03-20922. Notice No. 31; Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (“RSAC”) meeting.

SUMMARY:

FRA announces the next meeting of the RSAC, a Federal Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics will include updates on the Safety Reauthorization Bill, the Illinois Department of Transportation Positive Train Control Project, and the Highway-Rail Crossing Action Plan. Status reports will be given on the Event Recorder, Locomotive Crashworthiness, Passenger Safety and other active working groups. The Committee will be briefed on the International Application of Alcohol and Drug Rules, and Medical Standards for Safety Critical Employees.

DATES:

The meeting of the RSAC is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting of the RSAC will be held at the Washington Plaza, 10 Thomas Circle, NW., Washington, DC 20005, [phone]. The meeting is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis and is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Sign and oral interpretation can be made available if requested 10 calendar days before the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Trish Butera or Lydia Leeds, RSAC Coordinators, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, [phone]/6213 or Grady Cothen, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 20590, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), FRA is giving notice of a meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (“RSAC”). The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2003. The meeting of the RSAC will be held at the Washington Plaza, 10 Thomas Circle, NW., Washington, DC, 20005, [phone]. All times noted are Daylight Saving Time.

RSAC was established to provide advice and recommendations to the FRA on railroad safety matters. The Committee consists of 48 individual voting representatives and five associate representatives drawn from among 32 organizations representing various rail industry perspectives, two associate representatives from the agencies with railroad safety regulatory responsibility in Canada and Mexico and other diverse groups. Staffs of the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Transit Administration also participate in an advisory capacity.

See the RSAC Web site for details on pending tasks at: http://rsac.fra.dot.gov. Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740) for more information about the RSAC.

Issued in Washington, DC on August 11, 2003.

George A. Gavalla,

Associate Administrator for Safety.