Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 8883

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 70

Environmental protection,

Intergovernmental relations, Operating

permits, Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements, Administrative practice

and procedure, Air pollution control.

Dated: February 7, 1997.

Felicia Marcus,

Regional Administrator.

Part 70, title 40 of the Code of Federal

Regulations is amended as follows:

PART 70—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 70

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.

2. Appendix A to part 70 is amended

by adding paragraph (dd) to the entry

for California to read as follows:

Appendix A to Part 70—Approval

Status of State and Local Operating

Permits Programs

* * * * *

California

* * * * *

(dd) South Coast Air Quality

Management District: submitted on

December 27, 1993 and amended on

March 6, 1995, April 11, 1995,

September 26, 1995, April 24, 1996,

May 6, 1996, May 23, 1996, June 5, 1996

and July 29, 1996; approval effective on

March 31, 1997.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 97–4887 Filed 2–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 95–72; Notice 2]

RIN 2127–AF75

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards; Lamps, Reflective Devices

and Associated Equipment

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Termination of rulemaking.

SUMMARY: This document terminates

rulemaking under which NHTSA had

asked for comments on whether the

performance and installation of front

and rear fog lamps should be regulated

by Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.

108. Although commenters supported a

rule in principle, they pointed out the

lack of an acceptable and harmonized

reference upon which Federal

requirements could be based. In

response to these comments, the SAE

has established a Fog Lamp Task Force

to develop an internationally-acceptable

fog lamp standard, on which a Federal

standard could be based. NHTSA is

terminating rulemaking so that the

agency can actively participate in a

cooperative effort to develop a fog lamp

standard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich

Van Iderstine, Office of Safety

Performance Standards, NHTSA,

(Phone: 202–366–5275; FAX 202–366–

4329).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

October 26, 1995, NHTSA proposed

amendments to Standard No. 108, the

Federal motor vehicle safety standard

on lighting, which were intended to

harmonize the Standard’s geometric

visibility requirements for signal lamps

and rear side marker color with those of

the United Nation’s Economic

Commission for Europe (ECE) (60 FR

54833). With the international

harmonization of standards in mind, the

agency also sought comments on

whether the performance and

installation of front and rear fog lamps

ought to be regulated by Standard No.

108.

Twenty-four comments were received

in response to the notice, 12 of which

commented specifically on the issue of

fog lamps. These commenters were

Truck Safety Equipment Institute,

Chrysler Corporation, Advocates for

Highway and Auto Safety, MercedesBenz of North America, Porsche Cars

North America, Ichikoh Industries,

Groupe de Travail Bruxelles (GTB),

Hella, Volvo Cars of North America,

Volkswagen of America, Wisconsin

Department of Transportation, and

American Automobile Manufacturers

Association. All supported Federal

regulation of fog lamps. Some American

commenters pointed out the existence of

vastly differing State laws, and the

benefit of simplicity that a Federal preemptive standard would bring. Several

European commenters recommended

that NHTSA adopt the provisions of

ECE R48 governing fog lamps. However,

others cautioned that there is no

generally satisfactory industry standard

nor government regulation anywhere

that could form the basis of a suitable

Federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Many urged that any Federal standard

for fog lamps should be one that is

harmonized with the standards of Japan

and the ECE. Vehicle and lighting

manufacturers, concerned about the lack

of an acceptable standard,

recommended that the Society of

Automotive Engineers (SAE), in

conjunction with GTB and interested

participants from around the world,

develop a harmonized standard that

could be used by national governments.

In the aftermath of these comments, in

April 1996, SAE established a Fog Lamp

Task Force that will undertake this

effort, recognizing that its existing

requirements need to be modified to

adequately address all fog lamp issues.

NHTSA has decided to terminate its

rulemaking on fog lamps. The agency

believes that it is appropriate for it to

actively participate in the cooperative

effort to develop fog lamp standards.

Future agency rulemaking in this area

will be based on NHTSA’s assessment of

the success of this cooperative effort.

The agency’s termination covers fog

lamps only. NHTSA is continuing its

analysis of the comments on geometric

visibility and rear side marker lamp

color.

Issued on: February 24, 1997.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 97–4940 Filed 2–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

022197A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Offshore Component

Pollock in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Inseason adjustment; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues an inseason

adjustment prohibiting directed fishing

for pollock by vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the Aleutian Islands

subarea (AI) of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This adjustment is necessary to

prevent the underharvest of pollock by

vessels catching pollock for processing

by the offshore component in the AI of

the BSAI.

DATES: 2400 hrs, Alaska local time

(A.l.t.), February 23, 1997, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

Comments must be received at the
8884 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

following address no later than 1630,

A.l.t., March 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to

Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region,

NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK

99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or be delivered

to the fourth floor of the Federal

Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau,

AK.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP)

prepared by the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council under authority of

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by

regulations implementing the FMP at

subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50

CFR part 679.

In accordance with § 679.20(c)(3)(iii),

the allowance of the pollock total

allowable catch apportioned for vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the AI was

established by the Final 1997 Harvest

Specifications for Groundfish of the

BSAI (62 FR 7168, February 18, 1997) as

16,835 metric tons (mt).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the allowance of the

pollock total allowable catch

apportioned for vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI will soon be

reached. Therefore, the Regional

Administrator is establishing a directed

fishing allowance of 14,835 mt, and is

setting aside the remaining 2,000 mt as

bycatch to support other anticipated

groundfish fisheries. In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional

Administrator finds that this directed

fishing allowance will soon be reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the AI.

Current information shows the

catching capacity of vessels catching

pollock for processing by the offshore

component is in excess of 10,400 mt per

day. In accordance with § 679.23(e) and

except as provided in § 679.23(e)(2)(ii),

directed fishing for pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the AI of the

BSAI is scheduled from 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,

January 26, 1997, through 1200 hrs,

A.l.t., April 15, 1997, and from 1200 hrs,

A.l.t. September 1, 1997, through 1200

hrs, A.l.t., November 1, 1997, or until

the TAC is reached, whichever occurs

first.

Section 679.23(b) specifies that the

time of all openings and closures of

fishing seasons other than the beginning

and end of the calendar fishing year is

1200 hrs, A.l.t. The Regional

Administrator has determined that the

remaining portion of the allocation to

the offshore component would be

underharvested if a 1200 hrs closure

were allowed to occur.

NMFS, therefore, in accordance with

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i), is adjusting the season

for pollock by vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI subarea of the

BSAI by closing directed fishing at 2400

hrs, A.l.t., February 23, 1997. NMFS is

taking this action to prevent the

underharvest of the pollock allocation to

vessels catching pollock for processing

by the offshore component in the AI of

the BSAI as authorized by

§ 679.25(a)(2)(i)(C). In accordance with

§ 679.25(a)(2)(iii), NMFS has

determined that closing directed fishing

at 2400 hrs, A.l.t, on February 23, 1997,

is the least restrictive management

adjustment to harvest the pollock

allocated to vessels catching pollock for

processing by the offshore component in

the AI of the BSAI and will allow other

fisheries to continue in noncritical areas

and time periods.

The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good cause

that providing prior notice and public

comment or delaying the effective date

of this action is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Without

this inseason adjustment, the pollock

allocation for vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI of the BSAI would

be underharvested, resulting in an

economic loss of more than 3 million

dollars. Under § 679.25(c)(2), interested

persons are invited to submit written

comments on this action to the above

address until March 10, 1997.

Classification

This action is required by § 679.25

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: February 21, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–4798 Filed 2–21–97; 4:51 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F