[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 85450-85452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24967]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Part 225

[Docket No. FRA-2024-0034]
RIN 2130-AC98


Federal Railroad Administration Accident/Incident Investigation 
Policy for Gathering Information and Consulting With Stakeholders; 
Correction

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

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: On October 1, 2024, FRA published a final rule amending its 
Accident/Incident Regulations governing reporting, classification, and 
investigations to codify FRA's policy for gathering information from, 
and consulting with, stakeholders during an accident/incident 
investigation. The published final rule contains errors in the preamble 
text. FRA is correcting those errors so that the final rule conforms to 
FRA's intent.

DATES: Effective on November 15, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Senya Waas, Senior Attorney, Office of 
the Chief Counsel, FRA, telephone: 202-875-4158 or email: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#394a5c574058585757174e58584a795d564d175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f083959e8991919e9ede87919183b0949f84de979f86">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In FR document 2024-22326 beginning on page 
79767 in the Federal Register of October 1, 2024, make the following 
corrections:
    1. On page 79767, in the first and second columns, correct the 
DATES section to read:

DATES: Effective date: This final rule is effective on November 15, 
2024, unless FRA receives adverse, substantive comment by October 31, 
2024. If no adverse, substantive comments are received, FRA will 
publish a notice in the Federal Register indicating that no adverse 
comment was received and confirming that the rule will become effective 
on November 15, 2024.
    2. On page 79768, in the first column, correct the first paragraph 
to read:
    FRA is publishing this rule without a prior proposed rule under 
FRA's direct final rulemaking procedures in 49 CFR 211.33 because it 
views this as a noncontroversial action that generally codifies FRA's 
current process for accident/incident investigations. Under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA), an agency may waive the normal 
notice and comment procedures if the action is a rule of agency 
organization, procedure, or practice. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(A). 
Additionally, under the APA, an agency may waive notice and comment 
procedures when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public 
procedure are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public 
interest. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). As noted above, this rule would codify 
FRA's procedures for accident/incident investigations and FRA has 
already worked with stakeholders (both labor and the rail 
organizations) to develop the Policy Document which is posted on FRA's 
website. Accordingly, FRA finds that notice and comment are unnecessary 
and anticipates no adverse, substantive comment on any of the 
provisions of the rule. If FRA receives an adverse, substantive comment 
on any of the provisions, it will publish in the Federal Register a 
timely withdrawal, informing the public that the direct final rule will 
not take effect.
    3. In the Section-by-Section Analysis, on page 79769, in the 2nd 
column, correct the fourth paragraph to read:
    Previous paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) remain 
substantively unchanged but are being redesignated as paragraphs (a)(2) 
through (6).
    4. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79770, correct 
table 1 to read as follows:

[[Page 85451]]



                                                      Table 1--Total Costs of the Direct Final Rule
                                                                    [2023 Dollars] *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Total          Total
                               Year                                   stakeholder    government    Total costs   Discounted    Discounted    Discounted
                                                                         costs          costs                        7%            3%            2%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................................................         $97,922       $19,753      $117,675      $117,675      $117,675      $117,675
2.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463       101,367       105,304       106,336
3.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        94,736       102,237       104,251
4.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        88,538        99,259       102,207
5.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        82,746        96,368       100,203
6.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        77,333        93,561        98,238
7.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        72,273        90,836        96,312
8.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        67,545        88,190        94,424
9.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        63,126        85,622        92,572
10................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        58,997        83,128        90,757
                                                                   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........................................................         979,220       114,622     1,093,842       824,336       962,180     1,002,975
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: This table and some others throughout this analysis may not sum due to rounding.
* All figures are presented in a 2023 base year unless otherwise noted.

    5. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79774, correct the 
paragraph before table 13 and the table to read as follows:

Total Costs

    FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $0.9 million (PV, 2 percent) 
to stakeholders for this rule. Table 13 displays the total costs to 
stakeholders for this final rule.

                                                      Table 13--Total 10-Year Cost to Stakeholders
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                                                                                                      Total
                          Year                             Travel    Investigation     Document    stakeholder   Discounted    Discounted    Discounted
                                                                     participation    submission      costs          7%            3%            2%
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1.......................................................   $29,215          $56,861      $11,846       $97,922       $97,922       $97,922       $97,922
2.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        91,516        95,070        96,002
3.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        85,529        92,301        94,120
4.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        79,934        89,613        92,274
5.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        74,704        87,002        90,465
6.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        69,817        84,468        88,691
7.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        65,250        82,008        86,952
8.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        60,981        79,620        85,247
9.......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        56,991        77,301        83,575
10......................................................    29,215           56,861       11,846        97,922        53,263        75,049        81,937
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................   292,150          568,610      118,460       979,220       735,907       860,354       897,185
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    6. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79774, correct the 
paragraph above table 14 and the table to read as follows:

Total Costs

    FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $0.1 million (PV, 2 percent) 
to FRA for this rule. Table 14 displays the total costs to FRA for this 
final rule.

                                                           Table 14--Total 10-Year Cost to FRA
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                                                                                                      Total
                Year                  Notifications    Outreach/   Documentation      Document      government   Discounted    Discounted    Discounted
                                                       training        review       sharing site      costs          7%            3%            2%
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1..................................             $929        $631           $6,311         $11,882      $19,753       $19,753       $19,753       $19,753
2..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         9,851        10,234        10,334
3..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         9,207         9,936        10,132
4..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         8,605         9,647         9,933
5..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         8,042         9,366         9,738
6..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         7,516         9,093         9,547
7..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         7,024         8,828         9,360
8..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         6,564         8,571         9,177
9..................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         6,135         8,321         8,997
10.................................              929         631            6,311           2,670       10,541         5,734         8,079         8,820
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................            9,290       6,310           63,110          35,912      114,622        88,431       101,828       105,791
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[[Page 85452]]

    7. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79775, correct the 
paragraph above table 15 and the table to read as follows:

Total Costs

    FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $1.0 million (PV, 2 percent) 
for this direct final rule, shown in Table 15.

                                                              Table 15--10-Year Total Costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Total          Total
                               Year                                   stakeholder    government    Total costs   Discounted    Discounted    Discounted
                                                                         costs          costs                        7%            3%            2%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................................................         $97,922       $19,753      $117,675      $117,675      $117,675      $117,675
2.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463       101,367       105,304       106,336
3.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        94,736       102,237       104,251
4.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        88,538        99,259       102,207
5.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        82,746        96,368       100,203
6.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        77,333        93,561        98,238
7.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        72,273        90,836        96,312
8.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        67,545        88,190        94,424
9.................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        63,126        85,622        92,572
10................................................................          97,922        10,541       108,463        58,997        83,128        90,757
                                                                   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.........................................................         979,220       114,622     1,093,842       824,336       962,180     1,002,975
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    Issued in Washington, DC.
Allison Ishihara Fultz,
Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-24967 Filed 10-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


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