Program Approval: CSX Transportation, 13230-13231 [2020-04655]

Download as PDF 13230 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 45 / Friday, March 6, 2020 / Notices provided electronically through the Clearinghouse, prior to the release of detailed information provided in response to the full query. By contrast, a limited query allows an employer to determine whether the Clearinghouse contains any information about the driver. However, a limited query does not release any specific information about the driver. Limited queries require only a driver’s general consent, which is obtained and retained outside the Clearinghouse and may be in written or electronic form. If the response to a limited query indicates there is information about the driver in the Clearinghouse, the employer must conduct a full query, after obtaining the driver’s specific consent, within 24 hours, as required by 49 CFR 382.701(b)(3). lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES MPCS Exemption Application MPCS requests the exemption from 49 CFR 701(a)(2) on behalf of its members that employ CDL holders subject to drug and alcohol testing under 49 CFR part 382. MPCS’s members employ drivers providing transportation services to or from theatrical, commercial, television, or motion picture production sites. MPCS would conduct a limited query of the Clearinghouse before one of its member employers hires a driver for a project. If the limited query indicates that information about the driver exists in the Clearinghouse, the driver would not be permitted to perform safetysensitive functions unless and until a full query subsequently shows that the driver is not prohibited from operating a CMV. MPCS, serving as a Consortium/ Third-party Administrator (C/TPA) for its member employers, requests, obtains, and retains limited query general consent forms from drivers. A copy of the exemption application is included in the docket referenced at the beginning of this notice. IV. Request for Comments In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), FMCSA requests public comment from all interested persons on MPCS’s application for an exemption from § 382.701(a)(2). All comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this notice will be considered and will be available for examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed in the public docket and will be considered to the extent practicable. In addition to late comments, FMCSA will also continue to file, in the public docket, relevant VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:31 Mar 05, 2020 Jkt 250001 information that becomes available after the comment closing date. Interested persons should continue to examine the public docket for new material. Issued on: March 3, 2020. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2020–04649 Filed 3–5–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA–2020–0013] Program Approval: CSX Transportation Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of approval. AGENCY: FRA is issuing this notice to explain its rationale for approving a CSX Transportation (CSX) Test Program designed to test track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous track geometry measurement system) and new operational approaches to track inspections, as well as its rationale for granting a limited, temporary suspension of a substantive FRA rule that is necessary to facilitate the conduct of the Test Program. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: YuJiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493–6460 or email yujiang.zhang@ dot.gov; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493–7009 or email aaron.moore@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 25, 2019, CSX petitioned FRA under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 211.51 to suspend certain requirements of FRA’s track safety regulations to conduct a program to test new track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous track geometry measurement system) and new operational approaches to track inspections. CSX also submitted a written Test Program providing a description of the proposed tests and the geographic scope of the testing territory. The Test Program specifies that the tests will be conducted on two separate segments totaling approximately 1,818 miles of main and siding tracks in 13 subdivisions of CSX’s Chicago, Great SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Lakes, Northern, and Jacksonville Zones. The Test Program is designed to test autonomous track geometry measurement systems and gradually decreased manual visual inspections as an alternative to FRA’s inspection frequency requirements. CSX indicates that it will continue to use other inspection technologies during the Test Program, including: (1) Vehicle Track Interaction monitoring systems; (2) Sperry joint bar crack detection systems; (3) Georgetown Rail’s Aurora Tie Inspection technology; (4) ground penetrating radar; (5) lidar; and (6) laser rail profiling and cant measurements. The Test Program will be carried out in three separate phases over the course of 18 months as detailed in Exhibit C of the Test Program (available for review at www.regulations.gov (docket number FRA–2020–0013)). After review and analysis of CSX’s petition for approval of its Test Program, subject to certain conditions designed to ensure safety, FRA approved CSX’s Test Program and suspended the requirements of 49 CFR 213.233(c) as necessary to carry out the Test Program. A copy of FRA’s letter approving CSX’s Test Program and granting the requested limited temporary suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c), as well as a complete copy of the Test Program, is available in docket number FRA–2020–0013 at www.regulations.gov. FRA’s letter approving CSX’s Test Program and granting the requested limited temporary suspension of certain regulations specifically details the conditions CSX will need to undertake during the Test Program. As required by 49 CFR 211.51(c), FRA is providing this explanatory statement describing the Test Program. As explained more fully in its approval letter, FRA finds that the temporary, limited suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) is necessary to the conduct of the approved Test Program, which is specifically designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new automated track inspection technologies and operational methods. Furthermore, FRA also finds that the scope and application of the granted suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) as applied to the Test Program are limited to that necessary to conduct the Test Program. Finally, FRA’s approval letter outlines the conditions of the Test Program that will E:\FR\FM\06MRN1.SGM 06MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 45 / Friday, March 6, 2020 / Notices ensure standards sufficient to assure safety. John Karl Alexy, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer. [FR Doc. 2020–04655 Filed 3–5–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Maritime Administration [Docket Number MARAD–2018–0088] Final Policy: Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education Designation Program Guidance; Information Collection Request for Comments Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. ACTION: Final policy and information collection request for comments. AGENCY: lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:31 Mar 05, 2020 Jkt 250001 You may contact Nuns Jain, Maritime Administration, at 757–322–5801 or by electronic mail at Nuns.Jain@dot.gov. You may send mail to Nuns Jain at Maritime Administration, Building 19, Suite 300, 7737 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23505. If you have questions on viewing the Docket, call Docket Operations, telephone: 202–366– 9317 or 202–366–9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, Public Law 115–91 (the ‘‘Act’’), codified at 46 U.S.C. 54102, MARAD developed a procedure to recommend to the Secretary the designation of eligible institutions as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). Pursuant to the Act, the Secretary of Transportation may designate certain eligible and qualified training entities as CoEs and may subsequently execute Cooperative Agreements with CoE designees. Authority to administer the CoE program is delegated to MARAD in 49 CFR 1.93(a). Qualified training entities seeking to be designated as a CoE need to apply to MARAD. MARAD has developed this policy to provide interested parties with comprehensive agency guidance on how to apply for CoE designation and how the CoE program will be administered. Applications should include information to demonstrate that the applicant institution meets certain eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and qualitative attributes consistent with Section 3507 of the Act. The MARAD application procedure and program details will be available to the public on its website https:// www.maritime.dot.gov/education/ maritime-centers-excellence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This notice serves to inform interested parties and the public of the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) new program designating eligible and qualified training entities as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). The National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 (the Act), provided the Secretary of Transportation with the discretionary authority to designate eligible and qualified entities as CoEs. CoE designations will serve to assist the maritime industry in obtaining and maintaining the highest quality workforce. On July 19, 2019, the agency published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments on a draft policy under which designations would be carried out. Below, MARAD provides its responses to all comments received. The agency is now announcing its voluntary program to identify and recommend qualified training providers for CoE designation. DATES: This policy will become effective once the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approves a current information collection control number. Comments regarding the information collection should be submitted following guidance in the ADDRESSES section immediately below on or before April 6, 2020. (See also Paperwork Reduction Act section.) ADDRESSES: The complete file for this policy is available for inspection with the Docket Clerk, Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12– 140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 SUMMARY: a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays. You may also view the comments submitted to the docket via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov by following search instructions using DOT Docket Number MARAD–2018–0088. Organizations and individuals desiring to submit comments on the collection of information requirements should direct them to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Washington DC 20503, Attention: MARAD Desk Officer. Comments may also be sent via email to the Office of Management and Budget at the following address: oira_submissions@ omb.eop.gov. PO 00000 Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13231 Prior Federal Action As the first step in developing a CoE policy, MARAD issued a notice requesting comments on its proposed application process entitled Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education, 83 FR 25109 (May 31, 2018). In response to the notice, we received 18 written comments. Then on July 19, 2019, MARAD published another notice in the Federal Register (84 FR 34994) in which we responded to comments received and sought new comments on the proposed policy to which five more comments were received. Responses to the five comments received from the July notice are summarized immediately below. All the unabridged comments are available for review electronically at www.regulations.gov by searching DOT Docket Id ‘‘MARAD–2018–0088’’ or by visiting the DOT Docket, Room PL–401, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for Federal Holidays. Response to Comments on the July 19, 2019 Notice MARAD received comments from five different commenters. The North Carolina Ferry Division recommended that MARAD include provisions to ensure geographic diversity, with a special focus on rural areas. We agree that geographical diversity including rural representation would be beneficial. However, this is dependent upon the receipt of acceptable applications from qualified entities in geographically diverse and rural areas. The statute does not establish any quotas and we intend to designate all qualified entities. The government’s designation decision will be based upon our evaluation of the information submitted in each application to demonstrate compliance with the designation criteria. The North Carolina Ferry Division suggested that another possible benefit for these CoE facilities could be support with curriculum development and growth. Certainly, knowledge sharing on industry trends, job needs, and career progression would benefit these centers. We agree. The Community and Technical College Maritime Workforce Consortium (CTCMWC), submitted the following 12 comments on behalf of 18 community and technical colleges located in coastal areas, the Great Lakes, and inland waterways: 1. CTCMWC requested clarification of ‘voluntary’ as used in this document. The draft Policy stated that participation E:\FR\FM\06MRN1.SGM 06MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 45 (Friday, March 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13230-13231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04655]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2020-0013]


Program Approval: CSX Transportation

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

ACTION: Notice of approval.

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

SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to explain its rationale for 
approving a CSX Transportation (CSX) Test Program designed to test 
track inspection technologies (i.e., an autonomous track geometry 
measurement system) and new operational approaches to track 
inspections, as well as its rationale for granting a limited, temporary 
suspension of a substantive FRA rule that is necessary to facilitate 
the conduct of the Test Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yu-Jiang Zhang, Staff Director, Track 
Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-6460 or email 
[email protected]; Aaron Moore, Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, 
FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 
493-7009 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  On November 25, 2019, CSX petitioned FRA 
under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 211.51 to 
suspend certain requirements of FRA's track safety regulations to 
conduct a program to test new track inspection technologies (i.e., an 
autonomous track geometry measurement system) and new operational 
approaches to track inspections. CSX also submitted a written Test 
Program providing a description of the proposed tests and the 
geographic scope of the testing territory.
    The Test Program specifies that the tests will be conducted on two 
separate segments totaling approximately 1,818 miles of main and siding 
tracks in 13 subdivisions of CSX's Chicago, Great Lakes, Northern, and 
Jacksonville Zones.
    The Test Program is designed to test autonomous track geometry 
measurement systems and gradually decreased manual visual inspections 
as an alternative to FRA's inspection frequency requirements. CSX 
indicates that it will continue to use other inspection technologies 
during the Test Program, including: (1) Vehicle Track Interaction 
monitoring systems; (2) Sperry joint bar crack detection systems; (3) 
Georgetown Rail's Aurora Tie Inspection technology; (4) ground 
penetrating radar; (5) lidar; and (6) laser rail profiling and cant 
measurements. The Test Program will be carried out in three separate 
phases over the course of 18 months as detailed in Exhibit C of the 
Test Program (available for review at www.regulations.gov (docket 
number FRA-2020-0013)).
    After review and analysis of CSX's petition for approval of its 
Test Program, subject to certain conditions designed to ensure safety, 
FRA approved CSX's Test Program and suspended the requirements of 49 
CFR 213.233(c) as necessary to carry out the Test Program. A copy of 
FRA's letter approving CSX's Test Program and granting the requested 
limited temporary suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c), as well as a 
complete copy of the Test Program, is available in docket number FRA-
2020-0013 at www.regulations.gov. FRA's letter approving CSX's Test 
Program and granting the requested limited temporary suspension of 
certain regulations specifically details the conditions CSX will need 
to undertake during the Test Program. As required by 49 CFR 211.51(c), 
FRA is providing this explanatory statement describing the Test 
Program.
    As explained more fully in its approval letter, FRA finds that the 
temporary, limited suspension of 49 CFR 213.233(c) is necessary to the 
conduct of the approved Test Program, which is specifically designed to 
evaluate the effectiveness of new automated track inspection 
technologies and operational methods. Furthermore, FRA also finds that 
the scope and application of the granted suspension of 49 CFR 
213.233(c) as applied to the Test Program are limited to that necessary 
to conduct the Test Program. Finally, FRA's approval letter outlines 
the conditions of the Test Program that will

[[Page 13231]]

ensure standards sufficient to assure safety.

John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-04655 Filed 3-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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