14662 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 59 / Thursday, March 27, 1997 / Proposed Rules

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

49 CFR Parts 387, 390, 391, 392, 395,

396, and 397

[FHWA Docket No. MC–97–3]

RIN 2125–AD72

Review of the Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Regulations; Regulatory

Removals and Substantive

Amendments

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

SUMMARY: The FHWA published a

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

in the Federal Register on January 27,

1997 (62 FR 3855), in which the agency

requested comments on its intent to

remove, amend, and redesignate certain

regulations in parts 387, 390, 391, 392,

395, 396, and 397 of the Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).

The comment period for the NPRM was

scheduled to close on March 28, 1997.

In response to a request for an extension

of the comment period, the FHWA is

extending the comment period until

May 12, 1997.

DATES: Comments must be received no

later than May 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written

comments should refer to the docket

number that appears at the top of this

document and must be submitted to the

Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room

PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590–0001. 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. Those desiring notification of

receipt of comments must include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope or

postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Peter C. Chandler, Office of Motor

Carrier Research and Standards, (202)

366–5763, or Mr. Charles E. Medalen,

Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366–

1354, Federal Highway Administration,

Department of Transportation, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m.

to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The first FMCSRs were promulgated

in 1937. The FMCSRs have been

amended many times during the past 60

years. In September 1992, the FHWA

began a comprehensive multi-year

project to develop modern, uniform

safety regulations that are up to date,

clear, concise, easier to understand, and

more performance oriented. This project

has been named the Zero Base

Regulatory Review.

Consistent with the Zero Base project

and the President’s Regulatory

Reinvention Initiative, the FHWA

published an NPRM in the Federal

Register on January 27, 1997 (62 FR

3855), in which the agency requested

comments on its intent to remove,

amend, and redesignate certain

regulations concerning financial

responsibility; general applicability and

definitions; accident recordkeeping

requirements; qualifications of drivers;

driving of commercial motor vehicles;

hours of service of drivers; inspection,

repair, and maintenance; and the

transportation of hazardous materials.

These regulations were identified as

being obsolete, redundant, unnecessary,

ineffective, burdensome, more

appropriately regulated by State and

local authorities, better addressed by

company policy, in need of clarification,

or more appropriately contained in

another section.

The National Tank Truck Carriers,

Inc. (NTTC) requested the FHWA to

extend the comment period of the

NPRM by 30 days. The NTTC explained

that it will be holding an annual

meeting in early April and a review of

the NPRM is planned at the meeting.

The timing of the meeting would make

the NTTC unable to submit substantive

comments to the docket on behalf of its

membership by the March 28, 1997,

deadline.

The FHWA has decided to grant a 45

day extension of the comment period.

Because of the importance of the

rulemaking, and the volume and

complexity of issues raised in it, the

FHWA believes that the public interest

would be served by permitting the

NTTC, regulated entities and their

representative associations and

organizations, interested parties, and the

public an additional 45 days in which

to submit comments. Any additional

time beyond 45 days, however, would

unnecessarily delay the issuance of the

final rule. Accordingly, the FHWA is

extending the comment period for this

docket until Monday, May 12, 1997.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 504, 5112, 5125,

31132, 31133, 31136, 31138, 31139, 31502,

and 31504; sec. 345, Pub.L. 104–59, 109 Stat.

568, 613; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: March 19, 1997.

Jane Garvey,

Acting Administrator, Federal Highway

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–7737 Filed 3–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Notice of Status Reviews

for the Alexander Archipelago Wolf

and Queen Charlotte Goshawk

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of status reviews;

reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) provides notice that the

comment period on the rangewide

status reviews for the Queen Charlotte

goshawk (Accipiter gentilis laingi) and

the Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis

lupus ligoni) is reopened. The Service

solicits any information, data,

comments, and suggestions from the

public, other government agencies, the

scientific community, industry, or other

interested parties concerning the status

of these species. The notice of the status

reviews was published on December 5,

1996 (61 FR 64496), and extension of

the comment period was published

December 3, 1996 (61 FR 69065). On

February 14, 1997 (62 FR 6930), the

public comment period was reopened

until March 5, 1997.

DATES: The comment period, previously

scheduled to close March 5, 1997 (62 FR

6930), is reopened and will now close

on April 4, 1997. Any comments

received by the closing date will be

considered in the findings on the

species’ status under the Endangered

Species Act.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials

should be sent to Field Supervisor, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological

Services, 3000 Vintage Blvd., Suite 201,

Juneau, Alaska 99801–7100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Teresa Woods, 1011 E. Tudor Road,

Anchorage, Alaska 99503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Service has prepared draft status

reviews for the Queen Charlotte

goshawk and the Alexander Archipelago

wolf. The information in the reviews

will be used in the Service’s evaluation