[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30977-30978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8315]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), notice is hereby given that the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) received a request for a waiver of compliance with certain 
requirements of its safety standards. The individual petition is 
described below, including the party seeking relief, the regulatory 
provisions involved, the nature of the relief being requested, and the 
petitioner's arguments in favour of relief.

Burlington Northern Sante Fe Corporation

[Docket Number FRA-2006-24812]

    The Burlington Northern Sante Fe Corporation (BNSF), seeks a 
temporary waiver of compliance from certain provisions of 49 CFR part 
232, Brake System Safety Standards for Freight and Other Non-Passenger 
Trains and Equipment. Specifically, the mileage and inspection 
requirements contained in Sec.  232.213, Extended Haul Trains.
    BNSF would like to perform the 1500 mile extended haul inspection 
for thirteen select trains at points which slightly exceed the 1500 
mile point for inbound and outbound inspections for a period of six 
months. BNSF does not believe that this increase will in any way 
compromise the safety of BNSF's operations. BNSF claims this request is 
critical given the increased rate of demand for coal by the utility 
industry. BNSF believes that granting this waiver for a period of six 
months will significantly improve their ability to transport coal 
without any degradation to the safe operation of the following train 
sets: E-PAMATM, E-PAMBAM, E-PAMBTM, E-PAMNAM, E-PAMSBM, E-PAMEBM, E-
MHSATM, E-MHSBKM, E-MHSCAM, E-MHSEBM, E-MHSJRM, E-MHSNAM, E-MHSRWM.
    BNSF states that mechanical and operating forces would be provided 
the list of trains allowed to operate past the 1500 mile threshold. 
Additionally, BNSF would keep records of any defects discovered during 
the inspections, as required, to include any defective cars set out 
enroute.

[[Page 30978]]

    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since 
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party 
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in 
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for 
their request.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should identify the 
appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-
2006-24812 ) and must be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Clerk, 
DOT Central Docket Management Facility, Room Pl-401, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.


    Note: Any request for a public hearing must be made within 15 
days of the date of this notice. Written communications received 
within 30 days of the date of this notice will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will 
be considered as far as practicable. All written communications 
concerning these proceedings are available for examination during 
regular business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at DOT Central Docket 
Management Facility, Room Pl-401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington. All documents in the public docket are also 
available for inspection and copying on the Internet at the docket 
facility's Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.


    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19377-78). The statement 
may also be found at http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC on May 24, 2006.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator, for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
 [FR Doc. E6-8315 Filed 5-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P