Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices 66581

an opportunity for oral comment, they

should notify FRA, in writing, before

the end of the comment period and

specify the basis for their request.

All communications concerning these

proceedings should identify the

appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver

Petition Docket Number FRA–2000–

8132) and must be submitted in

triplicate to the Docket Clerk, DOT

Central Docket Management Facility,

Room Pl–401, Washington, DC, 20590–

0001. Communications received within

45 days of the date of this notice will

be considered by FRA before final

action is taken. Comments received after

that date will be considered as far as

practicable. All written communications

concerning these proceedings are

available for examination during regular

business hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) at DOT

Central Docket Management Facility,

Room Pl–401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh

Street SW, Washington, DC. All

documents in the public docket are also

available for inspection and copying on

the Internet at the docket facility’s Web

site at http://dms.dot.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 1,

2000.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 00–28442 Filed 11–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC–96–1, Notice No. 21]

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 or Lydia Leeds, RSAC

Coordinators, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave.,

NW, Mailstop 25, Washington, DC

20590, (202) 493–6213 or Grady Cothen,

Deputy Associate Administrator for

Safety Standards Program Development,

FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW, Mailstop

25, Washington, DC 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

fifteenth full Committee meeting was

held September 14, 2000 at the

Association of American Railroads

Conference Center 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. The final

rule is in review and clearance. 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 was

approved by the full RSAC in a mail

ballot during August. The final rule

amendment will be published in the

Federal Register. 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. Planned future

activities involve the review of other

regulations for possible adaptation to

the safety needs of tourist and historic

railroads. 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 Roadway

Maintenance Machine (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 finalized a

proposed rule which was approved by

the full RSAC in a mail ballot in August.

The NPRM will be published in the

Federal Register. 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, and

prepared drafts of the task statements

for Tasks 97–1 and 97–2.

Task 97–1—Developing

crashworthiness specifications to

promote the integrity of the locomotive

cab in accidents resulting from

collisions. This Task was accepted on

66582 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices

June 24, 1997. A Task Force on

engineering issues was established by

the Working Group on Locomotive

Crashworthiness to review collision

history and design options and

additional research was commissioned.

The Working Group reviewed results of

the research and is drafting

performance-based standards for freight

and passenger locomotives to present to

the RSAC for consideration. Review of

collision data for use in the regulatory

evaluation was completed in September.

Contact: Sean Mehrvazi (202) 493–6237.

Task 97–2—Evaluating the extent to

which environmental, sanitary, and

other working conditions in locomotive

cabs affect the crew’s health and the safe

operation of locomotives, proposing

standards where appropriate. This Task

was accepted June 24, 1997. A draft

sanitation NPRM has been circulated for

approval of working group, with ballots

requested by November 3. The Cab

Working Group met in October to begin

finalizing work on a noise exposure

standard and will be meeting in

November to complete a draft NPRM.

The Cab Working Group has also

considered issues related to cab

temperature, and is expected to consider

additional issues (such as vibration) in

the future. Contact: Brenda Hattery (202)

493–6326.

Task 97–3—Developing event

recorder data survivability standards.

This Task was accepted on June 24,

1997. An Event Recorder Working

Group and Task Force have been

established and are actively meeting. A

draft proposed rule is being reviewed.

Contact: Edward English (202) 493–

6321.

Task 97–4 and Task 97–5—Defining

Positive Train Control (PTC)

functionalities, describing available

technologies, evaluating costs and

benefits of potential systems, and

considering implementation

opportunities and challenges, including

demonstration and deployment.

Task 97–6—Revising various

regulations to address the safety

implications of processor-based signal

and train control technologies,

including communications-based

operating systems. These three tasks

were accepted on September 30, 1997,

and assigned to a single Working Group.

A Data and Implementation Task Force,

formed to address issues such as

assessment of costs and benefits and

technical readiness, completed a report

on the future of PTC systems. The report

was accepted as RSAC’s Report to the

Administrator at the September 8, 1999,

meeting. The Standards Task Force,

formed to develop PTC standards,

developed draft recommendations for

performance-based standards for

processor-based signal and train control

standards. The NPRM was approved by

consensus at the full RSAC meeting

held on September 14, 2000. The NPRM

will be published in the Federal

Register. Contact: Grady Cothen (202)

493–6302.

Task 97–7—Determining damages

qualifying an event as a reportable train

accident. This Task was accepted on

September 30, 1997. A working group

was formed to address this task and

conducted their initial meeting on

February 8, 1999. The working group

designed a survey form to collect

specific data about damages to railroad

equipment. The survey started on

August 1 and will end January 31, 2001.

The working group is scheduled to meet

in December 2000. Contact: Robert

Finkelstein (202) 493–6280.

Task 00–1—Determining the need to

amend regulations protecting persons

who work on, under, or between rolling

equipment and persons applying,

removing or inspecting rear end

marking devices. A working group has

been formed and held its first meeting

on October 16–18, 2000. Contact: Doug

Taylor (202) 493–6255.

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 on November 1,

2000.

George Gavalla,

Associate Administrator for Safety.

[FR Doc. 00–28443 Filed 11–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

Child Passenger Protection Education

Grants

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT

ACTION: Announcement of grants for

child passenger protection education.

SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA)

announces a grant program under

Section 2003(b) of the Transportation

Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA–

21) to implement child passenger

protection programs that are designed to

prevent deaths and injuries to children,

educate the public concerning the

proper installation of child restraints,

and train child passenger safety

personnel concerning child restraint

use. This notice solicits applications

from the States, the District of

Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S.

Territories and the Indian Tribes

through the Secretary of the Interior.

DATES: Applications must be received

by the office designated below on or

before December 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be

submitted to the appropriate National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Regional Administrator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

program issues contact Ms. Joan

Catherine Tetrault, State and

Community Services, NSC–01, NHTSA,

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,

DC 20590; telephone (202) 366–2121.

For legal issues contact Mr. John

Donaldson, Office of the Chief Counsel,

NCC–30, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590, telephone

(202) 366–1834.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Motor vehicle crashes remain the

leading cause of unintentional injuryrelated deaths among children for every

age from 6 to 14 years, despite an eight

percent decline in the motor vehicle

occupant death rate for children under

age 15 from 1988 to 1999. During the

same time period, the motor vehicle

occupant nonfatal injury rate among

children under age 15 has increased by

seven percent. Motor vehicle injuries

and fatalities occur when children ride

unrestrained or are improperly

restrained. This grant program is

intended to help reduce injuries and

deaths by educating the public about the

importance of correctly installing and

using child safety seats, booster seats

and seat belts.

1. Children Riding Unrestrained

Approximately 20–25 percent of

children ages 1 through 15 years ride

unrestrained. Child safety seats reduce

the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 71

percent for infants (less than 1 year old)

and by 54 percent for toddlers (1–4

years old). In 1999, there were 550

occupant fatalities in passenger motor

vehicles among children under 5 years

of age. Of those 550 fatalities, an

estimated 291 (53 percent) were totally

unrestrained. The problem of riding

unrestrained is not limited to infants

and young children. From 1975 through

1999, the lives of an estimated 4,500

children were saved by the use of child

restraints (child safety seats or adult

safety belts). Among children under age

15 who were killed as occupants in

motor vehicle crashes in 1999, 61

percent were not using safety restraints

at the time of the collision.