2570 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 1996 / Notices

1The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No.

104–88, 109 Stat. 803 (the Act), which was enacted

on December 29, 1995, and took effect on January

1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce

Commission (ICC) and transferred certain functions

and proceedings to the Surface Transportation

Board (Board). Section 204(b)(1) of the Act

provides, in general, that proceedings pending

before the ICC on the effective date of that

legislation shall be decided under the law in effect

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NCI 3363; Notice 1]

1995 Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge

Stratus Passenger Cars; Public

Proceeding Scheduled

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: NHTSA will hold a public

meeting at 10 a.m. on February 14, 1996,

regarding its initial decision that certain

1995 model Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge

Stratus passenger cars fail to comply

with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard No. 210, Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff

Giuseppe, Office of Vehicle Safety

Compliance, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590;

(202) 366–5756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to 49 U.S.C. 30118(a) (formerly section

152(a) of the National Traffic and Motor

Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, as

amended), on January 19, 1996,

NHTSA’s Associate Administrator for

Safety Assurance made an initial

decision that certain 1995 model

Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus

passenger cars manufactured by

Chrysler Corporation before May 15,

1995, do not comply with the

requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 210, Seat

Belt Assembly Anchorages, 49 CFR

571.210.

In a compliance test performed for

NHTSA on July 10, 1995, the anchorage

for the rear seat safety belt on the driver

side of a Chrysler Cirrus vehicle pulled

loose from the floor of the vehicle prior

to sustaining a force of 3,000 pounds, as

required by paragraph S4.2.2 of FMVSS

No. 210. This failure was replicated by

Chrysler when it tested a Cirrus with the

pelvic body block positioned several

inches in front of the seat back, which

is the position employed in the NHTSA

test. Although it was not tested by

NHTSA, the 1995 Dodge Stratus is

identical to the Chrysler Cirrus in all

relevant respects, and similar test

results would be expected.

Chrysler contends that the anchorages

in these vehicles will not fail when the

body block is placed against the seat

back rather than several inches from the

seat back, and argues that this is

sufficient to demonstrate compliance

with FMVSS No. 210. A full discussion

of the facts and issues involved in this

matter is contained in a memorandum

dated January 11, 1996, prepared by

NHTSA’s Office of Vehicle Safety

Compliance, that can be found in the

agency’s public file for this

investigation.

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(b)(1) and

49 CFR 554.10, a public meeting will be

held at 10 a.m., on Wednesday,

February 14, 1996, in Room 2230,

Department of Transportation Building,

400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington,

DC, at which time the manufacturer and

all other interested persons will be

afforded an opportunity to present

information, views, and arguments on

the issue of whether the vehicles

covered by this initial decision comply

with FMVSS No. 210.

Interested persons are invited to

participate in this proceeding through

written an/or oral presentations. Persons

wishing to make oral presentations are

requested to notify Ms. Elaine Beale,

Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 6111, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC

20590, (202) 366–2832 or by fax at (202)

366–1024, before the close of business

on February 7, 1996. Persons who wish

to file written comments should submit

them to the same address, preferably no

later than the beginning of the meeting

on February 14, 1996. However, the

agency will accept written submissions

until February 28, 1996.

All materials related to the issues

addressed by this notice are in the

public file for NCI 3363, which is

available for inspection during working

hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) in NHTSA’s

Technical Reference Library, Room

5108, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118(a); delegations

of authority at 49 CFR 1.50(a) and 49 CFR

501.8.

Issued on: January 19, 1996.

Michael B. Brownlee,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Assurance.

[FR Doc. 96–1314 Filed 1–25–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

Surface Transportation Board

Availability of Environmental

Assessments

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4332, the

Surface Transportation Board has

prepared and made available

environmental assessments for the

proceedings listed below. Dates

environmental assessments are available

are listed below for each individual

proceeding.

To obtain copies of these

environmental assessments contact Ms.

Victoria Rutson or Ms. Judith Groves,

Surface Transportation Board, Section

of Environmental Analysis, Room 3219,

Washington, DC 20423, (202) 927–6211

or (202) 927–6246. Comments on the

following assessment are due 15 days

after the date of availability:

AB–No. 450 (Sub-No. 1X), Ogeechee

Railway Company—Discontinuance of

Service Exemption—In Bleckley and

Pulaski Counties, Georgia. EA available

1/19/96.

AB–No. 290 (Sub-No. 141X), Norfolk

Southern Railway Company—

Abandonment Exemption—In Bleckley

and Pulaski Counties, Georgia. EA

available 1/19/96.

AB–No. 464X, Piedmont and Atlantic

Railroad Co., Inc. d/b/a Yadkin Valley

Railroad Company—Discontinuance of

Operations. EA available 1/17/96.

AB–No. 290 (Sub-No. 174X), Norfolk

Southern Railway Company—

Abandonment between Rural Hall and

Brook Cove, North Carolina. EA

available 1/17/96.

AB–No. 290 (Sub-No. 179X), Norfolk

and Western Railway Company—

Abandonment—At Lynchburg, Virginia.

EA available 1/17/96.

AB–No. 55 (Sub-No 520X), CSX

Transportation, Inc.—Abandonment in

Chatham County, Georgia. EA available

1/23/96. Comments on the following

assessment are due 30 days after the

date of availability:

AB–No. 462 (Sub-No 1X),

Southeastern International

Corporation—Abandonment

Exemption—In Chambers and Jefferson

Counties, Texas. EA available 1/12/96.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–1330 Filed 1–25–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

Surface Transportation Board 1

[Finance Docket No. 32841]

Northeast Texas Rural Rail

Transportation District—Purchase

(Portion) Exemption—St. Louis

Southwestern Railway Company

Northeast Texas Rural Rail

Transportation District (NETEX), a