Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 230 / Monday, December 1, 1997 / Notices 63601

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

1996 Audi Avant Quattro passenger cars

are eligible for importation into the

United States. The vehicle which

Champagne believes is substantially

similar is the 1996 Audi A6 Quattro that

was manufactured for importation into,

and sale in, the United States and

certified by its manufacturer as

conforming to all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared the non-U.S. certified 1996

Audi Avant Quattro to its U.S. certified

counterpart, and found the two 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 the non-U.S. certified

1996 Audi Avant Quattro, as originally

manufactured, conforms to many

Federal motor vehicle safety standards

in the same manner as its U.S. certified

counterpart, or is capable of being

readily altered to conform to those

standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

the non-U.S. certified 1996 Audi Avant

Quattro is identical to its U.S. certified

counterpart with respect to compliance

with Standards 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,

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.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

the bumpers on the non-U.S. certified

1996 Audi Avant Quattro comply with

the Bumper Standard found in 49 CFR

Part 581.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicle is 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 in the steering lock

assembly and a warning buzzer.

Standard No. 118 Power Window

Systems: rewiring of the power window

system so that the window transport is

inoperative when the ignition is

switched off.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

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

model seat belt in the driver’s 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; (c) replacement of the driver’s

and passenger’s side air bags and knee

bolsters if they are not U.S.-model

components. The petitioner states that

the vehicle is equipped with

combination lap and shoulder restraints

that adjust by means of an automatic

retractor and release by means of a

single push button at both front

designated seating positions, with

combination lap and shoulder restraints

that release by means of a single push

button at both rear outboard designated

seating positions, and with a lap belt in

the rear center designated seating

position.

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.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to the vehicle to meet

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 Management, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh St., SW, 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: November 24, 1997.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 97–31440 Filed 11–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Saint Lawrence Seaway Development

Corporation Advisory Board; Notice of

Meeting

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463; 5 U.S.C. App. I) notice is

hereby given of a meeting of the

Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence

Seaway Development Corporation

(SLSDC), to be held at 9:30 a.m.,

December 3, 1997, via conference call in

the Association Administrator’s

Conference Room, SLSDC

Administration Building, 180 Andrews

Street, Massena, New York. The agenda

for this meeting will be as follows:

Opening Remarks; Consideration of

Minutes of Past Meeting; Review of

Programs; New Business; and Closing

Remarks.

Attendance at meeting is open to the

interested public but limited to the

space available. With the approval of

the Administrator, members of the

public may present oral statements at

the meeting. Persons wishing further

information should contact not later
63602 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 230 / Monday, December 1, 1997 / Notices

1 In the verified notice of exemption, PERL states

that the total miles of rail line to be acquired and

operated totals approximately 44 route miles, but

other references in the notice, which identify the

mileposts and the route miles for each specific

segment of rail line, total approximately 45.24 route

miles.

2This proceeding is related to STB Finance

Docket No. 33511, wherein Emons Transportation

Group, Inc., a noncarrier, has filed a notice of

exemption to continue in control of PERL upon

PERL’s becoming a Class III rail carrier.

3See Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad

Company—Modified Rail Certificate, Finance

Docket No. 30305 (Sub-No. 1) (ICC served June 13,

1990).

than December 1, 1997, Marc C. Owen,

Advisory Board Liaison, Saint Lawrence

Seaway Development Corporation, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20590; 202–366–6823.

Any member of the public may

present a written statement to the

Advisory Board at any time.

Issued at Washington, D.C. on November

24, 1997.

Marc C. Owen,

Advisory Board Liaison.

[FR Doc. 97–31354 Filed 11–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–61–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33511]

Emons Transportation Group, Inc.—

Continuance in Control Exemption—

Penn Eastern Rail Lines, Inc.

Emons Transportation Group, Inc.

(Emons), has filed a notice of exemption

to continue in control of Penn Eastern

Rail Lines, Inc. (PERL), upon PERL’s

becoming a Class III railroad. The

transaction was expected to be

consummated on or about November 20,

1997, the effective date of the

exemption.

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket No. 33512, Penn Eastern

Rail Lines, Inc.—Acquisition and

Operation Exemption—Lines of

Lancaster Northern Railway, Inc.,

Chester Valley Railway, Inc., East Penn

Railways, Inc., and Bristol Industrial

Terminal Railway, Inc., wherein PERL

seeks to acquire and operate certain rail

lines from Lancaster Northern Railway,

Inc., Chester Valley Railway, Inc., East

Penn Railways, Inc., and Bristol

Industrial Terminal Railway, Inc.

Emons controls through stock

ownership three other Class III rail

carriers: Maryland and Pennsylvania

Railroad Company, operating 26 miles

of rail line between York and Hanover,

PA; Yorkrail, Inc., operating

approximately 16 miles of rail line

between York and Porters Sideling, PA;

and, St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad

Company, operating between Portland,

ME, and the Canadian border at Norton,

VT.

Emons states that: (1) PERL will not

connect with any of the other railroads

in its corporate family; (2) the

continuance in control is not part of a

series of anticipated transactions that

would connect PERL with any other

railroad in its corporate family; and (3)

the transaction does not involve a Class

I railroad. The transaction therefore 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

railroad carriers. Because this

transaction involves Class III rail

carriers only, the Board, under the

statute, may not impose labor protective

conditions for this transaction.

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. 33511, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading mustbe served on: Kevin M.

Sheys, Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly,

1020 Nineteenth Street, N.W., Suite 400,

Washington, DC 20036.

Decided: November 21, 1997.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–31385 Filed 11–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33512]

Penn Eastern Rail Lines, Inc.;

Acquisition and Operation Exemption;

Lines of Lancaster Northern Railway,

Inc., Chester Valley Railway, Inc., East

Penn Railways, Inc., and Bristol

Industrial Terminal Railway, Inc.

Penn Eastern Rail Lines, Inc. (PERL),

a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice

of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to

acquire (by purchase of certain rail lines

and assignment of certain leases on

other rail lines) and operate

approximately 45.24 1 miles of rail lines

(the Subject Lines) of Lancaster

Northern Railway, Inc. (LANO), Chester

Valley Railway, Inc. (CVR), East Penn

Railways, Inc. (EPRY), and Bristol

Industrial Terminal Railway, Inc.

(Bristol). PERL will become a Class III

rail carrier.2

PERL, LANO, CVR, EPRY and Bristol

have entered into an agreement

providing for PERL’s acquisition of all

the rights, title and interests in the

Subject Lines. PERL intends to

consummate the purchase agreement

and begin operations on or soon after

November 20, 1997, the effective date of

the exemption.

CVR owns and operates the

Bridgeport Industrial Track, between the

connection with the Consolidated Rail

Corporation (Conrail) at approximately

milepost 0.0 and milepost 2.14 at

Henderson Road. This 2.14-mile rail

line is located entirely within

Bridgeport, Montgomery County, PA.

LANO owns and operates the Akron

Secondary Track, between

approximately milepost 0.05 at Sinking

Spring, Berks County, PA, and the end

of the track at Stevens, approximately

milepost 12.94, in Lancaster County,

PA.

EPRY operates four rail lines as

follows: (1) The Perkiomen Branch,

USRA Line No. 906, between milepost

22.38 at Pennsburg, PA, and milepost

38.23 at Emmaus Jct., Emmaus, PA, a

distance of 15.85 miles, in Berks,

Lehigh, and Montgomery Counties, PA;

(2) the Colebrookdale Industrial Track

(Boyertown Branch), USRA Line No.

909, between milepost 0.00 at

Colebrookdale Jct. (Pottstown), PA and

milepost 8.60 at Boyertown, PA, a

distance of 8.60 miles, in Berks and

Montgomery Counties, PA; (3) the

Kutztown Branch, USRA line No. 910,

between milepost 0.17 at Topton, PA,

and milepost 4.29 at Kutztown, PA, a

distance of 4.12 miles, in Berks County,

PA; and (4) the Mt. Hope Industrial

Branch, USRA Line No. 916, between

milepost 0.36 and milepost 1.0, a

distance of .64 miles, in Manheim,

Lancaster County, PA. The lines were

acquired by the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania in 1982 and were formerly

operated by Blue Mountain and Reading

Railroad Company.3 They connect with

Conrail at Emmaus, Pottstown, Topton

and Manheim, PA.

Bristol leases and operates

approximately 1 mile of rail line