Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2001 / Notices 31749

Brake Fluid, 119 New Pneumatic Tires

for Vehicles other than Passenger Cars,

and 122 Motorcycle Brake Systems.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicles are capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated below:

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

Installation of U.S. model headlamp

assemblies which incorporate

headlamps that are certified to meet the

standard; (b) replacement of all

reflectors with reflectors that are

certified to meet the standard.

Standard No. 120 Tire Selection and

Rims for Vehicles other than Passenger

Cars: installation of a tire information

label.

Standard No. 123 Motorcycle Controls

and Displays: Installation of a U.S.

model speedometer calibrated in miles

per hour and a U.S. model odometer

that measures distance traveled in

miles.

The petitioner also states that vehicle

identification number plates that meet

the requirements of 49 CFR Part 565

must be affixed.

Comments should refer to the docket

number and be submitted to: Docket

Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC

20590. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated above will be considered, and

will be available for examination in the

docket at the above address both before

and after that date. To the extent

possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered.

Notice of final action on the petition

will be published in the Federal

Register pursuant to the authority

indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on: June 6, 2001.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety,

Compliance.

[FR Doc. 01–14727 Filed 6–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–2001–9707]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1999–

2001 Mercedes Benz CL500 and CL600

Passenger Cars Are Eligible for

Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1999–2001

Mercedes Benz CL500 and CL600

passenger cars are eligible for

importation.

SUMMARY: This document announces

receipt by the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a

petition for a decision that 1999–2001

Mercedes Benz CL500 and CL600

passenger cars that were not originally

manufactured to comply with all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards are eligible for importation

into the United States because (1) they

are substantially similar to vehicles that

were originally manufactured for

importation into and sale in the United

States and that were certified by their

manufacturer as complying with the

safety standards, and (2) they are

capable of being readily altered to

conform to the standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on the petition is July 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

the docket number and notice number,

and be submitted to: Docket

Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 9 a.m. to

5 p.m.].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Entwistle, Office of Vehicle

Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202–366–

5306).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a

motor vehicle that was not originally

manufactured to conform to all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards shall be refused admission

into the United States unless NHTSA

has decided that the motor vehicle is

substantially similar to a motor vehicle

originally manufactured for importation

into and sale in the United States,

certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of

the same model year as the model of the

motor vehicle to be compared, and is

capable of being readily altered to

conform to all applicable Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Petitions for eligibility decisions may

be submitted by either manufacturers or

importers who have registered with

NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR part 592. As

specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA

publishes notice in the Federal Register

of each petition that it receives, and

affords interested persons an

opportunity to comment on the petition.

At the close of the comment period,

NHTSA decides, on the basis of the

petition and any comments that it has

received, whether the vehicle is eligible

for importation. The agency then

publishes this decision in the Federal

Register.

J.K. Technologies of Baltimore,

Maryland (‘‘J.K.’’) (Registered Importer

90–006) has petitioned NHTSA to

decide whether 1999–2001 Mercedes

Benz CL500 and CL600 passenger cars

are eligible for importation into the

United States. The vehicles which J.K.

believes are substantially similar are

1999–2001 Mercedes Benz CL500 and

CL600 passenger cars that were

manufactured for importation into, and

sale in, the United States and certified

by their manufacturer as conforming to

all applicable Federal motor vehicle

safety standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared non-U.S. certified 1999–2001

Mercedes Benz CL500 and CL600

passenger cars to their U.S.-certified

counterparts, and found the vehicles to

be substantially similar with respect to

compliance with most Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

J.K. submitted information with its

petition intended to demonstrate that

non-U.S. certified 1999–2001 Mercedes

Benz CL500 and CL600 passenger cars,

as originally manufactured, conform to

many Federal motor vehicle safety

standards in the same manner as their

U.S. certified counterparts, or are

capable of being readily altered to

conform to those standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

non-U.S. certified 1999–2001 Mercedes

Benz CL500 and CL600 passenger cars

are identical to their U.S. certified

counterparts with respect to compliance

with Standard Nos. 102 Transmission

Shift Lever Sequence. * * *, 103

Defrosting and Defogging Systems, 104

Windshield Wiping and Washing

Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake Systems,

106 Brake Hoses, 109 New Pneumatic

Tires, 113 Hood Latch Systems, 116

Brake Fluid, 124 Accelerator Control

Systems, 202 Head Restraints, 204

Steering Control Rearward

Displacement, 205 Glazing Materials,

206 Door Locks and Door Retention

Components, 207 Seating Systems, 209

31750 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2001 / Notices

1On May 25, 2001, Watco also filed a notice of

exemption in STB Finance Docket No. 34042,

Watco Companies, Inc.—Continuance in Control

Exemption—Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, Inc., to

permit its control of Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad,

Inc., when that entity becomes a rail carrier.

Seat Belt Assemblies, 210 Seat Belt

Assembly Anchorages, 212 Windshield

Retention, 216 Roof Crush Resistance,

219 Windshield Zone Intrusion, 301

Fuel System Integrity, and 302

Flammability of Interior Materials, as

well as 49 CFR 581.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicles are capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 101 Controls and

Displays: (a) Substitution of the word

‘‘Brake’’ for the international ECE

warning symbol on the markings for the

brake failure indicator lamp; (b)

replacement of the speedometer with

one calibrated in miles per hour. The

petitioner states that the entire

instrument cluster will be replaced with

a U.S.-model component.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

Installation of U.S.-model headlamps

and front sidemarker lamps, (b)

installation of U.S.-model taillamp

assemblies which incorporate rear

sidemarker lamps, and (c) installation of

U.S. model high-mounted stop light

assembly (if necessary).

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: Installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

Replacement of the passenger side

rearview mirror with a U.S.-model

component.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

Installation of a warning buzzer and a

warning buzzer microswitch in the

steering lock assembly.

Standard No. 118 Power Window

Systems: Add a relay to the power

window systems to prevent operation

when the ignition is off.

Standard No. 201 Occupant

Protection in Interior Impact:

Replacement of components subject to

standard with U.S. model components

on vehicles that are not already so

equipped.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: (a) Installation of a seat belt

warning buzzer, wired to the driver’s

seat belt latch; (b) inspection of all

vehicles and replacement of the driver’s

and passenger’s side air bags, knee

bolsters, control units, sensors, and seat

belts with U.S.-model components on

vehicles that are not already so

equipped. The front and rear outboard

designated seating positions have

combination lap and shoulder belts that

are self-tensioning and that release by

means of a single red pushbutton.

Standard No. 214 Side Impact

Protection: Inspection of all vehicles

and installation of reinforcing door

beams on vehicles that are not already

so equipped.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification plate must be

affixed to the vehicles near the left

windshield post and a reference and

certification label must be affixed in the

area of the left front door post to meet

the requirements of 49 CFR Part 565.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Management, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 9 am to

5 pm]. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated above will be considered, and

will be available for examination in the

docket at the above address both before

and after that date. To the extent

possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered.

Notice of final action on the petition

will be published in the Federal

Register pursuant to the authority

indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on: June 6, 2001.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 01–14728 Filed 6–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 34045]

Watco Companies, Inc.—Control

Exemption—Eastern Idaho Railroad,

Inc.

Watco Companies, Inc. (Watco), a

noncarrier, has filed a notice of

exemption to acquire control through

stock ownership of the Eastern Idaho

Railroad, Inc., a Class III rail carrier.

The transaction was scheduled to be

consummated on or shortly after May

25, 2001, the effective date of the

exemption.

At the time it filed this notice, Watco

controlled four Class III railroad

subsidiaries: South Kansas and

Oklahoma Railroad Company, operating

in the States of Missouri, Kansas and

Oklahoma; Palouse River & Coulee City

Railroad, Inc., operating in the States of

Washington, Oregon and Idaho; Timber

Rock Railroad, Inc., operating in the

States of Texas and Louisiana; and

Stillwater Central Railroad operating in

the State of Oklahoma.1 Watco is

proposing to acquire all of the

outstanding stock of EIRR, an Idaho

corporation.

Watco states that: (1) The railroads do

not connect with each other; (ii) the

acquisition of control is not part of a

series of anticipated transactions that

would connect the railroads with each

other or any railroad in their corporate

family; and (iii) the transaction does not

involve a Class I carrier. Therefore, the

transaction is exempt from the prior

approval requirements of 49 U.S.C.

11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2).

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board

may not use its exemption authority to

relieve a rail carrier of its statutory

obligation to protect the interests of its

employees. Section 11326(c), however,

does not provide for labor protection for

transactions under sections 11324 and

11325 that involve only Class III rail

carriers. Because this transaction

involves Class III rail carriers only, the

Board, under the statute, may not

impose labor protective conditions for

this transaction.

If the notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the

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

may be filed at any time. The filing of

a petition to revoke will not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 34045 must be filed with the

Surface Transportation Board, Office of

the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Karl Morell,

Ball Janik LLP, 1455 F Street, NW.,

Suite 225, Washington, DC 20005.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

www.stb.dot.gov.

Decided: June 5, 2001.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–14634 Filed 6–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–U