[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61137-61138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17164]


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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 favor of relief.

Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR)

Waiver Petition Docket Number FRA-2000-7094

    The Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR) has petitioned for a continued 
waiver of compliance for train employees from the requirements of 49 
U.S.C. 21103(a), the Federal hours of service law (HSL). This provision 
requires the railroad to neither require nor allow train employees to 
begin or remain on duty in excess of 12 hours in a 24-hour period 
without receiving the appropriate 8 or 10-hour statutory off-duty 
period. However, the HSL contains an exemption (49 U.S.C. 21102(b)) 
permitting a railroad, that employs not more than 15 employees subject 
to the statute to seek an exemption from the 12-hour limitation. PVRR 
states that it is not its intention to employ a train crew over 12 
hours per day under normal circumstances, but this exemption, if 
continued, would help its operation if unusual operating conditions are 
encountered.
    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 2000-
7094) and must be submitted to the Docket Clerk, DOT Docket Management 
Facility, Room PL-401 (Plaza Level), 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590. Communications received within 45 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 the above 
facility. All documents in the public docket are also available for 
inspection and copying on the Internet

[[Page 61138]]

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 19477-78). The Statement 
may also be found at http://dms.dot.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 11, 2006.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E6-17164 Filed 10-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P