Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices 51179

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared non-U.S. certified 1986–1997

Suzuki GSXR 1100 motorcycles to their

U.S. certified counterparts, and found

the vehicles to be substantially similar

with respect to compliance with most

Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Champagne submitted information

with its petition intended to

demonstrate that non-U.S. certified

1986–1997 Suzuki GSXR 1100

motorcycles, as originally

manufactured, conform to many Federal

motor vehicle safety standards in the

same manner as their U.S. certified

counterparts, or are capable of being

readily altered to conform to those

standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

non-U.S. certified 1986–1997 Suzuki

GSXR 1100 motorcycles are identical to

their U.S. certified counterparts with

respect to compliance with Standard

Nos. 106 Brake Hoses, 111 Rearview

Mirrors, 116 Brake Fluid, 119 New

Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles other than

Passenger Cars, and 122 Motorcycle

Brake Systems.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicles are capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment:

installation of U.S.-model headlamp

assemblies.

Standard No. 120 Tire Selection and

Rims for Vehicles other than Passenger

Cars: installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 123 Motorcycle Controls

and Displays: installation of a U.S.

model speedometer calibrated in miles

per hour.

The petitioner also states that vehicle

identification number plates meeting

the requirements of 49 CFR Part 565

will be affixed to non-U.S. certified

1986–1997 Suzuki GSXR 1100

motorcycles.

Comments should refer to the docket

number and be submitted to: Docket

Section, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, Room 5109, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC

20590. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated above will be considered, and

will be available for examination in the

docket at the above address both before

and after that date. To the extent

possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered.

Notice of final action on the petition

will be published in the Federal

Register pursuant to the authority

indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on: September 24, 1997.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 97–25902 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. 97–066; Notice 1]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1972–

1979 Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles

and 1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle

Sedans Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1972–1979

Volkswagen Beetle convertibles and

1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle sedans

are eligible for importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) of a petition

for a decision that 1972–1979

Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles and

1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle Sedans

that were not originally manufactured to

comply with all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards are

eligible for importation into the United

States because (1) they are substantially

similar to vehicles that were originally

manufactured for importation into and

sale in the United States and that were

certified by their manufacturer as

complying with the safety standards,

and (2) they are capable of being readily

altered to conform to the standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on the petition is October 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

the docket number and notice number,

and be submitted to: Docket Section,

Room 5109, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St.,

SW, Washington, DC 20590. [Docket

hours are from 9:30 am to 4 pm]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Entwistle, Office of Vehicle

Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202–366–

5306).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Under 49 U.S.C. § 30141(a)(1)(A), a

motor vehicle that was not originally

manufactured to conform to all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards shall be refused admission

into the United States unless NHTSA

has decided that the motor vehicle is

substantially similar to a motor vehicle

originally manufactured for importation

into and sale in the United States,

certified under 49 U.S.C. § 30115, and of

the same model year as the model of the

motor vehicle to be compared, and is

capable of being readily altered to

conform to all applicable Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Petitions for eligibility decisions may

be submitted by either manufacturers or

importers who have registered with

NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 592. As

specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA

publishes notice in the Federal Register

of each petition that it receives, and

affords interested persons an

opportunity to comment on the petition.

At the close of the comment period,

NHTSA decides, on the basis of the

petition and any comments that it has

received, whether the vehicle is eligible

for importation. The agency then

publishes this decision in the Federal

Register.

Champagne Imports, Inc. of Lansdale,

Pennsylvania (‘‘champagne’’)

(Registered Importer 90–009) has

petitioned NHTSA to decide whether

1972–1979 Volkswagen Beetle

Convertibles and 1972–1977

Volkswagen Beetle Sedans are eligible

for importation into the United States.

The vehicles which Champagne believes

are substantially similar are the 1972–

1979 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible

and 1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle

Sedan that were manufactured for

importation into, and sale in, the United

States and certified by their

manufacturer, Volkswagenwerke, A.G.,

as conforming to all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared non-U.S. certified 1972–1979

Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles and

1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle Sedans to

their U.S. certified counterparts, and

found the vehicles to be substantially

similar with respect to compliance with

most Federal motor vehicle safety

standards.

Champagne submitted information

with its petition intended to

demonstrate that non-U.S. certified

1972–1979 Volkswagen Beetle

Convertibles and 1972–1977

Volkswagen Beetle Sedans, as originally

manufactured, conform to many Federal

motor vehicle safety standards in the

same manner as their U.S. certified

counterparts, or are capable of being

readily altered to conform to those

standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

non-U.S. certified 1972–1979
51180 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices

Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles and

1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle Sedans

are identical to their U.S. certified

counterparts with respect to compliance

with Standard Nos. 102 Transmission

Shift Lever Sequence * * *., 103

Defrosting and Defogging Systems, 104

Windshield Wiping and Washing

Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake

Systems, 106 Brake Hoses, 109 New

Pneumatic Tires, 113 Hood Latch

Systems, 116 Brake Fluid, 124

Accelerator Control Systems, 201

Occupant Protection in Interior Impact,

202 Head Restraints, 203 Impact

Protection for the Driver from the

Steering Control System, 204 Steering

Control Rearward Displacement, 205

Glazing Materials, 206 Door Locks and

Door Retention Components, 207

Seating Systems, 209 Seat Belt

Assemblies, 210 Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages, 212 Windshield

Retention, 216 Roof Crush Resistance,

219 Windshield Zone Intrusion, and

302 Flammability of Interior Materials.

Petitioner also contends that non-U.S.

certified 1972–1979 Volkswagen Beetle

Convertibles and 1972–1977

Volkswagen Beetle Sedans are capable

of being readily altered to meet the

following standards, in the manner

indicated:

Standard No. 101 Controls and

Displays: (a) Substitution of a lens

marked ‘‘Brake’’ for a lens with a

noncomplying symbol on the brake

failure indicator lamp; (b) installation of

a seat belt warning lamp that displays

the appropriate symbol; (c) recalibration

of the speedometer/odometer from

kilometers to miles per hour.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

Installation of U.S.-model headlamp

assemblies; (b) installation of U.S.-

model front and rear sidemarker/

reflector assemblies; (c) installation of

U.S.-model taillamp assemblies.

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

replacement of the passenger side

rearview mirror with a U.S.-model

component.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

installation of a warning buzzer

microswitch and a warning buzzer in

the steering lock assembly.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: (a) Installation of a U.S.-

model seat belt in the driver’s seating

position, or a belt webbing actuated

microswitch inside the driver’s seat belt

retractor; (b) installation of an ignition

switch actuated seat belt warning lamp

and buzzer. The petitioner also states

that the vehicles are equipped with

combination lap and shoulder restraints

that adjust by means of an automatic

retractor and release by means of a

single push button in the front

designated seating positions, and with

combination lap and shoulder restraints

that release by means of a single push

button in the rear outboard designated

seating positions.

Standard No. 214 Side Impact

Protection: installation of reinforcing

beams.

Standard No. 301 Fuel System

Integrity: installation of a rollover valve

in the fuel tank vent line between the

fuel tank and the evaporative emissions

collection canister.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

the bumpers on non-U.S. certified 1972–

1979 Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles

and 1972–1977 Volkswagen Beetle

Sedans must be reinforced, or U.S.-

model bumper components must be

installed, to comply with the Bumper

Standard found in 49 CFR Part 581.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

a vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to non-U.S. certified

1972–1979 Volkswagen Beetle

Convertibles and 1972–1977

Volkswagen Sedans to comply with the

requirements of 49 CFR Part 565.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Section, National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Room

5109, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590. It is requested

but not required that 10 copies be

submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated above will be considered, and

will be available for examination in the

docket at the above address both before

and after that date. To the extent

possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered.

Notice of final action on the petition

will be published in the Federal

Register pursuant to the authority

indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on: September 24, 1997.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 97–25905 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

Release of Waybill Data

The Surface Transportation Board has

received requests from Canadian

National Railway Company (WB525—

9/22/97), and from the Alliance for Rail

Competition (WB527—9/19/97) for

permission to use certain data from the

Board’s Carload Waybill Samples. A

copy of these requests may be obtained

from the Office of Economics,

Environmental Analysis, and

Administration.

The waybill sample contains

confidential railroad and shipper data;

therefore, if any parties object to these

requests, they should file their

objections with the Director of the

Board’s Office of Economics,

Environmental Analysis, and

Administration within 14 calendar days

of the date of this notice. The rules for

release of waybill data are codified at 49

CFR 1244.8.

Contact: James A. Nash, (202) 565–1542.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–25926 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–290 (Sub-No. 190X)]

Norfolk Southern Railway Company—

Abandonment Exemption—in Fayette

County, AL

On September 10, 1997, Norfolk

Southern Railway Company (NSR) 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 to abandon a line of

railroad known as the Berry-Belk Line,

extending from railroad milepost 862.8

at Berry, AL to railroad milepost 884.9

at or near Belk, (Covin), AL, a distance

of 22.1 miles in Fayette County, AL. The

line traverses U.S. Postal Service ZIP

Code 35545 and includes the stations of

Berry (milepost 862.8), Fayette

(milepost 878.6), and Covin (Belk)

(milepost 884.9).

The line does not contain federally

granted rights-of-way. Any

documentation in the railroad’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.—