Transportation Department Docket FRA-2024-0034 Final Rule

2024-24967: Federal Railroad Administration Accident/Incident Investigation Policy for Gathering Information and Consulting With Stakeholders; Correction

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Summary

On October 1, 2024, FRA published a final rule amending its Accident/Incident Regulations governing reporting, classification, and investigations to codify FRA's policy for gathering information from, and consulting with, stakeholders during an accident/incident investigation. The published final rule contains errors in the preamble text. FRA is correcting those errors so that the final rule conforms to FRA's intent.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

The rule, in full

1,181 words as published, October 28, 2024. View the original →

Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 208 (Monday, October 28, 2024) [Federal Register Volume 89, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2024)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 85450-85452] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2024-24967] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration 49 CFR Part 225 [Docket No. FRA-2024-0034] RIN 2130-AC98 Federal Railroad Administration Accident/Incident Investigation Policy for Gathering Information and Consulting With Stakeholders; Correction

Agency

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

Action

Final rule; correction. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

On October 1, 2024, FRA published a final rule amending its Accident/Incident Regulations governing reporting, classification, and investigations to codify FRA's policy for gathering information from, and consulting with, stakeholders during an accident/incident investigation. The published final rule contains errors in the preamble text. FRA is correcting those errors so that the final rule conforms to FRA's intent.

For Further Information Contact

Senya Waas, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, FRA, telephone: 202-875-4158 or email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

In FR document 2024-22326 beginning on page 79767 in the Federal Register of October 1, 2024, make the following corrections:

Dates

Effective date: This final rule is effective on November 15, 2024, unless FRA receives adverse, substantive comment by October 31, 2024. If no adverse, substantive comments are received, FRA will publish a notice in the Federal Register indicating that no adverse comment was received and confirming that the rule will become effective on November 15, 2024.

2. On page 79768, in the first column, correct the first paragraph

to read: FRA is publishing this rule without a prior proposed rule under FRA's direct final rulemaking procedures in 49 CFR 211.33 because it views this as a noncontroversial action that generally codifies FRA's current process for accident/incident investigations. Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), an agency may waive the normal notice and comment procedures if the action is a rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(A). Additionally, under the APA, an agency may waive notice and comment procedures when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). As noted above, this rule would codify FRA's procedures for accident/incident investigations and FRA has already worked with stakeholders (both labor and the rail organizations) to develop the Policy Document which is posted on FRA's website. Accordingly, FRA finds that notice and comment are unnecessary and anticipates no adverse, substantive comment on any of the provisions of the rule. If FRA receives an adverse, substantive comment on any of the provisions, it will publish in the Federal Register a timely withdrawal, informing the public that the direct final rule will not take effect.

3. In the Section-by-Section Analysis, on page 79769, in the 2nd

column, correct the fourth paragraph to read: Previous paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) remain substantively unchanged but are being redesignated as paragraphs (a)(2) through (6).

4. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79770, correct

table 1 to read as follows: [[Page 85451]] Table 1--Total Costs of the Direct Final Rule [2023 Dollars] * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Total Year stakeholder government Total costs Discounted Discounted Discounted costs costs 7% 3% 2% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1................................................................. $97,922 $19,753 $117,675 $117,675 $117,675 $117,675 2................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 101,367 105,304 106,336 3................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 94,736 102,237 104,251 4................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 88,538 99,259 102,207 5................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 82,746 96,368 100,203 6................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 77,333 93,561 98,238 7................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 72,273 90,836 96,312 8................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 67,545 88,190 94,424 9................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 63,126 85,622 92,572 10................................................................ 97,922 10,541 108,463 58,997 83,128 90,757 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total......................................................... 979,220 114,622 1,093,842 824,336 962,180 1,002,975 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: This table and some others throughout this analysis may not sum due to rounding. * All figures are presented in a 2023 base year unless otherwise noted.

5. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79774, correct the

paragraph before table 13 and the table to read as follows: Total Costs FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $0.9 million (PV, 2 percent) to stakeholders for this rule. Table 13 displays the total costs to stakeholders for this final rule. Table 13--Total 10-Year Cost to Stakeholders -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Year Travel Investigation Document stakeholder Discounted Discounted Discounted participation submission costs 7% 3% 2% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1....................................................... $29,215 $56,861 $11,846 $97,922 $97,922 $97,922 $97,922 2....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 91,516 95,070 96,002 3....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 85,529 92,301 94,120 4....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 79,934 89,613 92,274 5....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 74,704 87,002 90,465 6....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 69,817 84,468 88,691 7....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 65,250 82,008 86,952 8....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 60,981 79,620 85,247 9....................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 56,991 77,301 83,575 10...................................................... 29,215 56,861 11,846 97,922 53,263 75,049 81,937 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total............................................... 292,150 568,610 118,460 979,220 735,907 860,354 897,185 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79774, correct the

paragraph above table 14 and the table to read as follows: Total Costs FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $0.1 million (PV, 2 percent) to FRA for this rule. Table 14 displays the total costs to FRA for this final rule. Table 14--Total 10-Year Cost to FRA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Year Notifications Outreach/ Documentation Document government Discounted Discounted Discounted training review sharing site costs 7% 3% 2% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.................................. $929 $631 $6,311 $11,882 $19,753 $19,753 $19,753 $19,753 2.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 9,851 10,234 10,334 3.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 9,207 9,936 10,132 4.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 8,605 9,647 9,933 5.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 8,042 9,366 9,738 6.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 7,516 9,093 9,547 7.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 7,024 8,828 9,360 8.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 6,564 8,571 9,177 9.................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 6,135 8,321 8,997 10................................. 929 631 6,311 2,670 10,541 5,734 8,079 8,820 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total.......................... 9,290 6,310 63,110 35,912 114,622 88,431 101,828 105,791 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 85452]]

7. Under Regulatory Impact and Notices, on page 79775, correct the

paragraph above table 15 and the table to read as follows: Total Costs FRA estimates a total 10-year cost of $1.0 million (PV, 2 percent) for this direct final rule, shown in Table 15. Table 15--10-Year Total Costs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Total Year stakeholder government Total costs Discounted Discounted Discounted costs costs 7% 3% 2% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1................................................................. $97,922 $19,753 $117,675 $117,675 $117,675 $117,675 2................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 101,367 105,304 106,336 3................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 94,736 102,237 104,251 4................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 88,538 99,259 102,207 5................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 82,746 96,368 100,203 6................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 77,333 93,561 98,238 7................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 72,273 90,836 96,312 8................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 67,545 88,190 94,424 9................................................................. 97,922 10,541 108,463 63,126 85,622 92,572 10................................................................ 97,922 10,541 108,463 58,997 83,128 90,757 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total......................................................... 979,220 114,622 1,093,842 824,336 962,180 1,002,975 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issued in Washington, DC. Allison Ishihara Fultz, Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration. [FR Doc. 2024-24967 Filed 10-25-24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

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