 21, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21384-21385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10043]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Parts 222 and 229

[Docket No. FRA-1999-6439, Notice No. 5; Docket No. FRA-1999-6440]
RIN 2130-AA71


Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

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

ACTION: Technical conference on proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On January 13, 2000 (65 FR 2230), FRA published a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-
Rail Grade Crossings (Docket No. FRA-1999-6439). On the same date FRA 
released a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEIS)(Docket No. FRA-1999-
6440) pertaining to the proposals contained in the NPRM. A number of 
public hearings in these proceedings have been held throughout the 
country, and more have been scheduled prior to the close of the comment 
period on May 26, 2000. FRA has determined that, in addition to the 
public hearings, a technical conference addressing locomotive horn 
acoustics would be helpful to FRA in developing a final rule in this 
proceeding. Accordingly, FRA is scheduling a technical conference on 
locomotive horn acoustics to be held on May 10, 2000, in Washington, 
DC.

DATES: 1. A technical conference will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 
2000 beginning at 9:00 a.m.
    2. Deadline to register for participation in the technical 
conference is close of business on Friday, May 5, 2000. Please see 
Public Participation Procedures in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
this document for registration details.

ADDRESSES: 1. Technical conference: FRA Headquarters, 7th floor 
conference room, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
    2. FRA Docket Clerk: Federal Railroad Administration Docket Clerk, 
Office of Chief Counsel, Mail Stop 10, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20590. E-mail address for the FRA Docket Clerk is 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Technical Conference

    The technical conference is meant to address specific technical 
issues that might not be addressed in written comments or through oral 
comments presented at public hearings. The issues to be addressed will 
focus on the technical attributes of, variations to, and potential 
modifications of train horns. Among the issues which may be discussed 
are tone and decibel levels, sound dispersion and direction, horn 
placement and shrouding, horn sounding sequence and duration, and 
whistle board placement and positive train control (as it relates to 
horn use). Additional subjects within the scope of locomotive horn 
acoustics may be also be addressed. A transcript of the technical 
conference will be taken and placed in the public docket of this 
proceeding.

Public Participation Procedures

    Any person wishing to participate in the technical conference 
should notify the FRA Docket Clerk by mail or by e-mail by close of 
business on May 5,

[[Page 21385]]

2000. The notification of intent to participate should identify the 
organization the person represents (if any), the names of all 
participants from that organization planning to participate, and a 
phone number at which the registrant can be reached. FRA reserves the 
right to limit active conference participation to those persons who 
have registered in advance.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 18, 2000.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-10043 Filed 4-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P