31056 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 94 / Monday, May 15, 2000 / Notices

AMENDMENTS TO PFC APPROVALS

Amendment No. City, State

Amendment

approved

date

Original approved net

PFC revenue

Amended

approved

net PFC

revenue

Original estimated

charge exp.

date

Amended

estimated

charge exp.

date

92–01–C–03–GJT, Grand Junction, CO ................................................. 03/17/00 $1,812,000 $1,794,117 03/01/04 04/01/03

96–02–U–02–GJT, Grand Junction, CO ................................................. 03/17/00 NA NA 03/01/04 04/01/03

97–03–C–01–GJT, Grand Junction, CO ................................................. 03/17/00 $2,157,000 $1,932,000 03/01/04 04/01/03

92–01–C–07–SJC, San Jose, CA ........................................................... 03/30/00 NA NA 09/01/03 09/01/03

96–01–I–02–BTV, Burlington, VT ............................................................ 04/14/00 $12,476,233 $22,966,283 03/01/06 12/01/10

96–02–C–01–BTV, Burlington, VT .......................................................... 04/14/00 $40,000 $40,000 03/01/06 12/01/10

98–04–C–01–CLM, Port Angeles, WA .................................................... 04/17/00 $118,572 $122,650 11/01/01 11/01/00

98–02–C–02–IAD, London, VA ............................................................... 04/25/00 $34,919,777 $52,324,581 05/01/10 04/01/11

98–03–C–01–DCA, Arlington, VA ............................................................ 04/25/00 $23,563,086 $46,823,287 02/01/02 05/01/03

Issued in Washington, DC on May 4, 2000.

Eric Gabler,

Manager, Passenger Facility Charge Branch.

[FR Doc. 00–12144 Filed 5–12–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2000–7325]

Remote Control Locomotives;

Establishing Guidelines

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), Department of

Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of technical conference.

SUMMARY: FRA is initiating a technical

conference to examine the use of remote

control locomotive operations in the

railroad industry. FRA plans to hold a

technical conference on July 19, 2000, to

discuss the current status of remote

operation and possible development of

guidelines for remote operations with

all interested parties. FRA is exploring

the use of guidelines to provide

consistent, safe, industry-wide remote

control locomotive use.

DATES: 1. A technical conference will be

held on July 19, 2000, beginning at 10

am.

2. The deadline to register for

participation in the technical conference

is close of business on July 12, 2000.

Please see Public Participation

Procedures in SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this document

for registration details.

ADDRESSES: 1.Technical conference:

FRA Headquarters, 7th floor, conference

rooms 1 and 2, 1120 Vermont Ave. NW,

Washington DC.

2. FRA Docket Clerk: Federal Railroad

Administration Docket Clerk, Office of

Chief Counsel, Mail Stop 10, 1120

Vermont Ave. NW, Washington DC,

20590. E-mail address for the FRA

Docket Clerk is

renee.bridgers@fra.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S.

Joseph Gallant, Operating Practices

Specialist, FRA Office of Safety, Mail

Stop 25, 1120 Vermont Ave. NW,

Washington DC, 20590 (telephone: 202–

493–6324), or Alan H. Nagler, Trial

Attorney, FRA Office of Chief Counsel,

Mail Stop 10, 1120 Vermont Ave. NW,

Washington DC, 20590 (telephone: 202–

493–6055).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Locomotives operated by use of

remote control devices have been in use

for a number of years. The term

‘‘remotely controlled locomotives’’ or

‘‘remote control locomotives’’ refers to a

locomotive which, through use of a

radio transmitter and receiver system,

can be operated by a person while not

physically within the confines of the

locomotive cab. (As used in this notice,

the term ‘‘remote control locomotive’’

(RCL) does not refer to use of

distributive power, in which a

locomotive or group of locomotives

entrained or at the rear of a train is

controlled by an engineer located in

another locomotive within the same

consist.) Although RCL operations are

common place in steel mills, plant

railroads and Canadian railroad

systems, RCL operations have not been

widely used by American railroads that

are part of the general system of

transportation.

Arguably, the RCL technology is still

relatively new. In 1994, FRA proposed

a nation-wide test of rail operations

involving remotely controlled

locomotives. 59 FR 59826 (Nov. 18,

1994). FRA published proposed interim

guidelines for what was intended to be

a two-year test period. 59 FR 59826,

59828–29 (Nov. 18, 1994). FRA stated

that guidelines were necessary

to assure that continued use of this new

technology does not create a safety risk to

railroad employees or the public. FRA also

does not want to hinder the development of

new technologies which may be of benefit to

the rail industry. * * * All railroads using

such remote-control systems will be

permitted to continue using such systems

only if they participate in the long-term test,

so that FRA can evaluate remote control

operations in light of the regulatory and

statutory obligations imposed upon all

railroads.

59 FR at 59827 (Nov. 18, 1994). On

February 23, 1995, FRA held a public

hearing to gather testimony on remote

control operating procedures. Several

manufacturers, labor organizations,

railroads and their associations

participated in the hearing. The

testimony provided by these

organizations revealed a broad spectrum

of opinion concerning the merits of the

program, the substance of the program

requirements, the risks associated with

railroad employees and the safety of the

technology. While information and

opinions gathered at this meeting were

helpful, FRA never took final agency

action to implement guidelines and the

test program never occurred. Instead,

FRA has continued to review RCL

operations on a case-by-case basis.

Recently, FRA has become aware of

renewed interest in RCL operations.

This interest has led to an increased

number of questions concerning FRA’s

position with respect to those

operations and particular types of RCL

devices. Additionally, RCL technology

and operating procedures continue to

evolve. FRA believes that it would be

prudent to re-examine the safety issues

surrounding RCL operations at this time

and consider whether to issue

guidelines.

Technical Conference

The purpose of this technical

conference is to determine the extent of

RCL operations, the various purposes

for which RCL technology is used, and

the safety of these operations. FRA will

examine all the pertinent safety aspects

of RCL operations, including: (1) design

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 94 / Monday, May 15, 2000 / Notices 31057

standards, e.g., weight, size and

ergonomic considerations; (2) employee

training, e.g., hands-on training

considerations; (3) operating practices

and procedures, including but not

limited to standard operating

procedures, safety rule modifications,

and railroad operating plans; (4) test and

inspection procedures, including but

not limited to electric and magnetic

field emissions; (5) security and

reporting issues, including but not

limited to recordkeeping and

notification to FRA concerning all RCL

accidents and incidents. FRA requests

that interested parties share their views

regarding the use of consistent and safe

RCL operations. FRA encourages

comments on all aspects of RCL use. A

transcript of the technical conference

will be taken and placed in the public

docket of this proceeding.

Public Participation Procedures

Any person wishing to participate in

the technical conference should notify

the FRA Docket Clerk by mail or by email by close of business on July 12,

2000. The notification of intent to

participate should identify the

organization, the person represents (if

any), the names of all participants from

that organization planning to

participate, and a phone number at

which the registrant can be reached.

FRA reserves the right to limit active

conference participation to those

persons who have registered in advance.

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 103, 20103–04, 20106–

08, 20135 and 20701–03)

Issued in Washington, DC on May 9, 2000.

George Gavalla,

Associate Administrator for Safety.

[FR Doc. 00–12110 Filed 5–12–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC–96–1, Notice No. 20]

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

(‘‘RSAC’’); Working Group Activity

Update

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), Department of

Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Announcement of Railroad

Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC)

Working Group Activities.

SUMMARY: FRA is updating its

announcement of RSAC’s working

group activities to reflect the current

status of working group activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Trish Paolella, RSAC Coordinator, FRA,

1120 Vermont Ave, N.W., Mailstop 25,

Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 493–6212

or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate

Administrator for Safety Standards

Program Development, FRA, 1120

Vermont Ave, N.W., Mailstop 25,

Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 493–

6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice serves to update FRA’s last

announcement of working group

activities and status reports on

December 17, 1999 (64 FR 70756). The

thirteenth full Committee meeting was

held January 28, 2000. The next meeting

of the full Committee is scheduled for

May 19, 2000 at the Madison Hotel in

Washington, D.C.

Since its first meeting in April of

1996, the RSAC has accepted sixteen

tasks. Status for each of the tasks is

provided below:

Task 96–1—Revising the Freight

Power Brake Regulations. This Task was

formally withdrawn from the RSAC on

June 24, 1997. FRA published an NPRM

on September 9, 1998, reflective of what

FRA had learned through the

collaborative process. Two public

hearings were conducted and a

technical conference was held. The date

for submission of written comments was

extended to March 1, 1999. FRA is

preparing a final rule. Contact: Thomas

Hermann (202) 493–6036.

Task 96–2—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to the Track

Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 213). This

task was accepted April 2, 1996, and a

Working Group was established.

Consensus was reached on

recommended revisions and an NPRM

incorporating these recommendations

was published in the Federal Register

on July 3, 1997, (62 FR 36138). The final

rule was published in the Federal

Register on June 22, 1998 (63 FR 33991).

The effective date of the rule was

September 21, 1998. A task force was

established to address Gage Restraint

Measurement System (GRMS)

technology applicability to the Track

Safety Standards. A GRMS amendment

to the Track Safety Standards is being

prepared for presentation to the RSAC.

Contact: Al MacDowell (202) 493–6236.

Task 96–3—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to the Radio

Standards and Procedures (49 CFR Part

220). This Task was accepted on April

2, 1996, and a Working Group was

established. Consensus was reached on

recommended revisions and an NPRM

incorporating these recommendations

was published in the Federal Register

on June 26, 1997 ( 62 FR 34544). The

final rule was published on September

4, 1998 (63 FR 47182), and was effective

on January 2, 1999. Contact: Gene Cox

(202) 493–6319.

Task 96–4—Reviewing the

appropriateness of the agency’s current

policy regarding the applicability of

existing and proposed regulations to

tourist, excursion, scenic, and historic

railroads. This Task was accepted on

April 2, 1996, and a Working Group was

established. The Working Group

monitored the steam locomotive

regulations task. Contact: Grady Cothen

(202) 493–6302.

Task 96–5—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to Steam

Locomotive Inspection Standards (49

CFR Part 230). This Task was assigned

to the Tourist and Historic Working

Group on July 24, 1996. Consensus was

reached and an NPRM was published on

September 25, 1998 (63 FR 51404). A

public hearing was held on February 4,

1999, and recommendations were

developed in response to comments

received. The final rule was published

on November 17, 1999 (64 FR 62828).

Contact: George Scerbo (202) 493–6349.

Task 96–6—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to

miscellaneous aspects of the regulations

addressing Locomotive Engineer

Certification (49 CFR Part 240). This

Task was accepted on October 31, 1996,

and a Working Group was established.

Consensus was reached and an NPRM

was published on September 22, 1998.

The Working Group met to resolve

issues presented in public comments.

The RSAC recommended issuance of a

final rule with the Working Group

modifications. The final rule was

published November 8, 1999 (64 FR

60966). Contact: John Conklin (202)

493–6318.

Task 96–7—Developing On-Track

Equipment Safety Standards. This task

was assigned to the existing Track

Standards Working Group on October

31, 1996, and a Task Force was

established. The Task Force is finalizing

a proposed rule to present to the RSAC

for consideration. Contact: Al

MacDowell (202) 493–6236.

Task 96–8—This Planning Task

evaluated the need for action responsive

to recommendations contained in a

report to Congress entitled, Locomotive

Crashworthiness & Working Conditions.

This Planning Task was accepted on

October 31, 1996. A Planning Group

was formed and reviewed the report,

grouping issues into categories.

Task 97–1—Developing

crashworthiness specifications to

promote the integrity of the locomotive

cab in accidents resulting from

collisions. This Task was accepted on