68350 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 250 / Wednesday, December 31, 1997 / Notices

compliance with 46 CFR 91.60–10

(Cargo Ship Safety Equipment

Certificate). Until regulations are issued,

ABS, NCB, and any other organization

designated by the Coast Guard, will

follow the procedures in NVIC 10–97.

NVIC 10–97 is available on the World

Wide Web at: http://www.dot.gov/

dotinfo/uscg/hq/g-m/gmhome.htm in

‘‘Publications, Reports and Forms.’’

Paper or CD–ROM copies will soon be

available for a free through the National

Technical Information Service, 5285

Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161,

telephone 703–605–6000, or fax 703–

321–8547.

Dated: December 23, 1997.

Joseph J. Angelo,

Director of Standards, Marine Safety and

Environmental Protection.

[FR Doc. 97–34090 Filed 12–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[AC No. 183–35G CHG 1]

Proposed Changes to Advisory

Circular on Airworthiness Designee

Function Codes and Consolidated

Directory for DMIR/DAR/ODAR/DAS/

DOA AND SFAR NO. 36

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: This notice is proposing two

changes to AC 183–35G. The proposed

changes address revising the description

of the DAR–F and ODAR–F Codes and

Functions No. 08 and the DAR–T and

ODAR–T Codes and Functions No. 23.

these Codes and Functions are changed

to address the new airworthiness

approval identified in FAA Order

8130.21B.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before January 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments and

requests for copies of the proposed AC

to: Federal Aviation Administration;

ATTN: Evangeline Raines, AFS–640,

P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK

73125.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John Rice, AFS–640, at the above

address; telephone (405) 954–6484,

(8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Designee Standard Branch, AFS–640,

has made changes to AC 183–35G, FAA

DAR, DAS, DOA, AND SFAR PART 36

DIRECTORY, to address the new

airworthiness approval identified in

FAA Order 8130.21B. The proposed

changes address revised the description

of the DAR–F and ODAR–F Codes and

Functions No. 08 and the ODAR–T

Codes and Functions No. 23.

08 Issue original standard airworthiness

certificate for U.S. registered aircraft and

original airworthiness approvals for engines,

propellers, parts and appliances that conform

to the approved design requirements and are

in a condition for safe operation.

The new verbiage for DAR–T and

ODAR–T Codes and function number

will read:

23 Issue recurrent airworthiness

certificate for U.S. registered aircraft,

including Very Light Aircraft (VLA) and

recurrent airworthiness approvals for

engines, propellers, parts and appliances that

conform to the approved design requirements

and are in a condition for safe operation.

The FAA intends to revise and

republish the advisory circular to seek

public comment each time it is

proposed to add or delete an authorized

function. Additional areas of delegation

will be selected and authorized by the

Director of Airworthiness based on

recommendations from the other FAA

elements and the aviation community.

Issued in Washington, DC.

Bill M. Pickelsimer,

Assistant Manager, Regulatory Support

Division.

[FR Doc. 97–34047 Filed 12–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Antidrug and Alcohol Misuse

Prevention Programs for Personnel

Engaged in Specified Aviation

Activities

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The FAA has determined that

the minimum percentage rate for drug

testing for the period January 1, 1998,

through December 31, 1998, will remain

at 25 percent of covered aviation

employees for random drug testing and

will decrease to 10 percent of covered

aviation employees for random alcohol

testing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Patrice M. Kelly, Office of Aviation

Medicine, Drug Abatement Division,

Program Implementation and Special

Projects Branch (AAM–810), Federal

Aviation Administration, 800

Independence Avenue SW, Washington,

DC 20591; telephone (202) 267–8976.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Administrator’s Determination of 1998

Random Drug and Alcohol Testing

Rates

In final rules published in the Federal

Register on February 15, and December

2, 1994 (59 FR 7380 and 62218,

respectively), the FAA announced that

it will set future minimum annual

percentage rates for random alcohol and

drug testing for aviation industry

employers according to the results

which the employers experience

conducting random alcohol and drug

testing during each calendar year. The

rules set forth the formula for

calculating an annual aviation industry

‘‘violation rate’’ for random alcohol

testing and an annual aviation industry

‘‘positive rate’’ for random drug testing.

The ‘‘violation rate’’ for random alcohol

tests means the number of covered

employees found during random tests

given under 14 CFR part 121, appendix

J to have an alcohol concentration of

0.04 or greater plus the number of

employees who refused a random

alcohol test, divided by the total

reported number of employees given

random alcohol tests plus the total

reported number of employees who

refused a random test. The ‘‘positive

rate’’ means the number of positive

results for random drug tests conducted

under 14 CFR part 121, appendix I plus

the number of refusals to take random

drug tests, divided by the total number

of random drug tests plus the number of

refusals to take random drug tests. The

violation rate and the positive rate are

calculated using information required to

be submitted to the FAA by specified

aviation industry employers as part of

an FAA Management Information

System (MIS) and form the basis for

maintaining or adjusting the minimum

annual percentage rates for random

alcohol and drug testing as indicated in

the following paragraphs.

When the annual percentage rate for

random alcohol testing is 25 percent or

more, the FAA Administrator may lower

the rate to 10 percent if data received

under the MIS reporting requirements

for two consecutive calendar years

indicate that the violation rate is less

than 0.5 percent.

When the minimum annual

percentage rate for random alcohol

testing is 50 percent, the FAA

Administrator may lower the rate to 25

percent if data received under the MIS

reporting requirements for two

consecutive calendar years indicate that

the violation rate is less than 1.0 percent

but equal to or greater than 0.5 percent.

When the minimum annual

percentage rate for random alcohol
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 250 / Wednesday, December 31, 1997 / Notices 68351

testing is 10 percent, and the data

received under the MIS reporting

requirements for that calendar year

indicate that the violation rate is equal

to or greater than 0.5 percent but less

than 1.0 percent, the FAA Administrator

must increase the minimum annual

percentage rate for random alcohol

testing to 25 percent.

When the minimum annual

percentage rate for random alcohol

testing is 25 percent or less, and the data

received under the MIS reporting

requirements for that calendar year

indicate that the violation rate is equal

to or greater than 1.0 percent, the FAA

Administrator must increase the

minimum annual percentage rate for

random alcohol testing to 50 percent.

When the minimum annual

percentage rate for random drug testing

is 50 percent, the FAA Administrator

may lower the rate to 25 percent if data

received under the MIS reporting

requirements for two consecutive

calendar years indicate that the positive

rate is less than 1.0 percent.

When the minimum annual

percentage rate for random drug testing

is 25 percent, and the data received

under the MIS reporting requirements

for any calendar year indicate that the

reported positive rate is equal to or

greater than 1.0 percent, the

Administrator will increase the

minimum annual percentage rate for

random drug testing to 50 percent.

There is a one year lag in the

adjustment in the minimum annual

percentage rates for random drug and

alcohol testing because MIS data for a

given calendar year is not reported to

the FAA until the following calendar

year. For example, MIS data for 1996 is

not reported to the FAA until March 15,

1997, and any rate adjustments resulting

from the 1996 data are not effective

until January 1, 1998, following

publication by the FAA of a notice in

the Federal Register.

The minimum annual percentage rate

for random alcohol testing was 25

percent for calendar year 1996. In this

notice, the FAA announces that it has

determined that the violation rate for

calendar year 1996 is less than one-half

of one percent positive, at

approximately 0.08 percent. The 1995

violation rate was also less than one-half

of one percent. Since the violation rate

is less than 0.5 percent for two

consecutive calendar years, the

minimum annual percentage rate for

random alcohol testing for aviation

industry employers for calendar year

1998 will be lowered to 10 percent.

The minimum annual percentage rate

for random drug testing was also 25

percent in calendar year 1996.

Therefore, the FAA is also announcing

that it has determined that the positive

rate for calendar year 1996 is less than

1 percent, at approximately 0.71

percent, and that the minimum annual

percentage rate for random drug testing

for aviation industry employers for

calendar year 1998 will remain at 25

percent.

Dated: December 23, 1997.

Jon L. Jordan,

Federal Air Surgeon.

[FR Doc. 97–33982 Filed 12–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield Counties, CO

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) and Federal

Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent and public

scoping meetings.

SUMMARY: The FHWA and FTA are

jointly issuing this notice to advise the

public that an environmental impact

statement/4(f) evaluation will be

prepared for transportation

improvements in Pitkin, Eagle and

Garfield Counties, Colorado.

Five scoping meetings will be held

from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the

following locations and dates as part of

the preparation of the EIS/4(f)

evaluation:

Tuesday, February 17, 1998: Rifle City

Hall, 202 Railroad Avenue, Rifle, CO

Wednesday, February 18, 1998:

Carbondale Town Hall, 511 Colorado

Avenue, Carbondale, CO

Thursday, February 19, 1998: Basalt

High School, 150 Cottonwood Drive,

Basalt, CO

Monday, February 23, 1998: Garfield

County Courthouse, 109 8th Street,

Glenwood Springs, CO

Tuesday, February 24, 1998: Aspen City

Hall, 130 South Galena, Aspen, CO

A 45-day scoping period will begin on

January 6, 1998 and conclude on March

2, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Kulbacki, FHWA Colorado

Division, 555 Zang Street, Room 250;

Lakewood, Colorado 80228,

Telephone (303) 969–6730

Dave Beckhouse, FTA Region VIII, 216

16th Street, Suite 650; Denver,

Colorado 80202, Telephone (303)

844–3242

Joe Tempel, Colorado Department of

Transportation, 4201 East Arkansas,

Room 212; Denver, Colorado 80222,

Telephone (303) 757–9771

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA and FTA in cooperation with the

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA),

the Colorado Department of

Transportation (CDOT) and the Roaring

Fork Railroad Holding Authority

(RFRHA) will prepare an environmental

impact statement (EIS) and Section 4(f)

evaluation on a proposal to make major

transportation improvements in the

Roaring Fork Valley from Glenwood

Springs to the Aspen Airport, a distance

of approximately 40 miles. The purpose

of these improvements is to

accommodate current and projected

travel demands through the corridor.

The proposed improvements will be

identified in a Corridor Investment

Study which will be combined with the

EIS. At a minimum, the alternatives to

be considered in the EIS/4(f) evaluation

include the following:

(1) The No Build Alternative—This

will include transportation

improvements previously cleared.

(2) A Transportation System

Management (TSM)—This will consist

of low cost improvements to the existing

transportation system to maximize its

capacity and efficiency.

(3) Improved Bus Alternative—This

will consist of adding additional buses

to the existing bus system in the Roaring

Fork Valley. HOV and Exclusive Bus

Lane alternatives will be addressed.

(4) Multimodal Alternatives—These

will consist of trail, rail and highway

improvements. Various alignments,

Station locations, technologies and

access control plans (highway and rail)

will be assessed along the rail corridor

and SH82. Transportation Demand

Management (TDM) elements will be

incorporated into all of the Multimodal

Alternatives to maximize the efficiency

of the transportation system. Initial

scoping meetings with local agencies

and the general public will begin in

January and be completed in March

1998. Letters will be sent to the

appropriate federal, state and local

agencies describing the proposed action

and requesting comments. The general

public will receive notices on location

and time of the scoping meetings

through newspaper advertisements and

individual correspondence. These

scoping meetings provide a forum for

interaction between the public and

government officials during the EIS/4(f)

development. To ensure that a full range

of issues related to this proposed action

are addressed and all significant issues

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this