Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Thursday, October 16, 1997 / Notices 53873

Highway Safety Act of 1966 and the

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle

Safety Act of 1966, NHTSA has the

responsibility to collect crash data that

support the establishment and

enforcement of motor vehicle

regulations and highway safety

programs. These regulations and

programs are developed to reduce the

severity of injury and property damage

associated with motor vehicle crashes.

Description of the Need for the

Information and Proposed Use of the

Information—FARS is the largest and

most comprehensive data base of fatal

crash data in the world. The total user

population includes Federal and State

agencies and the private sector. This

information comprises a national data

base that is NHTSA’s and many States’

principal means of tracking trends in

fatalities and quantifying problems or

potential problems in highway safety.

FARS data is also used extensively by

State legislators for determining

highway safety problem areas requiring

laws and programs (mandatory use of

seat belts, 55- vs. 65-mile per hour

speed limits); by the highway research

community including the private sector

(industry and associations) for trend

analysis, problem identification, and

program evaluation (e.g., air bag studies

and drunk driving campaigns); and by

the Congress for making decisions

concerning safety programs. The FARS

data are available upon request to

anyone interested in highway safety.

FARS data has been made available

through the Internet and via fax-ondemand service. On the average, more

than 10,000 requests for information

from FARS are received every year.

Description of the Likely Respondents

(Including Estimated Number, and

Proposed Frequency of Response to the

Collection of Information)—

‘‘Respondents’’ are employees of state

agencies (FARS Analysts). Their salaries

and other direct costs are 100%

reimbursed through cooperative

agreements duly executed through the

NHTSA Office of Contracts and

Procurement. Cooperative Agreements

exist with all fifty states, the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico. The number

of FARS Analysts varies by state from

one to six. The entire corps of more than

70 FARS Analysts acquire and code the

required information as fatal crashes

occur. Approximately 2.15 hours per

case are required to complete the FARS

forms. The number of cases varies by

state from a high of 3669 in California

to a low of 54 in D.C. ( in 1995).

Estimate of the Total Annual

Reporting and Record keeping Burden

Resulting from the Collection of

Information—The 52 jurisdictions

report on approximately 36,000 fatal

cases per year. The estimated annual

hour burden is 77,400 hours. This

estimate is based on 20 years of FARS

operation and includes the nominal

time needed to access data from existing

state files. These various sources reside

in several places in each state. FARS

does not involve the generation of new

data. If the state analyst cannot get the

information from existing records, it is

reported to NHTSA as ‘‘unknown.’’ The

FARS Analysts retain the current year’s

completed FARS forms plus three prior

years’ forms.

Dated: October 10, 1997.

Raymond P. Owings,

Associate Administrator, Research and

Development.

[FR Doc. 97–27475 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs

Administration

[Notice No. 97–11]

Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking

of Compressed Gas Cylinders

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Safety advisory notice.

SUMMARY: This is to notify the public

that RSPA is investigating the

unauthorized marking of high-pressure

compressed gas cylinders. On August 14

and 15, 1997, RSPA inspectors

conducted a compliance inspection at

Columbia Fire Protection Company

(CFP), 3811 Contractors Place,

Memphis, Tennessee. During the

inspection it was determined that CFP

was not registered or approved by DOT

as a cylinder retester and was incapable

of performing hydrostatic tests in

accordance with the requirements of the

Hazardous Materials Regulations

(HMR). Subsequent inspection of CFP’s

customers revealed numerous cylinders

marked by CFP with unauthorized

Retester Identification Numbers and

certified by CFP as retested in

accordance with the HMR.

Failure to properly conduct a

hydrostatic retest can result in cylinders

that should be condemned being

returned to service. The HMR requires

that properly tested cylinders exceeding

the allowable 10 percent permanent

expansion be condemned and removed

from service (49 CFR 173.34(e)(6)(i)(D)).

Serious personal injury, death, and

property damage could result from

rupture of a cylinder. Cylinders that

have not been retested in accordance

with the HMR may not be charged or

filled with a hazardous material.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wayne Chaney, Hazardous Materials

Enforcement Specialist, Southern

Region, telephone (404) 305–6126, Fax

(404) 305–6125, Office of Hazardous

Materials Enforcement, Research and

Special Programs Administration,

Department of Transportation, 1701

Columbia Ave, DHM–46, Suite 520,

College Park, GA 30337.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

Thursday, August 14, and Friday,

August 15, 1997, RSPA inspectors

conducted a compliance inspection at

Columbia Fire Protection Company

(CFP) in Memphis, Tennessee. Through

follow-up inspections of CFP’s

customers, the inspectors observed a

large number of cylinders marked with

the following two Retester Identification

Numbers (RINs):

(1)

B 4

X Y

3 2

where

X = month of retest

Y = year of retest

(2)

O 9

X Y

7 8

where

X = month of retest

Y = year of retest

On October 10, 1982, RSPA issued

RIN B423 for a 5-year period to Walker

Fire Protection Service, Inc. (Walker).

Walker has renewed this RIN and is the

current holder. Therefore, Walker is the

only authorized user. Any cylinders

marked and serviced by Walker are not

a part of this safety advisory.

The RIN 0987 has never been issued

by RSPA and is not an authorized RIN.

RSPA believes that any cylinder

marked with RIN B423 or RIN O987 and

was last serviced by CFP is not in

compliance with the Hazardous

Materials Regulations (HMR) (49 CFR

Parts 171–180). Under the HMR,

hydrostatic retesting is required to

verify a cylinder’s structural integrity.

Thus, any person who has a cylinder

marked with RIN B423 or RIN O987 and

was last serviced by CFP may not charge

or fill the cylinder with a hazardous
53874 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Thursday, October 16, 1997 / Notices

1Marksman owns 100% of the stock of TPW

Railway.

1Marksman owns 100% of the stock of TPW

Railway.

material without first having it

inspected/retested by a DOT-authorized

retest facility. Filled cylinders (if filled

with an atmospheric gas) described in

this safety advisory should be vented or

otherwise properly and safely evacuated

and purged, and taken to a DOTauthorized cylinder retest facility for

visual reinspection and retest to

determine compliance with the HMR.

Under no circumstances should a

cylinder described in this safety

advisory be filled, refilled or used for

any purpose other than scrap, until it is

reinspected and retested by DOTauthorized retest facility.

It is further recommended that

persons finding or possessing cylinders

described in this safety notice contact

Mr. Chaney, for further information and

instructions.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on October 9,

1997.

Alan I. Roberts,

Associate Administrator for Hazardous

Materials Safety.

[FR Doc. 97–27476 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33481]

Marksman Corporation; Lease and

Operation Exemption; J.K. Line, Inc.

Marksman Corporation (Marksman), a

noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of

exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to

lease from J.K. Line, Inc., and to operate

17 miles of rail line in the State of

Indiana from milepost 183, near

Monterey, to milepost 199, near North

Judson.

This transaction is related to the

notice of exemption filed in STB

Finance Docket No. 33483, The Toledo,

Peoria and Western Railroad

Corporation-Continuance in Control

Exemption-Marksman Corporation, for

The Toledo, Peoria and Western

Railroad Corporation to continue in

control of Marksman (once it becomes a

carrier through consummation of the

transaction in STB Finance Docket No.

33481), in addition to its indirect

control of Toledo, Peoria & Western

Railway Corporation (TPW Railway). 1

Because the exemption in STB Finance

Docket No. 33483 is not scheduled to

become effective until October 14, 1997,

the earliest the transaction in STB

Finance Docket No. 33481 can be

consummated is October 14, 1997.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to reopen the

proceeding 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. 33481, 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, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Eric M.

Hocky, Esq., Gollatz, Griffin & Ewing,

P.C., 213 West Miner Street, P.O. Box

796, West Chester, PA 19381–0796.

Decided: October 8, 1997.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–27485 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33482]

Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway

Corporation; Lease and Operation

Exemption; A & R Line, Inc.

Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway

Corporation, a Class III rail common

carrier, has filed a notice of exemption

under 49 CFR 1150.41 to lease from A

& R Line, Inc. and operate 27 miles of

rail line in the State of Indiana from

milepost 0.0, near Winimac, to milepost

74.5, near Logansport.

The earliest the transaction could be

consummated was October 7, 1997, the

effective date of the exemption (7 days

after the exemption was filed).

If the notice 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 does not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33482, 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, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Eric M.

Hocky, Esq., Gollatz, Griffin & Ewing,

P.C., 213 West Miner Street, P.O. Box

796, West Chester, PA 19381–0796.

Decided: October 8, 1997.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–27483 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33483]

The Toledo, Peoria and Western

Railroad Corporation; Continuance in

Control Exemption; Marksman

Corporation

The Toledo, Peoria and Western

Railroad Corporation (TPW Railroad)

has filed a notice of exemption to

continue in control of the Marksman

Corporation (Marksman), upon

Marksman’s becoming a Class III

railroad.

The earliest the transaction can be

consummated is October 14, 1997, the

effective date of the exemption (7 days

after the exemption was filed).

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket No. 33481, Marksman

Corporation—Lease and Operation

Exemption—J.K. Line, Inc., wherein

Marksman seeks to lease and operate a

rail line from J.K. Line, Inc.

Applicant indirectly controls one

existing Class III railroad subsidiary:

Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway

Corporation (TPW Railway),1 operating

in the States of Indiana, Illinois and

Iowa.

Applicant states that: (i) The rail lines

to be operated by Marksman do not

connect with any railroad in the

corporate family; (ii) the transaction is

not part of a series of anticipated

transactions that would connect

Marksman’s lines with any railroad in

the corporate family; and (iii) the

transaction does not involve a Class I

carrier. Therefore, the transaction is

exempt from the prior approval

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49

CFR 1180.2(d)(2).

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board

may not use its exemption authority to

relieve a rail carrier of its statutory

obligation to protect the interests of its

employees. Section 11326(c), however,

does not provide for labor protection for

transactions under sections 11324 and

11325 that involve only Class III rail

carriers. Because this transaction

involves Class III rail carriers only, the

Board, under the statute, may not