36108 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices

alternator has a continuous capacity

1250 amps, and a 15 minute rating of

1700 amps at a maximum voltage rating

of 1250 direct current. The power unit

is self contained encompassing all the

accessories necessary for a locomotive.

The power units also contain a

hydraulic driven 2-stage air compressor

which provides air for the air brake

system and train air for the balloon

suspension system of the bogies.

3R request for a waiver from 49 CFR

Part 231 and 232 is for the lack of safety

appliances and handholds on the

bogies, rear counter weight, or semitrailers in the train. The cab control unit

has an automatic front coupler and

some safety appliances. Some

handholds are applied to the power

units. The semi-trailers are connected to

the bogies by use of kingpins and fifth

wheels commonly found in highway

tractor/semi-trailer service. The cab

control unit, power units and bogies

have no hand brakes per se, but are

equipped with a spring loaded parking

brake.

The 3R rail system has not been used

in the United States. A consist of a cab

control unit, a power unit, three

containers on chassis (semi-trailers), one

dead weight unit, and sufficient bogies

to assemble the train was tested by the

Association of American Railroads

(AAR) at the Transportation Technology

Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado, from

December 1994 to April 1995. The train

was tested according to the

specifications of Chapter XI, of the

AAR’s M–1001, Manual of Standards

and Recommended Practices. The 3R

train performed within Chapter XI

performance standards, and indicate the

likelihood of safe car performance.

3R’s objective in the United States is

to allow short line operators to benefit

from their value added road/rail

transportation system, by transporting

on rail, the freight that would be

destined to an alternate and less

desirable mode of transportation. When

the waiver petition was submitted by

3R, two United States short line

railroads had shown a strong interest in

its road/rail system. Rail America, one

of the short lines, would like to operate

two road/rail convoys of six power units

each with sixty containers. The

equipment will operate at

approximately 45 mph and haul

domestic waste in 82,500 pound

containers from inner-city points to

suburban waste dumps.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in this proceeding by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in

connection with this proceeding 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–96–1) and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Office of Chief Counsel,

Federal Railroad Administration, Nassif

Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590.

Communications received within 45

days of the date of publication of this

notice will be considered 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.) in Room

8201, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh

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

Issued in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1996.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 96–17455 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

Petition for Waivers of Compliance

In accordance with 49 CFR Sections

211.9 and 211.41, notice is hereby given

that the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) has received from

the De Queen & Eastern Railroad

Company, Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern

Railroad Company a request for a waiver

of compliance with certain requirements

of Federal regulations. The petition is

described below, including the

regulatory provisions involved, the

nature of the relief being requested and

the petitioner’s arguments in favor of

relief.

De Queen & Eastern Railroad Company

Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad

Company

[Docket Number SA–96–4]

The De Queen & Eastern Railroad

Company; Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern

Railroad Company (DQE–TOE) seeks a

waiver of compliance from certain

sections of 49 CFR Part 231, Railroad

Safety Appliance Standards. The DQE–

TOE is requesting a permanent waiver

of the provisions of 49 CFR Part 231

which requires end ladders. The DQE–

TOE wish to remove the end ladders on

the subject cars.

The DQE–TOE has 300 high side open

top cars for hauling wood chips. Two

hundred of these cars are end dump

cars, in that the ends when unlocked

swing upwards permitting easier

unloading of the wood chips.

49 CFR 231.1(e)(3) requires one ‘‘. . .

[ladder] on each side, not more than 8

inches from left side of car ‘‘. . .’’

The DQE–TOE states that the end

ladder ladders serve no useful purpose

and are costly to maintain. The end

doors are opened by machinery and are

constantly being damaged.

The DQE–TOE operates freight service

from Perkins, Arkansas to Valliant,

Oklahoma, a distance of eighty-six miles

one way. Two trains are operated daily

for the movement of approximately

thirty (30) cars of wood chips in each

train.

The DQE–TOE further state that

company policy prohibits employees

from using these ladders and that the

removal of the end ladders would not

have an adverse effect on safety.

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–SA–96–4 and

must be submitted in triplicate to the

Docket Clerk, Chief Counsel, Federal

Railroad Administration, Nassif

Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590.

Communications received before August

19, 1996, 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.) in Room 8201,

Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street

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

Issued in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1996.

Phil Olekszyk,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Compliance and Program Implementation.

[FR Doc. 96–17454 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 9, 1996 / Notices 36109

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Veterans’ Claims Adjudication

Commission; Notice of Public Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA), in accordance with Public Law

92–463, gives notice that the Veterans’

Claims Adjudication Commission will

conduct its eighth public meeting on

Tuesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July

17, 1996, at the Department of Veterans

Affairs Central Office, 810 Vermont

Avenue, NW., Room 230, Washington,

DC. The Commission will meet from

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both days.

This public meeting will focus mainly

on discussion and consideration of

proposed findings, conclusions, and

recommendations, which have

originated from the Commission’s new

areas of pursuit.

On July 16, the Commission will

begin to discuss and consider proposed

findings, conclusions, and

recommendations generated from new

areas of pursuit including:

• Strategic Management Planning—

Setting strategic goals and embracing

the accelerated development and

integrated strategic management

process;

• Adjudication and Appeals Issues—

Redesigning the adjudication and

appeals process to make it more

functional, fair, and efficient;

• Disability Compensation Advisory

Committee—Establishing an Advisory

Committee which reports to the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

regarding disability compensation

issues;

• Annual Report on VA’s Disability

Compensation Program—Developing

an annual report which provides

comprehensive information to be used

in the long-term management of the

program; and

• Medical Examinations—Assessing the

military separation examination test

to effect changes that will benefit

servicemembers and veterans.

At the end of the day, the Commission

will receive an update from the Veterans

Benefits Administration’s Business

Process Reengineering (BPR) Team.

On Wednesday, July 17, the

Commission will continue to discuss

and consider proposed findings,

conclusions, and recommendations

from new areas of pursuit including:

• VA Disability Compensation and

Commercial Disability Insurance

Comparisons—Consideration of

program and administrative practices

of commercial insurers for possible

adoption or adaptation by VA;

• Lump Sum Compensation Benefits at

Lower Disability Levels—Revising the

payment system to ‘‘free-up’’ time and

resources so that the needs of more

severely disabled veterans could be

better served;

• VA Pension Program/Supplemental

Security Income Program

Relationship—Determining the

relationship between the VA Pension

Program and the Supplemental

Security Income Program;

• VA Pension Reform—Reform and

streamline the Pension Program to

reduce the confusion and burden on

the veteran and VA;

• Claims Intake Issues—Simplifying the

application form and claims filing

procedures, in addition to developing

cooperative strategies with Veterans

Service Organizations to encourage

the submission of fully supported

claims; and

• Other Relevant Issues—Issues on

which the Commission will not take a

formal position/make a formal

recommendation, such as the lack of

closure for VA compensation claims,

and reevaluating the purpose of the

rating schedule.

The meeting is open to the public;

however, no time is allocated for the

purpose of receiving oral presentations

from the public. The Commission will

accept appropriate written comments

from interested parties on the subject

matter addressed during the meeting.

Such comments may be referred to the

Commission at the following address:

Veterans’ Claims Adjudication

Commission (20C), U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave.,

NW., Washington, DC 20420.

Additional information concerning

this meeting may be obtained by

contacting the Commission at (202)

275–2142.

Dated: June 26, 1996.

By Direction of the Secretary.

Heyward Bannister,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 96–17365 Filed 7–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M

Advisory Committee on the

Readjustment of Vietnam and Other

War Veterans, Notice of Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) gives notice under Pub. L. 92–463

that a meeting of the Advisory

Committee on the Readjustment of

Vietnam and Other War Veterans will be

held July 25 and 26, 1996. This meeting

will be a field meeting conducted

primarily at VA facilities in Tacoma and

Seattle, Washington. The Committee

will also visit the Colville, Lumni and

Tulalip Indian Reservations in eastern

and central Washington to review the

availability of services for area rural and

minority veterans. The purpose of the

meeting is to provide the Committee a

first hand opportunity to review the

provision and coordination of VA

services for war-related post-traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) and other

readjustment difficulties specific to war

veterans. For this purpose the

Committee will tour facilities, and

engage in discussions with VA service

providers and veteran consumers.

The meeting on July 25 will begin at

8: a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. The day’s

agenda will be conducted concurrently

at two different locations. Specifically

the Committee will visit the American

Lake VA Medical Center and the

Tacoma Vet Center. The day’s agenda

will consist of direct observations of VA

readjustment counseling and mental

health services with particular attention

to the PTSD Clinical Team at the

American Lake VA Medical Center. An

additional focus for the meeting is

continuity of care and clinical follow-up

between area VA medical centers and

Vet Centers. A separate Committee

group will visit the Colville Indian

Reservation in Nespelem, Washington to

review available services and meet with

area veterans.

The meeting on July 26 will begin at

8 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The

second day’s agenda will also be

conducted concurrently at two different

locations. The regular agenda will

consist of a continuation of direct

observations of VA programs and

facilities at the Seattle VA Medical

Center and Vet Center. Concurrently a

separate Committee subgroup will be

visiting with local veterans at the Lumni

and Tulalip Indian Reservations in

Bellingham and Marysville,

Washington. In addition to the regular

agenda the Committee will conduct a

local community forum meeting and

group discussion with VA and non-VA

officials and service providers, and local

veteran representatives regarding the

post-war readjustment and service

needs of area war veterans. The meeting

will be conducted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

at the Seattle Vet Center, 2230 Eighth

Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98121.

The meeting will be closed from 8

a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, and

from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 26,

in accordance with the provisions cited

in 5 U.S.C. 522b(c)(6) pursuant to

subsection 10(d) of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act. During this portion of

the meeting the Committee will be

engaging in discussions with VA

clinical service providers and veteran