[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31401-31402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12624]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2014-0035]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), this document provides the public notice that by a document 
dated March 27, 2014, and an amended May 2, 2014, General Electric 
Transportation (GE) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration 
(FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal 
railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR Part 229, Railroad 
Locomotive Safety Standards. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number 
FRA-2014-0035.
    Specifically, GE petitioned for a waiver of compliance from 
requirements of 49 CFR 229.129(b)(1), which requires each locomotive 
manufactured after September 18, 2006 (or a sampling of such 
locomotives), be tested for compliance with the sound level 
requirements for locomotive horns given in 49 CFR 229.129(a). The 
required testing method is defined in 49 CFR 229.129(c), which includes 
the allowable ambient conditions of temperature, humidity, and wind 
velocity given in 49 CFR 229.129(c)(6). GE is manufacturing 78 
locomotives with a new horn design that require testing. Twenty 
locomotives are scheduled to be completed December 31, 2014, and 
additional locomotives soon after. GE is requesting a waiver to delay 
completion of horn testing until September 30, 2015, because the 
weather conditions in the winter months are not expected to be in the 
compliant range for horn testing. The requested waiver would allow 
these locomotives to enter service prior to horn testing. Five 
prototype locomotives of the same design have already been tested and 
found compliant.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov and in person at the Department of Transportation's 
(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is open from 9 
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    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

[[Page 31402]]

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 and may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by July 17, 2014 will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered as far as practicable.
    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 comment (or signing the document, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
See http://www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice for the privacy notice 
of regulations.gov or interested parties may review DOT's complete 
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 27, 2014.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-12624 Filed 5-30-14; 8:45 am]
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