2013-28685. Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, this document provides the public notice that by a document dated October 15, 2013, the Canadian National Railway (CN), Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), and United Transportation Union (UTU) have jointly petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for an extension of their waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal hours of service laws contained at 49 U.S.C. 21103(a)(4). FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2009-0074.

In their petition, CN, BLET, and UTU seek relief from 49 U.S.C. 21103(a)(4), which, in part, requires a train employee to receive 48 hours off duty after initiating an on-duty period each day for 6 consecutive days. Specifically, CN, BLET, and UTU seek a 1-year extension of the waiver to allow a train employee to initiate an on-duty period each day for 6 consecutive days followed by 24 hours off duty. In support of the request, CN provided an analysis of its safety data. The analysis found that since 2012 only one human factor-caused accident occurred on a job where employees were working a scheduled assignment allowed under the existing waiver.

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: [phone].
• 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 January 13, 2014 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.). See http://www.regulations.gov/​#!privacyNotice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov or interested parties may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).

Robert C. Lauby,

Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.