5554 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 25 / Thursday, February 6, 1997 / Proposed Rules

(f) The system must be labeled to

show its identification, function, and

operating limitations.

(g) A warning placard must be located

on the fuselage near the rocket motor

warning of the rocket.

(h) The FAA-approved flight manual

must include a thorough explanation of

operation and limitations as well as the

safe deployment envelope.

(i) It must be shown that the

occupants will be protected from

serious injury after touchdown under

various adverse weather conditions,

including high winds.

5. System Protection

(a) All components of the system must

provide protection against deterioration

due to weathering, corrosion, and

abrasion.

(b) Adequate provisions must be made

for ventilation and drainage of the

parachute canister and associated

structure to ensure the sound condition

of the system.

6. System Inspection Provisions

(a) Instructions for continued

airworthiness must be prepared for the

system that meet the requirements of

§ 23.1529.

(b) Adequate means must be provided

to permit the close examination of the

parachute and other system components

to ensure proper functioning, alignment,

lubrication, and adjustment during the

required inspection of the system.

7. Operating Limitations

(a) Operating limitations must be

prescribed to ensure proper operation of

the system within its deployment

envelope. A detailed discussion of the

system, including operation, limitations

and deployment envelope must be

included in the Airplane Flight Manual.

(b) The deployment envelope of the

GARD system must be the same as the

normal operating envelope of the

airplane.

(c) Operating limitations must be

prescribed for inspecting, repacking,

and replacing the parachute and

deployment mechanism at approved

intervals.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on January

21, 1997.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 97–2960 Filed 2–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

30 CFR Parts 56, 57, 62, 70, and 71

RIN 1219–AA53

Health Standards for Occupational

Noise Exposure

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health

Administration, (MSHA) Labor.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of

comment period and notice of hearings.

SUMMARY: MSHA is extending the

period for public comment regarding the

Agency’s proposed rule for occupational

noise exposure, which was published in

the Federal Register on December 17,

1996. The Agency also is announcing

that it intends to hold public hearings.

These hearings will be held under

section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety

and Health Act of 1977. The rulemaking

record will remain open until June 16,

1997.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before April 21, 1997. All requests to

make oral presentations for the record

should be submitted at least 5 days prior

to each hearing date. However, you do

not have to give a written request to be

provided an opportunity to speak. The

public hearings are scheduled to be held

at the following locations on the dates

indicated:

May 6, 1997–Beaver, West Virginia

(Beckley)

May 8, 1997–St. Louis, Missouri

May 13, 1997–Denver, Colorado

May 15, 1997–Las Vegas, Nevada

May 20, 1997–Atlanta, Georgia

May 22, 1997–Washington, DC

Each hearing will last from 9:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., but will continue into the

evening if necessary.

The record will remain open after the

hearings until June 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed

rule may be transmitted by electronic

mail, fax, or mail. Comments by

electronic mail must be clearly

identified as such and sent to this e-mail

address: noise@msha.gov. Comments by

fax must be clearly identified as such

and sent to: MSHA, Office of Standards,

Regulations, and Variances, 703–235–

5551. Send mail comments to: MSHA,

Office of Standards, Regulations, and

Variances, Room 631, 4015 Wilson

Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203–1984,

or any MSHA district or field office. The

Agency will have copies of the proposal

available for review by the mining

public at each district and field office

location, and each technical support

center. The document will also be

available for loan to interested members

of the public on an as needed basis.

MSHA will also accept written

comments from the mining public in the

field and district offices and technical

support centers. These comments will

be a part of the official rulemaking

record. Interested persons are

encouraged to supplement written

comments with computer files or disks;

please contact the Agency with any

questions about format.

Send requests to make oral

presentations to: MSHA, Office of

Standards, Regulations, and Variances,

Room 631, 4015 Wilson Boulevard,

Arlington, VA 22203–1984.

The hearings will be held at the

following locations:

May 6, 1997, National Mine Health &

Safety Academy, Auditorium, 1301

Airport Road, Beaver, West Virginia

(Beckley) 25813.

May 8, 1997, Harley Hotel, North

Ballroom, 3400 Rider Trail South, St.

Louis, Missouri 63134.

May 13, 1997, Four Points Sheraton

Hotel, Mount Evans Room, 3535

Quebec Street, Denver, Colorado

80207.

May 15, 1997, Quality Inn, 377 E.

Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada

89109.

May 20, 1997, Holiday Inn Airport, 5010

Old National Highway, Atlanta,

Georgia 30349.

May 22, 1997, Department of Labor,

Frances Perkins Building,

Auditorium, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of

Standards, Regulations, and Variances,

MSHA, phone 703–235–1910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

December 17, 1996, MSHA published in

the Federal Register (61 FR 66348) a

proposed rule to revise the Agency’s

existing health standards for

occupational noise, allowing 60 days for

public comment. The Agency has

received a number of requests from the

mining community to extend the period

for comment. These requests include a

range of from 15 to 180 additional days.

The comment period was scheduled to

close on February 18, 1997. MSHA does

not believe that an extension of 180

days (until August 17, 1997) is

warranted. The Agency believes that a

more reasoned response is an extension

until April 21, 1997, an additional 60

days beyond the original comment

period. The Agency believes that this

extension will provide sufficient time

for all interested parties to review and

comment on the proposal, and does not
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 25 / Thursday, February 6, 1997 / Proposed Rules 5555

anticipate that any further extensions

are necessary or appropriate.

In addition to this action extending

the comment period, MSHA will hold

public hearings to receive comments.

The hearings will address any issues

relevant to the rulemaking such as the

requirements for dose determination,

threshold level, exchange rate, action

level, permissible exposure level,

administrative/engineering controls,

dual hearing protection level, ceiling

level, operator exposure monitoring,

employee notification, hearing

protectors, training, audiometric testing,

follow-up evaluation, follow-up

corrective measures, notification of

results, reporting requirements, access

to records, and transfer of records.

The hearings will be conducted in an

informal manner by a panel of MSHA

officials. Although formal rules of

evidence or cross examination will not

apply, the presiding official may

exercise discretion to ensure the orderly

progress of the hearings and may

exclude irrelevant or unduly repetitious

material and questions.

Each session will begin with an

opening statement from MSHA,

followed by an opportunity for members

of the public to make oral presentations.

The hearing panel may ask questions of

speakers. At the discretion of the

presiding official, the time allocated to

speakers for their presentations may be

limited. In the interest of conducting

productive hearings, MSHA will

schedule speakers in a manner that

allows all points of view to be heard as

effectively as possible.

Verbatim transcripts of the

proceedings will be prepared and made

a part of the rulemaking record. Copies

of the hearing transcripts will be made

available for public review.

MSHA will accept additional written

comments and other appropriate data

for the record from any interested party,

including those not presenting oral

statements. Written comments and data

submitted to MSHA will be included in

the rulemaking record. To allow for the

submission of posthearing comments,

the record will remain open until June

16, 1997. This provides a total of 6

months from publication for the public

to comment on this proposed rule.

Dated: January 31, 1997.

J. Davitt McAteer,

Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and

Health.

[FR Doc. 97–3001 Filed 2–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81

[LA–38–1–7322; FRL–5683–5]

Approval and Promulgation of

Implementation Plans and Designation

of Areas for Air Quality Planning

Purposes; State of Louisiana;

Approval of the Maintenance Plan for

Calcasieu Parish; Redesignation of

Calcasieu Parish to Attainment for

Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: This document announces the

Regional Administrator’s decision to

propose approval of a request from the

State of Louisiana to redesignate

Calcasieu Parish to attainment for

ozone. On December 20, 1995, the State

of Louisiana submitted a maintenance

plan and request to redesignate the

Calcasieu Parish marginal ozone

nonattainment area to attainment.

Under the Clean Air Act (the Act),

nonattainment areas may be

redesignated to attainment if sufficient

data are available to warrant the

redesignation and the area meets the

other Act redesignation requirements. In

this action, EPA is proposing approval

of Louisiana’s redesignation request and

maintenance plan because they meet

requirements set forth in the Act. The

EPA is also proposing approval of the

1993 base year emissions inventory for

Calcasieu Parish. If approved, the

maintenance plan and emissions

inventory will become a federally

enforceable part of the State

Implementation Plan (SIP) for

Louisiana.

DATES: Comments on this proposed rule

must be postmarked by March 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

mailed to Thomas H. Diggs, Chief, Air

Planning Section (6PD–L), EPA Region

6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas

75202–2733. Copies of the State’s

submittal and other information

relevant to this action are available for

inspection during normal hours at the

following locations:

Environmental Protection Agency,

Region 6, Air Planning Section (6PD–

L), 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700,

Dallas, Texas 75202–2733.

Louisiana Department of Environmental

Quality, Office of Air Quality, 7290

Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge,

Louisiana 70810.

Anyone wishing to review this

proposal at the Region 6 EPA office is

asked to contact the person below to

schedule an appointment 24 hours in

advance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lt.

Mick Cote, Air Planning Section (6PD–

L), EPA Region 6, telephone (214) 665–

7219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Clean Air Act, as amended in

1977, required areas that were

designated nonattainment based on a

failure to meet the ozone National

Ambient Air Quality Standards

(NAAQS) to develop SIPs with

sufficient control measures to

expeditiously attain and maintain the

standard. Calcasieu Parish was

designated under section 107 of the

1977 Clean Air Act as nonattainment

with respect to the ozone NAAQS on

September 11, 1978. For purposes of

redesignations, the State of Louisiana

has an approved ozone SIP for Calcasieu

Parish.

The LDEQ has collected ambient

monitoring data since 1992 that show

no violations of the ozone NAAQS of

0.12 parts per million. The LDEQ has

developed a maintenance plan for

Calcasieu Parish, and solicited public

comment. Subsequently, LDEQ

submitted a request, through the

Governor’s office, to redesignate this

parish to attainment with respect to the

ozone NAAQS. This maintenance plan

and redesignation request for Calcasieu

Parish was submitted to EPA on

December 20, 1995.

II. Analysis of State Submittal

A. Evaluation Criteria

The Act revised section 107(d)(3)(E)

to provide five specific requirements

that an area must meet in order to be

redesignated from nonattainment to

attainment: (1) The area must have

attained the applicable NAAQS; (2) the

area must meet all applicable

requirements under section 110 and part

D of the Act; (3) the area must have a

fully approved SIP under section 110(k)

of the Act; (4) the air quality

improvement must be permanent and

enforceable; and, (5) the area must have

a fully approved maintenance plan

pursuant to section 175A of the Act.

Section 107(d)(3)(D) of the Act allows a

Governor to initiate the redesignation

process for an area to apply for

attainment status.

(1) Attainment of the NAAQS for Ozone

Attainment of the ozone NAAQS is

determined based on the expected

number of exceedances in a calendar

year. The method for determining