[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68501-68502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27235]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration


International Standards on the Transport of Dangerous Goods

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0237, Notice No. 13-17]

Preparations for the 44th Session of the United Nations Sub-
Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE 
TDG) and the 26th Session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the 
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of 
Chemicals (UNSCEGHS)

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation and the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise interested persons that PHMSA and 
OSHA will conduct a joint public meeting in preparation for United 
Nations meetings being held in Geneva, Switzerland. PHMSA is hosting 
the morning portion of the meeting to discuss proposals in preparation 
for the 44th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on 
the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG) to be held November 25 to 
December 4, 2013, in Geneva. During this meeting, PHMSA is also 
soliciting comments relative to potential new work items which may be 
considered for inclusion in its international agenda. OSHA is hosting 
the afternoon portion of the meeting to discuss proposals in 
preparation for the 26th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of 
Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and 
Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS) to be held December 4 to 6, 2013, in 
Geneva. OSHA, along with the U.S. Interagency GHS (Globally Harmonized 
System of Classification and Labelling of

[[Page 68502]]

Chemicals) Coordinating Group, plans to consider the comments and 
information gathered at this public meeting when developing the U.S. 
Government positions for the UNSCEGHS meeting.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. The 
PHMSA Session will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; while the OSHA 
Session will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the DOT Headquarters, West 
Building, Conference Room 7, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 
20590.
    Registration: It is requested that attendees pre-register for this 
meeting by completing the form at http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/regs/international. Attendees may pre-register for the morning PHMSA 
session, the afternoon OSHA session, or both sessions of the meeting. 
Failure to pre-register may delay your access to the building. 
Participants attending in person are encouraged to arrive early to 
allow time for security checks necessary to obtain access to the 
building.
    Conference call-in and ``live meeting'' capability will be provided 
for this meeting. Specific information on call-in and live meeting 
access will be posted when available at http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/regs/international and at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vincent Babich or Kevin Leary, Office 
of Hazardous Materials Safety, International Standards, Department of 
Transportation, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-8553. You may 
also contact Maureen Ruskin, Office of Chemical Hazards-Metals, OSHA 
Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Room N-3178, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; 
telephone: (202) 693-1950.
    Copies of this Federal Register notice can be obtained as follows: 
Electronic copies are available at http://www.regulations.gov. This 
Federal Register notice, as well as other relevant information, is 
available also on the OSHA Web page at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. PHMSA Public Meeting (November 19, 2013; 9:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon)

    The primary purpose of this meeting will be to prepare for the 44th 
session of the UNSCOE TDG. The 44th session of the UNSCOE TDG is the 
second of four meetings scheduled for the 2013-2014 biennium. The 
UNSCOE will consider proposals for the 19th Revised Edition of the 
United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods 
Model Regulations which will be implemented within relevant domestic, 
regional, and international regulations from January 1, 2017. Copies of 
working documents, informal documents, and the meeting agenda may be 
obtained from the United Nations Transport Division's Web site at 
http://www.unece.org/trans/main/dgdb/dgsubc3/c3age.html.
    General topics on the agenda for the UNSCOE TDG meeting include:

 Listing, classification and packing
 Electric storage systems
 Transport of gases
 Miscellaneous proposals of amendments to the Model Regulations
 Electronic data interchange for documentation purposes
 Cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
 Global harmonization of transport of dangerous goods 
regulations
 Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of 
Chemicals (GHS)

Following the 44th session of the UNSCOE TDG, a copy of the Sub-
Committee's report will be available at the United Nations Transport 
Division's Web site at http://www.unece.org/trans/main/dgdb/dgsubc3/c3rep.html. PHMSA's site at http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/regs/international provides additional information regarding the UNSCOE TDG 
and related matters.

II. OSHA Public Meeting (November 19, 2013; 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.)

    OSHA is hosting an open informal public meeting of the U.S. 
Interagency GHS Coordinating Group to provide interested groups and 
individuals with an update on GHS-related issues and an opportunity to 
express their views orally and in writing for consideration in 
developing U.S. Government positions for the upcoming UNSCEGHS meeting. 
Interested stakeholders may also provide input on issues related to 
OSHA's activities in the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council 
(RCC) at the meeting. The public is invited to attend and is requested 
to pre-register for the meeting by following the instructions provided 
in the Registration section of this notice. General topics on the 
agenda include:

 Review of Working papers
 Working Group updates
 Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Update

Information on the work of the UNSCEGHS including meeting agendas, 
reports, and documents from previous sessions, can be found on the 
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Transport 
Division Web site located at the following web address: http://www.unece.org/trans/welcome.html. The UNSCEGHS bases its decisions on 
Working Papers. The Working Papers for the 26th session of the UNSCEGHS 
are located at http://www.unece.org/trans/main/dgdb/dgsubc4/c42013.html.
    Informal Papers submitted to the UNSCEGHS provide information for 
the subcommittee and are used either as a mechanism to provide 
information to the subcommittee or as the basis for future Working 
Papers. Informal Papers for the 26th session of the UNSCEGHS are 
located at http://www.unece.org/trans/main/dgdb/dgsubc4/c4inf26.html.

III. Authority and Signature

    Magdy El-Sibaie, Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials 
Safety directed the preparation of this notice.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 7, 2013.
Magdy El-Sibaie,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational Safety and Health, authorized the preparation of this 
notice under the authority granted by the Secretary of Labor's Order 
No. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 2012).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on October 29, 2013.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2013-27235 Filed 11-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60- 4510-26-P