Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices 58701 

Dated: September 30, 2008. 

Sandy K. Baruah, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E8–23695 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 

[Docket No. SSA–2008–0056] 

Future Systems Technology Advisory 

Panel Meeting 

AGENCY: Social Security Administration 

(SSA). 

ACTION: Notice of Inaugural Meeting. 

DATES: October 23, 2008, 8:30 a.m.–5 

p.m. and October 24, 2008, 8:30 a.m.– 

12 p.m. 

Location: L’Enfant Plaza Hotel. 

ADDRESSES: 480 L’Enfant Plaza SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Type of meeting: The meeting is open 

to the public. 

Purpose: The Panel, under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act of 1972, as 

amended, (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘the 

FACA’’) shall report to and provide the 

Commissioner of Social Security 

independent advice and 

recommendations on the future of 

systems technology and electronic 

services at the agency five to ten years 

into the future. The Panel will 

recommend a road map to aid SSA in 

determining what future systems 

technologies may be developed to assist 

in carrying out its statutory mission. 

Advice and recommendations can relate 

to SSA’s systems in the area of internet 

application, customer service, or any 

other arena that would improve SSA’s 

ability to serve the American people. 

Agenda: The Panel will meet on 

Thursday, October 23, 2008 from 8:30 

a.m. until 5 p.m. and Friday, October 

24, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The 

agenda will be available on the Internet 

at http://www.ssa.gov/fstap/index.htm 

or available by e-mail or fax on request, 

one week prior to the starting date. 

During the first meeting the Panel will 

hear presentations on the status of 

electronic service delivery, systems 

technology and customer service issues 

within SSA; review the Panel charter 

and operating procedures; hold 

deliberations and discuss the Panel’s 

organization, operating procedures, and 

the agenda for the future meetings. 

Contact Information: Records are kept 

of all proceedings and will be available 

for public inspection by appointment at 

the Panel office. Anyone requiring 

information regarding the Panel should 

contact the staff by: 

Mail addressed to SSA, Future 

Systems Technology Advisory Panel, 

Room 800, Altmeyer Building, 6401 

Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 

21235–0001; Telephone at 202–358– 

6126; Fax at 202–358–6079; or E-mail to 

FSTAP@ssa.gov. 

Dated: October 1, 2008. 

Dianne L. Rose, 

Designated Federal Officer, Future Systems 

Technology Advisory Panel. 

[FR Doc. E8–23743 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6385] 

Culturally Significant Objects Imported 

for Exhibition Determinations: 

‘‘Dresden in Moonlight’’ 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

following determinations: Pursuant to 

the authority vested in me by the Act of 

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 

2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 

27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and 

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 

2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et 

seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of 

October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority 

No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as 

amended, and Delegation of Authority 

No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], 

I hereby determine that the object to be 

included in the exhibition ‘‘Dresden in 

Moonlight,’’ imported from abroad for 

temporary exhibition within the United 

States, is of cultural significance. The 

object is imported pursuant to a loan 

agreement with the foreign owner or 

custodian. I also determine that the 

exhibition or display of the exhibit 

object at The Metropolitan Museum of 

Art, New York, NY, from on or about 

October 15, 2008, until on or about May 

31, 2011, and at possible additional 

exhibitions or venues yet to be 

determined, is in the national interest. 

Public Notice of these Determinations is 

ordered to be published in the Federal 

Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including a list of 

the exhibit object, contact Julie 

Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of 

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of 

State (telephone: (202–453–8050). The 

address is U.S. Department of State, SA– 

44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700, 

Washington, DC. 20547–0001. 

Dated: September 30, 2008. 

C. Miller Crouch, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department 

of State. 

[FR Doc. E8–23711 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Civil Supersonic Aircraft Panel 

Discussion 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting participation. 

SUMMARY: This notice advises interested 

persons that the FAA is participating in 

a panel session on civil supersonic 

aircraft research. The session will 

include presentations on current 

research programs and a question and 

answer session for attendees. The FAA 

is seeking to raise public awareness of 

the continuing technological advances 

in supersonic aircraft technology aimed 

at reducing the intensity of sonic boom. 

DATES: The public session will take 

place on October 24, 2008. The panel 

discussion is from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

in Rosemont, IL. 

ADDRESSES: The symposium is 

sponsored by the O’Hare Noise 

Compatibility Commission (ONCC) and 

will be held at the Hyatt Rosemont 

Hotel, 6350 N. River Road, Rosemont, 

IL. Attendance is open to all interested 

parties, and there are no fees to attend. 

The FAA panel discussion is the last 

item on the symposium agenda. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laurette Fisher, Office of Environment 

and Energy (AEE–100), Federal Aviation 

Administration, 800 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; 

facsimile (202) 267–5594, telephone 

(202) 267–3561. 

Background: Since March 1973, 

supersonic flight over land by civil 

aircraft has been prohibited in the 

United States. The Concorde was the 

only civil supersonic airplane that 

offered service to the United States, but 

that airplane is no longer in service. 

The interest in supersonic aircraft 

technology has not disappeared. Current 

research is dedicated toward reducing 

the impact of sonic booms as they reach 

the ground, in an effort to make 

overland flight acceptable. Recent 

research has produced promising results 

for low boom intensity, and has 

renewed interest in developing 

supersonic civil aircraft that could be 

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58702 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 7, 2008 / Notices 

considered environmentally acceptable 

for supersonic flight over land. 

The FAA is leading a panel 

discussion entitled, ‘‘State of the Art of 

Supersonics Aircraft Technology—What 

has progressed in science since 1973?’’ 

The purpose of this panel session is to 

raise public awareness on advances in 

supersonic technology, and for the FAA, 

the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA), and industry to 

get feedback from interested persons. 

Public involvement is essential in any 

future definition of an acceptable new 

standard that would allow supersonic 

flights over land. We anticipate that this 

will be the first of many meetings 

informing the public on developments 

in the research of shaped sonic booms 

and other technical and environmental 

challenges that need to be addressed in 

developing a new supersonic airplane. 

The FAA’s presentation and panel 

discussion will take place on Friday, 

October 24, 2008, as part of the O’Hare 

Noise Compatibility Commission 

Symposium. It will be held at the Hyatt 

Rosemont Hotel, 6350 N. River Road, 

Rosemont, Illinois. 

More information about the O’Hare 

Noise Compatibility Commission can be 

found at its Web site, 

www.oharenoise.org. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on September 

24, 2008. 

Lynne Pickard, 

Acting Director of Environment and Energy. 

[FR Doc. E8–22898 Filed 10–6–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[FRA Emergency Order No. 26, Notice 

No. 1] 

Emergency Order To Restrict On-Duty 

Railroad Operating Employees’ Use of 

Cellular Telephones and Other 

Distracting Electronic and Electrical 

Devices 

SUMMARY: This is an emergency order to 

restrict on-duty railroad operating 

employees from improperly using 

cellular telephones and other distracting 

electronic and electrical devices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Douglas H. Taylor, Staff Director, 

Operating Practices Division, Office of 

Safety Assurance and Compliance, FRA, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., RRS–11, 

Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 

(telephone 202–493–6255); or Ann M. 

Landis, Trial Attorney, Office of Chief 

Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 

SE., RCC–12, Mail Stop 10, Washington, 

DC 20590 (telephone 202–493–6064). 

Introduction 

The Federal Railroad Administration 

(FRA) of the United States Department 

of Transportation (DOT) has determined 

that public safety compels issuance of 

this emergency order restricting the 

improper use by railroad operating 

employees of certain electronic and 

electrical devices. Based on the 

historical record, rail passenger 

transportation in the United States is an 

extremely safe mode of transportation. 

However, recent incidents, including 

one that has claimed 25 lives, have 

caused DOT and FRA to have very 

serious concerns about the safety of the 

improper usage of cellular telephones 

(cell phones) and other electronic and 

electrical devices. 

Authority 

Authority to enforce Federal railroad 

safety laws has been delegated by the 

Secretary of Transportation to the 

Federal Railroad Administrator. 49 CFR 

1.49. Railroads are subject to FRA’s 

safety jurisdiction under the Federal 

railroad safety laws, 49 U.S.C. 20102, 

20103. FRA is authorized to issue 

emergency orders where an unsafe 

condition or practice ‘‘causes an 

emergency situation involving a hazard 

of death or personal injury.’’ 49 U.S.C. 

20104. These orders may impose such 

‘‘restrictions and prohibitions * * * 

that may be necessary to abate the 

situation.’’ (Ibid.) 

Background 

Although most railroads have rules or 

procedures in place that prohibit or 

restrict the use of electronic devices 

such as cell phones and personal digital 

assistants (PDAs), these company rules 

and procedures have not proven 

effective in preventing serious train 

accidents caused by the unsafe use of 

such devices. That became clear only 

very recently in a decade-long course of 

FRA regulatory activity. 

FRA Activity 

When FRA amended 49 CFR Part 220- 

Radio Standards and Procedures on 

January 4, 1999, it was re-titled to 

‘‘Railroad Communications,’’ to reflect 

its coverage of other means of wireless 

communications such as cell phones, 

data radio terminals, and other forms of 

wireless communications used to 

convey emergency and need-to-know 

information. The revisions to Part 220 

were the result of recommendations by 

the Railroad Safety Advisory 

Committee’s (RSAC) Working Group, 

which consisted of a diverse group of 

subject matter experts representing a 

wide array of railroad industry 

stakeholders. 

In its deliberations, the Working 

Group examined extensive safety data, 

discussed how to improve compliance 

with existing Federal regulations on 

radio standards and procedures, and 

considered whether to mandate radios 

and other forms of wireless 

communications to convey emergency 

and need-to-know information. FRA 

sought comments on whether non-radio 

wireless communications procedures 

paralleling the radio procedures in Part 

220 should be adopted for cell phones 

and other wireless devices. Particularly, 

FRA wanted to know whether on-radio 

wireless communications had the same 

opportunities for misunderstanding as 

radio transmissions and how such 

procedures would be enforced. After 

reviewing the comments, FRA decided, 

at that time, not to promulgate nonradio wireless communications 

procedures, based primarily on the fact 

that the Working Group did not 

consider in depth how to ensure the 

accuracy and completeness of non-radio 

wireless communications. Accordingly, 

in the final rule, FRA addressed only 

the testing and failure of non-radio 

wireless communications equipment 

(see 49 CFR 220.37 and 220.38, 

respectively). 

However, FRA emphasized in the 

preamble to the final rule that the 

procedures in section 220.61 (radio 

transmission of mandatory directives) 

should be followed even when a cell 

phone or other form of wireless 

communication is used to transmit 

mandatory directives. FRA stated at the 

time that it reserved the right to revisit 

the issue of non-radio wireless 

communications procedures, if 

necessary. 

On March 17, 2004, FRA met with the 

National Transportation Safety Board 

(NTSB or Safety Board) at what they 

termed a ‘‘Safety With A Team’’ (SWAT) 

meeting. As the result of Safety 

Recommendation R–03–1, FRA told the 

Safety Board that it had instructed its 

inspectors to increase its monitoring of 

unauthorized use of cell phones, but 

that enforcement of any regulation in 

this area would be challenging. FRA 

stated that it was in the process of 

gathering copies of enhanced railroad 

operating rules that strengthened the 

restrictions railroads placed on the use 

of cell phones and that it would review 

all of these rules and procedures 

governing cell phone use to look for 

gaps, and consider options, to include 

the issuance of a FRA Safety Advisory. 

FRA also stated to the Board at the 

SWAT meeting that it would discuss the 

subject of cell phone usage with 

members of the full RSAC, and 

determine what actions, if any, FRA 

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