Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 107 / Friday, June 2, 2000 / Notices 35415

What Action Is the Coast Guard

Taking?

Table A–II/4 of the Code

accompanying the treaty on Standards

of Training, Certification and

Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW),

1978, as amended in 1995, articulates

qualifications for merchant mariners’

attaining the minimum standard of

competence for ratings forming part of

a navigational watch. The Coast Guard

tasked MERPAC with referring to the

Table, modifying and specifying it as it

deemed necessary, and recommending

national performance measures. The

Coast Guard has adapted the measures

recommended by MERPAC and is

proposing them now for use as

guidelines when assessing mariners’

proficiency in skills for ratings forming

part of a navigational watch.

Here follow the five skills that a

mariner must demonstrate respecting

ratings forming part of a navigational

watch, with an example of a

Performance Condition, a Performance

Behavior, and four Performance

Standards for one of those five skills:

Five Skills: Use magnetic and gyrocompasses; Respond to standard rudder

orders (hard right [starboard] or left

[port]; ease the rudder; midships; shift

your rudder; meet her; steady as she

goes; and steer on the range); Change

over from automatic pilot to hand

steering; Discharge certain

responsibilities of the lookout (reporting

sounds, lights and objects); and Know

watch procedures that contribute to a

safe watch (relief, maintenance and

handover).

The Performance Condition for the

skill entitled, ‘‘Change over from

automatic pilot to hand steering’’ is: At

sea speed, when hearing the command,

‘‘Put the steering into hand steering,

* * *.’’ This calls for, in the case of this

skill, one Performance Behavior.

The Performance Behavior for the

same skill is: The candidate will change

the steering mode from automatic pilot

to hand steering. This calls for, in the

case of this skill, four Performance

Standards.

The Performance Standards for the

same skill are: Repeat order; Switch the

steering mode from automatic pilot to

hand steering; Test that the new steering

mode is responding; and State, ‘‘She’s in

hand steering.’’

If the mariner properly meets all of

the Performance Standards, he or she

passes the practical demonstration. If he

or she fails to properly carry out any of

the Performance Standards, he or she

fails the demonstration.

Why Is the Coast Guard Taking This

Action?

The Coast Guard is taking this action

to comply with STCW, as amended in

1995 and incorporated into domestic

law at 46 CFR parts 10, 12, and 15 in

1997. Guidance from the International

Maritime Organization on shipboard

assessments of proficiency suggests that

Parties develop standards and measures

of performance for practical tests as part

of their programs for training and

assessing seafarers.

How May I Participate in This Action?

You may participate in this action by

submitting comments and related

material on the national performance

measures proposed here. (Although the

Coast Guard does not seek public

comment on the measures

recommended by MERPAC, as distinct

from the measures proposed here, those

measures are available on the Internet at

the Homepage of MERPAC, http://

www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/advisory/

merpac/merpac.htm.) These measures

are available on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov. They are also available

from Mr. Mark Gould where indicated

under ADDRESSES. If you submit written

comments please include—

• Your name and address;

• The docket number for this Notice

[USCG 2000–7373];

• The specific section of the

performance measures to which each

comment applies; and

• The reason for each comment.

You may mail, deliver, fax, or

electronically submit your comments

and related material to the Docket

Management Facility, using an address

or fax number listed in ADDRESSES.

Please do not submit the same comment

or material more than once. If you mail

or deliver your comments and material,

they must be on 81⁄2 by 11-inch paper,

and the quality of the copy should be

clear enough for copying and scanning.

If you mail your comments and material

and would like to know whether the

Docket Management Facility received

them, please enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope. The

Coast Guard will consider all comments

and material received during the 60-day

comment period.

Once we have considered all

comments and related material, we will

publish a final version of the national

performance measures for use as

guidelines by the general public.

Individuals and institutions assessing

the competence of mariners may refine

the final version of these measures and

develop innovative alternatives. If you

vary from the final version of these

measures, however, you must submit

your alternative to the National

Maritime Center for approval by the

Coast Guard under 46 CFR 10.303(e)

before you use it as part of an approved

course or training program.

Dated: May 16, 2000.

Howard L. Hime,

Acting, Director of Standards.

[FR Doc. 00–13869 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

RTCA Program Management

Committee; Meeting

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice is

hereby given for Program Management

Committee (PMC) meeting to be held

June 20, 2000, starting at 9 a.m. The

meeting will be held at RTCA, Inc., 140

Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 1020,

Washington, DC 20036.

The agenda will include: (1) Welcome

and Introductions; (2) Review and

Approve Summary of Previous Meeting;

(3) Consider and Approval Publication

of: (a) Final Draft, Requirements

Specification for Avionics Computer

Resource (RTCA Paper No. 131–00/

SC182–105), prepared by SC–182; (b)

Final Draft, Minimum Human Factors

Standards for Air Traffic Services

Provided Via Data Communications

Utilizing the Aeronautical

Telecommunications Network (ATN),

Builds I and IA (RTCA Paper No. 132–

00/SC194–021), prepared by SC–194; (4)

Review Action Item 00–04, Update on

NEXCOM; (5) Discuss SC–159 Work

Program—GNSS Application to Airport

Surface Operations; (6) Discuss

Document Production; (7) Other

Business; (8) Date and Location of Next

Meeting; (9) Closing.

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

NW., Suite 1020, Washington, DC

20036; (202) 833–9339 (phone); (202)

833–9434 (fax); or http://www.rtca.org

(web site). Members of the public may

present a written statement to the

committee at any time.

35416 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 107 / Friday, June 2, 2000 / Notices

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 25,

2000.

Janice L. Peters,

Designated Official.

[FR Doc. 00–13835 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

RTCA Special Committee 186;

Automatic Dependent Surveillance—

Broadcast (ADS–B)

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice

is hereby given for Special Committee

(SC)–186 meeting to be held June 19–23,

2000, starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting

will be held at RTCA, 1140 Connecticut

Avenue, NW., Suite 1020, Washington,

DC 20036.

The agenda will include: (1) Welcome

and Introductory Remarks; (2) Review of

Meeting Agenda; (3) Review and

Approval of the Previous Meeting

Minutes; (4) Review SC–186 Activity

Reports for the following Working

Groups (WG): (a) WG–1, Operations &

Implementation; (b) WG–2, Traffic

Information Services—Broadcast (TIS–

B) which is a new activity to develop

Minimum Aviation System Performance

Standards for TIS–B, (c) WG–3, 1090

MHz Minimum Operational

Performance Standards (MOPS); (d)

WG–4, Application Technical

Requirements; (5) Free Flight Select

Committee Surveillance Working Group

Update; (6) Review EUROCARE WG–51

Reports for Subgroups 1 and 2; (7)

Review/Approve MOPS for 1090 Mhz

Automatic Dependant Surveillance—

Broadcast (RTCA Paper No. 145–00/

SC186–152); (8) Review/Approve MOPS

for Cockpit Display of Traffic

Information (RTCA Paper NO. 146–00/

SC186–153); (9) Review Revision to

Terms of Reference for SC–186; (10)

Review Action Items/Work Program;

(12) Date and Location of Next Meeting;

(13) Closing.

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

NW., Suite 1020, Washington, DC

20036; (202) 833–9339 (phone); (202)

833–9434 (fax). Members of the public

may present a written statement to the

committee at any time.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 25,

2000.

Janice L. Peters,

Designated Official.

[FR Doc. 00–13836 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Draft Environmental Impact Statement:

Dubois County, Indiana

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this

notice to advise the public that an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

will be prepared for a proposed highway

project in Dubois County, Indiana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Robert Dirks, Environmental Specialist,

Federal Highway Administration, Room

254, Federal Office Building, 575 North

Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis,

Indiana 46204, Telephone (317) 226–

7492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the Indiana

Department of Transportation (INDOT),

will prepare an EIS for a proposed

project to improve the transportation

system in the U.S. 231 corridor between

Interstate 64 and State Road 56 in

Dubois County, Indiana. The proposed

project will involve the study of

potential bypasses around Huntingburg

and Jasper.

The proposed EIS and accompanying

engineering analysis are the result of

INDOT’s identification of U.S. 231 in

southwest Indiana for improvements as

part of the current and ongoing

transportation program. Given the

current and projected traffic volumes

and the existing geometric deficiencies,

improvements to U.S. 231 are

considered necessary to provide for a

safe, efficient, and economical

transportation network that will meet

traffic demands in the area. The

proposed improvements are also

intended to be environmentally sound.

System improvements will be examined

based on the purposes of addressing

roadway deficiencies, improving safety,

reducing congestion, and enhancing

system linkage.

Alternatives under consideration

include: (1) Taking no action, (2)

transportation system management, (3)

upgrading and improving existing

roadways, and (4) construction of two

additional lanes adjacent to the existing

two-lane roadway with bypasses of

Huntingburg and Jasper on new

alignment. Design variations of grade

and alignment will be incorporated into

and studied for the various build

alternatives.

A scoping process has been initiated

that involves all appropriate federal,

state, and local agencies, and private

organizations and citizens who have

previously expressed or are known to

have interest in this project. Several

public meetings were held during the

location study for the proposed project

to engage the regional community in the

decision making process and to obtain

public comment. A resource agency

scoping meeting will be held in

Indianapolis when appropriate. Letters

describing the proposed action and

soliciting comments will be sent to all

appropriate federal, state, and local

agencies, and private organizations and

citizens who have expressed or are

known to have interest in this project.

A public meeting will be held in Jasper

when appropriate. In addition, public

hearings will be held to present the

findings of the draft EIS (DEIS) and

engineering analysis. Public notice will

be given of the time and place of

informational meetings and public

hearing. The DEIS will be available for

public and agency review and comment

prior to the public hearings.

To ensure the full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues are

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposed action and the EIS should be

directed to FHWA at the address

provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 20.205, Highway Planning and

Construction. The regulations implementing

Executive Order 12373 regarding

intergovernmental consultation on Federal

programs and activities apply to this

program.)

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: May 22, 2000.

Robert Dirks,

Environmental Specialist, Indianapolis,

Indiana.

[FR Doc. 00–13870 Filed 6–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Proposed Agency Information

Collection Activities; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration, DOT.