[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18352-18353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8437]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2000-7257, Notice No. 25]


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 Avenue, NW., Mailstop 25, Washington, 
DC 20590, (202) 493-6213 or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate 
Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development, FRA, 1120 
Vermont Avenue, 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 sixteenth full Committee meeting was held 
December 7, 2000, at the Wyndham Hotel in the Vista Ballroom in 
Washington, DC.
    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was formally withdrawn from the RSAC on June 24, 1997.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 was published on 
1/17/01 (66 FR 4104). An amendment extending the effective date of the 
final rule until May 31, 2001 was published on February 12, 2001, (66 
FR 9905). In addition, the AAR has requested that OMB re-open the 
Paperwork approval on the 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. 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 GRMS final rule amendment was 
published 1/10/01 (66 FR 1894) and Roadway Maintenance Machines NPRM 
was published 1/10/01 (66 FR 1930). On January 31, 2001, FRA published 
a notice extending the effective date of the GRMS amendment to April 
10, 2001 (66 FR 8372). On February 8, 2001, FRA published a notice 
delaying the effective date until June 9, 2001 in accordance with the 
Regulatory Review Plan (66 FR 9676). 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

[[Page 18353]]

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 was 
published 1/10/01 (66 FR 1930). 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 Task 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 June 24, 1977. 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. An NPRM is being prepared, with the Working Group 
meeting to review the draft. 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 was circulated to the Working Group on Cab Working Conditions with 
ballot requested by 11/3/00. The NPRM on sanitation was discussed 
during the full RSAC meeting on September 14, 2000 and published 1/02/
01 (66 FR 136). A public hearing is scheduled April 2, 2001, to discuss 
the Locomotive Sanitation Standards. A Task Force has assisted in 
identifying options for strengthening the occupational noise exposure 
standard, and the Cab Working Group met in October and November and 
reached tentative agreement on most of the significant issues related 
to the noise NPRM. The Cab Working Group has scheduled a meeting April 
3-5 to discuss Noise Standards. 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 Pritchard (202) 
493-6247.
    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. 
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. 
Task forces on Human Factors and the Axiomatic Safety-Critical 
Assessment Process (risk assessment) continue to work. A meeting of the 
Working Group is scheduled for March 26, 2001, in Las Vegas to discuss 
updates on the projects. 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 ended January 31, 2001. A statistical 
analysis, using the survey data, is currently being done to see if a 
method can be used to calculate property damages. The report is 
scheduled for completion by the last week of April, 2001. A meeting is 
scheduled for May 21-23, 2001 to review the report. 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 markings devices (Blue Signal 
Protection). A working group has been formed and held its first meeting 
on October 16-18, 2000. A second meeting was held from February 27-
March 1, 2001. The next meeting is scheduled for March 19-21, 2001. 
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 March 25, 2001.
George A. Gavalla,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 01-8437 Filed 4-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-M