Document ID: FRA-2011-0007-0008
Agency: fra
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Announcement of technical symposium and extension of comment period
Posted Date: 2012-11-16T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68722-68723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27976]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

49 CFR Part 234

[Docket No. FRA-2011-0007, Notice No. 2]
RIN 2130-AC26

National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory Reporting Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Announcement of technical symposium and extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: On October 18, 2012, FRA published a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) on National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory Reporting 
Requirements. In the NPRM, FRA announced that it would schedule a 
technical symposium to give interested parties the opportunity to 
discuss issues associated with the electronic submission of data to the 
U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory (Crossing Inventory). 
This notice announces the scheduling of the technical symposium. This 
notice also extends the NPRM comment period to allow time for 
interested parties to submit comments after the technical symposium.

DATES: The technical symposium will be held on December 13, 2012 in 
Washington, DC and will commence at 10 a.m. The comment period in this 
proceeding is extended to January 31, 2013.

ADDRESSES: (1) Technical Symposium: The technical symposium will be 
held at the Courtyard by Marriott Capitol Hill/Navy Yard, 140 L Street 
SE., Washington, DC 20003.
    (2) Attendance: Any person wishing to participate in the technical 
symposium should notify Michelle Silva in FRA's Office of Chief Counsel 
by telephone, email, or by mail at least five business days prior to 
the date of the symposium. Ms. Silva's contact information is as 
follows: FRA, Office of Chief Counsel, Mail Stop 10, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 202-493-6030; email: 
michelle.silva@dot.gov.
    For information on facilities or services for persons with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, please 
contact Larry Woolverton in FRA's Office of Railroad Safety, by 
telephone (202-493-6212) or email (larry.woolverton@dot.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Technical Symposium

    The purpose of the technical symposium is to facilitate discussion 
on technical issues associated with the electronic submission of data 
to the Crossing Inventory. The meeting is not intended as a forum for 
discussion or comment on any other aspects of the proposed rule. The 
proposed topics for discussion include the draft Instructions for 
Submitting U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory Data by Electronic Methods 
(Electronic Submission Instructions) referenced in the NPRM (and 
available in the docket at FRA-2011-0007-0005), proposed options for 
the submission of electronic crossing data to the Crossing Inventory, 
data formats that would be accepted for the submission of electronic 
crossing data to the Crossing Inventory, and the proposed timeframe and 
related concerns associated with meeting the proposed new requirements 
for the electronic submission of crossing data to the Crossing 
Inventory. In order to facilitate discussion at the technical 
symposium, FRA intends to supplement the docket with revised draft 
Electronic Submission Instructions prior to the symposium. The revised 
draft Electronic Submission Instructions will contain information on 
the proposed file formats and data specifications that would need to be 
followed when preparing electronic crossing data for submission to the 
Crossing Inventory. Therefore, interested parties are advised to 
review, prior to attending the technical symposium, the draft revised 
Electronic Submission Instructions that will be placed in the docket. 
Parties are reminded that the docket (No. FRA-2011-0007) can be 
accessed via the Internet at www.regulations.gov.

[[Page 68723]]

    A transcript of the technical symposium will be taken and placed in 
the public docket of this proceeding.

Public Participation Procedures

    Any person wishing to participate in the technical symposium should 
notify FRA by telephone, email, or mail as provided in the Attendance 
section of this notice at least five business days prior to the date of 
the technical symposium. The notification should identify the docket 
number of this proceeding (Docket No. FRA-2011-0007), as well as the 
organization the person represents (if any) and the particular issues 
associated with electronic data submission that the person plans to 
address. The notification should also provide a phone number, mailing 
address, and email address (if applicable) at which the registrant can 
be reached.

Extension of Comment Period

    To afford interested parties the opportunity to submit comments in 
response to views or information provided at the technical symposium, 
FRA is extending the comment period in this proceeding to January 31, 
2013.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 9, 2012.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-27976 Filed 11-15-12; 8:45 am]
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