Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics; Meeting, 14153-14154 [2013-04898]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2013 / Notices
components that are not produced in
the United States. For the following
reasons, FRA is granting IDOT’s Buy
America waiver request.
In December 2010, IDOT and FRA
entered into cooperative agreements to
allow IDOT to complete the activities
necessary to implement high-speed
passenger rail service along Union
Pacific Railroad’s (UP) Chicago to St.
Louis rail corridor. The project consists
of six tasks encompassing infrastructure
improvements, station improvements,
acquiring rolling stock,
communications, and program
management. The overall grant for the
Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail
Corridor development is $1.142 billion.
The subject of this waiver is a project
within the larger Chicago to St. Louis
rail corridor development and pertains
to the installation of certain signaling
improvements on a demonstration
segment between Dwight and Joliet,
Illinois. The IDOT contracted with
Amtrak, UP, and General Electric Train
Systems (GETS) to build and supply
onboard equipment to retrofit 20
locomotives with the ITCS for this
demonstration. The total cost of the
ITCS is $2.5 million.
The ITCS system is manufactured by
GETS. The ITCS contains several ‘‘end
products’’—the onboard equipment, the
wayside equipment, and Amtrak’s
Departure Testing Center equipment.
This means that the manufactured
products, e.g., the cables, routers, air
filtration system, power supplies,
radios, antennae, displays, and sensors,
which are assembled into each end
product, are components and must be
manufactured in the United States. The
ITCS’s three end products and the
majority of their components are
manufactured at various locations in the
United States, including Grain Valley
and Warrensburg, Missouri; Melbourne,
Florida; and Chicago, Illinois. The three
components included in IDOT’s Buy
America waiver request are: (1) an
Ethernet Cable from INET–II Radio to
Ethernet Switch; (2) a 900 MHz Omnidirectional antenna; and (3) a
RuggedComm RX–1000 router/server
combination. The total cost of the nondomestically produced components is
approximately $20,000, out of the $2.5
million cost for the ITCS.
Section 24405(a)(1) authorizes the
Secretary of Transportation to obligate
grant funds only if the steel, iron, and
manufactured goods used in the project
are produced in the United States.
However, section 24405(a)(2) also
permits the Secretary (delegated to the
FRA Administrator) to waive the Buy
America requirements if the Secretary
finds that: (A) applying paragraph one
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would be inconsistent with the public
interest; (B) the steel, iron, and goods
manufactured in the United States are
not produced in sufficient and
reasonably available amount or are not
of a satisfactory quality; (C) rolling stock
or power train equipment cannot be
bought or delivered to the United States
within a reasonable time; or (D)
including domestic material will
increase the cost of the overall project
by more than 25 percent.
The FRA believes a waiver is
appropriate under 49 U.S.C.
24405(a)(2)(B) because off-the-shelf
domestically produced components
meeting the specific technical and
design needs of the ITCS are not
available. Moreover, custom-designed
components are not ‘‘reasonably
available’’ given the short timeframe
associated with positive train control
(PTC) implementation, low dollar value
of the two components as installed on
just 20 locomotives, and only one
router/server combination is needed for
the entire project. The manufacturer of
the ITCS, General Electric
Transportation Systems (GETS),
estimates that it would cost more than
$1 million and take approximately six
months to one year to accomplish the
redesign and testing of parts made by a
domestic manufacturer, assuming one
would come forth to do so.
Additionally, the need to continue the
revenue demonstration testing of the
ITCS equipment, which is a PTC system
that the Rail Safety Improvement Act of
2008 requires be installed on certain rail
lines by December 31, 2015, is essential
to continued progress toward
implementing this important safety
technology. The successful
demonstration tests were conducted in
October 2012, and any further delay
could result in additional costs and risk
that the PTC system may not be fully
tested for implementation prior to the
2015 statutory deadline.
The FRA believes that such costs in
both time and money make the
components not ‘‘reasonably available’’
and, therefore, a waiver is appropriate.
Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 24405(a)(4), FRA
will publish this letter granting IDOT’s
request in the Federal Register and
provide notice of such findings and an
opportunity for public comment after
which this waiver will become effective.
This waiver applies only to the ITCS as
installed in the Chicago to St. Louis
corridor passenger rail service
demonstration segment between Dwight
and Joliet and specifically because of
the facts and time constraints associated
with this limited demonstration project.
Any future requests for waivers
regarding the ITCS will not be granted
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14153
without a specific showing that
domestic products for that particular
project are not reasonably available at
the time any subsequent request is made
and GETS has made significant good
faith efforts to secure all domestic
components for the ITCS. The FRA
encourages GETS to use the services of
the U.S. Department of Commerce’s
National Institute for Standards and
Technology-Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (NIST–MEP). The FRA and
NIST–MEP have partnered to increase
the domestic manufacturing base for rail
rolling stock and rail infrastructure
related products. The FRA can facilitate
these discussions, as requested.
Questions about this letter can be
directed to Linda Martin, Senior
Attorney-Advisor, at
Linda.Martin@dot.gov or 202–493–6062.
Sincerely,
Joseph C. Szabo,
Administrator.
This Federal Register notice is issued in
Washington, DC on February 26, 2013.
Melissa L. Porter,
Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013–04894 Filed 3–1–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Innovative Technology
Administration
Advisory Council on Transportation
Statistics; Meeting
Research and Innovative
Technology Administration (RITA),
DOT.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
This notice announces the
cancellation of a meeting of the
Advisory Council on Transportation
Statistics (ACTS). The meeting was
scheduled for Monday, March 4, 2013
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. E.S.T. in the
DOT Conference Center at the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics
(BTS) will reschedule the meeting for a
future date. Currently, BTS is
developing a draft agenda. The
following is a summary of the draft
meeting agenda: (1) USDOT welcome
and introduction of Council Members;
(2) Overview of prior meeting; (3)
Discussion of performance measures; (4)
Update on BTS data programs and
future plans (5) Council Members
review and discussion of BTS programs
and plans; (6) Public Comments and
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 42 / Monday, March 4, 2013 / Notices
Closing Remarks. Participation is open
to the public.
Questions about the agenda or
possible agenda items may be emailed
(Courtney.Freiberg@dot.gov) or
submitted by U.S. Mail to: U.S.
Department of Transportation, Research
and Innovative Technology
Administration, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Attention:
Courtney Freiberg, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Room # E34–429,
Washington, DC 20590, or faxed to (202)
366–3640.
Notice of this meeting is provided in
accordance with the FACA and the
General Services Administration
regulations (41 CFR part 102–103)
covering management of Federal
advisory committees.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 26,
2013.
Rolf Schmitt,
Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2013–04898 Filed 3–1–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
United States Mint
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee;
Public Meeting
Notification of Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee March 11, 2013,
Public Meeting.
ACTION:
Pursuant to United States
Code, Title 31, section 5135(b)(8)(C), the
United States Mint announces the
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
(CCAC) public meeting scheduled for
March 11, 2013.
Date: March 11, 2013.
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Conference Room A, United
States Mint, 801 9th Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20220.
Subject: Review and consideration of
themes for the 2014 Civil Rights Act of
1964 Commemorative Coin Program;
review and consideration of candidate
designs for the Raoul Wallenberg
Congressional Gold Medal; review and
consideration of candidate designs for
the 2013 First Spouse Bullion Coin
Program; and review and consideration
of candidate reverse designs for the
2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame
Commemorative Coin Program.
Interested persons should call the
CCAC HOTLINE at (202) 354–7502 for
the latest update on meeting time and
room location.
SUMMARY:
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In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5135,
the CCAC:
D Advises the Secretary of the
Treasury on any theme or design
proposals relating to circulating coinage,
bullion coinage, Congressional Gold
Medals, and national and other medals.
D Advises the Secretary of the
Treasury with regard to the events,
persons, or places to be commemorated
by the issuance of commemorative coins
in each of the five calendar years
succeeding the year in which a
commemorative coin designation is
made.
D Makes recommendations with
respect to the mintage level for any
commemorative coin recommended.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
William Norton, United States Mint
Liaison to the CCAC; 801 9th Street NW;
Washington, DC 20220; or call 202–354–
7200.
Any member of the public interested
in submitting matters for the CCAC’s
consideration is invited to submit them
by fax to the following number: 202–
756–6525.
Authority: 31 U.S.C. 5135(b)(8)(C).
Dated: February 22, 2013.
Richard A. Peterson,
Acting Director, United States Mint.
[FR Doc. 2013–04839 Filed 3–1–13; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14153-14154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-04898]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics; Meeting
AGENCY: Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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This notice announces the cancellation of a meeting of the Advisory
Council on Transportation Statistics (ACTS). The meeting was scheduled
for Monday, March 4, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. E.S.T. in the DOT
Conference Center at the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC. The Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS) will reschedule the meeting for a future date.
Currently, BTS is developing a draft agenda. The following is a summary
of the draft meeting agenda: (1) USDOT welcome and introduction of
Council Members; (2) Overview of prior meeting; (3) Discussion of
performance measures; (4) Update on BTS data programs and future plans
(5) Council Members review and discussion of BTS programs and plans;
(6) Public Comments and
[[Page 14154]]
Closing Remarks. Participation is open to the public.
Questions about the agenda or possible agenda items may be emailed
(Courtney.Freiberg@dot.gov) or submitted by U.S. Mail to: U.S.
Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology
Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Attention:
Courtney Freiberg, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room E34-429,
Washington, DC 20590, or faxed to (202) 366-3640.
Notice of this meeting is provided in accordance with the FACA and
the General Services Administration regulations (41 CFR part 102-103)
covering management of Federal advisory committees.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2013.
Rolf Schmitt,
Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2013-04898 Filed 3-1-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-HY-P
