Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 84 Part 1.djvu/1030

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[84 STAT. 972]
PUBLIC LAW 91-000—MMMM. DD, 1970
[84 STAT. 972]

972 Judicial 80 Stat. 392.

PUBLIC LAW 91-458-OCT. 16, 1970

[84 STAT.

(f) Any final agency action taken under this section is subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 7 of title 5 of the United States Code. SEC. 203. EMERGENCY POWERS.

80 Stat. 3 8 4.

If through testing, inspection, investigation, or research carried out pursuant to this title, the Secretary determines that any facility or piece of equipment is in unsafe condition and thereby creates an emergency situation involving a hazard of death or injury to persons affected by it, the Secretary may immediately issue an order, without regard to the provisions of section 202(b) of this title, prohibiting the further use of such facility or equipment until the unsafe condition is corrected. Subsequent to the issuance of such order, opportunity for review shall be provided in accordance with section 554 of title 5 of the United States Code. SEC. 204. GRADE CROSSINGS AND RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY.

Study.

(a) The Secretary shall submit to the President for transmittal to the Congress, within one year after the date of enactment of this title, a comprehensive study of the problem of eliminating and protecting railroad grade crossings, including a study of measures to protect pedestrians in densely populated areas along railroad rights-ofway, together with his recommendations for appropriate action including, if relevant, a recommendation for equitable allocation of the economic costs of any program proposed as a result of such study. (b) I n addition the Secretary shall, insofar as practicable, under the authority provided by this title and pursuant to his authority over highway, traffic, and motor vehicle safety, and highway construction, undertake a coordinated effort toward the objective of developing and implementing solutions to the grade crossing problem, as well as measures to protect pedestrians in densely populated areas along railroad rights-of-way. SEC. 205. STATE REGULATION.

Railroad safety laws, regulations, e t c., uniformity.

The Congress declares that laws, rules, regulations, orders, and standards relating to railroad safety shall be nationally uniform to the extent practicable. A State may adopt or continue in force any law, rule, regulation, order, or standard relating to railroad safety until such time as the Secretary has adopted a rule, regulation, order, or standard covering the subject matter of such State requirement. A State may adopt or continue in force an additional or more stringent law, rule, regulation, order, or standard relating to railroad safety when necessary to eliminate or reduce an essentially local safety hazard, and when not incompatible with any Federal law, rule, regulation, order, or standard, and when not creating an undue burden on interstate commerce. SEC. 206, STATE PARTICIPATION.

Investigative and surveillance activities.

Annual certification.

(a) A State may participate in carrying out investigative and surveillance activities in connection with any rule, regulation, order, or standard prescribed by the Secretary under this title if the safety practices applicable to railroad facilities, equipment, rolling stock, and operations within such State are regulated by a State agency and such State agency submits to the Secretary an annual certification that such State agency— (1) has regulatory jurisdiction over the safety practices applicable to railroad facilities, equipment, rolling stock, and operations within the State concerned; (2) has been furnished a copy of each Federal safety rule, regulation, order, and standard, applicable to any such railroad