Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 64 / Thursday, April 3, 1997 / Notices 15957

hazardous chemicals labeling regimes

which may be posing technical barriers

to trade so as to better inform agency

decisions with respect to the global

harmonization process. The U.S.

government has identified seven broad

areas of concern:

(1) Chemical hazard information may

or may not be received routinely with

imported chemicals and products

(including mixtures) and may or may

not be understandable when received.

Hazard information which is received

may not be consistent with what is

required under U.S. law, (e.g., sufficient

to comply with OSHA’s Hazard

Communication Standard). Without

sufficient information, importers must

independently take steps to ensure that

the chemical or product complies with

U.S. law.

(2) When shipping chemicals or

products (including mixtures) overseas,

problems may have been encountered in

determining what is necessary to

comply with the laws of other countries.

Information about these laws may be

difficult to obtain and compliance with

them may have led to changes in U.S.-

compliant labels or MSDSs. Such

changes may involve more than simply

translating the U.S. label information

into the language of the country to

which the material is being shipped.

(3) If national laws or international

requirements in this area are

harmonized, each country or

organization with existing systems will

be required to compromise and change

its requirements to some extent. In

experiences dealing with the rules of

different organizations, there may be

particular definitions, procedures, or

components of existing systems that

would be desirable with regard to their

inclusion in a harmonized approach.

Components of some already existing

systems may have been proven to be

problematic in terms of either

understanding or implementation.

(4) The extent or amount of animal

testing that must be conducted in order

to classify products may be affected by

harmonization. Criteria to assess

existing test methodologies to ensure

they are equally acceptable in the

harmonized approach may need to be

developed.

(5) In order to implement a globally

harmonized system, changes might have

to be made in existing U.S. laws or

regulations. How much time would be

needed to phase-in any new

requirements is not clear.

(6) Issues regarding protection of

legitimate confidential business

information while maintaining the

protection of those exposed to the

chemicals would have to be resolved.

(7) Information about experience in

these different areas will assist the U.S.

government as work progresses on

international harmonization and could

include samples of different labels and

MSDSs for the same substance or

mixture when shipped to different

countries. This would be helpful to

illustrate the kinds of problems

encountered. Information about the

costs of complying with multiple

requirements, and potential cost savings

from harmonization, would also help.

Information about applying the mixture

rules of the existing systems to products

would assist in discussions addressing

this part of the issue.

In addition to the input received from

stakeholder representatives actively

involved in the process, the USG

agencies are interested in learning more

about the experiences of other affected

or interested U.S. industry, labor,

environment, or consumer groups

dealing with hazardous chemicals.

Please submit any comments,

experiences, information or opinions

with respect to the above seven areas of

concern or any other issues that may be

of relevance.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 28th day of

March 1997.

Rafe Pomerance,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for

Environment and Development.

[FR Doc. 97–8505 Filed 4–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–09–M

[Public Notice No. 2525]

Shipping Coordinating Committee

Subcommittee on Safety of Life at Sea

Working Group on

Radiocommunications and Search and

Rescue; Notice of Meeting

The Working Group on

Radiocommunications and Search and

Rescue of the Subcommittee on Safety

of Life at Sea will conduct an open

meeting at 1:30 PM on Thursday, May

1, 1997. This meeting will be held at the

Radio Technical Commission for

Maritime Services Annual Assembly, in

the Tradewinds Hotel, 5500 Gulf

Boulevard, St. Petersburg Beach, FL

33706. The purpose of this meeting is to

prepare for the Third Session of the

International Maritime Organization

(IMO) Subcommittee on

Radiocommunications and Search and

Rescue which is tentatively scheduled

for the week of February 23, 1998, at the

IMO headquarters in London, England.

Among other things, the items of

particular interest are:

—The implementation of the Global

Maritime Distress and Safety System

(GMDSS).

—Maritime Search and Rescue matters.

Further information, including

meeting agendas, minutes, and input

papers, can be obtained from the Coast

Guard Navigation Information Center

Internet World Wide Web by entering:

‘‘http://www.navcen.uscg.mil/

marcomms/imo/imo.htm’’

Members of the public may attend

these meetings up to the seating

capacity of the conference room.

Interested persons may seek information

by writing: Mr. Ronald J. Grandmaison,

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters,

Commandant (G–SCT–2), Room 6509,

2100 Second Street, S.W., Washington,

DC 20593–0001, by calling: (202) 267–

1389, or by sending Internet electronic

mail to rgrandmaison@comdt.uscg.mil.

Dated: March 17, 1997.

Russell A. La Mantia,

Chairman, Shipping Coordinating Committee.

[FR Doc. 97–8515 Filed 4–2–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–7–M

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) Alternative

Coal Receiving Systems, Roane

County, Tennessee

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Issuance of Record of Decision.

SUMMARY: This notice is provided in

accordance with the Council on

Environmental Quality’s regulations (40

CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and TVA’s

procedures implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act. TVA has

decided to adopt the preferred

alternative (Alternative C) identified in

its Final Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) on Kingston Fossil Plant

(KIF) Alternative Coal Receiving

Systems. The Final EIS was made

available to the public on January 15,

1997. A Notice of Availability of the

Final EIS was published in the Federal

Register on January 31, 1997. Under

Alternative C, TVA would construct a

new rail spur from the existing CSX Rail

Yard or a direct tie in to the Norfolk

Southern (NS) line at Walnut Hill in

Harriman to the existing TVA coal

delivery yard at KIF. The route would

involve crossings of the Emory River

and an embayment of Watts Bar

Reservoir.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harold M. Draper, NEPA Specialist,

Environmental Management, Tennessee

Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill

Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee