Source: https://www.fcc.gov/document/positive-train-control-draft-program-comment-released-comment?fontsize=mediumFont
Timestamp: 2015-07-30 13:22:15
Document Index: 525382762

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 470', '§ 800', '§ 800', '§ 800', '§ 800', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 800', '§ 800', '§ 800']

Positive Train Control Draft Program Comment Released for Comment | FCC.gov
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Positive Train Control Draft Program Comment Released for Comment
DA 14-97WT Docket No. 13-240January 29, 2014
COMMENT SOUGHT ON DRAFT PROGRAM COMMENT TO GOVERN REVIEW OF POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL FACILITIES UNDER SECTION 106 OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT
Comment Date: February 12, 2014
By this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) seeks public comment
on the attached draft Program Comment (Attachment A) to govern review of Positive Train Control(PTC) wayside facilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).1 For the reader’s convenience, a summary of substantive provisions of the draft Program Comment is also appended as Attachment B. The intent of this Program Comment is to tailor and expedite the Tribal and historic preservation review process under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for the Congressionally-mandated PTC rail safety communications initiative. PTC is designed to save lives and enhance safety and security along the nation’s railroad lines by use of wireless communications technology.
On September 27, 2013, the Bureau first invited comment regarding the development of a PTC Program Comment through release of a Public Notice and Scoping Document.2 The Bureau is continuing the process of developing a Program Comment, and seeks comment regarding the attached draft, which has been designed specifically for PTC communications structures and facilities.
Under the rules of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), a Federal agency may request that the ACHP issue a Program Comment to govern Section 106 review of a category of undertakings in lieu of procedures specified in the ACHP’s rules.3 Prior to requesting a Program 1 16 U.S.C. § 470f.
2 See Comment Sought On Scoping Document For Development Of A Proposed Program Comment To Govern Review Of Positive Train Control Facilities Under Section 106 Of The National Historic Preservation Act, PublicNotice, WT Docket No. 13-240, 28 FCC Rcd 13852 (2013) (Scoping Document Public Notice). On the same date, the Bureau and the Office of Native Affairs and Policy also released a separate Public Notice and Scoping Document to initiate government-to-government consultation on the proposed Program Comment with Federally recognized Tribal Nations. See CGB’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy and WTB Release Scoping Document to Initiate Tribal Consultation on a Proposed Program Comment to Govern Review of Positive Train Control Facilities Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Public Notice, WT Docket No. 13-240, 28 FCC Rcd 13870 (2013).
3 See 36 C.F.R. § 800.14(e).
Comment, the agency shall arrange for public participation appropriate to the subject matter and the scope of the category.4 This Public Notice is issued in partial fulfillment of this public participation requirement, as well as to further the Commission’s ongoing consultation with State Historic Preservation Officers, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and Tribal Nations.5 After considering the comments received in response to this Public Notice and otherwise completing its consultation obligations, the Bureau expects to submit a proposed Program Comment to the ACHP. The ACHP will then have 45 days to issue a Program Comment, unless it requests additional documentation, declines to comment, or obtains the Commission’s consent to extend this period of time.6
This proceeding continues to be treated as exempt under the Commission’s ex parte rules.7 Accordingly, parties do not need to submit ex parte filings for communications concerning the development of the Program Comment.
Filing instructions: Interested parties may file comments on or before the date indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (“ECFS”). 
4 Id. § 800.14(e)(2).
5 Id. § 800.14(e)(3), (4).
6 Id. § 800.14(e)(5).
7 Scoping Document Public Notice, 28 FCC Rcd at 13853. 47 C.F.R. § 1.1204; see 47 C.F.R. § 1.1200(a) (“Where the public interest so requires in a particular proceeding, the Commission and its staff retain the discretion to modify the applicable ex parte rules by order, letter, or public notice.”).
Availability of Documents: Comments will be available for public inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S.W., CY-A257, Washington, D.C., 20554. These documents will also be available via ECFS. http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/ Documents will be available electronically in ASCII, Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe Acrobat. Accessibility information: To request information in accessible formats (computer diskettes large print, audio recording, and Braille), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530(voice), (202) 418-0432(TTY). This document can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at www.fcc.gov .
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contacts: Stephen DelSordo, (202) 418-1986 or stephen.delsordo@fcc.gov, or Anne Marie Wypijewski, (717) 338-2508 or annemarie.wypijewski@fcc.gov.
Media contact: Cecilia Sulhoff, (202) 418-0587 or cecilia.sulhoff@fcc.gov
Draft Program Comment to Tailor the Federal Communications Commission’s
Section 106 Review for Undertakings Involving the Construction of
Positive Train Control Wayside Facilities
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses and registers communications facilities thatrequire review and consultation pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106), 16 U.S.C. 470f, to assess whether the proposed facility may have an adverse effect on historic properties. The regulations implementing Section 106, developed by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (Council) and codified at 36 CFR Pt 800, describe the procedures Federal agencies must follow to meet this obligation. Alternate compliance procedures, provided for under the Section 106 regulations, allow agencies to meet these Section 106 obligations using a process that is tailored to their mission and needs. Under 36 CFR § 800.14(e), an agency may request a “Program Comment” from the Council in lieu of case-by-case review. The benefit of a Program Comment is that it allows a Federal agency to comply with Section 106 in an efficient and targeted manner for a specific category of undertakings. At the FCC’s request, the Council issues the following Program Comment in accordance with 36 CFR § 800.14(e) in order to establish a tailored process for consideration, under Section 106, of the effects ofwayside poles constructed by the Nation’s freight and passenger railroads to deploy Positive Train Control (PTC) systems.8 In lieu of the process set forth in subpart B of the Council’s regulations, the FCC currently conducts Section 106 review of wireless tower and antenna undertakings in accordance with the Council’s procedures, 36 C.F.R. Pt 800, as modified and supplemented by two Nationwide Programmatic Agreements (NPAs) negotiated and executed in accordance with 36 CFR § 800.14(b). These Nationwide Programmatic Agreements are codified in the FCC’s rules at 47 CFR Pt 1, Apps. B(Nationwide Collocation Agreement) and C (FCC NPA). This Program Comment provides an optional alternative process to certain procedures set forth in the Nationwide Programmatic Agreements for the category of undertakings covered herein. Applicants electing not to utilize the alternate procedures specified herein for undertakings covered by the Program Comment will be subject to the applicable procedures set forth in the Nationwide Programmatic Agreements. Applicants that elect to utilize this Program Comment must continue to follow the Council’s procedures, as modified or supplemented by the NPAs, to the extent the Program Comment does not establish alternative procedures.
Consistent with FCC NPA Section IV.K, nothing in this Program Comment shall be construed to prohibit or limit railroads and Tribal Nations from entering into arrangements or agreements governing their contacts, including review of proposed facilities, provided such arrangements or agreements are otherwise consistent with Federal law and no modification is made in the roles of other parties to the Section 106process without the other parties’ consent. Documentation of such alternative arrangements or agreements should be filed with the FCC’s Federal Preservation Officer. All communications from railroads to Tribal Nations shall be made in a manner that is respectful of Tribal sovereignty. In addition, this Program 8 In general terms, a wayside pole consists of a metal pole largely resembling a utility pole, with an associated equipment cabinet, used for mounting antennas along the way of the railroad track. 1
Comment shall not be construed to limit State Historic Preservation Officers’ (SHPOs’) authority to adopt flexible procedures under Section III.F or other provisions of the FCC NPA.
This Program Comment does not waive Section 106 compliance for any category of undertakings, nor does it waive requirements to consult with Federally recognized Tribal Nations under Section 101(d)(6) of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) or any other source of law. The obligation to consult on a government-to-government basis with Tribal Nations pursuant to the Federal government’s trust responsibility rests with the FCC as a Federal agency and cannot be delegated to any party.
PTC system implementation is a complex undertaking reaching almost every element of affected railroad operations. PTC systems generally use radio signals between trains and a land-based network to prevent certain railroad accidents. When installed, PTC systems will be capable of controlling or stopping a train when a train operator is unavailable or unresponsive and action is required to avoid a derailment, incursion into