Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Proposed Rules 19435

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

29 CFR Part 2200

Rules of Procedure; Extension of

Comment Period

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Review Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking;

extension of time for comments.

SUMMARY: This document extends the

time for filing comments to the

Commission’s proposed revision of its

settlement rules to April 30, 1998. The

proposed rule was published in the

Federal Register on March 2, 1998.

DATES: Comments to the Commission’s

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

published at 63 FR 10166 should be

received by April 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments to the Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking should be sent to

Earl R. Ohman, Jr., General Counsel,

Occupational Safety and Health Review

Commission, 1120 20th Street, NW, 9th

Floor, Washington, DC 20036–3419.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Earl R. Ohman, Jr., General Counsel,

Occupational Safety and Health Review

Commission, 1120 20th Street, NW, 9th

Floor, Washington, DC 20036–3419,

telephone: 202–606–5410. This is not a

toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

2, 1998, the Commission published in

the Federal Register, 63 FR 10166, a

notice of proposed rulemaking to amend

the Commission’s rule on settlements,

29 CFR 2200.109. In that notice, the

Commission announced that all

comments must be received by April 16,

1998. On April 9, the Commission

received from the Office of the Solicitor

of the Department of Labor, a request to

extend the comment period an

additional 14 days.

In his request, the Solicitor pointed

out that the deadline for comments

came during the Passover/Easter holiday

season. It is the Commission’s view that

the public interest is best served by

allowing all interested parties adequate

time to prepare their comments to the

proposal, particularly inasmuch as the

Commission is unable to act on the

proposal until it regains a quorum.

Accordingly, the Commission extends

the comment period for all interested

parties until April 30, 1998.

Dated: April 13, 1998.

Earl R. Ohman, Jr.,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 98–10253 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7600–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[CGD01–97–131]

RIN 2115–AE47

Drawbridge Operation Regulations:

Acushnet River, MA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is proposing

to change the operating rules for the

New Bedford Fairhaven (Rt–6) Bridge,

mile 0.0, over the Acushnet River

between New Bedford and Fairhaven,

Massachusetts.

The bridge owner, Massachusetts

Highway Department (MHD), has

requested that the Coast Guard change

the operating regulations as a result of

comments received from the cities of

New Bedford and Fairhaven regarding

vehicular traffic delays from frequent

bridge openings. Additionally,

redundant language will be removed,

and the times the draw opens will be

combined for clarity and simplicity. An

on call requirement for Christmas day is

also being proposed as part of this

action. It is expected that this proposed

change to the regulations will help

relieve the traffic during the peak traffic

periods Monday through Friday, make

the regulations clear and

understandable as well as continue to

provide for the needs of navigation.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast

Guard on or before June 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to

Commander (obr), First Coast Guard

District, 408 Atlantic Avenue, Boston,

MA. 02110–3350, or deliver them to the

same address between 7 a.m. and 3

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays. The telephone number

is (617) 223–8364.

The District Commander maintains

the public docket for this rulemaking.

Comments and documents as indicated

in this preamble will become part of this

docket and will be available for

inspection or copying at the above

address, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John W. McDonald, Project Officer, First

Coast Guard District, (617) 223–8364.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages

interested persons to participate in this

matter by submitting written data,

views, or arguments. Persons submitting

comments should include their names

and addresses, identify this rulemaking

(CGD01–97–131) and specific section of

this proposal to which their comments

apply, and give reasons for each

comment. Please submit two copies of

all comments and attachments in an

unbound format, no larger than 81⁄2 by

11 inches, suitable for copying and

electronic filing. Persons wanting

acknowledgment of receipt of comments

should enclose a stamped, selfaddressed postcard or envelope.

The Coast Guard will consider all

comments received during the comment

period. It may change this proposal in

response to comments received. The

Coast Guard does not plan to hold a

public hearing; however, persons may

request a public hearing by writing to

the Coast Guard at the address listed

under ADDRESSES. The request should

include the reasons why a hearing

would be beneficial. If it is determined

that the opportunity for oral

presentations will aid this rulemaking,

the Coast Guard will hold a public

hearing at a time and place announced

by a subsequent notice published in the

Federal Register.

Background

The vertical clearance at the Route 6

Bridge at mean high water (MHW) is 6

feet and at mean low water (MLW) is 10

feet. The horizontal clearance is 95 feet

in each channel of this swing bridge.

The Route 6 Bridge presently opens

on the hour from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., a

quarter past the hour from 11:15 a.m. to

6:15 p.m., and at all other times on call.

The draw also opens at any time for

vessels with a draft exceeding 15 feet

and for vessels owned or operated by

the U.S. Government, state or local

authorities. Each opening of the draw

does not exceed 15 minutes except for

vessels with drafts exceeding 15 feet or

in extraordinary circumstances.

Discussion of Proposal

The bridge owner, MHD, has received

comments from the cities of New

Bedford and Fairhaven that the bridge is

causing traffic delays and thus, effecting

businesses along Route 6 on both sides

of the waterway. The traffic counts

submitted to the Coast Guard for review

indicate that the heavy vehicular traffic

periods are Monday through Friday

during the morning and afternoon

commuting hours. The comments

received did however, indicate that the

inbound commercial fishing vessels

should be exempted from changes to the

regulations that may restrict the

openings of the bridge for marine traffic.