FRA Safety Advisory 2015-01, Ballast Defects and Conditions

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices

Project are evaluated and described in
the Final Environmental Impact Report
(EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS), a joint document pursuant to the
California Environmental Quality Act
and the National Environmental Policy
Act. Key issues identified in the Final
EIR/EIS include impacts to community
character and cohesion, growth-related
effects, biological resources, aquatic
resources, cultural resources, aesthetics,
residential relocations, business
relocations, traffic noise, and temporary
construction effects. Measures to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate adverse
environmental effects are included in
the Environmental Commitments
Record in the Final EIR/EIS. The Final
EIR/EIS identified Alternative 9
Modified with the San Jacinto River
Bridge Design Variation and the Base
Case Alignment through the City of San
Jacinto, and, as further refined, to avoid
the permanent incorporation of land
from the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, as
the preferred alternative.
The actions by the Federal agencies,
and the laws under which such actions
were taken, are described in the Final
EIR/EIS for the project, approved on
April 15, 2015, in the FHWA Record of
Decision (ROD) issued on August 17,
2015, and in other documents in the
FHWA project records. The Final EIR/
EIS, ROD, and other project records are
available by contacting FHWA at the
address provided above. The Final EIR/
EIS and ROD can be viewed and
downloaded from the project Web site at
http://midcountyparkway.org/ or
viewed at public libraries in the project
area.
This notice applies to all Federal
agency decisions as of the issuance date
of this notice and all laws under which
such actions were taken, including but
not limited to:
1. General: National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321–
4351 et seq.).
2. Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations.
3. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1970, 23
U.S.C. 109.
4. MAP–21, the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act.
5. Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401–
7671(q)).
6. Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C.
703–712).
7. Historic and Cultural Resources:
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 470(f) et seq.).
8. Clean Water Act (Section 401) (33
U.S.C. 1251–1377) of 1977 and 1987
(Federal Water Pollution Control
Act of 1972).

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9. Federal Endangered Species Act of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531–1543).
10. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
of 1934, as amended.
11. Noise Control Act of 1972.
12. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1944, as
amended.
13. Executive Order 11990—Protection
of Wetlands
14. Executive Order 11988—Floodplain
Management
15. Executive Order 13112, Invasive
Species.
16. Executive Order 12898, Federal
Actions to Address Environmental
Justice and Low-Income
Populations
17. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, as amended.
18. Department of Transportation Act of
1966, Section 4(f) (49 U.S.C. 303)
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway
Planning and Construction. The
regulations implementing E. O. 12372
regarding intergovernmental
consultation on Federal programs and
activities apply to this program.)
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139 (l)(1).
Shawn Oliver,
Acting Director, Program Development,
Federal Highway Administration,
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2015–20697 Filed 8–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Safety Advisory 2015–04]

Ballast Defects and Conditions—
Importance of Identification and Repair
in Preventing Development of Unsafe
Combinations of Track Conditions
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory.
AGENCY:

FRA is issuing this safety
advisory to emphasize the importance of
timely repairing ballast defects and
conditions on main tracks. FRA notes
that ballast defects and ballast
conditions that are not repaired in a
timely manner can lead to future
defects. FRA believes it is important for
track inspectors to be aware that ballast
defects and conditions can cause track
components to deteriorate rapidly and
compromise the stability of the track
structure, and that inspectors are trained
to identify and repair ballast defects and
conditions. This safety advisory
recommends that track owners and

SUMMARY:

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railroads: (1) Assess current engineering
instructions on ballast safety and update
them to provide specific guidance to
track inspectors (designated personnel
that are qualified to inspect and repair
track) on how to identify and initiate
remedial action under 49 CFR
213.233(d) for ballast defects and
conditions, as well as on the appropriate
remedial action to implement,
particularly in areas with one or more
additional track conditions; (2) train
track inspectors on the updated
engineering instructions and this safety
advisory to ensure they understand how
to identify and initiate remedial action
for ballast defects and conditions in a
timely manner, and understand the
importance of such remedial action in
preventing the development of unsafe
combinations of track conditions; and
(3) ensure that supervisors provide
adequate oversight of track inspectors to
achieve identification and remediation
of ballast defects and other track
conditions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Kenneth Rusk, Staff Director, Track
Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202)
493–6236; or Ms. Anna Nassif Winkle,
Attorney Advisor, Office of Chief
Counsel, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE., Washington, DC 20590, telephone
(202) 493–6166.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background—Ballast may consist of
crushed stone, crushed slag, screened
gravel, and other materials; ballast is an
integral part of the track structure.
Ballast, regardless of the material, must
satisfy all four of the requirements in
FRA’s track safety standards in 49 CFR
part 213. See §§ 213.103 and 213.334.1
The sole appearance of fouled ballast
(i.e., ballast contaminated with brokendown particles, mud, coal dust, or other
foreign material) may not warrant
immediate corrective action if the
ballast is properly transmitting and
distributing the load, restraining the
track, providing adequate drainage, and
maintaining proper geometry. However,
when ballast cannot adequately drain
free-standing water, wheel loads are
likely to be concentrated, rather than
distributed. The concentrated wheel
loads can cause rapid deterioration of
track components and track instability,
which can increase the risk of
derailment. In addition, as noted below
in the discussion regarding an accident
that occurred at a fouled ballast
location, track instability can not only
1 All references to sections or part in this safety
advisory are to a section or part of Title 49 of the
CFR.

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices

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result from an individual track defect,
but from a combination of track
conditions. FRA reminds track owners
and railroads of their responsibility
under § 213.7 to ensure all persons they
designate as qualified to either
supervise certain renewals of track or
inspect track for defects know and
understand the requirements of part
213, are able to detect deviations, and
can prescribe appropriate remedial
action.
Ballast defects are often readily
apparent through indications of poor
geometry and structure degradation.
FRA believes that a location with a
combination of a ballast defect with a
marginal geometry condition 2 warrants
additional monitoring, more restrictive
remedial action, or both, to correct or
safely compensate for the combined
defect and condition.
Railroad track inspectors should
exercise their technical knowledge and
professional experience to identify and
record ballast defect or condition
locations, and should take into account
the severity of any geometry conditions
along with the following factors to
determine appropriate remedial action:
• Operating practice: Train speed,
loading environment, route type and
density, proximity to population
centers;
• Track structure: rail, crossties, and
fastener deterioration (mechanical wear
from impact force), condition causing
excessive rail cant (particularly abraded
concrete crossties), concentrated
support under ties, and localized
excessive loading of ties;
• Roadbed and right-of-way
condition: Sufficiently maintained to
allow free-draining shoulder and crib
ballast, unrestricted cross and lateral
drainage;
• Special trackwork and transition
points: 3 Turnouts, bridges, rail
crossings, and highway/rail crossings.
Ballast defects are not associated with
a track classification under §§ 213.9 and
213.307 requirements. Normally, ballast
degradation is a gradual process.
However, environmental conditions can
accelerate the degradation rate and pose
a safety threat to train operations. The
safe passage of trains is reliant on the
track inspector to recognize and assess
2 A geometry condition means a track surface,
gage, or alinement irregularity that does not exceed
the allowable threshold for the designated track
class in the track safety standards.
3 Transition points occur at locations where there
is an abrupt change in the vertical stiffness
(support) of the track, such as the approach to a
bridge. Transition points increase the dynamic
loading of the track, causing more rapid
deterioration of track components (e.g., ballast,
crossties, rail fasteners, and rail).

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the safety risk through training and
experience.
Ballast conditions that produce a
derailment risk must be corrected by
repair or by applying appropriate
restrictions upon discovery. The
railroad’s designated track inspector is
responsible for conducting a proper
inspection and applying appropriate
remedial action.
Highlighted Accident—On July 18,
2013, at approximately 8:29 p.m.,
northbound CSX Transportation Train
Q70419 derailed at Milepost 9.99 while
traversing the No. 2 Main Track on the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad
Company’s Hudson Line. FRA and the
National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) investigated the accident.
The accident was caused by the rail
canting outward under increased
dynamic wheel-rail loads due to the
combination of gage and profile
deviations and center-bound concrete
crossties resulting in damage sufficient
to reduce their ability to hold gage.
These conditions developed from the
ballast failing to properly support the
track structure, which itself was the
result of inadequate drainage. A track
inspector performing proficient track
inspections should have recognized the
degrading ballast and geometry
conditions, and the likelihood for
center-bound crossties, and taken
responsible corrective action. To
prevent the development of such unsafe
combinations of track conditions, FRA
believes it is important that track
owners and railroads assess current
internal engineering instructions and
update them to provide specific
guidance to track inspectors on how to
identify ballast defects and other track
conditions. It is also important that
track owners and railroads provide clear
guidance on how to determine and
apply appropriate remedial action,
particularly in locations where the
combination of track geometry and
structure conditions produces an
increased risk of derailment.
FRA further believes that alerting
track owners or railroads to the issue of
unsafe combinations of track conditions
and highlighting a derailment resulting
from a combination of marginaltrack
conditions at a fouled ballast location
provides a sufficient basis for these
entities to review engineering standards
and to consider requiring additional
attention and action in areas with
multiple track conditions. This is
particularly true when geometry and
structural deviations are produced by
poorly-performing ballast.
The NTSB’s safety recommendations
resulting from its investigation of the
derailment discussed above are on its

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Web site at www.ntsb.gov. The NTSB
recommended that FRA define specific
allowable limits for combinations of
track conditions, none of which
individually amount to a deviation from
FRA regulations that require remedial
action.
Recommended Action—In light of the
above discussion, and in addition to
complying with the requirements of part
213, including §§ 213.7 and 213.103,
FRA recommends that track owners and
railroads take the following actions:
1. Assess current internal engineering
instructions in view of the concerns
raised in this Safety Advisory 2015–04,
and update them to ensure that the
instructions provide specific guidance
to track inspectors on how to identify
and initiate remedial action under
§ 213.233(d) for ballast defects and other
ballast conditions, and on the
appropriate remedial action to
implement, particularly in areas with
one or more additional track conditions.
2. Train track inspectors on the
updated engineering instructions and
this safety advisory. Such training
should ensure that each track inspector
understands the following:
a. Identification of Ballast Defects and
Conditions. Know the requirements and
purpose of track subgrade and ballast
and understand the circumstances that
can lead to ballast failure and other
ballast defects and conditions, such as
inadequate drainage, saturated
subgrade, and transition points (e.g.,
highway-rail grade crossings and
approaches to bridges).
b. Remedial Action for Ballast Defects
and Conditions. Understand the
importance of maintaining ballast and
initiating remedial action for any ballast
defects or conditions in preventing the
development of one or more additional
track conditions (e.g., gage widening,
alinement and track surface deviations)
or track structure conditions (e.g.,
center-bound crossties, loose or missing
fasteners, rail cant, etc.), especially
around transition points or other areas
susceptible to ballast degradation.
3. Ensure that supervisors provide
oversight of track inspectors to achieve
proper identification and remediation of
ballast defects and other track
conditions.
FRA encourages the railroad industry
to take appropriate action consistent
with the preceding recommendations
and any other actions to ensure the
safety of the Nation’s railroad
employees, passengers, and the general
public. FRA may modify this Safety
Advisory 2015–04, issue additional
safety advisories, or take other
appropriate actions it deems necessary
to ensure the highest level of safety,

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices

including pursuing other corrective
measures under its rail safety authority.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 20,
2015.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–21044 Filed 8–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety;
Notice of Actions on Special Permit
Applications
Pipeline And Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of actions on Special
Permit Applications.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
procedures governing the application
for, and the processing of, special
permits from the Department of
Transportation’s Hazardous Material
Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart

SUMMARY:

S.P. No.

Applicant

Regulation(s)

B), notice is hereby given of the actions
on special permits applications in (July
to July 2015). The mode of
transportation involved are identified by
a number in the ‘‘Nature of
Application’’ portion of the table below
as follows: 1—Motor vehicle, 2—Rail
freight, 3—Cargo vessel, 4—Cargo
aircraft only, 5—Passenger-carrying
aircraft. Application numbers prefixed
by the letters EE represent applications
for Emergency Special Permits. It
should be noted that some of the
sections cited were those in effect at the
time certain special permits were
issued.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 5,
2015.
Donald Burger,
Chief, General Approvals and Permits.
Nature of special permit thereof

MODIFICATION SPECIAL PERMIT GRANTED
11666–M ..............................

SGL Carbon, LLC (SGL),
Charlotte, NC.

49 CFR 173.240(6) ...........

10232–M ..............................

ITW Sexton, Decatur, AL ..

14848–M ..............................

Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY.

49 CFR 173.304(d) and
173.306(a)(3).
49 CFR 172.202, 172.301,
172.400, 172.504 and
177.834(h).

15583–M ..............................

Northern Air Cargo Inc.,
Anchorage, AK.

49 CFR 172.101 Column
(9B).

15747–M ..............................

United Parcel Service, Inc.,
Atlanta, GA.

14349–M ..............................

Matheson Tri-Gas, Basking
Ridge, NJ.

49 CFR 177.817(a),
177.817.(e), 172.606(b),
and 172.203(a).
49 CFR 173.3(d)(2)(ii) .......

16333–M ..............................

Liberty Industrial Gases &
Welding Supply Inc.,
Brooklyn, NY.
Praxair Distribution Mid-Atlantic, LLC, Newark, NJ.

16340–M ..............................

49 CFR 171.2(e) and
177.801.
49 CFR 171.2 and 177.801

To modify the special permit to authorize green graphite products being shipped on open flat-bed trailers
to be secured with plastic bandings.
To modify the special permit to authorize an additional
hazardous material and limited quanity authorized.
To modify the special permit by incorporating the provisions of systems authorized under DOT–SP 14274
and DOT–SP 13107 so that it is a stand alone special permit.
To modify the special permit by adding the following
paragraph in 7.(g)(3) ‘‘or alternatively—FAA-assigned Principal Operations or Maintenance Program’’.
To modify the special permit to authorize marking on
two sides of certain trailers.
To modify the special permit to authorize additional
hazardous materials to be transported in a salvage
cylinder.
To modify the special permit originally issued on an
emergency basis to authorize an additional two
years.
To reissue the special the permit that was originally
issued on an emergency basis with a 2 year renewal.

EMERGENCY SPECIAL PERMIT GRANTED
15515–M ..............................

National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
(NASA), Houston, TX.

15999–M ..............................

National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
(NASA), Washington,
DC.
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (ATF), Washington, DC.
Worthington Cylinder Corporation, Columbus, OH.

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16513–N ..............................

16528–N ..............................

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49 CFR 173.302a,
173.301(f)(1),
173.301(h)(3),
173.302(f)(2), and
173.302(f)(4).
49 CFR part 172 and 173

To authorize an active PRD and add operational controls to authorized an alternative to the requirement
for a rigid outer packaging. (modes 1, 2, 3, 4).

To modify the special permit by adding a Class 8 material (modes 1, 3).

49 CFR 173.56(b), and
172.320.

An emergency special permit to authorize the one-way
transportation in commerce of unapproved fireworks
for use in a research testing project. (mode 1).

49 CFR 173.301(a)(9) .......

To authorize the transportation in commerce of certain
DOT Specification 39 cylinders in strong outer packagings without marking each package with an indication that the inner packagings conform to the prescribed specifications. (mode 1).

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