[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17569-17570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7193]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2012-0058; Notice No. 12-4]


United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC)--
Transportation--Dangerous Goods Working Group

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of request for stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: This notice is a request for comments and suggestions relative 
to the draft work plan of the Transportation--Dangerous Goods Working 
Group, of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council 
(RCC). Comments will be accepted from all interested stakeholders.

[[Page 17570]]


DATES: Comments must be received by April 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments: It is requested that comments be submitted via 
email to [email protected] as well as by any one of the following methods 
(please identify comments by the docket number PHMSA-2012-0058):
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Routing 
Symbol M-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: To Docket Operations, Room W12-140 on the 
ground floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this notice at the beginning of the comment. Note 
that all comments received will be posted without change to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal, including any personal information provided.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any 
written communications and comments received into any of our dockets by 
the name of the individual submitting the document (or signing the 
document, 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), which may also be found at http://www.dot.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or DOT's Docket 
Operations Office (see ADDRESSES).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Shane Kelley or Mr. Vincent 
Babich, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Department of 
Transportation, Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-0656.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: President Barack Obama and Prime Minister 
Stephen Harper created the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council 
(RCC) on February 4, 2011. After private sector consultations and 
bilateral negotiations, the RCC released the Joint Action Plan on 
Regulatory Cooperation on December 7, 2011. The Joint Action Plan is a 
practical first step to increased regulatory cooperation between the 
United States and Canada.
    In order to address the dangerous goods (hazardous materials) 
transportation opportunities identified in the Joint Action Plan, the 
Transportation--Dangerous Goods Working Group led by senior officials 
of regulatory agencies from both countries has developed a work plan 
with concrete objectives, deliverables and milestones for tangible 
progress within the RCC's two-year mandate. When available, the work 
plan will be posted at http://www.trade.gov/rcc/.
    The purpose of this request is to invite all interested 
stakeholders to provide comments relative to the plan and the RCC. The 
draft work plan has also been posted and is available for viewing under 
this docket number. All stakeholders including those who may not have 
participated in the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council 
(RCC) stakeholder engagement session on January 31, 2012 in Washington, 
DC are welcome to submit additional comments. Comments that were 
submitted prior to the publication date of this notice will be posted 
to this docket and do not need to be resubmitted.
    PHMSA is particularly soliciting comments and suggestions in the 
following areas:
     The development of ongoing cooperation frameworks and 
alignment mechanisms in the work plan.
     Technical input relevant to issues identified in the work 
plan or otherwise in relation to the transportation of hazardous 
materials between the U.S. and Canada.
     Your preferred method and frequency of stakeholder 
engagement for the working group.
     Overall United States-Canada regulatory cooperation and 
the RCC process with respect to the transportation of hazardous 
materials.

Additional information concerning the RCC and the Joint Action Plan is 
available at http://www.trade.gov/rcc/.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 13, 2012.
Magdy El-Sibaie,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 2012-7193 Filed 3-23-12; 8:45 am]
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