[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22089-22090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07619]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No.: PHMSA-2023-0014; Notice No. 2023-03]


Hazardous Materials: Public Meeting Notice for the 2024 Emergency 
Response Guidebook (ERG2024)

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: PHMSA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) will hold 
a public meeting to solicit input on the development of the 2024 
edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2024). The meeting will 
take place virtually on Microsoft Teams on May 16, 2023.

DATES: The meeting will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams on May 16, 
2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: DOT requests that attendees pre-register for this meeting. 
The meeting will be hosted on Microsoft Teams and a conference call 
line will be provided upon registration by completing the form at 
https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/research-and-development/hazmat/rd-meetings-and-events. If you have technical difficulties, please contact the 
meeting organizer below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Vierling or Peter Heitzmann, 
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety

[[Page 22090]]

Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. 
Telephone: 202-366-4545 or 202-366-4900. Email: [email protected] 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA developed the United States version of 
the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) for use by emergency services 
personnel to provide guidance for initial response to hazardous 
materials transportation incidents. Since 1980, it has been PHMSA's 
goal that all public emergency response personnel (e.g., firefighters, 
police, and rescue squads) have free and immediate access to the ERG. 
To date, PHMSA has distributed more than 16.4 million copies of the ERG 
to emergency service agencies and developed free online resources and 
downloadable mobile applications to make the ERG more accessible. Since 
1996, PHMSA, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communication and 
Transport of Mexico have collaborated on development of the ERG, with 
interested parties from government and industry providing additional 
assistance, including Argentina's Chemical Information Center for 
Emergencies. ERG2024 will be published in English, French, and Spanish 
and will continue to serve as a valuable resource to help increase 
public safety by providing consistent emergency response procedures for 
hazardous materials transportation incidents throughout North America.
    The meeting will include a discussion of the methodology used to 
determine the appropriate response protective distances for poisonous 
vapors resulting from spills involving dangerous goods considered toxic 
by inhalation in the 2020 Edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook 
``Green Pages'' as requested by stakeholders. To pursue our objective 
of continually improving the ERG, PHMSA will solicit comments related 
to new methodologies and considerations for future editions of the ERG. 
Additionally, the meeting will include discussions on the outcomes of 
field experiments, ongoing research efforts to better understand 
environmental effects on airborne toxic gas concentrations, and updates 
to be published in the ERG2024.
    DOT is committed to providing equal access for all Americans and 
ensuring that information is available in appropriate alternative 
formats to meet the requirements of persons who have a disability. If 
you require an alternative version of files provided or alternative 
accommodations, please contact [email protected] no later 
than May 2, 2023.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on April 6, 2023.
William S. Schoonover,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-07619 Filed 4-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P