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