37456 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Notices

1On June 6, 2000, UP filed a petition for

exemption in STB Finance Docket No. 33879 (SubNo. 1), Union Pacific Railroad Company—Trackage

Rights Exemption—The Burlington Northern and

Santa Fe Railway Company, wherein UP requests

that the Board permit the proposed overhead

trackage rights arrangement described in the present

proceeding to expire on June 25, 2000. That petition

will be addressed by the Board in a separate

decision.

that of current regulations. Exemption

procedures provide the information

required for analytical purposes to

determine if the requested relief

provides for a comparable level of safety

as provided by the HMR. Preemption

procedures provide information for

RSPA to determine whether a

requirement of a State, political

subdivision, or Indian tribe is

preempted under 49 U.S.C. 5125, or

regulations issued thereunder, or

whether a waiver of preemption should

be issued.

Affected Public: Shippers, carriers,

packaging manufacturers, and other

affected entities.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

3,304.

Estimated Number of Responses:

4,294.

Annual Estimated Burden Hours:

4,219.

Frequency of Collection: Periodically.

Title: Approvals for Hazardous

Materials.

OMB No.: 2137–0557.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Abstract: This information collection

consolidates and describes the

information collection provisions in

parts 107, 172,173, 174,176, and 178

regarding requirements for approvals for

hazardous materials in the HMR.

Responses to these information

collection requirements are required to

obtain benefits, such as to become an

approval or certification agency or to

obtain a variance from packaging or

handling requirements based on

information provided by the

respondent. The types of information

collected include: applications to

become designated approval agencies,

independent cylinder testing agencies,

and foreign manufacturers of cylinders;

applications for approval of

classifications of new explosives;

applications for safety determinations to

the adequacy of old packagings for

materials with special hazards;

applications to allow the regulated

public to use alternative packagings or

test methods; etc. The information

collected is used to:

(1) Determine whether applicants who

apply to become designated approval

agencies are qualified to evaluate

package design, test packages, classify

hazardous materials, etc.;

(2) Verify that various containers and

special loading requirements for vessels

meet the requirements of the HMR;

(3) Assure that regulated hazardous

materials pose no danger to life and

property during transportation; and

(4) Allow minor variations to

regulatory requirements (as specifically

authorized by regulation), based on

information provided by respondents,

without requiring the respondent to

apply using less timely and more

burdensome exemption procedures.

Affected Public: Businesses and other

entities who must meet the approval

requirements in the HMR.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

3,518.

Estimated Number of Responses:

3,869.

Annual Estimated Burden Hours:

18,381.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding

the burden estimate, including

suggestions for reducing the burden, to

Office of Management and Budget,

Attention: Desk Officer for RSPA, 725

17th Street, NW., Washington, DC

20503.

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 most effective

if OMB receives it within 30 days of

publication.

Issued in Washington, DC on June 8, 2000.

Edward T. Mazzullo,

Director, Office of Hazardous Materials

Standards.

[FR Doc. 00–14908 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33879]

Union Pacific Railroad Company—

Trackage Rights Exemption—The

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company (BNSF) has agreed to

grant overhead trackage rights to Union

Pacific Railroad Company (UP) over

BNSF’s rail line between BNSF milepost

117.4 near Shawnee Junction, WY, and

BNSF milepost 0.0 near Northport, NE,

a distance of 143.1 miles.1

The transaction was scheduled to be

consummated on, or as soon as possible

after, June 10, 2000.

The purpose of the trackage rights is

to permit UP to use the BNSF trackage

when UP’s trackage is out of service for

scheduled maintenance.

As a condition to this exemption, any

employees affected by the trackage

rights will be protected by the

conditions imposed in Norfolk and

Western Ry. Co.—Trackage Rights—BN,

354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in

Mendocino Coast Ry., Inc.-Lease and

Operate, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980).

This notice is filed under 49 CFR

1180.2(d)(7). If it contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

may be filed at any time. The filing of

a petition to revoke will not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33879, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, one copy of each

pleading must be served on Robert T.

Opal, 1416 Dodge Street, Room 830,

Omaha, NE 68179.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: June 8, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–15048 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–303 (Sub-No. 23X)]

Wisconsin Central Ltd.—Abandonment

Exemption—In Forest and Langlade

Counties, WI

On May 25, 2000, Wisconsin Central

Ltd. (WC) filed with the Surface

Transportation Board (Board) a petition

under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption

from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903–

05 to abandon a line of railroad known

as the Crandon-White Lake Line,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Notices 37457

between milepost 254 south of Crandon

and milepost 280 near White Lake, in

Forest and Langlade Counties, WI, a

distance of 26 miles. The line traverses

U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes 54520 and

54491, and includes stations at

Woodlawn (milepost 259.9) and Lily

(milepost 269.0).

The line does not contain federally

granted rights-of-way. Any

documentation in WC’s possession will

be made available promptly to those

requesting it.

The interest of railroad employees

will be protected by the conditions set

forth in Oregon Short Line R. Co.—

Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91

(1979).

By issuing this notice, the Board is

instituting an exemption proceeding

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final

decision will be issued by September

12, 2000.

Any offer of financial assistance

(OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will

be due no later than 10 days after

service of a decision granting the

petition for exemption. Each OFA must

be accompanied by a $1,000 filing fee.

See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

All interested persons should be

aware that, following abandonment of

rail service and salvage of the line, the

line may be suitable for other public

use, including interim trail use. Any

request for a public use condition under

49 CFR 1152.28 or for trail use/rail

banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will be

due no later than July 5, 2000. Each trail

use request must be accompanied by a

$150 filing fee. See 49 CFR

1002.2(f)(27).

All filings in response to this notice

must refer to STB Docket No. AB–303

(Sub-No. 23X) and must be sent to: (1)

Surface Transportation Board, Office of

the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001; and (2) Michael J. Barron, Jr., P.O.

Box 5062, Rosemont, IL 60017–5062.

Replies to the WC petition are due on

or before July 5, 2000.

Persons seeking further information

concerning abandonment procedures

may contact the Board’s Office of Public

Services at (202) 565–1592 or refer to

the full abandonment or discontinuance

regulations at 49 CFR part 1152.

Questions concerning environmental

issues may be directed to the Board’s

Section of Environmental Analysis

(SEA) at (202) 565–1545. [TDD for the

hearing impaired is available at 1–800–

877–8339.]

An environmental assessment (EA) (or

environmental impact statement (EIS), if

necessary) prepared by SEA will be

served upon all parties of record and

upon any agencies or other persons who

commented during its preparation.

Other interested persons may contact

SEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS).

EAs in these abandonment proceedings

normally will be made available within

60 days after the filing of the petition.

The deadline for submission of

comments on the EA will generally be

within 30 days after its service.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: June 8, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–15047 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistic

[Docket No. BTS–00–7489]

Motor Carrier Financial and Operating

Information; Requests for Exemptions

From Public Release of Reports

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Class I and Class II motor

carriers of property and household

goods are required to file annual and

quarterly reports with the Bureau of

Transportation Statistics (BTS). As

provided by statute, carriers may

request that their reports be withheld

from public release. BTS has received

three requests covering the 1999 annual

report, which also request an exemption

from public release of the 2000 quarterly

reports. BTS invites comments on these

requests.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by

July 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments to

the Docket Clerk, Docket No. BTS–00–

7489, Department of Transportation, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Room PL–401,

Washington, DC 20590, from 10 a.m. to

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except

federal holidays.

Comments should identify the docket

number and be submitted in duplicate

to the address listed above. Commenters

wishing the Department to acknowledge

receipt of their comments must submit

with those comments a self-addressed

stamped postcard on which the

following statement is made: Comments

on Docket BTS–00–7489. The Docket

Clerk will date stamp the postcard and

mail it back to the commenter.

If you wish to file comments using the

Internet, you may use the US DOT

Dockets Management System website at

http://dms.dot.gov. Please follow the

instructions online for more

information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Mednick, K–1, Bureau of

Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590;

(202) 366–8871; fax: (202) 366–3640; email: david.mednick@bts.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 49

U.S.C. 14123 and its implementing

regulations at 49 CFR 1420, BTS collects

financial and operating information

from for-hire motor carriers of property

and household goods. The data are

collected on annual Form M, filed by

Class I and Class II carriers, and

quarterly Form QFR, filed only by Class

I carriers. The data are used by the

Department of Transportation, other

federal agencies, motor carriers,

shippers, industry analysts, labor

unions, segments of the insurance

industry, investment analysts, and the

consultants and data vendors that

support these users. Among the uses of

the data are: (1) Developing the U.S.

national accounts and preparing the

quarterly estimates of the Gross

Domestic Product, which help us better

understand the U.S. economy and the

motor carrier industry’s role in it; (2)

measuring the performance of the forhire motor carrier industry and

segments within it; (3) monitoring

carrier safety; (4) benchmarking carrier

performance; and (5) analyzing motor

carrier safety and productivity.

Generally, all data are made publicly

available. A carrier can, however,

request that its report be withheld from

public release, as provided for by

statute, 49 U.S.C. 14123(c)(2), and its

implementing regulations, 49 CFR

1420.9. BTS will grant a request upon a

proper showing that the carrier is not a

publicly held corporation or that the

carrier is not subject to financial

reporting requirements of the Securities

and Exchange Commission, and that the

exemption is necessary to avoid

competitive harm and to avoid the

disclosure of information that qualifies

as trade secret or privileged or

confidential information under 5 U.S.C.

552(b)(4).

The carrier must submit a written

request containing supporting

information. BTS must receive the

request by the report’s due date, unless

it is postmarked by the due date or there

are extenuating circumstances. Requests

covering the quarterly reports must be

received by the due date of the annual

report that relates to the prior year. In