[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 215 (Monday, November 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66581-66582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28443]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC-96-1, Notice No. 21]


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: Trish Paolella or Lydia Leeds, RSAC 
Coordinators, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW, Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 
20590, (202) 493-6213 or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate Administrator 
for Safety Standards Program Development, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW, 
Mailstop 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 December 
17, 1999 (64 FR 70756). The fifteenth full Committee meeting was held 
September 14, 2000 at the Association of American Railroads Conference 
Center in Washington, D.C.
    Since its first meeting in April of 1996, the RSAC has accepted 
sixteen 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was formally withdrawn from the RSAC on June 24, 1997.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. The final rule is in review and 
clearance. 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 was September 21, 1998. A task force was 
established to address Gage Restraint Measurement System (GRMS) 
technology applicability to the Track Safety Standards. A GRMS 
amendment to the Track Safety Standards was approved by the full RSAC 
in a mail ballot during August. The final rule amendment will be 
published in the Federal Register. 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. Planned 
future activities involve the review of other regulations for possible 
adaptation to the safety needs of tourist and historic railroads. 
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 Roadway Maintenance Machine (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 finalized a proposed rule which was 
approved by the full RSAC in a mail ballot in August. The NPRM will be 
published in the Federal Register. 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, and 
prepared drafts of the task statements for Tasks 97-1 and 97-2.
    Task 97-1--Developing crashworthiness specifications to promote the 
integrity of the locomotive cab in accidents resulting from collisions. 
This Task was accepted on

[[Page 66582]]

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 
performance-based standards for freight and passenger locomotives to 
present to the RSAC for consideration. Review of collision data for use 
in the regulatory evaluation was completed in September. 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 has been circulated for approval of working group, with ballots 
requested by November 3. The Cab Working Group met in October to begin 
finalizing work on a noise exposure standard and will be meeting in 
November to complete a draft NPRM. The Cab Working Group has also 
considered issues related to cab temperature, and is expected to 
consider additional issues (such as vibration) in the future. 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, developed draft recommendations for performance-based 
standards for processor-based signal and train control standards. The 
NPRM was approved by consensus at the full RSAC meeting held on 
September 14, 2000. The NPRM will be published in the Federal Register. 
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 on February 8, 1999. The working group designed a survey form 
to collect specific data about damages to railroad equipment. The 
survey started on August 1 and will end January 31, 2001. The working 
group is scheduled to meet in December 2000. Contact: Robert 
Finkelstein (202) 493-6280.
    Task 00-1--Determining the need to amend regulations protecting 
persons who work on, under, or between rolling equipment and persons 
applying, removing or inspecting rear end marking devices. A working 
group has been formed and held its first meeting on October 16-18, 
2000. Contact: Doug Taylor (202) 493-6255.
    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 November 1, 2000.
George Gavalla,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 00-28443 Filed 11-3-00; 8:45 am]
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