Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 148 / Thursday, July 31, 2008 / Notices 44799 

1This decision is limited to its specific facts. As 

some commenters on the ANPRM noted, the 

existence of steel in a tire’s sidewall can be relevant 

to the manner in which it should be repaired or 

retreaded. 

Section 556 of the Foreign Operations, 

Export Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109–

102) (‘‘FY 2006 FOAA’’), as carried 

forward in the Revised Continuing 

Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (Pub. 

L. 110–5) (‘‘FY 2007 CR’’), and Section 

649 of the Department of State, Foreign 

Operations, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 2008 (Div. J, Pub. L. 

110–161) (‘‘FY 2008 SFOAA’’), and 

delegated to me pursuant to Department 

of State Delegation of Authority 245, I 

hereby determine, certify, and report 

that the Colombian Armed Forces are 

meeting the conditions contained in 

Sections 556(a)(2) and 556(a)(3) of FY 

2006 FOAA, as carried forward in the 

FY 2007 CR, as well as Sections 

649(c)(2) and 649(c)(3) of the FY 2008 

SFOAA, and that I have consulted with 

Congress as is consistent with the latter. 

The Department of State has 

periodically consulted with 

internationally recognized human rights 

organizations regarding the Colombian 

Armed Forces’ progress in meeting the 

above-mentioned conditions, as 

provided in Section 556(c) of the FY 

2006 FOAA, as carried forward in the 

FY 2007 CR, and Section 649(d) of the 

FY 2008 SFOAA. 

This Determination and Certification 

shall be published in the Federal 

Register and copies shall be transmitted 

to the appropriate committees of 

Congress. 

Dated: July 28, 2008. 

John D. Negroponte, 

Deputy Secretary of State, Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. E8–17680 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–29–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2008–0086; Notice 2] 

Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America, 

Ltd., Grant of Petition for Decision of 

Inconsequential Noncompliance 

Goodyear Dunlop Tires North 

American, Ltd, (GDTNA), has 

determined that certain tires that it 

manufactured during the period 

beginning January 2003 through July 

2004, do not fully comply with 

paragraph S6.5(f) of 49 CFR 571.119 

(Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 

(FMVSS) No. 119 New Pneumatic Tires 

for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of 

More than 4,536 Kilograms (10,000 

pounds) and Motorcycles. On January 

18, 2008, GDTNA filed an appropriate 

report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, 

Defect and Noncompliance 

Responsibility and Reports identifying 

approximately 3,050 150/60R18 Dunlop 

D251 motorcycle tires, produced from 

January 2003 through July 2004, that do 

not comply with the paragraphs of 

FMVSS No. 119 cited above. 

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 

30120(h) and the rule implementing 

those provisions at 49 CFR part 556, 

GDTNA has petitioned for an exemption 

from the notification and remedy 

requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 

on the basis that this noncompliance is 

inconsequential to motor vehicle safety. 

Notice of receipt of the petition was 

published, with a 30-day public 

comment period, on May 12, 2008 in the 

Federal Register (73 FR 27023). No 

comments were received. To view the 

petition and all supporting documents 

log onto the Federal Docket 

Management System Web site at: 

http://www.regulations.gov/. Then 

follow the online search instructions to 

locate docket number ‘‘NHTSA–2008–

0086.’’

For further information on this 

decision, contact Mr. George Gillespie, 

Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, the 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA), telephone 

(202) 366–5299, facsimile (202) 366–

7002. 

Paragraph S6.5(f) of 49 CFR 571.119 

requires: 

S6.5(f) The actual number of plies and the 

composition of the ply cord material in the 

sidewall and, if different, in the tread area. 

GDTNA described the noncompliance 

as incorrect labeling of construction 

materials information on the sidewalls. 

The labeling incorrectly lists ‘‘TREAD 5 

PLIES 2 RAYON + 3 NYLON’’ and 

‘‘SIDEWALL: 2 PLIES 2 RAYON’’

whereas this labeling should be 

‘‘TREAD 4 PLIES 2 NYLON + 2 

NYLON’’ and ‘‘SIDEWALL 2 PLIES 2 

NYLON.’’

GDTNA stated that it believes the 

noncompliance is inconsequential to 

motor vehicle safety because most 

consumers do not base tire purchase or 

vehicle operation on the construction 

information listed on the tire sidewalls, 

the tires meet or exceed all other 

applicable FMVSS, they ‘‘were 

designed, manufactured and tested to 

the standards and regulations as 

applicable, and they meet all of the 

internal and regulatory performance test 

requirements.’’

GDTNA also stated that it has 

corrected the problem with the affected 

tire mold and that all subsequent 

production will have the correct 

material information shown on the 

sidewall. 

GDTNA additionally stated that no 

customer complaints have been 

received. 

NHTSA Decision 

By way of background, the 

Transportation Recall, Enhancement, 

Accountability, and Documentation 

(TREAD) Act (Pub. L. 106–414) 

required, among other things, that the 

agency initiate rulemaking to improve 

tire label information. In response, the 

agency published an Advance Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the 

Federal Register on December 1, 2000 

(65 FR 75222). 

The agency received more than 20 

comments on the tire labeling 

information required by 49 CFR 

Sections 571.109 and 119, Part 567, Part 

574, and Part 575. In addition, the 

agency conducted a series of focus 

groups, as required by the TREAD Act, 

to examine consumer perceptions and 

understanding of tire labeling. Few of 

the focus group participants had 

knowledge of tire labeling beyond the 

tire brand name, tire size, and tire 

pressure. 

Based on the information obtained 

from comments to the ANPRM and the 

consumer focus groups, we have 

concluded that it is likely that few 

consumers have been influenced by the 

tire construction information (number of 

plies and cord material in the sidewall 

and tread plies) provided on the tire 

label when deciding to buy a motor 

vehicle or tire. 

Therefore, the agency agrees with 

GDTNA’s statement that the incorrect 

markings in this case do not present a 

serious safety concern.1 There is no 

effect of the noncompliance on the 

operational safety of vehicles on which 

these tires are mounted. In the agency’s 

judgment, the incorrect labeling of the 

tire construction information will have 

an inconsequential effect on motor 

vehicle safety because most consumers 

do not base tire purchases or vehicle 

operation parameters on the number of 

plies in the tire. In addition, the tires are 

certified to meet all the performance 

requirements of FMVSS No. 119. 

In consideration of the foregoing, 

NHTSA has decided that GDTNA has 

met its burden of persuasion that the 

subject FMVSS No. 119 labeling 

noncompliance is inconsequential to 

motor vehicle safety. Accordingly, 

GDTNA’s petition is granted and the 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
44800 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 148 / Thursday, July 31, 2008 / Notices 

petitioner is exempted from the 

obligation of providing notification of, 

and a remedy for, the subject 

noncompliance under 49 U.S.C. 30118 

and 30120. 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; 

delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 

501.8. 

Issued on: July 25, 2008. 

Daniel C. Smith, 

Associate Administrator for Enforcement. 

[FR Doc. E8–17527 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

[Docket ID PHMSA–RSPA–1997–2426] 

Pipeline Safety: National Pipeline 

Mapping System 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory 

Bulletin. 

SUMMARY: This document advises gas 

transmission pipeline operators, 

hazardous liquid pipeline operators, 

and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant 

operators of voluntary changes 

pertaining to submittal dates and 

Operator ID numbers for National 

Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) 

submissions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Nelson by phone at (202) 493–

0591 or by e-mail at 

amy.nelson@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act 

of 2002 requires gas transmission 

pipeline operators, hazardous liquid 

pipeline operators, and LNG plant 

operators to submit data to NPMS. 

Currently, operators submit their data 

annually, within one year of the last 

submission date. PHMSA is attempting 

to simplify NPMS’s reporting process 

and to improve PHMSA’s ability to 

accurately describe an operator’s assets 

internally and to Congress. 

II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB–08–07) 

To: Operators of Gas Transmission 

Pipelines, Hazardous Liquid Pipelines 

and LNG Plant Operators. 

Subject: NPMS Submissions. 

Purpose: To advise operators of 

voluntary changes to their NPMS 

submissions. 

Advisory: Beginning on January 1, 

2009, PHMSA is requesting that 

operators submit their NPMS data 

concurrently with hazardous liquid and 

gas transmission annual report 

submissions. Annual reports are due on 

March 15 each year for gas transmission 

operators and on June 15 for hazardous 

liquid operators. PHMSA suggests that 

beginning on January 1, 2009, gas 

transmission NPMS submissions be 

submitted by March 15, 2009, and 

represent the pipeline operator assets as 

of December 31, 2008. LNG plant 

operators would also submit to NPMS 

by March 15, 2009, representing assets 

as of December 31, 2008. Hazardous 

liquid annual reports and NPMS 

submissions would both be submitted 

by June 15, 2009, representing assets as 

of December 31, 2008. In 2010 and 

beyond, the annual report and NPMS 

submission due dates would remain 

March 15 for gas transmission and LNG 

plants and June 15 for hazardous liquid 

pipelines. NPMS submissions would 

represent physical assets as of December 

31 of the previous year. 

Submitting annual reports and NPMS 

data at the same time will alleviate the 

need for pipeline operators to track their 

last NPMS submission and may 

decrease the receipt of notices from 

PHMSA that data has not been 

submitted. 

PHMSA also suggests that Operator ID 

numbers (internal DOT numbers 

assigned by PHMSA to the operator for 

specific assets) in annual report 

submissions match the same assets 

described in NPMS submissions. 

Operators who choose to follow this 

guidance will use the same Operator ID 

number to describe a pipeline or LNG 

asset in both the annual report and 

NPMS submission beginning with their 

2009 submissions. This does not apply 

to pipeline operators who have 

requested and been assigned only one 

Operator ID number. Synchronizing the 

Operator ID numbers will alleviate 

confusion in identifying operator assets 

and improve PHMSA’s ability to 

accurately describe the pipeline 

operated by a specific pipeline operator. 

The ability to accurately identify and 

track operator physical assets is 

beneficial to PHMSA, pipeline 

operators, and all stakeholders who 

utilize our data, and ultimately helps 

promote pipeline safety. 

Pipeline operators whose NPMS 

submission due date would normally 

fall between October 1, 2008, and 

December 31, 2008, and who choose to 

align their submission dates with 

annual report due dates, may wait to 

submit their 2008 data capture until 

their new submission dates (either 

March 15, 2009 or June 15, 2009). As 

stated above, NPMS submissions will 

reflect the state of the assets on 

December 31, 2008. 

The NPMS processing department 

encourages operators to submit data 

prior to the suggested deadlines. 

Submitting early will speed submission 

processing and provide time for the 

processing department to notify 

operators if a submission is incomplete. 

Submissions for the December 31, 2008, 

data capture will be accepted starting 

January 2, 2009. If operators have no 

change since their previous NPMS 

submission, they may continue to send 

an e-mail to npms-nr@mbakercorp.com 

or use the ‘‘Update your submission 

online’’ tool on the NPMS Web site 

(http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov) in 

lieu of making a submission. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 24, 

2008. 

Jeffrey D. Wiese, 

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. 

[FR Doc. E8–17532 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

[Docket No. PHMSA–2008–0186] 

Pipeline Safety: Voluntary Survey of 

Regulated and Unregulated Low-Stress 

Pipeline Information 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline 

Safety (OPS) is requesting each operator 

of a rural low-stress hazardous liquid 

pipeline to complete a voluntary survey 

to gather information concerning the 

mileage and characteristics of these 

pipelines to assess the costs of 

subjecting rural low-stress pipeline 

mileage to the pipeline safety standards 

and regulations pursuant to the PIPES 

Act. The purpose of this notice is to 

request all operators of LSPs to 

complete the voluntary survey, 

including operators of low-stress 

pipelines that will not be subject to the 

pipeline safety standards and 

regulations until Phase II of the 

rulemaking proceeding. 

DATES: It is requested that the voluntary 

survey be completed by September 15, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: To complete the voluntary 

survey, go to the OPS Online Data Entry 

Web site at http:// 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES