36988 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 130 /Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / Notices

on the proposed forms and the reporting

and recordkeeping requirements.

OMB approval of an information

collection requirement must be renewed

at least once every three years.

The Federal Register Notice with a

60-day comment period soliciting

comments on information collections

2120–0020 and 2120–0057 was

published on March 9, 1998 [63 FR

11472–11473].

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received on or before August 7, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Copies of the DOT information

collection requests submitted to OMB

may be obtained from Ms. Judith Street,

Federal Aviation Administration,

Corporate Information Division, ABC–

100, 800 Independence Ave., SW., (202)

267–9895, Washington, DC 20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

(1) Title: Maintenance, Preventive

Maintenance, Rebuilding, and

Alteration.

OMB Control Number: 2120–0020

Form(s): FAA Form 337.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Certified mechanics,

repair stations, and air carriers

authorized to perform maintenance.

Pilots are also authorized to perform

and record preventive maintenance;

however, the authorization applies only

to those pilots who own or lease their

aircraft for private operation.

Abstract: The information collection

associated with 14 CFR part 43 is

necessary to ensure that maintenance,

rebuilding, or alteration of aircraft,

aircraft components, etc., is performed

by qualified individuals and at proper

intervals. Further, maintenance records

are essential to ensure that an aircraft is

properly maintained and is

mechanically safe for flight.

Estimated Burden: The estimated total

annual burden is 1,377,897 hours.

(2) Title: Safety Improvement Report

Accident Prevention Counselor Activity

Reports.

OMB Control Number: 2120–0057.

Form(s): FAA Form 8740–5 and 2;

FAA Form 8740–6.

Type Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Pilots, airport

operators, charter and commuter aircraft

operators engaging in air transportation.

Abstract: Safety Improvements

Reports are used by airmen to notify the

FAA of hazards to flight operations.

Accident Prevention Counselor Activity

Reports are used by counselors to advise

the FAA of Accident Prevention

Program Accomplishments.

Annual Estimated Burden: 1,762

hours.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

DOT information collection request

should be forwarded, within 30 days of

publication, to Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, New

Executive Office Building, Room 10102,

Washington, DC 20503, ATTN: FAA

Desk Officer. If you anticipate

submitting substantive comments, but

find that more than 10 days from the

date of publication are needed to

prepare them, please notify the OMB

official of your intent immediately.

COMMENTS ARE INVITED ON: whether the

proposed collections of information are

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 collections;

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 July 1, 1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department

of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98–18022 Filed 7–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG–1998–4007]

National Boating Safety Advisory

Council; Vacancies

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Request for applications.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is seeking

applications for appointment to

membership on the National Boating

Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC).

NBSAC advises the Coast Guard on

matters related to recreational boating

safety.

DATES: Applications must reach the

Coast Guard on or before September 30,

1998.

ADDRESSES: You may request an

application form by writing to

Commandant (G–OPB–1), U.S. Coast

Guard, 2100 Second Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20593–0001; by calling

202–267–0950; or by faxing 202–267–

4285. Submit application forms to the

same address. This notice is available

on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

questions on this notice, contact Mr. A.

J. Marmo, Executive Director of NBSAC,

telephone (202) 267–0950, fax (202)

267–4285. For questions on viewing or

submitting material to this docket,

contact Dorothy Walker, Chief Dockets,

Department of Transportation, 202–366–

9329.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Boating Safety Advisory

Council(NBSAC) was established by the

Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971. It is a

Federal advisory committee constituted

under 5 U.S.C. App. 2. NBSAC provides

advice to the Coast Guard regarding

regulations and other major boating

safety matters. Members for the Council

are drawn equally from the following

sectors of the boating community: State

officials responsible for State boating

safety programs; recreational boat and

associated equipment manufacturers;

and national recreational boating

organizations and the general public.

Members are appointed by the Secretary

of Transportation.

The Council normally meets twice

each year at a location selected by the

Coast Guard. When attending meetings

of the Council, members are provided

travel expenses and per diem.

The Coast Guard will consider

applications for the following seven

positions that expire or become vacant

in December 1998: two representatives

of State officials responsible for State

boating safety programs; three

representatives of recreational boat and

associated equipment manufacturers;

and two representatives of the general

public. Mayors are particularly

encouraged to submit applications to fill

appropriate vacancies. Applicants are

considered for membership on the basis

of their expertise, knowledge, and

experience in recreational boating

safety. Each member serves for a term of

3 years unless filling an unexpired term.

Some members may serve consecutive

terms.

In support of the policy of the

Department of Transportation on gender

and ethnic diversity, the Coast Guard

encourages applications from qualified

women and members of minority

groups.

Applicants selected may be required

to complete a Confidential Financial

Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Neither the report nor the information it

contains may be released to the public,

except under an order issued by a
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 130 /Wednesday, July 8, 1998 / Notices 36989

1The line also includes an additional 14.4 miles

of side track.

Federal court or as otherwise provided

under the Privacy Act (4 U.S.C. 552a).

Dated: July 2, 1998.

Ernest R. Riutta,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant

Commandant for Operations.

[FR Doc. 98–18114 Filed 7–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–98–3848; Notice 2]

Beall Trailers of Washington, Inc.;

Grant of Application for Temporary

Exemption From Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard No. 224

This notice grants the application by

Beall Trailers of Washington, Inc., of

Kent, Washington, (‘‘Beall’’), a whollyowned subsidiary of Beall Corporation,

for a one-year temporary exemption

from Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.

224 Rear Impact Protection. The basis of

the application was that compliance

would cause substantial economic

hardship to a manufacturer that has

tried in good faith to comply with the

standard.

Notice of receipt of the application

was published on May 19, 1998, and an

opportunity afforded for comment (63

FR 27618).

Beall manufactures and sells dump

body trailers. It produced a total of 311

trailers in 1997, of which 124 were

dump body types. Standard No. 224

requires, effective January 26, 1998, that

all trailers with a GVWR of 4536 Kg or

more, including dump body types, be

fitted with a rear impact guard that

conforms to Standard No. 223 Rear

impact guards. In its application, Beall

stated that ‘‘alterations may have to be

made to the trailer chassis or even

raising the dump box to provide space

for the retractable guard,’’ indicating

that a guard that retracts when the

dump body is in operation is the

solution it is seeking in order to comply.

According to Beall, the company has

‘‘placed significant resources (time and

money) towards the design of an

acceptable guard. We have involved

Montana State University professors

from their Mechanical Engineering

department. We have conducted Finite

Element Analysis and traditional

methods of design arriving at a

plastically deforming guard that meets

the standard, for nonasphalt carrying

applications.’’ The deforming guard

does not retract, thus cannot be used on

dump body trailers. Beall believed that

its problem is similar to that

experienced by other manufacturers

manufacturing dump trailers. The

company stated that ‘‘devices used in

other countries do not meet FMVSS

224.’’ It continues to study ‘‘hinged/

retractable devices’’ but must overcome

lack of space for a retracted device. The

company said that it would strive to

develop a device that would comply

with Federal requirements while an

exemption is in effect.

If an exemption is not granted, the

company argued that substantial

economic hardship will result. First, it

would lose a trailer that accounts for 40

percent of its overall production. In

addition, ‘‘some percentage of the

remaining 60% would be lost since our

customers typically purchase matching

truck mounted dump bodies which may

also be lost.’’ Beall also believed that 31

of its 63 employees would have to be

laid off if its application is denied.

Maintenance of full employment would

be in the public interest it argues.

Beall’s net income was $39,317 in 1995

and $72,213 in 1996. In the first 10

months of 1997, its net income before

income taxes was $697,040. If the

application is denied, it foresees a net

loss of $71,445 for 1998.

No comments were received on the

application.

NHTSA has analyzed the economic

and regulatory situation that confronts

Beall. The configuration of the

company’s dump trailer has presented it

with an engineering problem that it was

unable to resolve by the effective date of

the standard, even though the company

has studied devices used in other

countries. Beall anticipates arriving at a

solution within the year that its

exemption would be in effect, and the

company did not ask for the three full

year exemption permitted under the

hardship authority. Although a denial

would not create an untenable economic

situation, it would result in the

company having a net loss for 1998.

More ominously, a denial might also

have the effect of eroding the market for

the trailers that Beall could continue to

produce ‘‘since our customers typically

purchase matching truck mounted

dump bodies.’’

NHTSA agrees that maintenance of

full employment is in the public

interest. The very low volume of the

trailers that will be covered by an

exemption limits the effect on safety of

the trailers that will be produced under

the exemption without a rear underride

guard.

In consideration of the foregoing, it is

hereby found that compliance with

Standard No. 224 would cause

substantial economic hardship to a

manufacturer that has tried in good faith

to comply with the standard, and that

an exemption would be in the public

interest and consistent with motor

vehicle safety. Accordingly, Beall

Trailers of Washington, Inc., is hereby

granted NHTSA Temporary Exemption

No. 98–5 from Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard No. 224 Rear Impact

Protection, 49 CFR 571.224, expiring

July 1, 1999.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30113; delegation of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

Issued on: June 29, 1998.

Ricardo Martinez,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–18095 Filed 7–7–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–545]

South Orient Railroad Company, Ltd.—

Abandonment and Discontinuance of

Trackage Rights—Between San Angelo

and Presidio, TX

On June 18, 1998, the South Orient

Railroad Company, Ltd. (SORC), filed an

application with the Surface

Transportation Board (Board) for

permission to abandon its San AngeloPresidio Line extending from milepost

722 near Mertzon station south of San

Angelo to approximately milepost 945.3

at Alpine Junction and from

approximately milepost 956.7 at Paisano

Junction to the end of the line at

milepost 1029.1 on the International

Bridge near Presidio, a distance of

approximately 296.4 miles; 1 and to

discontinue its trackage rights over the

Union Pacific Railroad Company’s line

extending from approximately milepost

945.3 at Alpine Junction to

approximately milepost 956.7 at Paisano

Junction, a distance of 11.4 miles, for a

total distance of approximately 307

miles in Brewster, Crane, Crockett,

Irion, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Tom

Green, and Upton Counties, TX. The

line includes the stations of Mertzon,

milepost 745.7; Barnhart, milepost

771.6; Big Lake, milepost 790.6; Rankin,

milepost 819.9; McCamey, milepost

838.6; Baldridge, milepost 863.8;

Sulphur Jct., milepost 869.4; Fort

Stockton, milepost 881.7; Belding,

milepost 892.9; Hovey, milepost 917.2;

Alpine, milepost 944.3; Alpine Jct.,

milepost 945.6; Paisano Jct., milepost

956.7; Paisano, milepost 956.9; Tinaja,

milepost 969.3; Plata, milepost 993.7;