26670 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices

Based Sources of Marine Pollution

called for the development of a global

legally binding instrument addressing

the twelve substances, as well as the

development of a procedure for

consideration of additional pollutants in

the future. An Ad Hock Working Group

on POPs under the Intergovernmental

Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS),

meeting in June 1996, also concluded

that a global agreement was necessary,

and issued a set of recommendations to

the U.N. Environment Program

regarding specific types of actions. In

February 1997, the U.N. Environment

Program authorized establishment of an

international negotiating committee, to

work on the basis of a negotiating

mandate provided in UNEP Decision

19/13C. The Decision, which closely

reflects the recommendations of the

IFCS Ad Hock Working Group on POPs,

can be found in full on the internet on

the POPs Home Page, which can be

accessed through UNEP’s Chemicals

Home Page (http://irptc.unep.ch). The

POPs Home Page contains the IFCS

recommendations and other information

on POPs and related activities as well.

Among other things, countries

represented in the U.N. Environment

Program’s Governing Council concluded

that international action, including a

global legally binding instrument, is

required to reduce the risks to human

health and the environment arising from

the release of the twelve specific POPs.

Countries decided that immediate

international action should be initiated

to protect human health and the

environment through measures which

will reduce and/or eliminate the

emissions and discharges of the twelve

POPs and, where appropriate, eliminate

production and subsequently the

remaining use of those POPs that are

intentionally produced. Countries

recognized that such action should

include: use of separate, differentiated

approaches to take action on pesticides,

industrial chemicals, and

unintentionally produced by-products

and contaminants; use of transition

periods, with phased implementation

for various proposed actions; careful

and efficient management of existing

stocks of the specified persistent organic

pollutants and, where necessary and

feasible, their elimination; training in

enforcement and monitoring of use to

discourage the misuse of POP

pesticides; and remediation of

contaminated sites and environmental

reservoirs, where feasible and

practicable taking into account national

and regional considerations in the light

of the global significance of the

problem.

The Decision calls for the U.N.

Environment Program to prepare for and

convene, together with the World

Health Organization and other relevant

international organizations, an

intergovernmental negotiating

committee, with a mandate to prepare

an international legally binding

instrument for implementing

international action initially beginning

with the twelve specified POPs and to

take into account the conclusions and

recommendations of the Ad Hoc

Working Group on Persistent Organic

Pollutants of the Intergovernmental

Forum on Chemical Safety. It also notes

the need to develop science-based

criteria and a procedure for identifying

additional persistent organic pollutants

as candidates for future international

action, and requests the

intergovernmental negotiating

committee to establish, at its first

meeting, an expert group to carry out

this work. It specifies that the group

should work expeditiously, proceeding

concurrently with the

intergovernmental negotiating

committee process, to develop criteria

for consideration by the

intergovernmental negotiating

committee in the negotiation of a legally

binding instrument. It specifies that the

process should incorporate criteria

pertaining to persistence,

bioaccumulation, toxicity and exposure

in different regions and should take into

account the potential for regional and

global transport including dispersion

mechanisms for the atmosphere and the

hydrosphere, migratory species and the

need to reflect possible influences of

marine transport and tropical climates.

The Decision also calls for the U.N.

Environment Program to undertake a

variety of actions to lead to more

effective ways of addressing specific

aspects of POPs.

The Decision calls for negotiations to

begin this year and to be completed by

the year 2000. It is expected that

negotiating sessions will occur every six

months or so, with technical work

occurring in the interim.

The Administration is preparing its

position for this negotiation, and has

scheduled a public meeting to be held

on Wednesday, June 3 from 10:30 to

12:30 in Room 1912 of the U.S.

Department of State. Members of the

interagency working group will provide

an overview of U.S. preparations for the

first meeting. The U.S. Department of

State is issuing this notice to help

ensure that potentially affected parties

are aware of and knowledgeable about

these negotiations. In subsequent

briefings, we will be contacting

organizations that have expressed an

interest by mail or fax. Those

organizations that cannot attend the

June 3 meeting, but wish to remain

informed, should provide Mr. Trigg

Talley of the Department of State (202–

647–5808; tel. 202–647–5947 fax;

LTalley@state.gov) with their address,

and telephone and fax numbers.

Dated: May 8, 1998.

Trigg Talley,

Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of

Environmental Policy.

[FR Doc. 98–12748 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–09–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the Information

Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted

below have been forwarded to the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) for

review and approval. The ICRs describe

the nature of the information collections

and their expected burden. The Federal

Register Notice with a 60-day comment

period soliciting comments on the

following information collection was

published on February 19, 1998 [62 FR

8517].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before June 12, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Robinson, NHTSA Information

Collection Clearance Officer at (202)

366–9456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA)

(1) Title: Assigning DOT code

Numbers to Glazing Material

Manufacturers.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0038.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: Title 49, Chapter 30115 of

the U.S. Code specifies that the

Secretary of Transportation shall require

every manufacturer or distributor of a

motor vehicle or motor vehicle

equipment to furnish the distributor or

dealer at the time of delivery

certification that each item of motor
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices 26671

vehicle equipment conforms to all

applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards (FMVSS). Using this

authority, the agency issued FMVSS No.

571.205, Glazing Materials. This

standard specifies requirements for

glazing materials for use in passengers

cars, multipurpose passenger vehicle,

trucks, buses, motorcycle, slide-in

campers, and pickup covers designed to

carry persons while in motion. Also,

this standard specifies certification and

marking of each piece of glazing

materials. Certification for the items

listed comes in the form of a label, tag

or marking on the outside of the motor

vehicle equipment and is permanently

affixed and visible for the life of the

motor vehicle equipment. The purpose

of this standard is to aid in reducing

injuries resulting from impact to glazing

surfaces, and to ensure a necessary

degree of transparency for driver

visibility. Both glass and plastics are

considered to be glazing materials

which provide safety and minimize the

possibility of occupants being thrown

through the vehicle window in the

event of an accident.

Estimated Annual Burden: 10.5 hours.

(2) Title: 49 CFR Part 566

Manufacturers’ Identification.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0043.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration’s statute at

49 U.S.C. 30118 Notification of defects

and noncompliance requires

manufacturers to determine if the motor

vehicle or item or replacement

equipment contains a defect related to

motor vehicle safety or fails to comply

with an applicable Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard. Following

such a determination, the manufacturer

is required to notify the Secretary of

Transportation, owners, purchasers and

dealers of motor vehicles or replacement

equipment, of the defect or

noncompliance and to remedy the

defect or noncompliance without charge

to the owner. With this determination,

NHTSA issued 49 CFR Part 566,

Manufacturer Identification. Part 566

requires every manufacturer of motor

vehicles and/or replacement equipment

to file with the agency on a one time

basis, the required information specified

in Part 566.

Estimated Annual Burden: 25 hours.

(3) Title: Names and Addresses of

First Purchasers of Motor Vehicles.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0044.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30117 Providing

information to, and maintaining records

on, purchasers at subparagraph (b)

Maintaining purchaser records and

procedures states in part: A

manufacturer of a motor vehicle or tire

(except a retreaded tire) shall maintain

a record of the name and address of the

first purchasers of each vehicle or tire it

produces and, to the extent prescribed

by regulations of the Secretary, shall

maintain a record of the name and

address of the name and address of the

first purchaser of replacement

equipment (except a tire) that the

manufacturer produces. This agency has

no regulation specifying how the

information is to be collected or

maintained. When NHTSA’s authorizing

statute was enacted in 1966, Congress

determined that an efficient recall of

defective or noncomplying motor

vehicles required the vehicle

manufacturers to retain an accurate

record of vehicle purchasers. By virtue

of quick and easy access to this

information, the manufacturer is able to

quickly notify vehicle owners in the

event of a recall. Experience with this

statutory provision has shown that

manufacturers have retained this

information in a manner sufficient to

enable them to expeditiously notify

vehicle purchasers in case of a recall.

Based on this experience, NHTSA has

determined that no regulation is needed.

Without this type of information readily

available, manufacturers would either

need to spend more time or money to

notify purchasers of a recall.

Estimated Annual Burden: 950,000

hours.

(4) Title: 49 CFR Part 556, Petitions

for Inconsequentiality.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0045.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration’s statute at

49 U.S.C. 30113 General exemptions at

subsection (b) Authority to exempt and

procedures, authorizes the Secretary of

Transportation upon application of a

manufacturer, to exempt the applicant

from the notice and remedy

requirements of 49 U.S.C. Charter 301,

if the Secretary determines that the

defect or noncompliance is

inconsequential as it relates to motor

vehicle safety. The notice and remedy

requirements of Chapter 301 are set

forth in 49 U.S.C. 30120 Remedies for

defects and noncompliance. Those

section require a manufacturer of motor

vehicles or motor vehicle equipment to

notify distributors, dealers and

purchasers if any of the manufacturer’s

products are determined either to

contain a safety-related defect or to fail

to comply with an applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standard. The

manufacturer is under a concomitant

obligation to remedy such defects or

noncompliance. NHTSA exercised this

statutory authority to excuse

inconsequential defects or

noncompliance when it promulgated 49

CFR Part 556, Petitions for

Inconsequentiality—this regulation

establishes the procedures for

manufacturers to submit such petitions

to the agency will use in evaluating

those petitions. Part 556 allows the

agency to ensure that petitions filed

under 15 U.S.C. 30113(b) are both

properly substantiated and efficiently

processed.

Estimated Annual Burden: 30 hours.

(5) Title: 49 CAR Section 571, 125-

Warning Devices.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0506.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30112 and

30117 (Appendix 1) of the National

Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of

1966, authorizes the issuance of Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

(FMVSS). The Secretary is authorized to

issue, amend, and revoke such rules and

regulations as she/he deems necessary.

Using this authority, the agency issued

FMVSS No. 125, Warning Devices

which applies to devices, without self

contained energy sources, that are

designed to be carried mandatorily in

buses and trucks that have a gross

vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater

than 10,000 pounds and voluntarily in

other vehicles. These devices designed

to be permanently affixed to the vehicle.

Estimated Annual Burden: 5.7 hours.

(6) Title: 49 CFR 571.218, Motorcycle

Helmets (Labeling).

OMB Control Number: 2127–0518.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Federal, Local, State

or Tribal Government, Business or other

for-profit.

Abstract: The National Traffic and

Motor Vehicle Safety statute at 49 U.S.C.

Subchapter II Standards and

Compliance, Sections 30111 and 30117

authorizes the issuance of Federal motor

vehicle safety standards (FMVSS). The

Secretary is authorized to issue, amend,

and revoke such rules and regulations as

he/she deems necessary. The Secretary

is also authorized to require
26672 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices

manufacturers to provide information to

first purchasers of motor vehicles or

motor vehicle equipment when the

vehicle or equipment is purchased, in a

printed matter placed in the vehicle or

attached to or accompanying the

equipment. Using this authority, the

agency issued the initial FMVSS No.

218, Motorcycle Helmets, in 1974.

Motorcycle helmets are the devices used

for protecting motorcyclists and other

motor vehicle users in motor vehicle

accidents. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard No. 218 requires that each

helmet shall be labeled permanently

and legibly (S5.6), in a manner such that

the label(s) can be read easily without

removing padding or any other

permanent part.

Estimated Annual Burden: 4,000

hours.

(7) Title: Replaceable Light Source

Dimensional Information Collection, 49

CFR 54.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0563.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: Title 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111,

30115, 30117 and 30166, with

delegation of authority at 49 CFR, 49

CFR 1.50, authorize the issuance of

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

(FMVSS) and the collection of data

which supports their implementation.

The agency, in prescribing an FMVSS,

is to consider available relevant motor

vehicle safety data, and to consult with

other agencies as it deems appropriate.

Further, the Title 49 U.S.C. mandates,

that in issuing any FMVSS, the agency

consider whether the standard is

reasonable, practicable and appropriate

for the particular type of motor vehicle

or item of motor vehicle equipment for

which it is prescribed, and whether

such standards will contribute to

carrying out the purpose of Title 49

U.S.C.

The Secretary is authorized to revoke

such rules and regulations as deemed

necessary to carry out this subchapter.

Using this authority, the agency issued

the initial FMVSS No. 108, Lamps,

Reflective Devices, and Associated

Equipment, specifying requirements for

vehicle lighting for the purposes of

reducing traffic accidents and their

tragic result by providing adequate

roadway illumination, improved a

vehicle conspicuity, appropriate

information transmission through signal

lamps, in both day, night, and other

conditions of reduced visibility. The

standard has been amended numerous

times in order to permit new

headlighting designs. In recent years,

the standard had become burdensome to

bother regulators and regulated parties

in the standard has not been able to

fully accommodate the styling needs of

motor vehicle designers, while at the

same time assuring the safety on the

highways. This resulted in numerous

burdensome petitions for rulemaking to

be submitted by the vehicle and lighting

manufacturers to change the design

restrictive language.

The reason for this burden was that as

originally adopted the standard was

more equipment design oriented, rather

than performance oriented. Recent

amendments have helped to rectify this

situation. The requirement for

replaceable light source dimensional

information has resulted in a further

extension of that effort to make the

standard more performance oriented,

and reduce the burden of petitioning for

amendments to the standard. The

standard now allows headlamp light

sources (bulbs) that are specified in the

standard as well as those listed in Part

564, to assure proper photometric

performance upon replacement of the

light sources upon failure of the

original. The original manufacturer may

be the same as that of the aftermarket

replacement, consequently, headlamp

bulbs regardless of where they are

listed, are required to be standardized

by inclusion of their interchangeability

dimensions and other fit and

photometric aspects, thus requiring all

identical type bulbs to be manufactured

to those pertinent interchangeability

specifications. Implementation of Part

564 reduces the burden to

manufacturers and user of new light

sources by eliminating the 18 month

petitioning process and substituting a 1

month agency review. Upon completion

of the review, the new bulb’s

interchangeability information is listed

in Part 564 and the new bulbs may be

used 1 month later on new vehicles.

Estimated Annual Burden: 20 hours.

(8) Title: Compliance Labeling of

Retroreflective Materials for

Heavy Trailer Conspicuity.

OMB Control Number: 2127–0569.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30112, and

30117 of the National Traffic and Motor

Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 authorizes

the issuance of Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standards (FMVSS) and the

collection of data which supports their

implementation. The agency, in

prescribing a FMVSS, is to consider

available relevant motor vehicle safety

data, and to consult with other agencies

as it deems appropriate. Further, the Act

mandates, that in issuing any FMVSS,

the agency consider whether the

standard is reasonable, practicable and

appropriate for the particular type of

motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle

equipment for which it is prescribed,

and whether such standards will

contribute to carrying out the purpose of

the Act. The Secretary is authorized to

promulgate such rules and regulations

as deemed necessary to carry out this

subchapter. Using this authority, the

agency issued the initial FMVSS No.

108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and

Associated Equipment, specifying

requirements for vehicle lighting for the

purpose of improved vehicle

conspicuity, appropriate information

transmission through signal lamps, in

both day, night, and other conditions of

reduced visibility. The standard has

been amended numerous times, and the

subject amendment, which became

effective on December 1, 1993, increases

the conspicuity of large trailers would

be reduced by about 15 percent if

retroreflective material having certain

essential properties is used to mark the

trailers. The amendment requires the

permanent marking of the letters DOT–

C2, DOT–C3 or DOT–C4 at least 3mm

high at regular intervals on

retroreflective sheeting material having

adequate performance to provide

effective trailer conspicuity. The high

reflective brightness of the material and

its ability to reflect light which strikes

it at an angle are special properties

required by the safety standard.

The high brightness is required

because the material must be effective

even when it is dirty. One of the

principal goals of the standard is to

prevent crashes in which the side of the

trailer is blocking the road and it is not

sufficiently visible at night to fast traffic.

Frequently, the side of the trailer is not

perpendicular to approaching traffic and

the conspicuity material must reflect

light which strikes it at an angle in order

to be effective. There exist many types

of retroreflective material similar in

appearance to the required materials but

lacking in its requisite properties. The

manufacturers of new trailers are

required to certify that their products

are equipped with retroreflective

material complying with the

requirements of the standard. The

Federal Highway Administration Office

of Motor Carrier Safety enforces this and

other standards through roadside

inspections of trucks. There is no

practical field test for the performance

requirements, and labeling is the only

objective way of distinguishing truck

conspicuity grade material from lower
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices 26673

performance material. Without labeling,

FHWA will not be able to enforce the

performance requirements, and labeling

is the only objective way of

distinguishing truck conspicuity grade

material from lower performance

material. Without labeling, FHWA will

not be able to enforce the performance

requirements of the standard, and the

compliance testing of new trailers will

be complicated. Labeling is also

important to small trailer manufacturers

because it may help them to certify

compliance. As a result of the comments

to the NPRM, the agency decided to

allow wider stripes of material of lower

brightness than originally proposed as

alternate means of providing the

minimum safety performance.

Therefore, the marking system serves

the additional role of identifying the

minimum stripe width required for the

retroreflective brightness of the

particular material.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1 hour.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30

days, to the Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, 725–17th

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503,

Attention DOT Desk Officer. Comments

are invited on: whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the Department, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; the accuracy of the

Department’s estimate of the burden of

the proposed information collection;

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is best assured of

having its full effect if OMB receives it

within 30 days of publication.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 7, 1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department

of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98–12638 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Noise Exposure Map Notice; Receipt of

Noise Compatibility Program and

Request for Review; Amarillo

International Airport, Amarillo, TX

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) announces its

determination that the noise exposure

maps submitted by the City of Amarillo

for Amarillo International Airport under

the provisions of Title 49 U.S.C.,

Chapter 475 (hereinafter referred to as

‘‘Title 49’’) and 14 CFR Part 150 are in

compliance with applicable

requirements. The FAA also announces

that it is reviewing a proposed noise

compatibility program that was

submitted for the City of Amarillo under

Part 150 in conjunction with the noise

exposure maps and that this program

will be approved or disapproved on or

before October 27, 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the

FAA’s determination on the noise

exposure maps and the start of its

review of the associated noise

compatibility program is April 30, 1998.

The public comment period ends June

29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Linda F. Stoltz, Department of

Transportation, Federal Aviation

Administration, Fort Worth Texas,

76193–0650, (817) 222–5608. Comments

on the proposed noise compatibility

program should also be submitted to the

above office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice announces that the FAA finds

that the noise exposure maps submitted

for the City of Amarillo are in

compliance with applicable

requirements of Part 150, effective April

30, 1998. Further, FAA is reviewing a

proposed noise compatibility program

for that airport which will be approved

or disapproved on or before October 27,

1998. This notice also announces the

availability of this program for public

review and comment.

Under Title 49, an airport operator

may submit to the FAA noise exposure

maps which meet applicable regulations

and which depict noncompatible land

uses as of the date of submission of such

maps, a description of projected aircraft

operations, and the ways in which such

operations will affect such maps. Title

49 requires such maps to be developed

in consultation with interested and

affected parties in the local community,

government agencies, and persons using

the airport.

An airport operator who has

submitted noise exposure maps that are

found by the FAA to be in compliance

with the requirements of Federal

Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 150,

promulgated pursuant to Title 49, may

submit a noise compatibility program

for FAA approval which sets forth the

measures the operator has taken or

proposes for the reduction of existing

noncompatible uses and for the

prevention of the introduction of

additional noncompatible uses.

The City of Amarillo submitted to the

FAA on December 16, 1997, noise

exposure maps, descriptions and other

documentation which were produced

during the Amarillo International

Airport FAR Part 150 Update. It was

requested that the FAA review this

material as the noise exposure maps, as

described in Title 49, and that the noise

mitigation measures, to be implemented

jointly by the airport and surrounding

communities, be approved as a noise

compatibility program under Title 49.

The FAA has completed its review of

the noise exposure maps and related

descriptions submitted by the City of

Amarillo. The specific maps under

consideration are the Existing Noise

Exposure Map, 1995, page C.36, and

Future Noise Exposure Map, 2002, page

G.4 in the submission.

The FAA has determined that these

maps for Amarillo International Airport

are in compliance with applicable

requirements. This determination is

effective on April 30, 1998. FAA’s

determination on an airport operator’s

noise exposure maps is limited to a

finding that the maps were developed in

accordance with the procedures

contained in Appendix A of FAR Part

150. Such determination does not

constitute approval of the applicant’s

data, information, or plans, or a

commitment to approve a noise

compatibility program or to fund the

implementation of that program.

If questions arise concerning the

precise relationship of specific

properties to noise exposure contours

depicted on a noise exposure map

submitted under section 103 of the Act,

it should be noted that the FAA is not

involved in any way in determining the

relative locations of specific properties

with regard to the depicted noise

contours, or in interpreting the noise

exposure maps to resolve questions

concerning, for example, which

properties should be covered by the

provisions of Title 49. These functions

are inseparable from the ultimate land

use control and planning

responsibilities of local government.

These local responsibilities are not

changed in any way under Part 150 or

through FAA’s review of noise exposure

maps. Therefore, the responsibility for

the detailed overlaying of noise

exposure contours onto the map

depicting properties on the surface rests

exclusively with the airport operator

which submitted those maps, or with

those public agencies and planning