[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2670-2671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1055]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC-96-1, Notice No. 20]


Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (``RSAC'') 
meeting.

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SUMMARY: FRA announces the next meeting of the RSAC, a Federal Advisory 
Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus 
process. The meeting will address a wide range of topics, including 
possible adoption of specific recommendations for regulatory action.

DATES: The meeting of the RSAC is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. 
and conclude at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The meeting of the RSAC will be held at The Wyndham 
Washington DC Hotel, 1400 M Street NW, Washington, DC, (202) 429-1700. 
The meeting is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis 
and is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Sign language 
interpreters can be made available for individuals with hearing 
impediments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicky McCully, RSAC Coordinator, FRA, 
1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6305 
or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards 
and Program Development, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, Stop 25, 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), FRA is giving notice of a 
meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (``RSAC''). The 
meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. on 
Wednesday, September 8, 1999. The meeting will be held at The Wyndham 
Hotel, 1400 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. All times noted are Eastern 
Standard Time.
    RSAC was established to provide advice and recommendations to the 
FRA on railroad safety matters. The Committee consists of 48 individual 
representatives, drawn from among 27 organizations representing various 
rail industry perspectives, and 2 associate non-voting representatives 
from the agencies with railroad safety regulatory responsibility in 
Canada and Mexico. Staff of the National Transportation Safety Board 
and Federal Transit Administration also participate in an advisory 
capacity.
    During this meeting, FRA may request the RSAC to accept tasks 
addressing safety issues related to rail operations on the Northeast 
Corridor and revising the regulations governing the protection of 
employees engaged in the inspection, testing, repair and servicing of 
rolling equipment (49 CFR part 218, subpart B). FRA intends to present 
a Planning Task examining the issue of qualification and certification 
of safety-critical employees to the RSAC for consideration and 
acceptance.
    The RSAC will be briefed on the current status of activities of 
RSAC working groups and task forces responsible for carrying out tasks 
the RSAC has accepted involving locomotive cab working conditions, 
positive train control, the definition of reportable ``train 
accident'', incorporation of provision for gage restraint measurement 
within the Track Safety Standards, and locomotive crashworthiness. The 
Committee may be asked to authorize mail ballot approval of one or more 
proposed rule documents involving these topics.
    Informational briefings on general safety-related issues including 
Safety Assurance and Compliance Program initiatives, the findings and 
recommendations of the Switching Operations Fatality Analysis Working 
Group, Department of Transportation proposals for changes to alcohol 
and drug testing procedures, a recent National Transportation Safety 
Board recommendation on crew resource management training programs, and 
the proposed requirement concerning train horns at public highway-rail 
grade crossings, will be provided.

[[Page 2671]]

    Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on 
March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-1055 Filed 1-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P