65088 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 242 / Monday, December 18, 1995 / Notices

which comments are submitted, and

state the expected impacts on current

icebreaking operations and the reasons

for those impacts. Persons wanting

acknowledgment of receipt of comments

should enclose stamped, self-addressed

postcards or envelopes.

Background

Under Executive Order No. 7521 of

December 21, 1936, the Coast Guard has

assisted as practicable in keeping the

channels and harbors along the

northeast and mid-Atlantic coast of the

United States open to shipping during

the winter and in preventing flooding

from ice jams. In doing so, the Coast

Guard has attempted to meet the

reasonable demands of commerce and to

support other agencies in their

icebreaking efforts.

To accomplish this mission, the Coast

Guard maintains a fleet of icebreaking

tugs, ice-capable buoy tenders, and icereinforced boats. This fleet has

undergone substantial changes since the

1960’s. Replacement cutters and boats

generally have been larger and more

capable of meeting the changing

requirements of their primary mission

areas. However, they are fewer in

number and may not have all of the

icebreaking capabilities of the vessels

they replaced. For example, the physical

size of the larger cutters and boats may

restrict their ability to operate in the

upper reaches of rivers where ice jams

typically form.

On occasion, private interests have

operated or hired commercial tugs for

icebreaking services. [Coast Guard

policy prohibits if from competing with

commercial icebreaking concerns.]

However, commercial concerns

apparently have not been able to meet

worst-year ice conditions.

The Review

Consistent with the President’s effort

to reinvent government, the Coast Guard

is now reviewing its East Coast

icebreaking program to assess its

effectiveness, to identify the impacts

resulting from changes in the Coast

Guard’s icebreaking fleet, and to

determine the program’s needs for the

future. The Coast Guard is particularly

interested in receiving comments and

data on the following subjects:

1. The Coast Guard’s present ability to

satisfy the reasonable demands of

commerce for icebreaking along the East

Coast.

2. The continuing need for the Coast

Guard to maintain icebreaking

capabilities along the East Coast.

3. The impact and alternatives

available should the Coast Guard no

longer provide icebreaking services

along the East Coast.

4. Private industry’s ability to provide

icebreaking services.

5. The need, if any, to replace the

Coast Guard’s 65 foot icebreaking tugs

and the capabilities required of the

replacement vessels to minimize costs

while maintaining necessary support.

This list of subjects is not intended to

suggest that the Coast Guard’s role or

level of service should or will change.

It is intended to assist the Coast Guard

in evaluating the costs and benefits of

its present icebreaking program and its

needs for the future.

Dated: December 12, 1995.

J. A. Creech,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Chief,

Office of Navigation Safety and Waterway

Services.

[FR Doc. 95–30678 Filed 12–15–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–M

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

Announcing the Thirteenth Meeting of

the Motor Vehicle Safety Research

Advisory Committee

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Meeting announcement.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

thirteenth meeting of the Motor Vehicle

Safety Research Advisory Committee

(MVSRAC). The Committee was

established in accordance with the

provisions of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act to obtain independent

advice on motor vehicle safety research.

Discussions at this meeting will include

NHTSA’s research programs, including

critical injury control issues facing the

agency.

DATE AND TIME: The meeting is

scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., on

Wednesday, January 17, 1996, and

conclude at 1:00 p.m., on Thursday,

January 18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in

Rooms 6244–48 of the U.S. Department

of Transportation Building, which is

located at 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In May

1987, the Motor Vehicle Safety Research

Advisory Committee was established.

The purpose of the Committee is to

provide an independent source of ideas

for motor vehicle safety research. The

MVSRAC will provide information,

advice and recommendations to NHTSA

on matters relating to motor vehicle

safety research, and provide a forum for

the development, consideration and

communication of motor vehicle safety

research, as set forth in the MVSRAC

Charter.

The meeting is open to the public, but

attendance may be limited due to space

availability. Participation by the public

will be determined by the Committee

Chairperson.

A public reference file (Number 88–

01) has been established to contain the

products of the Committee and will be

open to the public during the hours of

9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s

Technical Reference Division in Room

5108 at 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590, telephone: (202)

366–2768.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Barbara Coleman, Office of Research

and Development, 400 Seventh Street,

S.W., Room 6206, Washington, DC

20590, telephone: (202) 366–1537.

Issued on: December 13, 1995.

William A. Boehly,

Chairperson, Motor Vehicle Safety Research

Advisory Committee.

[FR Doc. 95–30687 Filed 12–15–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

Research and Development Programs

Meeting

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting cancellation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

cancellation of a public meeting at

which NHTSA was scheduled to

describe and discuss specific research

and development projects. Further, the

notice requests comments regarding a

proposed schedule change from

quarterly meetings to biannual

meetings.

BACKGROUND: The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration holds

quarterly public meetings devoted

primarily to detailed presentations of

specific research and development

projects. Three meetings each year are

held in Detroit, Michigan, and a fourth

meeting is held in Washington, DC, in

conjunction with the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration’s quarterly

meetings on safety performance

standards and safety assurance

programs.

MEETING CANCELLATION: The National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s

public meeting devoted primarily to

presentations of specific research and

development projects as announced in

the Federal Register (Vol. 60, No. 212,

page 55752) for December 19, 1995, has