Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices 66175

Street, Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska

68179–1000.

The Union Pacific Railroad Company

seeks approval of the proposed

discontinuance and removal of the rail

locks and associated power-operated

switch machines, on the Barge Canal

Bridge, milepost 216.1, near

Bloomington, Texas, on the Brownsville

Subdivision.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is to modernize the operation of

the Barge Canal Bridge.

BS–AP–No. 3443

Applicants:

Arkansas and Missouri Railroad, Mr.

G. B. McCready, Vice President and

General Manager, 306 East Emma,

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

Union Pacific Railroad Company, Mr.

P.M. Abaray, Chief EngineerSignals/Quality, 1416 Dodge Street,

Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska

68179–1000

The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad

and Union Pacific Railroad Company

jointly seek approval of the proposed

discontinuance and removal of the

traffic control system on the single main

track, from the Arkansas River Bridge,

milepost 410.6 to North Fort Smith,

Arkansas, milepost 412.1, First

Subdivision. The proposed changes

include the discontinuance and removal

of the North Fort Smith Control Point

and the three controlled signals,

conversion of the power-operated

switch to hand operation, installation of

an approach signal near milepost 411.3,

and conversion of the remotely

controlled lift span bridge to local

control utilizing radio signals to activate

the automatic bridge lowering sequence.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is that the current traffic levels

do not warrant the complexity, expense,

and occasional delays of the existing

CTC system controlled by the BNSF

dispatcher in Ft. Worth, Texas.

BS–AP–No. 3444

Applicant: CSX Transportation,

Incorporated, Mr. R.M. Kadlick, Chief

Engineer Train Control, 500 Water

Street (S/C J–350), Jacksonville, Florida

32202.

CSX Transportation, Incorporated

seeks approval of the proposed

modification of the signal system, on the

single main track, near Harpers Ferry,

West Virginia, Shenandoah Subdivision,

Baltimore Service Lane, consisting of

the replacement of Automatic Block

Signal System Rules 243–247, between

milepost BAD–1.0 and milepost BAD–

0.0, with Yard Limit Rule 93, and

conversion of the 5R automatic block

signal to an inoperative approach signal.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is to enhance switching

operations and increase efficiency.

BS–AP–No. 3445

Applicant: Buffalo and Pittsburgh

Railroad, Incorporated, Mr. David C.

Baer, Chief Engineer, 201 North Penn

Street, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

15767.

The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad,

Incorporated seeks approval of the

proposed discontinuance and removal

of the traffic control and automatic

block signal system, on the main tracks,

between Ashford Junction, New York,

milepost 43.3 and Riker, Pennsylvania,

milepost 223.5, on the Main Line

Subdivision, a distance of

approximately 180.2 miles, consisting of

the removal of all governing signals, 16

power-operated switches, and 3 electric

switch locks within the above milepost

limits.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is to retire facilities no longer

required for present operation.

Any interested party desiring to

protest the granting of an application

shall set forth specifically the grounds

upon which the protest is made, and

contain a concise statement of the

interest of the protestant in the

proceeding. The original and two copies

of the protest shall be filed with the

Associate Administrator for Safety,

FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Mail

Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20590 within

45 calendar days of the date of

publication of this notice. Additionally,

one copy of the protest shall be

furnished to the applicant at the address

listed above.

FRA expects to be able to determine

these matters without an oral hearing.

However, if a specific request for an oral

hearing is accompanied by a showing

that the party is unable to adequately

present his or her position by written

statements, an application may be set

for public hearing.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on December

10, 1997.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 97–32909 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD–97–3221]

Information Collection Available for

Public Comments and

Recommendations

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Maritime

Administration’s (MARAD’s) intentions

to request extension of approval for

three years of a currently approved

information collection.

DATES: Comments should be submitted

on or before February 17, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas M.P. Christensen of the Office

of National Security Plans, Maritime

Administration, MAR–720, Room P1–

1303, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590. Telephone

202–366–5900 or FAX 202–488–0941.

Copies of this collection can also be

obtained from that office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Collection: Voluntary Tanker

Agreement.

Type of Request: Extension of

currently approved information

collection.

OMB Control Number: 2133–0505.

Form Number: NONE.

Expiration Date of Approval:

September 30, 1998.

Summary of Collection of

Information: The collection consists of a

request from MARAD that each

participant in the Voluntary Tanker

Agreement submit a list of the names of

ships owned, chartered, or contracted

for by the participant, and their size and

flags of registry. There is no prescribed

format for this information.

Need and Use of the Information: The

collected information is necessary to

evaluate tanker capability and make

plans for the use of this capability to

meet national emergency requirements.

This information will be used by both

MARAD and Department of Defense to

establish overall contingency plans.

Description of Respondents: The

respondents are tanker companies that

operate in international trade and who

have agreed to participate in the

Voluntary Tanker Agreement.

Annual Responses: 20.

Annual Burden: One hour for each

respondent.

Comments: Signed, written comments

should refer to the docket number that

appears at the top of this document and
66176 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices

must be submitted to the Docket Clerk,

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, 400

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

20590–0001. Specifically, address

whether this information collection is

necessary for proper performance of the

function of the agency and will have

practical utility, accuracy of the burden

estimates, ways to minimize this

burden, and ways to enhance quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected. All comments received

will be available for examination at the

above address between 10 a.m. and 5

p.m., e.t. Monday through Friday,

except Federal Holidays. An electronic

version of this document is available on

the World Wide Web at http:/

dms.dot.gov.

Dated: December 12, 1997.

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–32940 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

Research and Development Programs

Meeting Agenda

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice provides the

agenda for a public meeting at which

the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) will describe

and discuss specific research and

development projects.

DATES AND TIMES: As previously

announced, NHTSA will hold a public

meeting devoted primarily to

presentations of specific research and

development projects on December 17,

1997, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and ending

at approximately 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Clarion Inn, Detroit Metro Airport,

9191 Wickham Road, Romulus,

Michigan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice provides the agenda for the

nineteenth in a series of public meetings

to provide detailed information about

NHTSA’s research and development

programs. This meeting will be held on

December 17, 1997. The meeting was

announced on December 3, 1997 (62 FR

64041). For additional information

about the meeting, consult that

announcement.

Starting at 1:30 p.m. and concluding

by 5:00 p.m., NHTSA’s Office of

Research and Development will discuss

the following topics:

Research and Development Update;

Crash Injury Research and Engineering

Network;

General Motors Settlement Briefing, Fire

Safety Research;

Update on Crashworthiness Research

Activities Including Upgraded Side

Crash Protection, Improved Frontal

Crash Protection, and Restraint

Systems for Rollover Protection;

Benefits Analysis of the Inflatable

Tubular Structure; and

Update of Research on Family of

Dummies.

NHTSA has based its decisions about

the agenda, in part, on the suggestions

it received in response to the

announcement published December 3,

1997.

As announced on December 3, 1997,

in the time remaining at the conclusion

of the presentations, NHTSA will

provide answers to questions on its

research and development programs,

where those questions have been

submitted in writing to Raymond P.

Owings, Ph.D., Associate Administrator

for Research and Development, NRD–

01, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Washington, DC 20590.

Fax number: 202–366–5930.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita

I. Gibbons, Staff Assistant, Office of

Research and Development, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC

20590. Telephone: 202–366–4862. Fax

number: 202–366–5930.

Issued: December 11, 1997.

Raymond P. Owings,

Associate Administrator for Research and

Development.

[FR Doc. 97–32958 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–97–3154]

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company;

Receipt of Application for Decision of

Inconsequential Noncompliance

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

(Cooper) of Findlay, Ohio has

determined that some of its tires fail to

comply with the labeling requirements

of 49 CFR Part 574 ‘‘Tire Identification

and Recordkeeping,’’ and has filed an

appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR

Part 573, ‘‘Defect and Noncompliance

Reports.’’ Cooper has also applied to be

exempted from the notification and

remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C.

Chapter 301—‘‘Motor Vehicle Safety’’

on the basis that the noncompliance is

inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.

Although the applicant expresses

noncompliance with Part 574, NHTSA

considers this to be a noncompliance

with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard (FMVSS) No. 119, New

pneumatic tires for vehicles other than

passenger cars. Paragraph S6.5(b) of

FMVSS No. 119 requires each tire to be

marked with a ‘‘tire identification

number’’ required by Part 574 of this

chapter. If a tire lacks this number, it

fails to comply with FMVSS No. 119

and is subject to notification and

remedy.

This notice of receipt of an

application is published under 49

U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not

represent any agency decision or other

exercise of judgment concerning the

merits of the application.

In § 574.5(d) Fourth Grouping—The

manufacturer is required to identify the

week and year of manufacture using

three symbols. The first two symbols

identify the week of the year using ‘‘01’’

for the first full calendar week in each

year. The third symbol identifies the

year. The purpose of this information is

to facilitate the notification of

purchasers regarding defective or nonconforming tires, pursuant to Sections

30118 and 30119 of Title 49, United

States Codes, so that the appropriate

action can be taken in the interest of

public safety—such as, a safety recall

notice.

During the thirty-second production

week of 1997, Cooper produced and

inadvertently shipped twenty-eight (28)

tires without the date code. This

occurred after the tires originally were

labeled with the correct date code

upside-down; Cooper removed the

improperly oriented date code by

buffing. The tires were then

inadvertently shipped with only the

identification of ‘‘DOT UPOP’’—where

‘‘UP’’ is the identification code for

Cooper’s Findlay plant and ‘‘OP’’ is the

identification of the tire size. The

subject tires are Cooper SRM Radial LT

215/85R16, Load Range D.

Cooper supports its application for

inconsequential noncompliance with

the following:

‘‘The incomplete DOT identification

code on each tire does not present a

safety-related defect.’’

‘‘The involved tires are capable of

being registered with UPOP. They have

a unique DOT identification with would

permit Cooper to notify the purchasers

of these tires, if properly registered,

should they be recalled for other

reasons.’’