33434 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 117 /Thursday, June 18, 1998 / Notices

a portion of the CHMSL’s photometric

output. GM states that if the worst case

build condition were present on a

vehicle, blackout paint would obscure

the portion of the CHMSL

corresponding to the 5D (5 degrees

below horizontal) photometric

requirements .

GM believes that this noncompliance

is inconsequential to motor vehicle

safety for the following reasons:

The EV1 sits low to the ground, so

light provided by the CHMSL is visible

to drivers of other vehicles, even with

the bottom of the CHMSL obscured.

The specified range of photometric

output for a CHMSL, from 10U to 5D,

was developed from SAE J186a and is

presumably intended to allow

manufacturers latitude in locating

CHMSLs for the myriad of vehicle

designs, while assuring sufficient signal

light to drivers of following vehicles.

Because the EV1 CHMSL is so low to

the ground, the 5D angle is far less

significant to following drivers than it

would be if mounted higher.

A perceived benefit of the CHMSL is

the ability it provides following drivers

to see through intervening vehicles.

Because the EV1 and its CHMSL are low

to the ground, a following driver’s

ability to see the CHMSL through

intervening vehicles is not

compromised by the lost light at the

lower portion of the CHMSL.

To reduce aerodynamic drag, the EV1

was designed to be extremely narrow.

As a consequence of its narrow profile,

the stop lamps are in close proximity to

the CHMSL (510 mm from the center of

the brake lamp to the center of the

CHMSL). This minimizes the effect of

the obscured portion of the CHMSL.

Except for 5D, the EV1 CHMSL meets

all other requirements of FMVSS No.

108, and the photometric output of the

stop lamps, which are supplemented by

the CHMSL, far exceed the FMVSS No.

108 minimum requirements.

GM is not aware of any accidents,

injuries, owner complaints or field

reports related to this issue.

Additionally GM provided two figures

(which are available in the application

filed in the public docket) that illustrate

rear stop lamp visibility to following

vehicle drivers, to support the claims for

inconsequentiality.

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments on the application described

above. Comments should refer to the

docket number and be submitted to:

Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC

20590. It is requested but not required

that six copies be submitted. Docket

hours are 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated below will be considered. The

application and supporting materials,

and all comments received after the

closing date, will also be filed and will

be considered to the extent possible.

When the application is granted or

denied, the notice will be published in

the Federal Register pursuant to the

authority indicated below.

Comment closing date: July 20, 1998.

(49 U.S.C. 30118 and 30120; delegations of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8)

Issued on: June 12, 1998.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–16230 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–98–3869]

Western Star Trucks, Inc.; Receipt of

Application for Determination of

Inconsequential Noncompliance

Western Star Trucks, Inc. of Kelowna,

British Columbia, Canada, has applied

to be exempted from the notification

and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C.

Chapter 301 ‘‘Motor Vehicle Safety’’ for

noncompliance with 49 CFR 571.205,

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

No. 205, ‘‘Glazing Materials,’’ on the

basis that the noncompliance is

inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.

Western Star Trucks has filed an

appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR

Part 573 ‘‘Defect and Noncompliance

Information Reports.’’

This notice of receipt of an

application is published under 49

U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not

represent any agency decision or other

exercise of judgement concerning the

merits of the application.

Paragraph S6.2 of Standard No. 205

specifies that a number designating the

material used, the symbol ‘‘DOT,’’ and

the manufacturer’s code mark, shall be

marked on all glazing materials by the

prime glazing material manufacturer.

Vehicles Involved

Western Star Constellation Series

truck/tractor manufactured between

January 17, 1996 and February 3, 1998

equipped with 58′′ or 72′′ sleepers with

side windows. The serial numbers of the

affected vehicles fall with the range,

944129 to 953410.

Number of Vehicles

Eight hundred ninety-one (891)

vehicles manufactured as of February 3,

1998, potentially contain the

noncompliance.

Description of the Noncompliance

Certain Western Star Constellation

truck/tractors were equipped with 58′′

or 72′′ sleepers with side windows

which were not marked per the

requirements of S6 of Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 205.

The window glazing is not marked per

the requirements of Section 6 of ANS

Z26. They also were not marked with

the symbol ‘‘DOT’’ or the

manufacturer’s code mark per S6.2 of

FMVSS 205. The window glazing does,

however, meet the physical

requirements of FMVSS 205 and is

located out of the truck/tractor driver’s

compartment in an area where highway

visibility is not required.

Supporting Information

Although the glazing is not marked per the

requirements of FMVSS 205, the glazing has

been tested and complies to Item AS–2 of

ANSIZ26.1 per the attached report 1/95, from

Inchcape Testing Test Services.

The sleeper windows, Western Star

Trucks part numbers 63320–3562 and

63320–3563, were purchased from Sunview Industries Ltd., 15915 Bentley Pl.,

Box 1079, Summerland, British

Columbia, Canada, VOH 1ZO. Sun-view

in turn purchased the 3 mm glazing

from Wescan Glass—Burnaby, 3153

Thunderbird Cres., Burnaby, British

Columbia, V5A 3G2 (A division HGP

Industries, Inc., Moorestown, NJ). The

attached test report was provided by

Inchcape Testing for the test performed

on the glass that Wescan provides to

Sun-view.

The test report 1/95 indicates that the

3 mm glazing meets the requirements

for AS–2 (Safety Glazing Material for

Use Anywhere in Motor Vehicle Except

Windshields). However, the sleeper

windows only need meet AS–5 as they

are at a height not requisite with

highway visibility, and are ‘‘glazing to

the rear of the driver in trucks or truck

tractor cabs where other means of

affording visibility of the highway to the

side and rear of the vehicle are

provided.’’

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views and

arguments on the application of Western

Star, described above. Comments should

refer to the Docket Number and be

submitted to: Docket Management,

Room PL 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC, 20590. It is requested

but not required that six copies be

submitted.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 117 /Thursday, June 18, 1998 / Notices 33435

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated below will be considered. The

application and supporting materials,

and all comments received after the

closing date will also be filed and will

be considered to the extent possible.

When the application is granted or

denied, the Notice will be published in

the Federal Register pursuant to the

authority indicated below.

Comment closing date: July 20, 1998.

(49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; delegation of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 49 CFR 501.8)

Issued on: June 12, 1998.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–16210 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs

Administration

Actions on Exemption Applications

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of actions on exemption

applications.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

procedures governing the application

for, and the processing of, exemptions

from the Department of Transportation’s

Hazardous Materials Regulations (49

CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is

hereby given of the actions on

exemption applications in JANUARY–

APRIL 1998. The modes of

transportation involved are identified by

a number in the ‘‘Nature of

Application’’ portion of the table below

as follows: 1—Motor vehicle, 2—Rail

freight, 3—Cargo vessel, 4—Cargo

aircraft only, 5—Passenger-carrying

aircraft. Application numbers prefixed

by the letters EE represent applications

for Emergency Exemptions. It should be

noted that some of the sections cited

were those in effect at the time certain

exemptions were issued.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 15,

1998.

J. Suzanne Hedgepeth,

Director, Office of Hazardous Materials,

Exemptions and Approvals.

MODIFICATION EXEMPTIONS

Application No. Exemption No. Applicant Regulation(s) affected Nature of exemptions thereof

970–M DOT–E 970 Callery Chemical Corp.,

Pittsburgh, PA.

49 CFR 173.21(f)(3),

173.302(g).

Authorizes the transportation of diboran classed

as a Division 2.3 material in DOT Specification

3AA cylinders overpacked in certain insulated

drums or wooden boxes. (modes 1, 2).

5493–M DOT–E 5493 Montana Sulphur &

Chemical Co., Billings,

MT.

49 CFR 173.314(c) ....... Authorizes the shipment of hydrogen sulfide in

DOT–105A600W tank cars. (mode 2).

6117–M DOT–E 6117 Montana Sulphr &

Chemical Co., Billings,

MT.

49 CFR 173.314(c) ....... Authorizes the transport of hydrogen sulfide in

DOT Specification 105A600W tank car tanks

or proposed DOT Specification 120A600W

tank car tanks.

7026–M DOT–E 7026 Walter Kidde Aerospace, Wilson, NC.49 CFR 173.304 (a)(1),

175.3, 178.47.

Authorizes the manufacture, marking and sale of

a non-DOT specification welded steel pressure

vessel, for transportation of a compressed gas.

(modes 1, 2, 5).

7835–M DOT–E 7835 Matheson Gas Products,

East Rutherford, NJ.

49 CFR 177.848(d) ....... Authorizes the transport of compressed gas cylinders bearing the flammable gas label, the oxidizer label, or the poison gas label and tank

car tanks bearing the poison gas label on the

same vehicle. (mode 1).

8230–M DOT–E 8230 Olin Corporation, Norwalk, CT.49 CFR 173.178,

173.243.

Authorizes the shipment of certain Division 5.1

materials in non-DOT specification containers.

(modes 1, 2, 3, 4).

9184–M DOT–E 9184 The Carbide/Graphite

Group, Inc., Louisville,

KY.

49 CFR 173.178 ............ Authorizes the shipment of calcium carbide and

substances which in contact with water emit

flammable gases, solid n.o.s. (strontium aluminate), in polyethylene-lined woven polypropylene collapsible bags in truckload or carload lots only. (modes 1, 2).

9413–M DOT–E 9413 EM Science, Cincinnati,

OH.

49 CFR 173.286 ............ Authorizes the transport of a chemical kit which

contains small amounts of hydrochloric acid

and zinc powder. (mode 1).

9610–M DOT–E 9610 Alliant Techsystems

Inc., Hopkins, MN.

49 CFR 172.203 (a), (e),

172.204, 173.29 (a),

(d), Parts 107, Appendix B (2), (3), Parts

171–189.

Authorizes the transport of DOT Specification

21C fiber drums which contain not more than 5

grams of smokeless powder essentially without

regulation. (modes 1, 2).

9791–M DOT–E 9791 Pressed Steel Tank Co.,

Inc., Milwaukee, WI.

49 CFR 173.301(h),

173.302(a), 173.34

(a)(1), 178.37.

Authorizes the manufacture, marking, and sale of

a high strength, non-specification cylinder conforming in part with the DOT–3AA specification

for transportation of certain nonflammable,

nonliquefied compressed gases. (mode 1).

9791–M DOT–E 9791 Pressed Steel Tank Co.,

Inc., Milwaukee, WI.

49 CFR 173.301(h),

173.302(a), 173.34

(a)(1), 178.37.

Authorizes the manufacture, marking, and sale of

a high strength, non-specification cylinder conforming in part with the DOT–3AA specification

for transportation of certain nonflammable,

nonliquefied compressed gases. (mode 1).