[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13626-13627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5297]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Docket No. RSPA-01-8587; 
Notice No. 01-06]


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 27 and 28, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Sheraton North 
Charleston

[[Page 13627]]

Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston, South Carolina 29406 (843-
747-1900). For information on facilities or services for individuals 
with disabilities or to request special assistance at the meetings, 
contact Eileen Edmonson at the address or telephone number listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT as soon as possible.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2001, 
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; however, the meeting may end prior to 4:00 
p.m., depending on public interest.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen Edmonson, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Standards, RSPA, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone 202-366-8553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Focus on Issues of Interest to Affected Parties

    RSPA (we) 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 of 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 from Monday to Friday (except federal holidays) 
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST to address telephone inquiries from 
shippers, carriers, packaging manufacturers, and other persons 
concerning requirements in the HMR for the safe transportation of 
hazardous materials. In 2000, the HMIC handled more than 33,000 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 and to the general 
public. We also offer hazardous materials training 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 resources 
permit, we participate in meetings, conferences, training workshops, 
and the like, sponsored by the public sector, industry, and 
international organizations having an interest in the safe 
transportation of hazardous materials.

Regulations and Administrative Procedures

    On January 12, 2001, we published a notice of regulatory review 
(Docket No. RSPA-01-8587, 66 FR 2870) requesting comments on the 
economic impact of the HMR on small entities. This year we are 
analyzing rules in 49 CFR parts 174, Carriage by Rail, and 177, 
Carriage by Public Highway. We are inviting participants to take this 
opportunity to suggest whether or not we, in an effort to lessen the 
impact on small entities, should revise or revoke specific rules.
    We are also interested in receiving comments on the quality of our 
processing of written requests for information, applications for 
exemptions and approvals, registration statements, and other 
administrative actions. Participants are encouraged to provide 
suggestions on how we can improve our performance in processing these 
administrative actions.
    We welcome all comments on ways to improve the understanding of and 
compliance with the HMR, including removal of obsolete requirements, 
revisions to conflicting or confusing requirements, and the use of 
plain language. We will also address inquiries concerning new or 
proposed requirements, including recently published actions concerning:
     Proposed revisions for infectious substances and 
genetically modified materials to: (1) Adopt new classification 
criteria for infectious substances based on defining criteria developed 
by the World Health Organization and consistent with international 
transportation standards; (2) eliminate the current exception for 
diagnostic specimens and impose new packaging and hazardous 
communication requirements; (3) limit the current exception for 
biological products to biological products licensed for use by the Food 
and Drug Administration or U.S. Department of Agriculture; (4) adopt 
new requirements for the transportation of genetically modified micro-
organisms consistent with international requirements; and (5) provide 
new bulk packaging options for the transportation of regulated medical 
waste, based on current exemption provisions (Docket No. RSPA-98-3971, 
66 FR 6942, January 22, 2001).
     Harmonization of the HMR requirements with standards 
published in the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of 
Dangerous Goods, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, and 
the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions 
for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Docket No. RSPA-2000-
7702; 65 FR 63294, October 23, 2000).
    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 to address mode-specific issues.

Conduct of the Meeting

    This is an informal meeting intended to foster 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 earlier than 4 p.m. if all persons wishing to participate have 
been heard. While there will be no transcript of the meeting, RSPA will 
prepare a written summary and post it in this notice's docket (RSPA-01-
8587). Persons interested in participating in this public meeting need 
not be registered for the Hazardous Materials Multimodal Training 
Seminar.

Robert A. McGuire,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Research and 
Special Programs Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-5297 Filed 3-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P