Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 108 / Friday, June 5, 1998 / Notices 30803

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

revoke such rules and regulations as

deemed necessary to carry out this

subchapter.

Using this authority, the agency

issued the initial FMVSS No. 115,

Vehicle Identification Number,

specifying requirements for vehicle

identification numbers to aid the agency

in achieving many of its safety goals.

The standard was amended in August

1978 by extending its applicability to

additional classes of motor vehicles and

by specifying the use of a 30-year, 17-

character Vehicle Identification Number

(VIN) for worldwide use. The standard

was amended in May 1983 (Attachment

8) by deleting portions of FMVSS No.

115 and reissuing those portions as a

general agency regulation, Part 565. The

provisions of these two regulations

require vehicle manufacturers to assign

a unique VIN to each new vehicle and

to inform the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the

code used in forming the VIN. These

regulations apply to all vehicles:

passenger cars, multipurpose passenger

vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers,

incomplete vehicles, and motorcycles.

b. 49 CFR Parts 541 and 567.

The Motor Vehicle Information and

Cost Savings Act was amended by the

Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 (Pub.L. 102–

519). The enacted Theft Act states that

passenger motor vehicles, multipurpose

passenger vehicles, and light-duty

trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating

of 6,000 pounds or less be covered

under the Theft Prevention Standard.

Each major component part must be

either labeled or affixed with the VIN

and for the replacement component part

it must be marked with the DOT

symbol, the letter (R) and the

manufacturers’ logo.

Estimated Annual Burden: 376,591

hours.

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 29,

1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department

of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98–14890 Filed 6–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG–1998–3584]

Proposed Modernization of the Coast

Guard National Distress System

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of the

USCG draft Programmatic

Environmental Assessment and request

for public comment.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act, the

Coast Guard requests comment on its

draft of the Programmatic

Environmental Assessment (PEA) for

the National Distress System

Modernization Project (NDSMP). The

PEA is posted on the Internet for review.

This environmental assessment

examines in detail: (1) The reasonable

alternatives available to the USCG to

fulfill current mission needs for an

efficient, cost-effective, and

technologically improved NDS; and (2)

the potential for significant

environmental impacts from each

alternative. The precise solution to the

Coast Guard’s NDS modernization needs

will ultimately be selected through a

fully competitive process with industry

offering a variety of potential solutions.

At this time, and in compliance with

NEPA, the PEA identifies the

replacement system as using dual mode

(digital and analog) transceivers. In the

digital mode these transceivers would

be programmable and adaptable to

digital signal processing technologies

and narrow band channel spacing. In

the analog mode, the transceivers would

be compatible with VHF marine radios

in use by the maritime public. This

alternative integrates radio position

localization, Digital Select Calling

(DSC), encryption capability, digital

recording equipment, and data

transmission capability. This option

also incorporates more radio spectrum,

and increases communication coverage

for the modernized NDS. It is expected

that additional antenna sites will be

added in coastal locations. The PEA is

available at the Internet web site:

http://comms.rdc.uscg.mil/NDSmod/

NDS.html

or

http://dms.dot.gov/

Please review the PEA located at the

Internet web site and send any

comments in writing to the address

provided below. Early comments are

encouraged. If you would like to review

a copy of the PEA and are unable to

access our web site, please contact Mr.

Dan Muslin at (619) 532–3403, or at the

address listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION.

DATES: Comments must be received by

July 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to

the Docket Management Facility,

[USCG–1998–3584], U.S. Department of

Transportation, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC

20590–0001, or deliver them to room

PL–401, located on the Plaza Level of

the Nassif Building at the same address

between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

The telephone number to the Docket

Management Facility is (202) 366–9329.

The Docket Management Facility

maintains the public docket for this

notice. Comments, and documents as

indicated in this notice, will become

part of this docket and will be available

for inspection or copying at room PL–

401, located on the Plaza Level of the

Nassif Building at the above address

between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Dan Muslin, telephone: (619) 532–

3403, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San

Diego, CA 92132–5190, for questions

concerning this notice, the proposed

modernization project, or the associated

EA. For questions concerning the

Docket Management Facility contact

Paulette Twine, Chief, Documentary

Services, Division, U.S. Department of

Transportation, telephone (202) 366–

9329.

Dated: May 28, 1998.

Fred N. Squires,

Acting Assistant Commandant for

Acquisition.

[FR Doc. 98–15036 Filed 6–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–M