Federal Railroad Administration January 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 10 of 10
Hazardous Materials: Improving the Safety of Railroad Transportation of Hazardous Materials
This notice announces that FRA has scheduled a public meeting in Washington, DC, to discuss its process of issuing movement approvals pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 174.50. In an effort to continually improve this aspect of its safety program, FRA is undertaking a comprehensive review of its process of issuing movement approvals, and through this public meeting seeks to gain input from all persons and stakeholders affected or interested in this aspect of FRA's hazardous materials program.
Operating Certain Railroad Tank Cars in Excess of 263,000 Pounds Gross Rail Load; Approval
On May 14, 2010, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to incorporate provisions contained in several widely used or longstanding special permits that have an established safety record. 75 FR 27205 (Final Rule). The Final Rule titled, Hazardous Materials: Incorporation of Special Permits into Regulations, in part, amended the HMR to allow certain rail tank cars, transporting hazardous materials, to exceed the gross weight on rail limitation of 263,000 pounds upon approval of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This document provides notice of FRA's approval pursuant to the Final Rule of the operation of certain tank cars in hazardous materials service that exceed 263,000 pounds and weigh up to 286,000 pounds gross rail load (GRL).
Notice of Funding Availability for Applications for Credit Assistance Under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program
The DOT's TIFIA Joint Program Office (JPO) announces the availability of funding to support new applications for credit assistance. Under TIFIA, the DOT provides secured (direct) loans, lines of credit, and loan guarantees to public and private applicants for eligible surface transportation projects of regional or national significance. Projects must meet statutorily specified criteria to be selected for credit assistance. Because demand for the TIFIA program can exceed budgetary resources, the DOT is utilizing periodic fixed-date solicitations that will establish a competitive group of projects to be evaluated against the program objectives. This notice outlines the process that applicants must follow.
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.
Locomotive Safety Standards
FRA proposes to revise the existing regulations containing Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards. The proposed revisions would update, consolidate, and clarify the existing regulations. The proposal incorporates existing industry and engineering best practices related to locomotives and locomotive electronics. This includes the development of a safety analysis for new locomotive electronic systems. FRA believes this proposal will modernize and improve its safety regulatory program related to locomotives.
Establishment of an Emergency Relief Docket for Calendar Year 2011
This Notice announces the establishment of FRA's emergency relief docket (ERD) for calendar year 2011. The designated ERD for calendar year 2011 is docket number FRA-2011-0003.
Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN North) Rail Corridor Improvements Studies: Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties, California
FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will jointly prepare a Tier-1 environmental impact statement (EIS) and a program environmental impact report (EIR) for rail corridor improvements to the Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN North) rail corridor (LOSSAN North Program). FRA is also issuing this notice to solicit public and agency input into the development of the scope of the EIR/EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by Caltrans and its representatives will be considered in the preparation of the EIR/ EIS. The objective of the Tier-1 EIR/EIS is to evaluate alternatives and present thorough environmental analysis to help make corridor level decisions regarding the level of intercity passenger rail service provided in the corridor, including variations in train frequency, trip time, and on-time performance.
Safety and Health Requirements Related to Camp Cars
To carry out a 2008 Congressional rulemaking mandate, FRA is proposing to create regulations prescribing minimum safety and health requirements for camp cars that a railroad provides as sleeping quarters to any of its train employees, signal employees, and dispatching service employees and individuals employed to maintain its right of way. The proposed regulations would supplant existing guidelines that interpret existing statutory requirements, enacted decades earlier, that railroad-provided camp cars be clean, safe, and sanitary, and afford those employees and individuals an opportunity for rest free from the interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad. In further response to the rulemaking mandate, the proposed regulations would include the additional statutory requirements, enacted in 2008, that camp cars be provided with indoor toilets, potable water, and other features to protect the health of such workers. Under separate but related statutory authority, FRA is proposing to amend regulations on construction of employee sleeping quarters. In particular, FRA proposes to implement a 2008 statutory amendment that, on and after December 31, 2009, camp cars provided by a railroad as sleeping quarters exclusively for individuals employed to maintain the right of way of a railroad are within the scope of the prohibition against beginning construction or reconstruction of employee sleeping quarters near railroad switching or humping of hazardous material. FRA's existing guidelines with respect to the location, in relation to switching or humping of hazardous material, of a camp car that is occupied exclusively by individuals employed to maintain a railroad's right of way would be replaced with regulatory amendments prohibiting a railroad from positioning such a camp car in the immediate vicinity of the switching or humping of hazardous material. Finally, FRA would make conforming changes, clarify a provision on applicability, remove an existing provision on preemptive effect as unnecessary, and move, without change, an existing provision on penalties for violation of FRA regulations.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
