
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58809-58810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24698]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-2015-0092]


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 July 30, 2015, the American Short Line and Regional 
Railroad Association

[[Page 58810]]

(ASLRRA) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for 
an amendment to its existing waiver of compliance in Docket Number FRA-
2009-0078. Specifically, this waiver exempts certain ASLRRA member 
railroads from provisions of the Federal hours of service laws and 
regulations contained at 49 CFR 228.405(a)(3). In its petition, ASLRRA 
seeks to amend the waiver to include the hours of midnight to 6 a.m. 
for certain railroads that will participate in a pilot project to 
measure the effectiveness of certain measures implemented to mitigate 
any adverse fatigue effects that might otherwise occur if the waiver 
were expanded to include those hours. These railroads all currently 
participate in the existing waiver in Docket Number FRA-2009-0078. The 
pilot project will employ a mandatory napping program for employees 
operating under the waiver between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. 
Followup data (e.g., sleep logs/diaries, self-report questionnaires, 
and interview responses) will be collected from participants who 
undertake the napping regimen and report the results. The sample size, 
if a paired comparison or repeated measures analysis is used, will 
provide sufficient statistical power to analyze the data and make 
appropriate generalizations to the industry as a whole. If the data 
supports it, ASLRRA will then seek to expand the waiver for all 
participating railroads to include the hours of midnight to 6 a.m. when 
approved mitigation measures are employed. Forty ASLRRA member 
railroads are proposed to be included in this pilot program. A complete 
list of the railroads that would like to participate may be found in 
ASLRRA's July 30, 2015, petition letter in Docket Number FRA-2015-0092.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue 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 November 16, 2015 will 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 document, 
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
In accordance with 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.dot.gov/privacy. 
See also http://www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice for the privacy 
notice of regulations.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2015.
Ron Hynes,
Director, Office of Technical Oversight.
[FR Doc. 2015-24698 Filed 9-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


