Source: http://www.starshazmat.com/2015/11/
Timestamp: 2017-10-22 03:04:10
Document Index: 494403634

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 215', 'art 223', 'art 224', 'art 215', 'art 223', 'art 224', 'arts 240']

November, 2015 | Specialty Transportation and Regulatory Services
November 27, 2015: Permits Delayed 180 Days or More
PHMSA has published a list of special permits that have been delayed for 180 days or more. Each application is identified along with the expected date of completion and the reason for the delay.
List of application delayed more than 180 days
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 27, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
November 24, 2015: FRA Issues Best Practices for Designing Vision Field Test for Engineers and Conductors
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued an interim interpretation to clarify the locomotive engineer and conductor qualification and certification regulations regarding the vision standards and testing. This document focuses on further evaluation of any person that fails to meet the vision threshold criteria and provides guidance for designing valid, comparable, and reliable field tests that will be able to determine if those who do not meet the threshold criteria can perform their duties safely. Comments will be accepted through January 25, 2016.
Docket No. FRA-2015-0123
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 25, 2015 Categories In The News
November 23, 2015: (FR) Editorial Corrections and Clarifications
The final rule, which is effective December 23, 2015, issued by PHMSA makes corrections to editorial errors, minor regulatory changes and provides improved clarity to certain provisions of the HMR. This rule is intended to enhance accuracy and reduce any misunderstanding of the current rules. The amendments made are non-substantive changes that do not impose new requirements.
Docket No. PHMSA–2015–0103 (HM–260)
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 25, 2015 Categories Final Rules
November 23, 2015: STRT Submits Petition for Waiver of Compliance to FRA
Stewartstown Railroad (STRT) has petitioned the FRA for a waiver of compliance from part 215 (railroad freight car safety standards), part 223 (safety glazing standards), and part 224 (reflectorization of rail freight rolling stock) of the federal railroad safety regulations.
STRT owns 7.4 miles of track that runs between Stewartstown and New Freedom Pennsylvania. Volunteers have made upgrades and repairs to portions of the track, rolling stock, and locomotives. Currently STRT is planning on using less than a mile of the track for tourist railroad operations. Neither the Plymouth locomotive or the caboose being used will exceed ten miles per hour. As more of the track is restored and upgraded STRT will expand the route to include these sections. The caboose being used in the passenger excursions was constructed more than 50 years ago. In order to keep this car in service STRT is requesting a waiver of compliance from part 215.
The caboose does not meet the current glazing requirements due to the construction date. STRT stated in the waiver of compliance petition for part 223 that there is no history of vandalism and they do not interchange equipment so retrofitting the caboose to meet the current glazing standards would be too expensive.
STRT has also petitioned for a waiver of compliance on part 224 because there is currently no freight service on this line and are there plans to have freight service on this line in the future.
FRA does not plan on holding a public hearing on this matter but interested parties may submit comments until December 23, 2015.
Docket Number FRA–2015–0047
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 25, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
November 20, 2015: Information and Guidance on the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Emergency Window Exits on Railroad Passenger Cars
The Federal Railroad Administration has recently become aware that the window exits on passenger rail cars have not been operating as they should be. When pulled, the emergency handle becomes detached from the window gasket. In some cases the gasket was difficult to remove or just broke into several pieces.
Upon investigation, it became clear that some railroads did not fully understand or were just not following the federal regulations on inspection, testing, and maintenance of the window exits. Railroads are supposed to use the sampling method that conforms with a formalized statistical test method.
FRA does not feel that this issue would have impacted the passenger’s ability to open the window in an emergency.
FRA is publishing this notice in an effort to remind passenger train operators of the existing regulatory requirements on inspecting, testing, and maintenance of the window exits.
Docket Number 2015-29641
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 20, 2015 Categories Uncategorized
November 16, 2015: Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Kansas City Southern Railway is petitioning the FRA for a waiver of compliance on the accepted practice of stop/start rail testing. KCS would like to start a 3 year pilot test process of nonstop continuous testing that would begin on November 1. The test process would take place on the main tracks between Kansas City Missouri and Heavener Oklahoma on the Pittsburg subdivision and Heavener subdivision. Upon completion the test process will then expand to include the Shreveport Subdivision in Louisiana. KCS is intending to test the subdivisions within a 30 – 45 day frequency.
A bimonthly report that includes the in-service rail failure ratios, a report on the miles tested, and the frequency of the testing will be produced for the managers of FRA’s Rail and Infrastructure Integrity Division.
The data collected from the nonstop continuous rail testing vehicle will be analyzed from a remote location facility by experts who are experienced in reviewing Rail Flaw Detection test data. KCS believes nonstop continuous rail testing provides the ability to test track faster and more regularly.
Docket No. FRA-2015-0115
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 17, 2015 Categories FRA HazMat Alerts
November 13, 2015: STB to Hold Meeting with Shippers and Stakeholders
The Surface Transportation Board is holding an informal meeting with shippers and stakeholders from November 16 until December 7. This meeting will give stakeholders the opportunity to voice their comments regarding the proposed rules for reporting railroad service performance data. STB will also take this opportunity to discuss what types of data will be the most useful to the public and to evaluate how railroads monitor performance. STB Chairman Daniel Elliot feels these meetings will “allow open and candid conversations between STB staff and stakeholders regarding the highly technical data questions at issue here.”
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 17, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
November 13, 2015: AAR Responds to Report Published by Waterkeeper Alliance
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) issued a statement in response to a report published earlier this month by Waterkeeper Alliance in which claims were made that their members identified 250 railway bridges located on known oil train routes across 15 states with potential deficiencies that included slumping, vibrating, and crumbling concrete as trains passed over them. The article included photos of bridges with what appeared to be cracked and decayed foundations. It is important to note that in this article Waterkeeper Alliance acknowledged that their report was based solely on visual inspections performed by untrained members. Inspecting railway bridges is a complicated process and can only be accurately performed by individuals that have specialized training. Making such assumptions without this training is both misguided and misleading.
AAR wants to remind the public that these bridges, regardless of their age or appearance, were built to handle far heavier loads than are currently being carried by trains today and that inspections of these bridges are strictly monitored by the Federal Railroad Administration.
AAR went on to say that the public needs to remember that Waterkeeper Alliance is vehemently opposed to fossil fuels and used this document to advance their goal of eradicating fossil fuels.
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 17, 2015 November 17, 2015 Categories In The News
November 16, 2015: FMC Scheduled Sunshine Act Meeting in Washington, D.C.
On November 17, 2015 The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) will be holding a briefing that will be open to the public to discuss the Danish Maritime Forum. This meeting will also include a closed-door discussion on two international container shipping issues, a briefing on the FMC-Transpacific Stabilization Agreement Semi-Annual Meeting and a regulatory review of Ocean Common Carrier & Marine Terminal Operator Agreements Subject to the 1984 Shipping Act.
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 16, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 16, 2015 Categories DOT HazMat Alerts, Final Rules, FRA HazMat Alerts, PHMSA HazMat Alerts
November 2, 2015: Preparations for the 30th Session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS)
On November 12, 2015 OSHA will be holding a public meeting in preparation for the 30th session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The UNSCEGHS meeting will be held on December 9-11 in Geneva, Switzerland. Comments and information from this public meeting will be considered at the upcoming meeting in Geneva. Members of the Regulatory Cooperation Council will also be in attendance this week to discuss the status of Canada’s GHS policy and procedures.
In addition, PHMSA and DOT will be holding a public meeting to discuss proposals for the 48th session of UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods that will be held from November 30-December 9 in Geneva, Switzerland. Comments will be collected at this meeting regarding potential new work items for the international agenda to be discussed in Geneva. Interested parties are asked to pre-register for the meeting and will be permitted to participate using the conference call in or live meeting options. Phone numbers and access codes were published in the Federal Register under Docket No. OSHA-H022k-2006-0062.
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 10, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration for a waiver of compliance from 49 CFR parts 240 and 242. Their relief is contingent on implementing and participating in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System pilot project. The project, C3RS, is designed to encourage crew members and railroads to report all close calls. SEPTA would like the reporting crew members and railroad to be protected from disciplinary actions and/or sanctions as a result of the information provided.
At this time FRA does not anticipate scheduling a public hearing but will be accepting any comments from interested parties until December 24, 2015.
Docket Number FRA-2015-0084
November 9, 2015: Notice of Final Decision on Petition for Exemption Reissuance
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted DuPont a reissuance of exemption to land disposal restrictions for three Class I hazardous injection wells on their Pontchartrain site in Laplace, Louisiana. DuPont has shown, with a reasonable degree of certainty, there will be no migration of hazardous constituents from the injection zone. The exemption will be valid until December 31, 2050 unless the EPA finds reason to terminate ahead of the expiration date.
Prior to the final decision being made, EPA announced a comment period that was open until October 5. No comments were received and there is no Administrative Appeal.
Petition for Exemption Reissuance—Class I Hazardous Waste Injection
BNSF Railway Company has petitioned the FRA to make some changes to its current list of designated locations for brake system repairs. These designated areas are listed as “nearest location where the needed repairs can be effectuated” for freight cars with air brake systems or components that become defective en route. The list has not been updated in several years. Since the previous update there have been several changes to accessibility, infrastructure, staffing and safety.
FRA will be accepting comments from interested parties until December 9, 2015.
Docket Number FRA–2015–0116
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 9, 2015 November 10, 2015 Categories Notices or Meetings
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 9, 2015 Categories FRA HazMat Alerts
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 5, 2015 Categories EPA Alerts, Notices or Meetings
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 5, 2015 November 5, 2015 Categories EPA Alerts, Notices or Meetings
November 4, 2015: Comment Period Extended for ATA
The comment period for the American Trucking Association’s application for preemption determination regarding a permit for the NYFD to transport hazardous materials through New York City, transshipment of such materials from New York City, and the fees associated with the permit. PHMSA will now be accepting comments until December 4, 2015.
Docket No. PHMSA–2014–0003; PDA–37(R)
Author STARS StaffPosted on November 4, 2015 Categories PHMSA HazMat Alerts