63308 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Proposed Rules

Mitsubishi, Ford, PACCAR, Flxible,

General Motors (GM), Navistar, Bugatti

Automobili, and Lotus), four

associations (the California Trucking

Association (CTA), the National Truck

Equipment Association (NTEA),

American Trucking Associations (ATA),

and the American Automobile

Manufacturers Association (AAMA)),

and two safety groups (the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA) and

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

(Advocates).

Commenters expressed differing

views about the need to require

crossover fuel line protection.

Advocates, NFPA, CTA and Mitsubishi

supported the proposal. Mack, ATA,

NTEA, AAMA, GM, Ford, Bugatti, and

Lotus opposed it. ATA, NTEA, and

AAMA stated that they were not aware

of any safety problem associated with

fires resulting from crossover line

failure. ATA stated that manufacturers

have already recognized the need to

provide fuel systems with greater

resistance to fuel leakage and are

voluntarily providing them. Mack,

NTEA, and GM stated that there was a

trend in the industry away from

crossover fuel lines.

Commenters addressed other issues

including harmonization with a SAE

Recommended Practice, frangible

valves, cost and application, leadtime,

and the proposed test procedures and

performance requirements.

IV. Agency Decision

After reviewing its own reports and

the public comments on this proposal,

NHTSA has decided not to issue a

requirement for crossover fuel line

protection and to terminate rulemaking

on this issue.

To complete rulemaking on the

proposed amendment, the agency would

need to devote significant agency

resources to refine the proposed test

procedures. The agency believes such

an expenditure of additional resources

is not warranted, given the limited and

uncertain benefits that could be

obtained from such a requirement.

The comments show that the vehicle

manufacturers have developed and

implemented new designs that

eliminate the need for crossover lines in

many vehicles. The agency anticipates

that the trend toward new systems that

eliminate crossover lines will continue.

In the interval since the NPRM was

issued, the industry has significantly

improved their design for those vehicles

that will continue to use crossover lines.

Based on information supplied by the

industry, the agency estimates that less

than 50 percent of trucks are still

produced with crossover lines. Of these

vehicles, 90 percent are equipped with

substantial protective structures that are

able to withstand the 2,500-pound test

load proposed in the NPRM. Thus, the

agency believes that the proposed

requirement would affect fewer than

five percent of the new truck

population. The agency further believes

that even fewer heavy trucks will be

equipped with crossover lines in the

future.

The agency estimated in the NPRM

that the requirement would prevent one

fatality and two nonfatal injuries per

year due to fires (and 0.6 fatality and 55

nonfatal injuries due to secondary

crashes caused by fuel spillage). In view

of the trends in manufacturing practices

noted above, the agency believes that

these estimates overstate the benefits

that would result in the future from the

requirement.

In addition to the reduced benefits

from the requirement, the per-vehicle

costs would have been substantial ($50

or more per truck and $1,000 per test).

For the reasons set forth above,

NHTSA has decided to terminate the

rulemaking action to amend Standard

No. 301 that would have required

crossover fuel line protection.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115,

30117, and 30166; delegation of authority at

49 CFR 1.50.

Issued on: September 24, 1997.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[Signature page for RIN 2127–AC62]

(Termination of Rulemaking)

[FR Doc. 97–31263 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Parts 285, 630, 644, and 678

[I.D. 100897B]

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species;

Scoping Document; Extension of

Comment Period

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request

for comments; extension of comment

period.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the

extension of the public comment period

on the scoping document for Highly

Migratory Species (HMS) fishery

management. The public comment

period is hereby extended from

December 1, 1997, to January 9, 1998, to

give members of the public additional

time to review and comment on the

issues and options that are discussed in

the scoping document. Any written

comments received by that date will be

considered by NMFS in developing a set

of alternatives for management

measures.

DATES: Acceptance of written comments

is extended from December 1, 1997, to

January 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests for copies of the scoping

document should be directed to the

Highly Migratory Species Management

Division, 1315 East-West Highway,

Silver Spring, MD. 20910.

PHONE:(301)713–2347. FAX: (301)713–

1917. The scoping document is also

available on the Internet at http://

kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/sfa/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz

Lauck or Jill Stevenson, (301) 713–2347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is

considering management measures for

the fisheries for Atlantic tunas, Atlantic

swordfish, Atlantic shark, and Atlantic

billfish to be included in a

comprehensive Fishery Management

Plan (FMP) for Atlantic tunas, swordfish

and sharks, and an amendment to the

Billfish FMP. Options for management

may include long-term rebuilding

programs, reallocation of quotas,

recreational bag limits, commercial trip

limits, minimum size restrictions, time/

area closures, regional quotas,

consistency between state and Federal

regulations, gear restrictions, limited

access, identification and protection of

essential fish habitat, and permitting

and reporting requirements.

Consistent with the new requirements

of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

NMFS established an HMS Advisory

Panel (AP) and a Billfish AP to assist in

developing and amending FMPs for

HMS species. In the case of any species

identified as overfished, the APs will

also assist in developing rebuilding

programs. The scoping document,

developed with input from the APs,

outlines major issues and options under

consideration.

NMFS has held a series of scoping

meetings to gather public input on a

broad range of issues and options that

may be considered in addressing HMS

issues (62 FR 54035, October 17, 1997).

Public input is also sought through

written comments that may be mailed or

faxed to the Highly Migratory Species

Management Division (see ADDRESSES).

Based upon several requests from the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Proposed Rules 63309

public as well as the fact that extension

of the comment period is not

anticipated to delay development of the

FMP, NMFS is extending the comment

period on this scoping document from

December 1, 1997 to January 9. 1998.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: November 20, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–31190 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 112097E]

New England Fishery Management

Council; Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a 3-day public meeting to consider

actions affecting New England fisheries

in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Tuesday, December 9, 1997, at 10 a.m.,

on Wednesday, December 10, 1997, at

8:30 a.m., and on Thursday, December

11, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Peabody Marriott, 8A Centennial

Drive, Peabody, MA; telephone (978)

977-9700. Requests for special

accommodations should be addressed to

the New England Fishery Management

Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA

01906-1097; telephone (781) 231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

J. Howard, Executive Director, New

England Fishery Management Council

(781) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, December 9, 1997

After introductions the Council

meeting will begin with the

Multispecies Monitoring Committee

Annual Report. The presentation will

include landings projections for the

1997 fishing year, target total allowable

catches (TACs) for the 1998 fishing year,

options for reaching or maintaining the

rebuilding plan fishing mortality

objectives for cod, haddock, and

yellowtail flounder stocks, and the

status of fisheries for pollock, redfish,

winter flounder, witch flounder,

American plaice, windowpane flounder,

and white hake.

Following the report, the Council’s

Groundfish Committee will discuss and

seek approval of initial action on

Framework Adjustment 25 to the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

Management Plan (FMP). The

adjustment would include measures to

meet the 1998 fishing year rebuilding

plan objectives (based on the report of

the Multispecies Monitoring Committee)

through the use of any of the following

measures—area closures, trip limits,

adjustments to days-at-sea (DAS) or gear

modifications. The framework

adjustment would also include

measures to adjust the opening date of

the Cultivator Shoal Whiting Exempted

Fishery, require a raised footrope trawl

in the Small Mesh Area 2 Exempted

Fishery, restrict or prohibit the use of

‘‘streetsweeper’’ gear, and modify the

regulations that now require vessel

monitoring systems (VMS) on all

individual DAS vessels. VMS options

under consideration would include, but

are not limited to, voluntary use of

VMS, mandatory use only on vessels

with DAS allocations over a specified

level, or mandatory use only on vessels

with specific violations. The framework

may also prohibit fishing for regulated

species in groundfish closed areas by

vessels using exempted gears such as

lobster pots, even when such vessels are

fishing in the DAS program.

Wednesday, December 10, 1997

If necessary, the Council will

continue consideration of Framework

Adjustment 25. The Overfishing

Definition Review Panel will present a

preliminary report on new overfishing

definitions developed to comply with

the Sustainable Fisheries Act. Species to

be discussed include Atlantic sea

scallops, Georges Bank yellowtail

flounder, monkfish, Atlantic mackerel,

and possibly others. Prior to addressing

sea scallop issues there will be reports

from the Scallop Advisory Panel and the

Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT).

The Scallop Committee will then

recommend final measures to be

included in Amendment 7 to the

Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

Currently, the proposal contains a

program to allow consolidation of DAS

and the use of closed area management.

There will also be further consideration

of Framework Adjustment 10, an action

to modify the scallop DAS schedule

following the third-year review of the

DAS scallop effort reduction program.

There will be a review of committee

discussions on VMS regulations and

measures to allow scallop vessels to fish

in the areas closed for groundfish

conservation. After reports from the

Herring Advisory Panel and PDT, the

Herring Committee will seek approval of

proposed fishery management plan

objectives, as well as the array of

management measures to be discussed

at public hearings. Measures may

include vessel/dealer/operator permits,

spawning area closures, a target TAC,

vessel size limits, prohibitions on

directed mealing, area management,

limits on fishing time, and possibly

other measures.

Thursday, December 11, 1997

The Monkfish Advisory Panel and the

Monkfish PDT will report to the

Council, followed by consideration and

approval of monkfish measures for

Amendment 9 to the Northeast

Multispecies FMP. There may be a

request to the Secretary of Commerce to

implement interim management

measures for the monkfish fishery. The

afternoon session will begin with

reports from the Council Chairman,

Executive Director, NMFS Regional

Administrator, Northeast Fisheries

Science Center, and Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management Council liaisons,

and representatives of the Coast Guard

and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission (ASMFC). There will be a

briefing on the recent Habitat Advisory

Panel meeting and progress on the

development of essential fish habitat

information. This will be followed by an

update on revisions to draft Amendment

10 to the Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean

Quahog Fishery Management Plan to

manage ocean quahogs in the Gulf of

Maine.

The Chairman of the Council’s

Lobster Committee will review the

ASMFC’s final fishery management plan

for American lobster and discuss

options to address any concerns with

the plan. There also may be

consideration of future management

strategies, if necessary, to meet the

requirements of the Sustainable

Fisheries Act. The meeting will adjourn

after the conclusion of any other

outstanding Council business.

Although other issues not contained

in this agenda may come before this

Council for discussion, in accordance

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

those issues may not be the subject of

formal Council action during this

meeting. Council actions will be

restricted to those issues specifically

listed in this notice.