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.’’
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices 66177

‘‘The involved tires produced from

this mold during the aforementioned

production period comply with all other

requirements of 49 CFR 571.119 and

574.5.’’

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments on the application of Cooper

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: U.S. Department of Transportation,

Docket Management, Room Pub. L. 401,

400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington,

D.C., 20590. It is requested that two

copies be submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated below will be considered. The

application and supporting materials,

and all comments received after the

closing date, will also be filed and will

be considered to the extent possible.

When the application is granted or

denied, the notice will be published in

the Federal Register pursuant to the

authority indicated below.

Comment closing date: January 16,

1998.

(49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; delegations of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8)

Issued on: December 11, 1997.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 97–32882 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB ex Parte No. 558 (Sub–No. 1)]

Railroad Cost of Capital—1997

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of decision instituting a

proceeding to determine the railroads’

1997 cost of capital.

SUMMARY: The Board is instituting a

proceeding to determine the railroad

industry’s cost of capital for 1997. The

decision solicits comments on: (1) the

railroads’ 1997 cost of debt capital; (2)

the railroads’ 1997 current cost of

preferred stock equity capital; (3) the

railroads’ 1997 cost of common stock

equity capital; and (4) the 1997 capital

structure mix of the railroad industry on

a market value basis.

DATES: Notices of intent to participate

are due no later than December 30,

1997. A service list will then be

prepared and issued by January 14,

1998. Statements of the railroads are

due by March 20, 1998. Statements of

other interested persons are due by

April 10, 1998. Rebuttal statements by

the railroads are due by April 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10

copies of statements and a copy of the

statement on a 3.5 inch disk in

WordPerfect 6.1, and an original and 1

copy of the notice of intent to

participate to: Surface Transportation

Board, Office of the Secretary, Case

Control Branch, 1925 K Street, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20423.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leonard J. Blistein, (202) 565–1529.

[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

565–1695.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional information is contained in

the Board’s decision. To obtain a copy

of the full decision, write to, call, or

pick up in person from: Office of the

Secretary, Surface Transportation Board,

1925 K Street, N.W., Room 700,

Washington, DC 20423. Telephone:

(202) 565–1650. [Assistance for the

hearing impaired is available through

TDD services (202) 565–1695.] A copy

of the decision can also be obtained

from the Board’s internet site

(www.stb.dot.gov).

We preliminarily conclude that the

proposed action will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 10704(a).

Decided: December 5, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–32778 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

[T.D. 97–99]

Customs Approval of V.I.P Cargo

Surveys Incorporated as a Commercial

Gauger and Accredited Laboratory

AGENCY: U.S. Customs Service,

Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of approval and

accreditation of V.I.P Cargo Survey, Inc.

as a commercial gauger and accredited

laboratory.

SUMMARY: V.I.P Cargo Surveys, Inc. of

Aransas Pass, Texas, has applied to U.S.

Customs to extend its approval to gauge

petroleum and petroleum products and

accreditation to perform petroleum

analysis methods under Part 151.13 of

the Customs Regulations (19 CAR

151.13) to their Texas City, Texas

facility. Customs has determined that

this office meets all of the requirements

for approval as a commercial gauger.

Additionally, Customs has determined

that this facility meets all requirements

for accreditation as a Commercial

Laboratory to perform (1) API Gravity,

(2) Water by Distillation, (3) Sediment

by Extraction, (4) Saybolt Universal

Viscosity, (5) Sediment and Water and

(6) Distillation. Therefore, in accordance

with Part 151.13(f) of the Customs

Regulations, V.I.P Cargo Surveys, Inc.,

Texas City, Texas, is approved to gauge

the products named above and to

perform the analysis methods listed

above in all Customs ports.

LOCATION: V.I.P Cargo Surveys Inc.

approved and accredited site is located

at: 1442 Texas Avenue, Texas City,

Texas 77590.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 20, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira

S. Reese, Senior Science Officer,

Laboratories and Scientific Services,

U.S. Customs Service, 1300

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 5.5–

B, Washington, D.C. 20229 at (202) 927–

1060.

Dated: November 25, 1997.

George D. Heavey,

Director, Laboratories and Scientific Service.

[FR Doc. 97–32858 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

U.S. Advisory Commission on Public

Diplomacy Meeting

AGENCY: United States Information

Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Advisory

Commission on Public Diplomacy will

meet on December 17 in Room 600, 301

4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., from

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

The Commission will meet with the

Honorable Joseph Duffey, Director, U.S.

Information Agency, and the Honorable

Penn Kemble, Deputy Director, U.S.

Information Agency, to discuss

legislation, budget, and reorganization

matters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please call

Betty Hayes, (202) 619–4468, if you are

interested in attending the meeting.

Space is limited and entrance to the

building is controlled.