Document ID: FRA-2005-21613-0028
Agency: fra
Document Type: Rule
Title: Petitions for Waivers of Compliance
Posted Date: 2011-06-14T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34802-34803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14731]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2005-21613]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), this document provides the public notice that by a 
document dated April 26, 2011, and an amending document dated May 3, 
2011, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) has petitioned the 
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from 
certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained 
at 49 CFR Part 229. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2005-
21613.
    FRA granted an extension of waiver Docket Number FRA-2005-21613 to 
AAR on May 3, 2011, continuing an extensive testing and inspection 
program to determine extended clean, repair and test intervals for air 
brake valves and related components as required by the Railroad 
Locomotive Safety Standards at 49 CFR 229.27 Annual tests and 229.29 
Biannual tests. Fourteen (14) separate groups of locomotives were 
identified for investigation in the waiver approval letter. Among the 
variables between groups are the model of electronic airbrake system 
used on the locomotives and whether the group of locomotives was 
manufactured by General Electric (GE) or ElectroMotive Diesel (EMD). 
AAR has now submitted additional requests for modification of this 
waiver. The first request is to add locomotives equipped with New York 
Air Brake (NYAB) CCB-26 model brake systems in the same group as 
locomotives equipped with CCB-II brake systems. Also, AAR has requested 
that the distinction between locomotive manufacturers be

[[Page 34803]]

dropped, thus reducing the number of groups to be tested.
    In support of this petition, AAR submitted supporting documentation 
from NYAB attesting to the essential similarity of the CCB-26 brake 
system to the CCB-II brake system already covered under the waiver. In 
addition, AAR states that testing performed to date under this waiver 
has allayed concerns that air brake system performance would vary 
between EMD and GE locomotives.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at http://www.regulations.gov and in person at the Department of Transportation's 
Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations Facility is open from 9 
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    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 and may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by July 29, 2011will be considered by FRA 
before final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered as far as practicable.
    Anyone is able to 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 comment, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 
19477-78) or online at http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

    Issued in Washington, DC on June 9, 2011.
Robert C. Lauby,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Regulatory & Legislative Operations.
[FR Doc. 2011-14731 Filed 6-13-11; 8:45 am]
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