Action
Notice of meetings and request for comments.
Summary
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing a series of three HM Program Evaluation Focus Group Meetings to discuss issues with interested stakeholders concerning DOT's hazardous materials safety programs and to request comments form parties unable to attend the series of meetings. Each meeting will concentrate on a specific topic and likely involve six to ten members pre-selected from the hazardous materials community for each focus group. Other interested parties are invited to observe each meeting and will be given the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues. Focus Group Meeting #1 will focus on the ``Effectiveness and Adequacy of DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulatory Program.'' Focus Group Meeting #2 will focus on the ``Effectiveness of DOT's Approach for Gaining Compliance.'' Focus Group Meeting #3 will focus on ``Measuring DOT's Performance in Hazardous Materials Safety.'' This action is in support of the internal DOT-wide Program Evaluation of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Programs (HM Program Evaluation) which DOT announced in the Federal Register on March 9, 1999. The HM Program Evaluation will document and assess the effectiveness of DOT's hazardous materials transportation safety programs in order to improve safety and environmental protection. Your participation in these HM Program Evaluation Focus Group Meetings and responses to the issues raised in this notice and during the meetings will assist DOT in identifying issues that the HM Program Evaluation team may address and evaluate as it continues its efforts.