[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 5 (Friday, January 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 1573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00142]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2021-0001]
Establishment of an Emergency Relief Docket for Calendar Year
2021
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of establishment of public docket.
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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the establishment of FRA's emergency
relief docket (ERD) for calendar year 2021. The designated ERD for
calendar year 2021 is docket number FRA-2021-0001.
ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for further
information regarding submitting petitions and/or comments to docket
number FRA-2021-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 19, 2009, FRA published a direct
final rule establishing ERDs and the procedures for handling petitions
for emergency waivers of safety rules, regulations, or standards during
an emergency situation or event. 74 FR 23329. That direct final rule
became effective on July 20, 2009 and made minor modifications to 49
CFR 211.45 in FRA's Rules of Practice in 49 CFR part 211. Section
211.45(b) provides that each calendar year FRA will establish an ERD in
the publicly accessible DOT docket system (available at
www.regulations.gov). Section 211.45(b) further provides that FRA will
publish a notice in the Federal Register identifying by docket number
the ERD for that year. FRA established the ERD and emergency waiver
procedures to provide an expedited process for FRA to address the needs
of the public and the railroad industry during emergency situations or
events. This Notice announces the designated ERD for calendar year 2021
is docket number FRA-2021-0001.
As detailed in Sec. 211.45, if the FRA Administrator determines an
emergency event as defined in 49 CFR 211.45(a) has occurred, or that an
imminent threat of such an emergency occurring exists, and public
safety would benefit from providing the railroad industry with
operational relief, the emergency waiver procedures of 49 CFR 211.45
will go into effect.\1\ In such an event, the FRA Administrator will
issue a statement in the ERD indicating the emergency waiver procedures
are in effect and FRA will make every effort to post the statement on
its website at railroads.dot.gov. Any party desiring relief from FRA
regulatory requirements as a result of the emergency should submit a
petition for emergency waiver under 49 CFR 211.45(e) and (f). Specific
instructions for filing petitions for emergency waivers under 49 CFR
211.45 are found at 49 CFR 211.45(f). Specific instructions for filing
comments in response to petitions for emergency waivers are at 49 CFR
211.45(h).
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\1\ Given the ongoing nature of the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) public health emergency, FRA considers the FRA
Administrator's March 13, 2020, emergency declaration in docket
number FRA-2020-0002 to be in effect until it is specifically
rescinded by the Administrator. See https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FRA-2020-0002-0002. However, any new requests for relief
related to COVID-19 should be submitted to the 2021 ERD (FRA-2021-
0001).
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Privacy
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), 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 www.transportation.gov/privacy.
See also 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. 2021-00142 Filed 1-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P