[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 194 (Monday, October 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81136-81137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23171]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0038]


Supplemental Initial Decision That Certain Frontal Driver and 
Passenger Air Bag Inflators Manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. and 
Delphi Automotive Systems LLC, and Vehicles in Which Those Inflators 
Were Installed, Contain a Safety Defect

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Second extension of deadline for written submissions.

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SUMMARY: On October 2, 2024, NHTSA received a request to extend the 
period during which manufacturers and any interested person may submit 
written information in response to the agency's Supplemental Initial 
Decision published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2024. The prior 
written submission deadline was October 4, 2024. NHTSA is extending the 
deadline to October 11, 2024.

DATES: The written submission deadline related to the Supplemental 
Initial Decision published on August 5, 2024, at 89 FR 63473, is 
extended to October 11, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written submissions to the docket number 
identified in the heading of this document by any of the following 
methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. Note that all written submissions received will be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion 
below. We will consider all written submissions received before the 
close of business on Friday, October 4, 2024.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
written submissions received, go to https://www.regulations.gov at any 
time or to 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: (202) 366-9826.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 30118(b)(1), NHTSA will 
make a final decision only after providing an opportunity for 
manufacturers and any interested person to present information, views, 
and arguments. DOT posts written submissions submitted by manufacturers 
and interested persons, without edit, including any personal 
information the

[[Page 81137]]

submitter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), 
which can be reviewed at www.transportation.gov/privacy.
    Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any 
information under a claim of confidentiality, you must submit your 
request directly to NHTSA's Office of the Chief Counsel. Requests for 
confidentiality are governed by 49 CFR part 512. NHTSA is currently 
treating electronic submission as an acceptable method for submitting 
confidential business information (CBI) to the agency under part 512. 
If you would like to submit a request for confidential treatment, you 
may email your submission to Allison Hendrickson in the Office of the 
Chief Counsel at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#da9bb6b6b3a9b5b4f492bfb4bea8b3b9b1a9b5b49abeb5aef4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c4d6060657f636222446962687e656f677f63624c686378226b637a">[email protected]</span></a> or you may contact her for 
a secure file transfer link. At this time, you should not send a 
duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to DOT 
headquarters. If you claim that any of the information or documents 
provided to the agency constitute confidential business information 
within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), or are protected from 
disclosure pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1905, you must submit supporting 
information together with the materials that are the subject of the 
confidentiality request, in accordance with part 512, to the Office of 
the Chief Counsel. Your request must include a cover letter setting 
forth the information specified in our confidential business 
information regulation (49 CFR 512.8) and a certificate, pursuant to 
Sec.  512.4(b) and part 512, appendix A. In addition, you should submit 
a copy, from which you have redacted the claimed confidential business 
information, to the Docket at the address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Hendrickson, Office of the 
Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-2992.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 31, 2024, NHTSA issued a 
Supplemental Initial Decision That Certain Frontal Driver and Passenger 
Air Bag Inflators Manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. and Delphi 
Automotive Systems LLC, and Vehicles in Which Those Inflators Were 
Installed, Contain a Safety Defect pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(a) and 
49 CFR 554.10. 89 FR 63473 (Aug. 5, 2024). More specifically, NHTSA 
confirmed its initial decision of September 5, 2023, at 88 FR 62140, 
that certain air bag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. 
(ARC) and Delphi Automotive Systems LLC (Delphi) may rupture when the 
vehicle's air bag is commanded to deploy, causing metal debris to be 
forcefully ejected into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and 
that these rupturing air bag inflators pose an unreasonable risk of 
serious injury or death to vehicle occupants. In accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 30118(b)(1) and 49 CFR 554.10(c)(4), the Supplemental Initial 
Decision provided manufacturers and any interested person an 
opportunity to present information, views, and arguments in response to 
the Supplemental Initial Decision by submitting written information to 
the Agency. The original deadline for written submissions in response 
to the Supplemental Initial Decision was September 4, 2024. Based on a 
request received on August 7, 2024, NHTSA extended the original 
deadline to October 4, 2024.

Written Submission Deadline Extension Request

    On October 2, 2024, NHTSA received a request from counsel 
representing certain unspecified motor vehicle and motor vehicle 
equipment manufacturers asking NHTSA to extend the period for written 
submissions by two weeks. The request claimed that, based on five 
documents in the agency's investigative file to which the manufacturers 
received access on October 1, 2024, the manufacturers needed more time 
to adequately review the documents and prepare their responses. A copy 
of the extension request and NHTSA's response will be added to the 
public docket.

Extension of Written Submission Deadline

    After consideration of the request and the limited information 
contained in the five documents, NHTSA decided to extend the deadline 
to provide written submissions by one week. The prior deadline of 
October 4, 2024 has been extended, and written submissions from any 
interested person are now due before the close of business on October 
11, 2024.
    Authority:
    49 U.S.C. 30118(a), (b); 49 CFR 554.10; delegations of authority at 
49 CFR 1.50(a) and 49 CFR 501.8.

Eileen Sullivan,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2024-23171 Filed 10-3-24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


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