[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 47535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18243]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2021-0076]


Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    Under part 211 of title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 
document provides the public notice that on July 8, 2021, the Long 
Island Rail Road Company (LIRR) petitioned the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions 
of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR parts 
239 (Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness); 240 (Qualification and 
Certification of Locomotive Engineers); and 242 (Qualification and 
Certification of Conductors). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number 
FRA-2021-0076.
    LIRR requests an extension of the relief that was granted to the 
American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on behalf of its 
member railroads, by letter dated September 18, 2020, from certain 
regulations pertaining to training.\1\ Specifically, LIRR refers to 
pages 10-11 of the FRA decision letter in Docket Number FRA-2020-0060, 
regarding relief from recurrent/refresher training requirements for 
parts 239, 240, and 242.
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    \1\ See https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2020-0060-0005.
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    LIRR requests relief for approximately 30 ``higher level 
Transportation Department employees.'' LIRR states that it has had to 
limit classroom capacity for its training sessions because of the 
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and states that it has a 
training backlog. Although LIRR expects to eliminate this backlog for 
some groups of employees by September 18, 2021, when the APTA relief 
expires, LIRR asserts that it does not have the necessary classroom or 
instructor availability to catch up on training its Transportation 
Department higher-level employees by that date. Instead, LIRR seeks an 
extension to permit recurrent/refresher training of such employees to 
occur by December 31, 2021.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov.
    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 and a public hearing, 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 and may be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Communications received by September 9, 2021 will be considered by 
FRA before final action is taken. Comments received after that date 
will be considered if practicable. Anyone can search the electronic 
form of any written communications and comments received into any of 
our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the document, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), the U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT) solicits comments from the public to 
better inform its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, 
including any personal information the commenter provides, to 
www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the 
privacy notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-18243 Filed 8-24-21; 8:45 am]
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