Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Notices 34247

2. Use the data to analyze the

FMCSA’s current approach to deterring

and detecting illegal controlled

substance use and alcohol misuse in the

motor carrier industry.

3. Determine each calendar year’s

random selection rates for alcohol and

controlled substance testing under the

rule.

4. Provide for a more efficient and

effective regulatory program.

In 1995, the FHWA requested a

sample of motor carriers report to the

FHWA data collected in 1994. The

FHWA determined the random positive

controlled substance usage rate for

commercial motor vehicle (CMV)

drivers subject to 49 CFR part 391,

subpart H, for the period of January 1,

1994, through December 31, 1994, was

2.6 percent. This rate was estimated to

be 2.8% in 1995 and 2.2% in 1996.

Estimates of positive usage rates for

alcohol were first produced for calendar

year 1995. The alcohol testing

‘‘violation’’ rate was 0.14 percent in

1995, and 0.18 percent in 1996.

The criteria for raising or lowering the

random testing rate are established by

regulation. Under 49 CFR 382.305(d)(1),

when the minimum annual percentage

rate for random alcohol testing is 25

percent or more, the FMCSA

Administrator may lower the rate to 10

percent of all driver positions if the

Administrator determines that the data

received under the reporting

requirements of § 382.403 for two

consecutive years indicate that the

violation rate is less than 0.5 percent.

Under § 382.305(e)(1), when the

minimum annual percentage rate for

random alcohol testing is 10 percent,

the Administrator is required to increase

the rate to 25 percent only if the

violation rate is equal to or greater than

0.5 percent.

Under § 382.305(g), when the

minimum annual percentage rate for

random controlled substances testing is

50 percent, the Administrator may

lower the rate to 25 percent of all driver

positions only if the data indicate that

the positive testing rate is less than 1.0

percent.

Based upon this authority, and

because the violation rate was below 0.5

percent for two consecutive years, the

FHWA announced it was lowering the

random alcohol testing rate for calendar

year 1998 to 10 percent. The random

controlled substances testing rate

remained 50 percent. On January 14,

1998 (63 FR 2172) the agency published

this policy in a notice including an

extensive appendix C explaining the

methodology used to estimate the

controlled substances positive and

alcohol violation rates.

Today’s notice announces the results

of data collected for the 1997 and 1998

FHWA Drug and Alcohol Surveys.

These surveys, conducted annually,

measure the percentage of CDL drivers

testing positive for controlled

substances (as defined in 49 CFR 40.21

of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Regulations) and/or alcohol, based on

both random and nonrandom testing.

The survey data are collected from a

random sample of motor carrier annual

drug and alcohol testing summaries.

Because the positive rate from random

controlled substances testing has

remained above 1.0 percent during this

period, the FMCSA is maintaining the

random controlled substance testing rate

for calendar year 2000 at 50 percent, in

accordance with 49 CFR 382.305(g). The

FMCSA is also maintaining the random

alcohol testing rate for calendar year

2000 at 10 percent, in accordance with

49 CFR 382.305(e)(1).

Authority: 49 U.S.C 504, 31136, chapter

313; and 49 CFR 1.73.

Issued on: May 18, 2000.

Julie Anna Cirillo,

Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–13313 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD–2000–7403]

Information Collection Available for

Public Comments and

Recommendations

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) this notice

announces the Maritime

Administration’s (MARAD’s) intentions

to request Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) approval to add a new

survey form to the currently approved

information collection titled ‘‘Customer

Service Surveys,’’ OMB Number 2133–

0528.

DATES: Comments should be submitted

on or before July 25, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James J. Zok, Associate Administrator

for Shipping Analysis and Cargo

Preference, MAR–500, Room 8126, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

20590. Telephone 202–366–0364 or fax

202–366–7901. Copies of this collection

can also be obtained from that office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Collection: Customer Service

Surveys.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved information

collection.

OMB Control Number: 2133–0528.

Form Number: MA–1016; MA–1017;

MA–1021.

Expiration Date of Approval: Three

years from the date of approval.

Summary of Collection of

Information: Executive Order 12862

requires agencies to survey customers to

determine the kind and quality of

services they want and the level of their

satisfaction with existing services. This

collection covers MARAD forms used to

carry out such surveys covering

MARAD programs and services.

Need and Use of the Information: (1)

Responses to the ‘‘Customer Service

Questionnaire’’ are needed to obtain

prompt customer feedback on the

quality of specific services/products

provided to the customer by MARAD.

The information provided will be used

to ascertain the customer’s level of

satisfaction. (2) Responses to the

‘‘Program Performance Survey’’ are

needed to obtain customers’ views on

MARAD’s major programs and activities

with which the customers were

involved during the preceding year. (3)

Responses to the new ‘‘Conference/

Exhibit Survey’’ are needed to obtain

feedback from conference attendees on

the quality and success of a particular

MARAD sponsored conference or event.

The information provided will be used

by MARAD’s senior management and

MARAD’s program managers to monitor

the overall level of customer satisfaction

and to identify areas for improvement.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals/entities directly served by

MARAD.

Annual Responses: 6650 responses.

Annual Burden: 256 hours.

Comments: Comments should refer to

the docket number that appears at the

top of this document. Written comments

may be submitted to the Docket Clerk,

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

20590. Comments may also be

submitted by electronic means via the

Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit.

Specifically, address whether this

information collection is necessary for

proper performance of the function of

the agency and will have practical

utility, accuracy of the burden

estimates, ways to minimize this

burden, and ways to enhance quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected. All comments received

will be available for examination at the

above address between 10 a.m. and 5

p.m., EDT. Monday through Friday,

34248 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Notices

except Federal Holidays. An electronic

version of this document is available on

the World Wide Web at http://

dms.dot.gov.

Dated: May 22, 2000.

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–13242 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the information

collection abstracted below has been

forwarded to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review and

comment. Described below is the nature

of the information collection and its

expected burden. The Federal Register

notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following

collection was published on March 10,

2000 [65 FR 13075].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before June 26, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Otto

A. Strassburg, Chief, Division of Marine

Insurance, Office of Insurance and

Shipping Analysis, MAR–570, Room

8117, Maritime Administration, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

20590, telephone number 202–366–

4161. Copies of this collection can also

be obtained from that office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Maritime

Administration.

Title of Collection: ‘‘Approval of

Underwriters for Marine Hull

Insurance.’’

OMB Control Number: 2133–0517.

Type of Request: Approval of an

existing information collection.

Affected Public: Foreign underwriters

of marine insurance and insurance

brokers.

Form(s): None.

Abstract: This collection of

information involves the approval of

marine hull underwriters to insure

MARAD program vessels. Foreign

applicants will be requested to submit

financial data upon which MARAD

approval would be based. In certain

cases, brokers would be required to

certify that American underwriters were

offered opportunity to compete for the

business.

Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 46

hours.

Addressee: Send comments to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 725–17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention

MARAD Desk Officer.

Comments are Invited on: Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Department,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; the accuracy of

the Department’s estimate of the burden

of the proposed information collection;

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is best assured of

having its full effect if OMB receives it

within 30 days of publication.

Dated: May 23, 2000.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–13328 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 2000–7291; Notice 1]

General Motors Corporation; Receipt

of Application for Determination of

Inconsequential Non-Compliance

General Motors Corporation (GM) has

applied to be exempted from the

notification and remedy requirements of

49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 ‘‘Motor Vehicle

Safety’’ for a noncompliance with

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

(FMVSS) No. 208, ‘‘Occupant Crash

Protection,’’ on the basis that the

noncompliance is inconsequential to

motor vehicle safety. GM has filed a

report of a noncompliance pursuant to

49 CFR part 573 ‘‘Defects and

Noncompliance Report.’’

This notice of receipt of the

application is published under 49

U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not

represent any agency decision or other

exercise of judgement concerning the

merits of the application.

Description of Noncompliance

GM has identified a condition in

which the required seat belt audible

signal on some 1996–99 Model Year

Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari vans

may occasionally operate for less than

the 4 to 8 second time required. Upon

such occurrence, the signal would not

fully comply with the audible signal

portion of the S7.3 seat belt warning

provision of FMVSS No. 208. GM has

submitted a 49 CFR 573.5

noncompliance notification to the

agency which details the affected

vehicles. Pursuant to section 30118(d)

and 30120(h) of Chapter 301 and 49 CFR

part 556, and for reasons set forth, GM

requested exemption from the

notification, and remedy provisions of

49 U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 on the basis

that the noncompliance is

inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.

‘‘A total of 461,851 1996–99 MY

Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari vans

were built with an audible driver seat

belt warning system that may, in a

random manner (1) operate properly, (2)

terminate the audible signal in less than

the minimum 4 second requirement, or

(3) not operate at all. The possibility of

a random noncompliance results from a

transient signal being generated at the

seat belt switch input to the audible

signal module when the ignition switch

is turned to start and the belt latch

mechanism is not fastened. The module

may interpret this transient signal input

as the seat belt latch mechanism being

fastened and thereby terminate the

audible tone. The condition is caused by

a ground voltage difference between the

seat belt switch and the signal module

creating a transient signal that the

module was not designed to filter. At

the time the subject module and

associated wiring harness were

developed, GM truck engineering did

not have a formal requirement for

electrical grounding and module input

filtering.’’

‘‘A new module and wiring harness

were implemented at the assembly plant

in January 1999, that changed this

condition. To prevent this issue in the

future, electrical grounding rules that

define specific requirements for

modules and their inputs have been

implemented to evaluate all electrical

ground designs during the design

review process. This condition is not

present in other GM vehicles with the

same signal module because the

respective component ground is

compatible with the module design in

other GM products. GM also has

reviewed its warranty is information

regarding the subject vehicle’s audible

signal. There has been no change in the