Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 106 /Wednesday, June 3, 1998 / Notices 30287

1The Board will grant a stay if an informed

decision on environmental issues (whether raised

by a party or by the Board’s Section of

Environmental Analysis in its independent

investigation) cannot be made before the

exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any

request for a stay should be filed as soon as possible

so that the Board may take appropriate action before

the exemption’s effective date.

2Each offer of financial assistance must be

accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is

set at $1000. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

eye with corrective lenses is 20/50,

according to a December 1997

examination, but this is not sufficient to

meet the vision standard at 49 CFR

391.41(b)(10). His left eye is correctable

to 20/20. According to his optometrist,

Mr. Settle can perform the tasks

associated with driving a commercial

motor vehicle.

Mr. Settle is 47 years old; he has

operated tractor-trailer combinations for

23 years and driven more than 2.5

million miles. He has worked for the

same company all those years. He has

had no traffic violations or accidents in

a commercial motor vehicle in the last

3 years.

11. Robert A. Wagner

Mr. Wagner, 34, was diagnosed with

amblyopia of the right eye when he was

4 years old. The vision in his left eye is

20/20 without glasses. His optometrist

says Mr. Wagner is able to perform the

tasks associated with operating a

commercial motor vehicle.

Mr. Wagner has driven straight trucks,

tractor-trailer combinations and buses

more than 1.2 million miles in an 18-

year driving career. He has a Missouri

commercial driver’s license and his

official State driving record contains no

traffic violations or accidents in a

commercial motor vehicle. He has

operated a combination vehicle for the

same company since 1990.

12. Hubert Whittenburg

Mr. Whittenburg, 51, has had

amblyopia in his left eye since birth. A

1997 medical report indicates he has 20/

20 vision in his right eye with corrective

lenses and 20/100 corrected in his left

eye. In his ophthalmologist’s opinion,

Mr. Whittenburg is capable of operating

a commercial motor vehicle.

Mr. Whittenburg holds a Missouri

commercial driver’s license and has

been employed as a commercial truck

driver since 1967. He has driven straight

trucks approximately 500,000 miles and

tractor-trailer combinations 3.5 million

miles. His driving record for the last 3

years reflects one speeding ticket in a

commercial motor vehicle and no

accidents in any vehicle. Mr.

Whittenburg has been employed by the

same company since 1983, and his

employer attests to his driving safety.

Basis for Preliminary Determination To

Grant Waivers

Independent studies support the

principle that past driving performance

is a reliable indicator of an individual’s

future safety record. The studies are

filed in FHWA Docket No. FHWA–97–

2625 and discussed at 63 FR 1524, 1525

(January 9, 1998). All twelve waiver

applicants have many years of

experience operating commercial motor

vehicles with their vision deficiency

and have demonstrated their ability to

drive safely.

The FHWA believes waiving 49 CFR

391.41(b)(10) is consistent with the

public interest and the safe operation of

commercial motor vehicles as long as

the applicants’ vision continues to

measure at least 20/40 (Snellen) in the

better eye. As a stipulation of the

waiver, therefore, the FHWA proposes

to impose requirements on these

individuals consistent with the

grandfathering provisions applied to

drivers who participated in the agency’s

former vision waiver program.

Those requirements are found at 49

CFR 391.64(b) and include the

following: (1) that each individual be

physically examined every year (a) by

an ophthalmologist or optometrist who

attests his vision continues to measure

at least 20/40 (Snellen) in the better eye,

and (b) by a medical examiner who

attests he is otherwise physically

qualified under 49 CFR 391.41; (2) that

each individual provide a copy of the

ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s

report to the medical examiner at the

time of the annual medical examination;

and (3) that each individual provide a

copy of the annual medical certification

to his employer for retention in its

driver qualification file or keep a copy

in his driver qualification file if he

becomes self-employed. He must also

have a copy of the certification when

driving so it may be presented to a duly

authorized Federal, State, or local

enforcement official.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 31136; 23 U.S.C. 315;

49 CFR 1.48.

Issued: May 26, 1998.

Kenneth R. Wykle,

Federal Highway Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–14677 Filed 6–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–32 (Sub–No. 84X)]

Boston and Maine Corp.—

Abandonment Exemption—in New

Haven County, CT

Boston & Maine Corporation (B&M)

has filed a notice of exemption under 49

CFR part 1152 subpart F—Exempt

Abandonments and Discontinuances to

abandon an approximately 0.48-mile

line of railroad on the Watertown

Industrial Track between Engineering

Station 19+50 (approximately milepost

0.94) and Engineering Station 44+66

(approximately milepost 1.42) in

Waterbury, New Haven County, CT. The

line traverses United States Postal

Service Zip code 06701.

B&M has certified that: (1) No local

traffic has moved over the line for at

least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic has

been rerouted over other lines; (3) no

formal complaint filed by a user of rail

service on the line (or by a state or local

government entity acting on behalf of

such user) regarding cessation of service

over the line either is pending with the

Surface Transportation Board (Board) or

with any U.S. District Court or has been

decided in favor of complainant within

the 2-year period; and (4) the

requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7

(environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8

(historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11

(transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12

(newspaper publication), and 49 CFR

1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental

agencies) have been met.

As a condition to this exemption, any

employee adversely affected by the

abandonment shall be protected under

Oregon Short Line R. Co.—

Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91

(1979). To address whether this

condition adequately protects affected

employees, a petition for partial

revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

must be filed. Provided no formal

expression of intent to file an offer of

financial assistance (OFA) has been

received, this exemption will be

effective on July 3, 1998, unless stayed

pending reconsideration. Petitions to

stay that do not involve environmental

issues,1 formal expressions of intent to

file an OFA under 49 CFR

1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail use/rail banking

requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be

filed by June 15, 1998. Petitions to

reopen or requests for public use

conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must

be filed by June 23, 1998, with: Surface

Transportation Board, Office of the

Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423.

A copy of any petition filed with the

Board should be sent to applicant’s

representative: John R. Nadolny, Esq.,

Boston and Maine Corporation, Law
30288 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 106 /Wednesday, June 3, 1998 / Notices

Department, Iron Horse Park, North

Billerica, MA 01862.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio.

B&M has filed an environmental

report which addresses the effects of the

abandonment and discontinuance, if

any, on the environment and historic

resources. The Section of Environmental

Analysis (SEA) will issue an

environmental assessment (EA) by June

8, 1998. Interested persons may obtain

a copy of the EA by writing to SEA

(Room 500, Surface Transportation

Board, Washington, DC 20423) or by

calling SEA, at (202) 565–1545.

Comments on environmental and

historic preservation matters must be

filed within 15 days after the EA

becomes available to the public.

Environmental, historic preservation,

public use, or trail use/rail banking

conditions will be imposed, where

appropriate, in a subsequent decision.

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR

1152.29(e)(2), B&M shall file a notice of

consummation with the Board to signify

that it has exercised the authority

granted and fully abandoned the line. If

consummation has not been effected by

B&M’s filing of a notice of

consummation by June 3, 1999, and

there are no legal or regulatory barriers

to consummation, the authority to

abandon will automatically expire.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: May 22, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–14268 Filed 6–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

Announcement of a General Test

Regarding the International Trade

Prototype

AGENCY: U.S. Customs Service,

Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: General Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces

Customs’ plan to conduct what is

expected to be a series of prototypes

collectively called the International

Trade Prototype (ITP). This notice

invites public comments concerning any

aspect of the planned prototype, informs

interested members of the public of the

eligibility requirements for voluntary

participation in the first phase of the

first prototype called International

Trade Prototype 1 (ITP1) and outlines

the development and evaluation

methodology to be used in the test. To

participate in the first phase of ITP1, the

necessary information, as outlined in

this notice, must be filed with Customs

and approval granted. It is important to

note that resources expended by the

trade and Customs on these prototypes

may not carry forward to the final

program.

This notice supersedes the

information on the International Trade

Prototype published by the International

Trade Data System Project Office of the

Treasury Department in the Federal

Register on December 31, 1997.

DATES: The first phase of ITP1 will

commence no earlier than June 8, 1998

and will run for approximately six

months with evaluations of the

prototype occurring periodically.

Comments concerning any aspect of this

phase must be received on or before July

6, 1998. Future phases, prototypes, or

participant expansion of this prototype

will be announced in a Federal Register

notice.

ADDRESSES: Written comments

regarding this notice, and information

submitted to be considered for

voluntary participation in this first

phase of ITP1 should be addressed to

the U.S. Customs Service, International

Trade Prototype Team, Attn: Linda

LeBaron Grasley, 4455 Genesee Street,

Bldg. 10, Room #342, Buffalo, New York

14225. Note that all comments received

by U.S. Customs will be part of the

public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

any prototype or participation questions

please contact Daniel Buchanan, U.S.

Customs Service at (617) 565–6236, or

Linda LeBaron Grasley, U.S. Customs

Service at (716) 626–0400 x 204, or

Kevin Franklin, United Kingdom, Her

Majesty’s Custom and Excise at 011 44

171 865 4728 in London, England.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The ITP has evolved from an

international drive to streamline global

trade. In both business and government,

around the world, processes are being

automated and reengineered. Trade and

information are moving faster and more

effectively all the time. Many

international companies share critical

data with business and trading partners

around the world, and they expect

government to maintain the leadership

position it has taken in developing

domestic electronic trade systems by

moving into the global arena.

The ITP concept has been under

consideration by both the U.S. Customs

Service (USCS) and Her Majesty’s

Custom and Excise (HMCE) since 1996.

The nucleus of this program is an

extension of ideas developed in

partnership with the trade community

by various members of the TransAtlantic Team, which is primarily

comprised of USCS and HMCE officers.

The ITP concept also addresses issues

raised by international traders, the

World Customs Organization (WCO),

the United Nations Conference on Trade

and Development (UNCTAD), G–7 and

other international organizations. The

concept is intended to simplify and

standardize customs processes and

procedures in order to facilitate trade

while maintaining effective and efficient

control. Information on an ITP

prototype contained in an information

collection notice published in the

Federal Register (63 FR 68353 on

December 31, 1997) is superseded by

this notice.

In the United States Customs Service

Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 1998, USCS

states a number of objectives associated

with increased cooperation and support

of international trade automation. The

plan’s objectives include increased

cooperation with other customs

administrations at the multilateral,

regional and bilateral levels. The plan

further states that USCS will work to

promote standardized customs

processing through implementation of

‘‘Customs Guidelines’’ and

establishment of best practices. This is

to be accomplished by working with the

WCO and the international trade

community to promote the development

of international instruments to reduce

customs procedural barriers to trade and

to secure greater standardization,

transparency, simplification and

automation worldwide.

The developing relationship between

the USCS and HMCE leads us to

prototype this concept. The USCS and

HMCE have agreed that the ITP will be

delivered in a series of prototypes. Each

prototype will be evaluated against

predetermined success criteria.

Subsequent ITP prototypes will build on

lessons learned in ITP1 and the need for

enabling legislation will be evaluated.

It is expected that ITP1 will be rolled

out in three phases. USCS and HMCE

agree that the first phase of ITP1 will

commence no earlier than June 8, 1998.

Additional phases are being planned

and future prototypes are also under

consideration.

The USCS will be testing the ITP in

accordance with Section 101.9 of the

Customs Regulations (19 CFR 101.9),

which provides for the testing to