Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 10 / Wednesday, January 15, 1997 / Notices 2213

prepared for a proposed highway project

in Sequoyah and LeFlore Counties,

Oklahoma.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Jim Erickson, Division Administrator,

Federal Highway Administration, 715

South Metropolitan Avenue, Suite 700,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108,

Telephone: (405) 945–6173.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the

Oklahoma Department of

Transportation, will prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

on a proposal to improve US Route 59

(US59) from a two-lane to a four-lane

facility from its intersection with State

Highway 9 (SH 9), also known as Sunset

Corner, north to Interstate 40 (I–40).

This facility has been identified as a

Transportation Improvement Corridor

(TIC) in the Statewide Intermodal

Transportation Plan and improvements

to the corridor are considered necessary

to meet TIC policy as well as present

and future traffic demands. Alternatives

under consideration include (1) improve

the existing alignment, (2) improve the

existing alignment with a new roadway

alignment over Wild Horse Mountain,

and (3) a new alignment corridor from

Sunset Corner north to I–40 just east of

Sallisaw.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments have been sent

to appropriate Federal, State and local

agencies, and to private organizations

and citizens who have previously

expressed or are known to have interest

in this proposal. Public meetings and/or

public hearings will be held in the

vicinity of the proposal in the future.

Public notice will be given of the time

and place of the meetings and/or

hearings.

To ensure that the full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposed action and the EIS should be

directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway Research,

Planning and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities apply to this

program).

Issued on: January 6, 1997.

Jim Erickson,

FHWA, Division Administrator, Oklahoma

City, Oklahoma.

[FR Doc. 97–917 Filed 1–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

Federal Railroad Administration

[FRA Docket No. RSGM–96–5]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with Part 211 of Title

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),

notice is hereby given that the Federal

Railroad Administration (FRA) received

a request for a waiver of compliance

with certain requirements of its safety

standards. The individual petition is

described below, including the party

seeking relief, the regulatory provisions

involved, the nature of the relief being

requested, and the petitioner’s

arguments in favor of relief.

Beech Mountain Railroad Company

(BMRR)

[Waiver Petition Docket Number RSGM–96–

5]

The BMRR seeks a permanent waiver

of compliance with certain provisions of

the Safety Glazing Standards (49 CFR

Part 223.9 (a), certified glazing) for its

two locomotives, ALCO S2 1,000 HP

#113 and #115, built in the early 1950s.

BMRR is a Class III railroad operating

within Randolph and Upshur counties

in the state of West Virginia. According

to the requesting railroad, the crew

consists of five men comprised of one

supervisor, one engineer, one brakeman,

and two track servicemen. The BMRR is

privately owned by Carter-ROAG Coal

Company (CRCC). The purpose of the

BMRR’s operations is to provide transfer

service between the CSX

Transportation, Incorporated’s

interchange located in Alexander, West

Virginia, and the CRCC’s Preparation

Plant located in Star Bridge, West

Virginia. The BMRR’s line transverses—

without instances of broken glass due to

projectiles—a remote and isolated area.

The railroad states that locomotives are

early 1950 models, and installation of

the safety glazing would require

extensive and expensive refacing of the

locomotive cabs. The BMRR also states

that all employees are aware of this

request for waiver and support it

without exception.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in

connection with these proceedings since

the facts do not appear to warrant a

hearing. If any interested party desires

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 RSGM–96–5)

and must be submitted in triplicate to

the Docket Clerk, Office of Chief

Counsel, FRA, Nassif Building, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20590. 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 (9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.) at

FRA’s temporary docket room located at

1120 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room

7051, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 8,

1997.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 97–958 Filed 1–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

[FRA Docket No. LI–96–2]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with Part 211 of Title

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),

notice is hereby given that the Federal

Railroad Administration (FRA) received

a request for a waiver of compliance

with certain requirements of its safety

standards. The individual petition is

described below, including the party

seeking relief, the regulatory provisions

involved, the nature of the relief being

requested, and the petitioner’s

arguments in favor of relief.

Canadian National Railroad

[Waiver Petition Docket Number LI–96–2]

The Canadian National Railroad (CN)

seeks a permanent waiver of compliance

with certain provisions of the

Locomotive Safety Standards, 49 CFR

229.27 (a)(2) and 229.29 (a), concerning

the time interval provisions of the

periodic cleaning, repairing, and testing

of locomotive air brake components for

all of their locomotives operating in the

United States equipped with 26L type

brake equipment. FRA currently permits

railroads to operate locomotives

equipped with 26L type brakes for

periods not to exceed 1,104 days, before

performing the testing and inspection

required by 49 CFR 229.27 (a)(2) and

229.29 (a).

Transport Canada has now authorized

CN to operate its locomotives equipped

with 26L braking equipment on 48-

month cleaning intervals. The only

exceptions are two valves in the system

(P2A and H5) which will remain on a

36-month interval until future
2214 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 10 / Wednesday, January 15, 1997 / Notices

evaluations establish that desired

improvements with the valves have

been achieved. According to CN, during

the extensive testing period, which

began in 1987 and involved

approximately 1,200 locomotives, the

reliability of the braking systems was

never an issue, therefore, train operating

safety is not at risk. With the high

number of locomotives operating in

international service, CN states that

managing two different braking system

maintenance intervals would be both

problematic and costly. Further, to

revert to a 36 month cleaning interval

after almost ten years of successful

testing at 48 month intervals, would not

provide any additional safety benefits.

CN would like the 48-month

maintenance interval to be accepted for

all of their locomotives that operate in

the United States.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in

connection with these proceedings since

the facts do not appear to warrant a

hearing. If any interested party desires

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 LI–96–2) and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Office of Chief Counsel,

FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

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 (9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.) at

FRA’s temporary docket room located at

1120 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room

7051, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 8,

1997.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 97–957 Filed 1–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

[FRA Docket No. H–92–3]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with Part 211 of Title

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),

notice is hereby given that the Federal

Railroad Administration (FRA) received

a request for an extension of a waiver of

compliance with certain provisions of

its safety standards. The individual

petition is described below, including

the party seeking relief, the regulatory

provisions involved, and the nature of

the relief being requested.

Westinghouse Air Brake Company

[Waiver Petition Docket Number H–92–3]

In 1992, the Westinghouse Air Brake

Company (WABCO) was granted a

waiver for their EPIC microprocessorbased locomotive braking equipment.

Specifically, the waiver excludes 1000

locomotives equipped with EPIC

braking equipment from the

requirements of 49 CFR 229.29 by

extending the required time interval for

cleaning, testing, and inspecting

locomotive air brake valves from 736

calendar days to five years. WABCO

requests that the waiver condition

which limits the number of locomotives

permitted to be equipped with EPIC

microprocessor-based braking

equipment, be adjusted to include all

locomotives in the United States that are

equipped with EPIC 3102 and EPIC II

electronic brake equipment. The EPIC

3101 series electronic brake equipment

is not included in this request.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in

connection with these proceedings since

the facts do not appear to warrant a

hearing. If any interested party desires

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 H–92–3) and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Office of Chief Counsel,

FRA, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

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 FRA’s

temporary docket room located at 1120

Vermont Avenue, N.W., Room 7051,

Washington, D.C. 20005.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 8,

1997.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 97–959 Filed 1–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

[BS–AP–No. 3393]

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad;

Public Hearing

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

has petitioned the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) seeking approval

of the proposed discontinuance and

removal of 15 signals (No.’s 48, 47, 46,

45, 40, 39, 38, 37, 33, 2, 14, 16, 18, 20,

and 22) on the two Running tracks,

between Lampert Junction, milepost

J.O.2 and East Bridge Junction, milepost

J.3.0, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This proceeding is identified as FRA

Block Signal Application Number (BS–

AP–No.) 3393.

The FRA has issued a public notice

seeking comments of interested parties

and conducted a field investigation in

this matter. After examining the carrier’s

proposal and the available facts, FRA

has determined that a public hearing is

necessary before a final decision is

made on this proposal.

Accordingly, a public hearing is

hereby set for 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday,

February 19, 1997, in the New Orleans

Union Passenger Terminal, Room 201,

located at 1001 Loyola Avenue, New

Orleans, Louisiana. Interested parties

are invited to present oral statements at

the hearing.

The hearing will be an informal one

and will be conducted in accordance

with Rule 25 of the FRA Rules of

Practice (Title 49 CFR Part 211.25), by

a representative designated by the FRA.

The hearing will be a nonadversary

proceeding and, therefore, there will be

no cross-examination of persons

presenting statements. The FRA

representative will make an opening

statement outlining the scope of the

hearing. After all initial statements have

been completed, those persons wishing

to make brief rebuttal statements will be

given the opportunity to do so in the

same order in which they made their

initial statements. Additional

procedures, if necessary for the conduct

of the hearing, will be announced at the

hearing.