Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 62 / Tuesday, April 1, 1997 / Proposed Rules 15453

Air pollution control, Hazardous

substances, Intergovernmental relations.

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

Dated: February 7, 1997.

Michelle D. Jordan,

Acting Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–8184 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

40 CFR Part 63

[IN74–1(b); FRL–5687–9]

Approval of Section 112(l) Program of

Delegation; Indiana

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The EPA proposes to approve

the request for delegation of the Federal

air toxics program contained within 40

CFR Parts 61 and 63 pursuant to section

112(l) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) of

1990. The USEPA made a finding of

completeness in a letter dated February

29, 1996. This request for approval of a

mechanism of delegation encompasses

all sources not covered by the Part 70

program. In the final rules section of

this Federal Register, the EPA is

approving these actions as a direct final

rule without prior proposal because

EPA views these as noncontroversial

actions and anticipates no adverse

comments. A detailed rationale for the

approval is set forth in the direct final

rule. If no adverse comments are

received in response to that direct final

rule, no further activity is contemplated

in relation to this proposed rule. If EPA

receives adverse comments, the direct

final rule will be withdrawn and all

public comments received will be

addressed in a subsequent final rule

based on the proposed rule. The EPA

will not institute a second comment

period on this document. Any parties

interested in commenting on this

document should do so at this time.

DATES: Comments on this proposed rule

must be received on or before May 1,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be mailed to: Sam Portanova,

Environmental Engineer, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,

Region 5, Air and Radiation Division,

Air Programs Branch, Permits and

Grants Section, 77 West Jackson

Boulevard (AR–18J), Chicago, Illinois

60604.

Copies of the State submittal and

USEPA’s analysis of it are available for

inspection at: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Region 5, Air and

Radiation Division, Air Programs

Branch (AR–18J), Permits and Grants

Section, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,

Chicago, Illinois 60604.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam

Portanova, Environmental Engineer, 77

West Jackson Boulevard (AR–18J),

Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–3189.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For

additional information see the direct

final rule published in the rules section

of this Federal Register.

Dated: January 28, 1997.

David A. Ullrich,

Acting Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–8182 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 74–14; Notice 115]

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards; Occupant Crash Protection

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA),

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Extension of comment period

for a request for comments.

SUMMARY: This document extends the

comment period on a request for

comments concerning a petition from

U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne to amend

the agency’s automatic occupant

protection standard. The standard

includes provisions specifying the use

of unbelted as well as belted dummies

in testing air bag-equipped vehicles. The

petition asks that the agency impose a

moratorium on testing with unbelted

dummies. In its request for comments,

the agency sought public comments on

the benefits and disbenefits of

eliminating the unbelted test. In

response to a petition from the

Association of International Automobile

Manufacturers, Inc., the agency is

extending the comment period from

March 31, 1997 to June 2, 1997.

DATES: Comments on Docket 74–14,

Notice 113 must be received by June 2,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

Docket 74–14, Notice 113 and be

submitted to: Docket Section, Room

5109, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590. (Docket Room

hours are: 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday

through Friday.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information about air bags and related

rulemakings: Visit the NHTSA web site

at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov and select

AIR BAGS: Information about air bags.

For non-legal issues: Clarke Harper,

Chief, Light Duty Vehicle Division,

NPS–11, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

Telephone: (202) 366–2264. Fax: (202)

366–4329.

For legal issues: J. Edward Glancy,

Office of Chief Counsel, NCC–20,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone:

(202) 366–2992. Fax: (202) 366–3820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 27, 1997, NHTSA published in

the Federal Register (62 FR 8917) a

request for comments concerning a

petition from U.S. Senator Dirk

Kempthorne. The petitioner requested

the agency to amend Standard No. 208,

Occupant Crash Protection, to impose a

moratorium on testing with unbelted

dummies. The petition was submitted in

response to the deaths of young children

and of drivers, primarily short-statured

women, as a result of air bag

deployments in low speed crashes. The

petitioner believes that the necessity of

meeting the unbelted test requirement is

adversely affecting current air bag

designs and causing these deaths. The

petitioner also believes that the

requirement is preventing vehicle

manufacturers from optimizing air bag

designs for belted occupants.

The agency noted in the request for

comments that it has concluded that

section 2508 of the Intermodal Surface

Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991

precludes it from eliminating the

unbelted test requirement. However,

since the agency is interested in all

potential solutions to the air bag deaths

and since the agency can recommend

legislative changes to Congress, the

agency sought public comment on the

benefits and disbenefits of eliminating

the unbelted test. The agency provided

a 30-day comment period.

On March 19, 1997, the Association of

International Automobile

Manufacturers, Inc. (AIAM) petitioned

for an extension in the comment period.

AIAM noted that it has stated a

preference for eliminating the unbelted

dummy test, but stated that it cannot

generate a thorough and quantitative

response in the time allotted. AIAM

stated that it believes the questions

raised in the request for comments

should be addressed thoroughly because

they are fundamental to the long-term

direction of occupant protection and

related regulatory requirements.