Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 202 / Wednesday, October 21, 2009 / Notices 54117 

Estimated Time per Response: 0.50 

hours. 

Frequency: Intermittent for 

approximately three (3) years. (Reports 

are submitted when there is a qualifying 

event, i.e., a close call occurs within a 

pilot site. The frequency of such an 

event is estimated to be two per day.) 

Total Annual Burden: 365.00 hours. 

II. Background 

Continuing to collect data on the 

Nation’s transportation system is an 

important component of the BTS 

responsibility to the transportation 

community and is authorized in BTS 

statutory authority (49 USC 111(c)(1) 

and (2) and 49 USC 111(c)(5) (j)). BTS 

and FRA share a common interest in 

promoting rail safety based on better 

data. To that end, FRA’s Office of 

Research and Development is 

sponsoring the Confidential Close Call 

Reporting System (C3RS) Demonstration 

Project to investigate the effectiveness of 

such a data collection system in 

improving rail safety. The data 

collection phase of this study was 

initiated in February, 2009 and is 

scheduled to continue for 

approximately 3 more years. 

A close call represents a situation in 

which an ongoing sequence of events 

was stopped from developing further, 

preventing the occurrence of potentially 

serious safety-related consequences. 

This might include the following: (1) 

Events that happen frequently, but have 

low safety consequences; (2) events that 

happen infrequently but have the 

potential for high consequences (e.g., a 

train in dark territory proceeds beyond 

its authority); (3) events that are below 

the FRA reporting threshold (e.g., an 

event that causes a minor injury); and 

(4) events that are reportable to FRA but 

have the potential for a far greater 

accident than the one reported (e.g., a 

slow speed collision with minor damage 

to the equipment and no injuries.) 

Employees involved in a close call are 

asked to fill out a questionnaire and 

mail it to BTS. Blank forms of the 

questionnaire will be made available on 

the Web for download and at the 

employees work site. The respondent is 

asked to provide information such as: 

(1) Name and contact information; (2) 

time and location of the close call event; 

(3) a short description of the event; (4) 

contributing factors to the close call; 

and (5) any other information that might 

be useful in determining a root cause of 

such event. 

BTS collects close call reports 

submitted by railroad employees and 

protects the confidentiality of these data 

through its own statute (49 U.S.C. 

111(i)) and the Confidential Information 

Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act 

of 2002 (CIPSEA). In addition, BTS is 

developing an analytical database 

containing the reported data and other 

pertinent information to determine root 

causes of frequently reported close calls. 

The database is a valuable tool to 

railroad carriers and the FRA in their 

effort to identify safety issues and 

provide corrective measures before an 

accident occurs. 

Voluntary reporting of close calls to a 

confidential system can provide a tool 

to identify and correct weaknesses in 

railroad safety systems before an 

accident actually occurs. The C3RS 

demonstration project offers a 

voluntary, cooperative, non-punitive 

environment to communicate safety 

concerns. Through the analysis of close 

calls the FRA and the railroad 

community receive information about 

factors that may contribute to unsafe 

events and the error recovery 

mechanisms that prevented an adverse 

consequence from occurring. Such 

information is used to develop new 

training programs, identify root causes 

of potentially adverse events, assess risk 

and allocate resources to address those 

risks more efficiently. In addition, the 

database provides rail safety researchers 

with valuable information regarding 

precursors to safety risks and 

contributes to research and 

development of intervention programs 

aimed at preventing accidents and 

fatalities. 

III. Request for Comments 

BTS requests comments on any 

aspects of these information collections, 

including: (1) The accuracy of the 

estimated burden; (2) ways to enhance 

the quality, usefulness, and clarity of 

the collected information; and (3) ways 

to minimize the collection burden 

without reducing the quality of the 

information collected, including 

additional use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 15, 

2009. 

Steven D. Dillingham, 

Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–25316 Filed 10–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–HY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Notice of Intent To Rule on Request To 

Release Airport Property at the 

Punxsutawney Municipal Airport, 

Punxsutawney, PA 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of request to release 

airport property. 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to rule and 

invite public comment on the release of 

land at the Punxsutawney Municipal 

Airport, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania 

under the provisions of Section 47125(a) 

of Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.). 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before November 20, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on this 

application may be mailed or delivered 

to the following address: Ricky Young, 

Manager, Punxsutawney Municipal 

Airport Authority, 500 Chestnut Street, 

Punxsutawney, PA 15767, and at the 

FAA Harrisburg Airports District Office: 

Lori K. Pagnanelli, Manager, Harrisburg 

Airports District Office, 3905 Hartzdale 

Dr., Suite 508, Camp Hill, PA 17011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori 

B.R. Ledebohm, Planner, Harrisburg 

Airports District Office location listed 

above. 

The request to release property may 

be reviewed in person at this same 

location. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

invites public comment on the request 

to release property at the Punxsutawney 

Municipal Airport under the provisions 

of Section 47125(a) of Title 49 U.S.C. 

On July 28, 2009, the FAA and the 

Pennsylvania Department of 

Transportation Bureau of Aviation 

determined that the request to release 

property at the Punxsutawney 

Municipal Airport submitted by the 

Punxsutawney Municipal Airport 

Authority (Authority) met the 

procedural requirements. 

The following is a brief overview of 

the request: 

The Punxsutawney Municipal Airport 

Authority requests the release of 

30.4248 acres of non-aeronautical 

airport property to Frank M. Amundson 

and Mary Ann Amundson. The property 

was acquired without Federal 

participation and is currently vacant. 

The property is located on the Easterly 

corner of Ridgmont Road and Clawson 

Street. The purpose of this release is to 

allow the Punxsutawney Municipal 

Airport Authority (Authority) to 

exchange the subject land that does not 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
54118 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 202 / Wednesday, October 21, 2009 / Notices 

1The line does not include a parcel of land on 

and adjacent to the right-of-way at milepost 145.20. 

serve any aeronautical purpose at the 

airport. In exchange for the subject land, 

Amundson will transfer the terminal 

building and hangar to the Authority, 

which facilities are presently located at 

the Airport. The exchange will allow the 

Authority to gain greater control of the 

facilities located on dedicated airport 

property. There are no impacts to the 

Airport and the land is not needed for 

airport development as shown on the 

Airport Layout Plan. There are no 

proceeds expected in connection with 

the Transfer. Any proceeds from the sale 

of property are to be used for the capital 

and operating costs of the airport. 

Any person may inspect the request 

by appointment at the FAA office 

address listed above. Interested persons 

are invited to comment on the proposed 

release from obligations. All comments 

will be considered by the FAA to the 

extent practicable. 

Issued in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, 

October 13, 2009. 

Lori K. Pagnanelli, 

Manager, Harrisburg Airports District Office. 

[FR Doc. E9–25361 Filed 10–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Finance Docket No. 35300] 

Central Railroad Company of 

Indianapolis—Lease and Operation 

Exemption—Norfolk Southern Railway 

Company 

Central Railroad Company of 

Indianapolis (CERA), a Class III carrier, 

has filed a verified notice of exemption 

under 49 CFR 1150.41 to lease and to 

operate, pursuant to a lease agreement 

(Agreement) entered into on September 

14, 2009, with Norfolk Southern 

Railway Company (NSR), approximately 

15.9 miles of NSR’s rail line between 

milepost RK–154.5, a point just east of 

the grade crossing at 38th Street, in Gas 

City, Grant County, IN, and milepost 

RK–138.6 at the end of the line, at 

Hartford City, Blackford County, IN (the 

line).1 The Agreement also includes 

operating rights into Goodman Yard, 

and any sidings or sidetracks owned by 

NSR that are accessed via the line. 

CERA states that there is no provision 

or agreement that will limit future 

interchange with a third-party 

connecting carrier, whether by outright 

prohibition, per-car penalty, adjustment 

in the purchase price or rental, positive 

economic inducement, or other means. 

See 49 CFR 1150.43(h). 

CERA certifies that its projected 

annual revenues as a result of this 

transaction would not exceed those that 

would qualify it as a Class III rail 

carrier. However, because its projected 

annual revenues will exceed $5 million, 

CERA also certifies that it has complied 

with notice requirements of 49 CFR 

1150.42(e). 

The transaction is scheduled to be 

consummated on December 1, 2009, at 

least 60 days after CERA’s certification 

of the notice requirements of section 49 

CFR 1150.42(e). 

Pursuant to the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 

No. 110–161, § 193, 121 Stat. 1844 

(2007), nothing in this decision 

authorizes the following activities at any 

solid waste rail transfer facility: 

collecting, storing or transferring solid 

waste outside of its original shipping 

container; or separating or processing 

solid waste (including baling, crushing, 

compacting and shredding). The term 

‘‘solid waste’’ is defined in section 1004 

of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 

U.S.C. 6903. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

may be filed at any time. The filing of 

a petition to revoke will not 

automatically stay the effectiveness of 

the exemption. Petitions for stay must 

be filed no later than November 24, 

2009 (at least 7 days before the 

exemption becomes effective). 

An original and 10 copies of all 

pleadings, referring to STB Finance 

Docket No. 35300, must be filed with 

the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423– 

0001. In addition, a copy of each 

pleading must be served on Louis E. 

Gitomer, Law Offices of Louis E. 

Gitomer, LLC, 600 Baltimore Avenue, 

Suite 301, Towson, MD 21204. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http:// 

www.stb.dot.gov. 

Decided: October 16, 2009. 

By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. E9–25312 Filed 10–20–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2009–0168] 

Technical Report on Fatalities in 

Frontal Crashes Despite Seat Belts and 

Air Bags 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Request for comments on 

technical report. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces 

NHTSA’s publication of a Technical 

Report reviewing and evaluating the 

performance in frontal crashes of airbag-equipped, late-model passenger 

cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and vans and 

the protection they offer to drivers and 

front-seat passengers who wear seat 

belts. The report’s title is: Fatalities in 

Frontal Crashes Despite Seat Belts and 

Air Bags. 

DATES: Comments must be received no 

later than February 18, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Report: The technical report 

is available on the Internet for viewing 

on line in PDF format at http://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811102.PDF. 

You may obtain a copy of the report free 

of charge by sending a self-addressed 

mailing label to Charles J. Kahane 

(NVS–431), National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Comments: You may submit 

comments [identified by Docket Number 

NHTSA–2009–0168] by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

M–30, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, West Building, Ground 

Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 am 

and 5 pm Eastern Time, Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

You may call Docket Management at 

202–366–9826. 

Instructions: For detailed instructions 

on submitting comments, see the 

Procedural Matters section of this 

document. Note that all comments 

received will be posted without change 

to http://www.regulations.gov, including 

any personal information provided. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation 


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