[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57495-57496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22768]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Part 219

[Docket No. FRA-2009-0039]
RIN 2130-AC10


Control of Alcohol and Drug Use: Coverage of Maintenance of Way 
Employees, Retrospective Regulatory Review-Based Amendments (RRR)

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On July 28, 2014, FRA published an NPRM proposing to expand 
the scope of its alcohol and drug regulations to cover employees who 
perform maintenance-of-way (MOW) activities and certain additional 
substantive amendments. This document provides notice that FRA is 
extending the comment period for this NPRM by 60 days.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on July 28, 2014 (79 
FR 43830), which was closing on September 26, 2014, is extended until 
November 25, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments: Comments related to Docket No. FRA-2009-0039 may 
be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Online: Comments should be filed at the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal, http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. DOT, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the Ground level of the 
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 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 or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this 
rulemaking, RIN 2130-AC10. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov including any 
personal information provided. Interested parties should also be aware 
that anyone is able to search the electronic form of all written 
communications and comments received into any agency docket 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 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit 
http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program and technical issues, 
contact Gerald Powers, Drug and Alcohol Program Manager, Office of 
Safety Enforcement, Mail Stop 25, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590 (telephone 202-493-6313), 
[email protected]. For legal issues, contact Elizabeth A. Gross, 
Trial Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 10, Washington, 
DC 20590 (telephone 202-493-1342), [email protected]; or Patricia 
V. Sun, Trial Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 10, Washington, 
DC 20590 (telephone 202-493-6060), [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to Congress' mandate in the Rail 
Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), on July 28, 2014, FRA published 
an NPRM proposing to expand the scope of its alcohol and drug 
regulations to cover employees who perform maintenance-of-way (MOW) 
activities. 79 FR 43830. In addition, in the NPRM, FRA proposed certain 
additional substantive amendments to its alcohol and drug regulations 
that either respond to National Transportation Safety Board 
recommendations or update and clarify the regulations based on a 
retrospective regulatory review analysis.
    In a document dated September 15, 2014, the American Public 
Transportation Association, American Short Line and Regional Railroad 
Association, Association of American

[[Page 57496]]

Railroads, and National Railroad Construction and Maintenance 
Association, Inc., jointly requested a 60 day extension of the NPRM's 
comment period. This document provides notice that FRA is extending the 
comment period for this NPRM by 60 days and comments to the NPRM are 
now due on November 25, 2014.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 20103, 20107, 20140, 21301, 21304, 21311; 
28 U.S.C. 2461, note; Sec. 412, Pub. L. 110-432, 122 Stat. 4889; and 
49 CFR 1.89.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 19, 2014.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-22768 Filed 9-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P