Document ID: FRA-2020-0060-0002
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Posted Date: 2020-08-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 151 (Wednesday, August 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47467-47468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17028]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2020-0060]

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 13, 2020, the American 
Public Transportation Association (APTA) 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 213, 214, 217, 218, 220, 225, 228, 229, 232, 234, 236, 238, 
239, 240, 242, and 243. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-
2020-0060.
    APTA, on behalf of its member railroads, requests to renew the 
emergency relief FRA previously granted by letter dated May 22, 2020, 
in its emergency relief docket (Docket Number FRA-2020-0002). See 
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FRA-2020-0002-0074. FRA renewed 
this relief for an additional 60 days on July 20, 2020. See https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FRA-2020-0002-0094.
    APTA states that the requested emergency relief allows for 
modifications in operations that are necessary to maintain public and 
railroad employee health and safety, and it enables commuter and 
passenger railroads to operate consistently with recommendations from 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning reducing the 
spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Additionally, APTA 
states that its member railroads are currently only utilizing a small 
portion of the relief to prioritize safety, but it expects that the 
changing dynamics of COVID-19 may require use of relief not currently 
being applied. Given the uncertain nature of the COVID-19 public health 
emergency and its effect on railroad operations, APTA requests to renew 
the relief for one year.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov (Docket Number FRA-2020-0060).
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, data, or comments. If any interested 
parties desire 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.

[[Page 47468]]

    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 4, 2020 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/privacyNotice for the privacy notice of 
regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
John Karl Alexy,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-17028 Filed 8-4-20; 8:45 am]
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