[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35185-35187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12436]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2000-7257; Notice No. 27]


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: FRA is updating its announcement of RSAC's working group 
activities to reflect their current status.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trish Butera 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 January 
17, 2002, (67 FR 2507). The eighteenth full Committee meeting was held 
February 13, 2002, at the Almas Temple in Washington, DC. The 
nineteenth meeting is scheduled for May 29, 2002.
    Since its first meeting in April of 1996, the RSAC has accepted 
seventeen tasks. Status for each of the tasks is provided below:
    Task 96-1--(Completed) 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 This Task was formally withdrawn from the RSAC on June 24, 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 January 17, 2001 (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). Amendments to Subpart D 
of the final rule were published August 1, 2001 (66 FR 36983). 
Amendments responding to the remaining issues raised in petitions for 
reconsideration were published in the Federal Register on April 10, 
2002 (67 FR 17556). Contact: Thomas Hermann (202) 493-6036.
    Task 96-2--(Completed) 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 2000. The GRMS final rule amendment was 
published January 10, 2001 (66 FR 1894). 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--(Completed) 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--(Completed) 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). The final 
rule became effective January 18, 2000. Contact: George Scerbo (202) 
493-6349.
    Task 96-6--(Completed) 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 2000. The NPRM was 
published January 10, 2001 (66 FR 1930). The Task Force met to review 
comments on February 27-March 1, 2002, and agreed to the disposition of 
the comments for the final rule. Next actions are clearance by the 
Working Group and approval at the full RSAC meeting on May 29, 2002. 
Contact: Al MacDowell (202) 493-6236.
    Task 96-8--(Completed) 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

[[Page 35186]]

collisions. This Task was accepted on 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. An accident review task force has evaluated the 
potential effectiveness of suggested improvements. An NPRM has been 
prepared and circulated, and the Working Group met to review and refine 
drafts on October 9-10, 2001, and January 17-18, 2002. The full RSAC 
will review after approval of the Working Group. 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.
    (Sanitation). A draft sanitation NPRM was circulated to the Working 
Group on Cab Working Conditions with ballot requested by November 3, 
2000. The NPRM on sanitation was discussed during the full RSAC meeting 
on September 14, 2000 and published January 2, 2001 (66 FR 136). A 
public hearing was held April 2, 2001. A meeting was held on August 21, 
2001, to discuss comments in response to the NPRM on sanitation. 
Agreement was reached on resolution of the comments to the NPRM. The 
Working Group gave concurrence to send the recommendations to the full 
RSAC for mail ballot vote. The recommendations were approved by the 
full Committee in December 2001. The final rule was published on April 
4, 2002, with an effective date of July 3, 2002 (67 FR 16032).
    (Noise exposure.) 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 2000, and April 2001, and 
reached tentative agreement on most of the significant issues related 
to the noise NPRM. The Cab Working Group held a meeting April 3-5, 
2001, to discuss noise exposure standards. Refinement and substantive 
changes were incorporated into the rule language. A full draft NPRM 
will be circulated to the working group for consideration at meeting 
scheduled for July 24 and 25, 2002.
    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: Jeffrey Horn (202) 493-6283.
    Task 97-3--Developing event recorder data survivability standards. 
This Task was accepted on June 24, 1997. The Event Recorder Working 
Group is completing preparation of an NPRM. The NPRM went to the 
Working Group on May 21, 2001, for comments, and FRA has reviewed the 
comments. A revised draft was provided on March 28, 2002. The next 
meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for May 30-31, 2002 with a 
goal of reaching consensus on the NPRM. 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.
    (Report to the Administrator.) 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.
    (Regulatory development.) The Standards Task Force, formed to 
develop PTC standards assisted in developing draft recommendations for 
performance-based standards for processor-based signal and train 
control systems. The NPRM was approved by consensus at the full RSAC 
meeting held on September 14, 2000. The NPRM was published in the 
Federal Register on August 10, 2001. A meeting of the Working Group was 
held December 4-6, 2001, in San Antonio, Texas to formulate 
recommendations for resolution of issues raised in the public comments. 
Agreement was reached on most issues raised in the comments. 
Consultations continue to complete that activity, after which 
recommendations will be submitted to the full committee for 
consideration on May 29, 2002. Monitoring of implementation continues.
    (Other program development activities.) Task forces on Human 
Factors and the Axiomatic Safety-Critical Assessment Process (risk 
assessment) continue to work toward development of a risk assessment 
toolkit, and the Working Group continues to meet to monitor the 
implementation of PTC and related projects. Contact: Grady Cothen (202) 
493-6302.
    Task 97-7--(Completed) 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, was done to see if the 
method could be used to calculate property damages. The report was 
complete by the last week of April, 2001. A meeting was held May 21-23, 
2001 to review the report. The Working Group agreed to terminate action 
on this task after reviewing the options. The Working Group reviewed a 
draft close-out report which was approved by the full RSAC on February 
13, 2002, terminating this task. 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 (Blue Signal 
Protection). The working group held its first meeting on October 16-18, 
2000. Meetings have been held: February 27--March 1, 2001, March 19-21, 
2001, May 1-3, 2001, June 19-21, 2001, October 23-25, 2001, and January 
28-31, 2002. The Working Group has reached tentative consensus on 
several issues. FRA is preparing documents in an effort to assist in 
moving toward resolution of several remaining issues. Contact: Doug 
Taylor (202) 493-6255.
    Task 01-1--Developing conformity of FRA's regulations for accident/
incident reporting (49 CFR Part 225) to revised regulations of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department 
of Labor, and to make appropriate revisions to the FRA Guide for 
Preparing Accident/Incident Reports (Reporting Guide). This task was 
accepted April 23, 2001, by the full RSAC and assigned to the Accident/
Incident Working Group. A target of September 15, 2001, was set for 
reporting the recommended changes. At a meeting of the Working Group, 
held

[[Page 35187]]

May 21-23, 2001, the task was discussed, and four task forces were set 
up to review changes and/or modifications. These task forces identified 
a series of modifications to the Reporting Guide/regulations for 
consideration. The Working Group met September 11, 2001; meeting was 
dismissed due to national emergency. A meeting was held November 14-15, 
2001 in St. Louis, Missouri. A Task Force on Remote Control met on 
December 11, 2001. The working group met January 23-24, 2002, in 
Baltimore, Maryland, and March 12-13, 2002, in New Orleans, Louisiana. 
A final meeting was held April 24-25, 2002 in Washington, DC. The 
Working Group recommendations on the NPRM will be presented to the full 
RSAC on May 29, 2002. Contact: Robert Finkelstein (202) 493-6280.
    Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on 
March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

George A. Gavalla,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 02-12436 Filed 5-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P