[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22431-22432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11168]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. 93-02; Notice 9]


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Compressed Natural Gas 
Vehicles Laboratory Test Procedure

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: On April 25, 1994, NHTSA published a final rule establishing a 
new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 303, ``Fuel System 
Integrity of Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles,'' that specifies vehicle 
performance requirements for the fuel system of [[Page 22432]] vehicles 
fueled by compressed natural gas (59 FR 19648). The standard enhances 
the fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles by 
subjecting the vehicles to crash testing and placing a limit on the 
post-crash pressure drop in the fuel system. The standard specifies 
frontal, rear, and lateral barrier crash tests for light vehicles and a 
moving contoured barrier crash test for school buses with a GVWR over 
10,000 pounds. NHTSA anticipates contracting with laboratories to 
obtain test data to determine whether particular motor vehicles comply 
with the CNG fuel system integrity requirements, just as it does with 
the agency's other standards.
    The agency has prepared a draft Laboratory Test Procedure for 
possible use by contractors in testing vehicles for compliance with the 
CNG fuel system integrity requirements. Because of the complexity of 
and public interest in issues associated with the test procedure, NHTSA 
is making the draft available to the public and requesting comment on 
it. NHTSA will consider any public comments before adopting a final 
Laboratory Test Procedure.

DATES: The closing date for comments on this notice is June 5, 1995.

ADDRESSES: All comments on this notice should refer to the above docket 
and notice numbers and be submitted to: Docket Section, Room 5109, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20590. It is requested that 10 copies be submitted. The 
Docket hours are 9:30 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. The draft 
Laboratory Test Procedure is available in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mark Levine, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-5290).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 25, 1994, NHTSA published a final 
rule establishing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 303 that 
specifies vehicle performance requirements for the fuel system of 
vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). The standard enhances 
the fuel system integrity of CNG vehicles by subjecting the vehicles to 
crash testing and placing a limit on the post-crash pressure drop in 
the fuel system. The standard specifies frontal, rear, and lateral 
barrier crash tests for light vehicles (passenger cars, vans, and light 
trucks) and a moving contoured barrier crash test for school buses with 
a GVWR over 10,000 pounds. The purpose of this new standard is to 
reduce deaths and injuries caused by fires resulting from fuel leakage 
during and after crashes involving vehicles fueled by CNG. The 
requirements become effective September 1, 1995.
    NHTSA anticipates that it will contract with laboratories to obtain 
compliance test data for the CNG vehicle fuel system integrity 
requirements as it does for other agency standards. To aid the 
contracted laboratories in conducting compliance tests for the agency, 
NHTSA provides them with Laboratory Test Procedures which include a 
uniform testing and data recording format and suggestions for the use 
of specific equipment and procedures. In keeping with that practice, 
NHTSA has prepared a draft Laboratory Test Procedure for the CNG 
vehicle fuel system integrity procedures and performance requirements 
of FMVSS No. 303. Normally, the agency would simply proceed to prepare 
a final version of the Laboratory Test Procedure and make it public. 
NHTSA typically has not requested public comments on draft Laboratory 
Test Procedures for other standards in the past because there is no 
legal requirement to do so since such a document is not a ``rule'' and 
there was not so much public interest in prior test procedure 
documents.
    However, because of the complexity of and public interest in issues 
involved with the test procedure, NHTSA is requesting comment from the 
public on the document. NHTSA will consider any public comments before 
adopting a final Laboratory Test Procedure. The agency wishes to 
emphasize that it does not intend, by issuing this notice, to signal a 
general change in its practice regarding the establishment of test 
procedures. NHTSA may choose to adopt or change any Laboratory Test 
Procedure without allowing an opportunity for public comment.
    NHTSA invites interested persons to submit comments on the draft 
Laboratory Test Procedure for Standard No. 303. The agency requests 
that persons submit 10 copies of comments. All comments must not exceed 
15 pages in length (49 CFR 553.21).
    Necessary attachments may be appended to these submissions without 
regard to the 15-page limit. This limitation is intended to encourage 
commenters to detail their primary arguments in a concise fashion. If a 
commenter wishes to submit certain information under a claim of 
confidentiality, three copies of the complete submission, including 
purportedly confidential business information, should be submitted to 
the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the street address given above, and seven 
copies from which the purportedly confidential information has been 
deleted should be submitted to the Docket Section. A request for 
confidentiality should be accompanied by a cover letter setting forth 
the information specified in the agency's confidential business 
information regulation (49 CFR 512).
    All comments received before the close of business on the comment 
closing date indicated above will be considered, and will be available 
for examination in the docket at the above address. To the extent 
possible, comments filed after the closing date will also be 
considered.
    Those persons desiring to be notified upon receipt of their 
comments in the docket should enclosed a self-addressed, stamped 
postcard in the envelope with their comments. Upon receiving the 
comments, the docket supervisor will return the postcard by mail.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30103 and 30162; delegations of authority 
at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: May 2, 1995.
Marilynne Jacobs,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 95-11168 Filed 5-4-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M