[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41071-41073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11395]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[PHMSA-06-24764; Notice No. 06-03]


Revision of the Emergency Response Guidebook

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises interested persons that the Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is soliciting 
comments on the development of the 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook 
(ERG2008), particularly from those who have experience using the 2004 
Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2004) during a hazardous materials 
incident. PHMSA is also soliciting comments on the experiences 
emergency responders have had obtaining emergency response information 
during an incident. The ERG2008 will supersede the ERG2004. The 
development of the ERG2008 is a joint effort involving the 
transportation agencies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. PHMSA 
will publicize its interest in receiving comments on the ERG2008 and 
this notice through its announcements to emergency responder 
associations, during training and education seminars, and during 
activities with State and local government agencies. PHMSA has also 
established an e-mail address for interested persons to submit their 
comments: [email protected].

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before September 18, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number 
(PHMSA-06-24764 (Notice No. 06-03)) by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management System; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-402, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To the Docket Management System; Room PL-
402 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this 
notice. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the Public Participation 
heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. Note 
that all comments received will be posted without change to http://dms.dot.gov including any personal information provided. Please see the 
Privacy Act heading under Supplementary Information.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to the 
Docket Management System (see ADDRESSES).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suezett Edwards, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Initiatives and Training (PHH-50), Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, phone number: (202) 366-4900, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Request for Comments

A. Background and Purpose

    The Federal hazardous materials transportation law, 49 U.S.C. 5101 
et seq., authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue and 
enforce regulations deemed necessary to ensure the safe transport of 
hazardous materials. In addition, the law directs the Secretary of 
Transportation to provide law enforcement and fire-fighting personnel 
with technical information and advice for responding to emergencies 
involving the transportation of hazardous materials.
    PHMSA developed the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) for use by 
emergency services personnel to provide guidance for initial response 
to hazardous materials incidents. Since 1976, it has been the goal of 
PHMSA for all public emergency response vehicles, including fire 
fighting, police, and rescue squad vehicles, to carry a copy of the 
ERG. To accomplish this, PHMSA has published nine editions of the ERG 
and has distributed without charge over

[[Page 41072]]

nine million copies to emergency services agencies.
    Since 1996, PHMSA, Transport Canada, and the Secretary of 
Communication and Transport of Mexico jointly developed the ERG. The 
ERG2008 will supersede the ERG2004 and we will publish it in English, 
French, and Spanish for use by emergency response personnel. 
Publication of the ERG2008 will increase public safety by providing 
consistent emergency response procedures for hazardous materials 
incidents in North America. To continually improve the ERG, PHMSA is 
publishing this notice to actively solicit comments from interested 
parties on their experiences using the ERG2004. We request that 
commenters provide responses to the questions listed below as well as 
any additional information they would like to provide. We are 
especially interested in receiving comments on the usefulness of the 
ERG and the type and quality of information it provides from those who 
have used the ERG during a hazardous materials incident. To further 
examine the information received during a hazardous materials incident, 
we have included questions to solicit comments on the type and quality 
of information received when using the emergency response telephone 
numbers listed in the ERG2004. The emergency response information 
service companies that provide these numbers have agreed to be 
available by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide 
specific information about hazardous materials to emergency responders 
arriving at the scene of a hazardous materials transportation incident.
    To better ensure emergency responders and the public have 
sufficient opportunity to comment on the ERG2008 and this notice, 
PHMSA's training and outreach program will actively publicize its 
interest in receiving these comments through announcements to emergency 
responder associations, during training and education seminars, and 
during activities with State and local government agencies. In 
addition, PHMSA has established an e-mail address for interested 
persons to easily submit their comments. The address is 
[email protected].

B. Emergency Response Guidebook User Concerns

    PHMSA solicits comments on ERG user concerns and on the following 
questions:
    1. Have emergency responders experienced a problem of inconsistent 
guidance between ERG2004 and other sources of technical information? If 
so, in what way could PHMSA reduce or reconcile the inconsistencies in 
the ERG2008?
    2. Have emergency responders experienced confusion or difficulty in 
understanding the scope or purpose of the ERG2004? If so, in what way 
could PHMSA reduce this difficulty in the ERG2008?
    3. Have emergency responders experienced confusion or difficulty in 
understanding how to use the ERG2004? If so, in what way could PHMSA 
reduce this difficulty in the ERG2008?
    4. How could the ``Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action 
Distances'' or its introduction be made easier to comprehend and use?
    5. In the ``Table,'' does the distinction between day and night 
protective action distances add useful information for the first 
responder? How could the distinction be improved?
    6. Could the ``List of Dangerous Water-Reactive Materials'' 
introduced in The 1996 North American Emergency Response Guidebook 
(NAERG96) be enhanced or improved?
    7. Have emergency responders experienced difficulty understanding 
the capabilities of chemical protective clothing, and the limitations 
of structural firefighter's protective clothing in hazardous materials 
incidents? If so, in what way can PHMSA improve the understanding in 
the ERG2008?
    8. Have any identification numbers (ID Nos.) been assigned 
incorrectly to a material? If so, what is (are) the name of the 
material(s)?
    9. Has any identification number and/or material been assigned to 
the ``wrong'' guide? If so, please identify the material and the guide, 
recommend the correct guide, and state why you believe it should be 
used.
    10. Are the recommendations and responses on each guide appropriate 
for the material assigned to the guide?
    11. Have emergency responders experienced difficulty with 
legibility of ERG2004's print style, format, or durability?
    12. Have emergency response agencies experienced difficulty in 
obtaining copies of ERG2004 for their vehicles?
    13. In addition to the Table of Placards, Rail Car Identification 
Chart, and Road Trailer Identification Chart, should other pictorial 
information be included?
    14. Are the Table of Placards, Rail Car Identification Chart, and 
Road Trailer Identification Chart accurate, useful, and easy to use? If 
not, how could they be improved?
    15. Are the terms listed in the Glossary defined satisfactorily?
    16. Should additional terms be added to the Glossary?

C. Questions Regarding the Emergency Response Telephone Numbers Listed 
in the ERG2004

    17. Have you received inaccurate information from any of the 
numbers listed in the ERG2004? If so, from which company(s)? What was 
wrong with the information provided? Was this a one-time occurrence? If 
not, how many times did this occur?
    18. Have non-government emergency response telephone number 
providers delivered adequate information to assist first responders 
during emergencies? Please provide examples.
    19. Should non-government emergency response telephone number 
providers be audited to assure their capacity to provide adequate and 
accurate information to first responders?
    20. Are there other companies you have used that you consider 
reliable and would like included in the ERG2008? Who are they and why?
    21. When requesting emergency assistance was the response timely? 
What do you consider a timely response? In your opinion, what 
company(s) did not meet this requirement? How many times did this 
occur?
    22. When calling one of the Emergency Response Telephone Numbers 
listed in the ERG2004, have you experienced any problems, such as a 
busy phone line, being disconnected during call, or no response at all?
    23. Do you have any additional comments regarding the quality of 
service and information received from any of the companies listed in 
the ERG2004 that provide Emergency Response information?
    24. Should non-government emergency response telephone numbers 
continue to be listed in the ERG2008?
    25. To be listed in the ERG2008, should non-government emergency 
response telephone number providers meet specific and verifiable 
criteria? If yes, please provide examples.
    27. If a non-government emergency response telephone number 
provider does business under several names, should the provider be 
limited to one listing in the ERG2008?
    Any supporting data and analyses provided will enhance the value of 
the comments submitted and is appreciated.


[[Page 41073]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2006, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR part 106.
Robert A. McGuire,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-11395 Filed 7-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P