[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60591-60592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25461]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Part 271

[Docket No. FRA-2009-0038]
RIN 2130-AC11


Risk Reduction Program

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of comment period reopening.

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SUMMARY: On February 27, 2015, FRA published a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) that would require certain railroads to develop a 
Risk Reduction Program (RRP). On September 29, 2015, the RRP Working 
Group of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) held a meeting 
to review and discuss comments received in response to both the NPRM 
and an August 27, 2015, public hearing on the NPRM. FRA is reopening 
the comment period for this proceeding to allow interested parties to 
submit written comments in response to views or information provided at 
the RRP Working Group meeting.

DATES: The comment period for this proceeding, consisting of the 
proposed rule published February 27, 2015, at 80 FR 10950, the August 
27, 2015, hearing, announced at 80 FR 45500, July 30, 2015, and a prior 
notice of comment period reopening, announced at 80 FR 55285, September 
15, 2015, is reopened. Written comments must be received by October 21, 
2015. Comments received after that date will be considered to the 
extent possible without incurring additional expense or delay.

ADDRESSES: Written comments: Written comments related to Docket No. 
FRA-2009-0038 may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Web site: The Federal eRulemaking Portal, http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the Web site's online instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, Washington, 
DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
Room W12-140 on the Ground level of the West Building, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name, docket 
name, and docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for 
this rulemaking. Note that all comments received will be posted without 
change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document for Privacy Act 
information related to any submitted comments or materials.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to 
the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, Room W-12-140 on the Ground 
level of the West Building, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal Holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Kloeppel, Staff Director, Risk 
Reduction Program Division, Office of Safety Analysis, FRA, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6224, 
[email protected]; or Elizabeth Gross, Trial Attorney, Office of 
Chief Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 10, 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-1342, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 
(RSIA) requires the development and implementation of railroad safety 
risk reduction programs. Risk reduction is a comprehensive, system-
oriented approach to safety that (1) determines an operation's level of 
risk by identifying and analyzing applicable hazards and (2) involves 
the development of acctions to mitigate that risk. Each RRP is 
statutorily required to be supported by a risk analysis and an RRP 
Plan, which must include a Technology Implementation Plan and a Fatigue 
Management Plan. On February 27, 2015, FRA published an NPRM that would 
require certain railroads to develop an RRP. FRA also held a public 
hearing on August 27, 2015, to provide interested persons an 
opportunity to provide oral comments on the proposal. See 80 FR 10950, 
Feb. 27, 2015 and 80 FR 45500, Jul. 30, 2015.
    On September 29, 2015, the RSAC's RRP Working Group held a meeting 
to review and discuss comments received in response to both the NPRM 
and the public hearing. FRA established RSAC as a collaborative forum 
to provide advice and recommendations to FRA on railroad safety 
matters. The RSAC includes representatives from all of the agency's 
major stakeholder groups, representing various railroad industry 
perspectives. See the RSAC Web site for details on prior RSAC 
activities and pending tasks at http://rsac.fra.dot.gov/. Please refer 
to the notice published in the Federal Register on March 11, 1996 (61 
FR 9740), for additional information about the RSAC.
    FRA is reopening the comment period for this proceeding to allow 
interested parties to submit written comments in response to views or 
information provided at the RRP Working Group meeting on September 29, 
2015. Written comments must be received by October 21, 2015. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent possible 
without incurring additional expense or delay.

Privacy Act Statement

    Consistent with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these 
comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-

[[Page 60592]]

14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-25461 Filed 10-6-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P