13626 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices

Over 75 percent of the 646 consumer

survey participants were unaware of the

existence of the AALA labels. Many

participants who did read the label said

they used the country-of-assembly

information, but none said they used the

numerical U.S./Canadian parts content

score or the engine/transmission

information. Overall U.S./Canadian

parts content in new cars and light

trucks dropped from 70 percent in

model year 1995 to 67.6 percent in

1998; however, it increased from 47 to

59 percent in transplants while

dropping from 89 to 84 percent in Big

3 vehicles.

How can I influence NHTSA’s thinking

on this evaluation?

NHTSA welcomes public review of

the technical report and invites

reviewers to submit comments about the

data and the statistical methods used in

the analyses. NHTSA will submit to the

Docket a response to the comments and,

if appropriate, additional analyses that

update, supplement or revise the

technical report.

The agency is especially interested in

learning of any additional data or

information on the following topics:

• Measures that could make the labels

more widely known, more convenient,

easier to understand or more influential

for consumers, or less costly to produce.

• Evidence that consumers are aware

of and/or influenced by the labels, or

related information.

• Evidence that the labels, or related

data, have been used as a marketing,

advertising, or public-information tool

by manufacturers, dealers, or any other

organizations.

• Evidence that the labels, or related

considerations have influenced

decisions on where to manufacture or

purchase parts, or to assemble vehicles.

• Factors that have influenced the

trends in U.S./Canadian parts content

before, during and after the 1994–98

period studied in the report.

How do I prepare and submit

comments?

Your comments must be written and

in English. To ensure that your

comments are correctly filed in the

Docket, please include the Docket

number of this document (NHTSA–

2001–9023) in your comments.

Your primary comments must not be

more than 15 pages long (49 CFR

553.21). However, you may attach

additional documents to your primary

comments. There is no limit on the

length of the attachments.

Please send two paper copies of your

comments to Docket Management or

submit them electronically. The mailing

address is U. S. Department of

Transportation Docket Management,

Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590. If you submit

your comments electronically, log onto

the Dockets Management System

website at http://dms.dot.gov and click

on ‘‘Help & Information’’ or ‘‘Help/Info’’

to obtain instructions.

We also request, but do not require

you to send a copy to Charles J. Kahane,

Chief, Evaluation Division, NPP–22,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 5208, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590 (alternatively, FAX to 202–366–

2559 or e-mail to

ckahane@nhtsa.dot.gov). He can check

if your comments have been received at

the Docket and he can expedite their

review by NHTSA.

How can I be sure that my comments

were received?

If you wish Docket Management to

notify you upon its receipt of your

comments, enclose a self-addressed,

stamped postcard in the envelope

containing your comments. Upon

receiving your comments, Docket

Management will return the postcard by

mail.

How do I submit confidential business

information?

If you wish to submit any information

under a claim of confidentiality, send

three copies of your complete

submission, including the information

you claim to be confidential business

information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC–

01, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 5219, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Include a cover letter supplying

the information specified in our

confidential business information

regulation (49 CFR Part 512).

In addition, send two copies from

which you have deleted the claimed

confidential business information to

Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590, or submit them electronically.

Will the agency consider late

comments?

In our response, we will consider all

comments that Docket Management

receives before the close of business on

the comment closing date indicated

above under DATES. To the extent

possible, we will also consider

comments that Docket Management

receives after that date.

Please note that even after the

comment closing date, we will continue

to file relevant information in the

Docket as it becomes available. Further,

some people may submit late comments.

Accordingly, we recommend that you

periodically check the Docket for new

material.

How can I read the comments

submitted by other people?

You may read the comments by

visiting Docket Management in person

at Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC from 10:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You may also see the comments on

the Internet by taking the following

steps:

• Go to the Docket Management

System (DMS) Web page of the

Department of Transportation (http://

dms.dot.gov).

• On that page, click on ‘‘search.’’

• On the next page ((http://

dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the fourdigit Docket number shown at the

beginning of this Notice (6545). Click on

‘‘search.’’

• On the next page, which contains

Docket summary information for the

Docket you selected, click on the

desired comments. You may also

download the comments.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168;

delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and

501.8.

William H. Walsh,

Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy.

[FR Doc. 01–5392 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs

Administration

[Docket No. RSPA–01–8587;

Notice No. 01–06]

Hazardous Materials Safety: Public

Meeting Related to Customer Service

and Regulatory Review

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: RSPA will hold a public

meeting to seek information from the

public on improving safety, reducing

costs (especially to small businesses),

and increasing customer service through

RSPA’s management of the national

hazardous materials transportation

safety program. This meeting is being

held in conjunction with a Hazardous

Materials Multimodal Training Seminar

sponsored by RSPA on March 27 and

28, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be

held at the Sheraton North Charleston

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices 13627

Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, North

Charleston, South Carolina 29406 (843–

747–1900). For information on facilities

or services for individuals with

disabilities or to request special

assistance at the meetings, contact

Eileen Edmonson at the address or

telephone number listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT as soon

as possible.

DATES: The public meeting will be held

on Wednesday, March 28, 2001, 1:00

p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; however, the meeting

may end prior to 4:00 p.m., depending

on public interest.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eileen Edmonson, Office of Hazardous

Materials Standards, RSPA, Department

of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001.

Telephone 202–366–8553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Focus on Issues of Interest to Affected

Parties

RSPA (we) is interested in soliciting

comments on the kind and quality of

services our customers want and their

level of satisfaction with the services we

currently provide to promote

understanding of and compliance with

the Hazardous Materials Regulations

(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171–180). These

services include the following:

(1) Hazardous Materials Information

Center (HMIC). A staff of three persons

is available from Monday to Friday

(except federal holidays) between 9:00

a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST to address

telephone inquiries from shippers,

carriers, packaging manufacturers, and

other persons concerning requirements

in the HMR for the safe transportation

of hazardous materials. In 2000, the

HMIC handled more than 33,000 calls.

The toll-free number is 1–800–HMR–

4922.

(2) Internet access. Our site on the

worldwide web (http://hazmat.dot.gov)

provides information concerning

hazardous materials rulemakings,

exemptions, letters of clarification,

international activities, incident data,

the 2000 Emergency Response

Guidebook, and much more.

(3) Fax on demand. For persons who

do not have access to the Internet, we

operate an automated fax-back system

that allows callers access to more than

600 pages of informational materials,

including letters of clarification and

recently published rulemakings,

through their own fax machines. A

facsimile copy of the catalog of available

documents may be obtained by

accessing the fax-on-demand feature

through our HMIC number 1–800–

HMR–4922.

(4) Training. To promote compliance

with the HMR, we distribute brochures,

charts, publications, training materials,

videotapes, and other safety-related

information to hazmat employers and

hazmat employees in the private and

government sectors and to the general

public. We also offer hazardous

materials training to federal, state, and

local enforcement agencies, industry,

and emergency response personnel. In

addition, we provide personal

computer-based self-study programs

through a CD–ROM modular training

series.

(5) Government-Industry

partnerships. To the extent resources

permit, we participate in meetings,

conferences, training workshops, and

the like, sponsored by the public sector,

industry, and international

organizations having an interest in the

safe transportation of hazardous

materials.

Regulations and Administrative

Procedures

On January 12, 2001, we published a

notice of regulatory review (Docket No.

RSPA–01–8587, 66 FR 2870) requesting

comments on the economic impact of

the HMR on small entities. This year we

are analyzing rules in 49 CFR parts 174,

Carriage by Rail, and 177, Carriage by

Public Highway. We are inviting

participants to take this opportunity to

suggest whether or not we, in an effort

to lessen the impact on small entities,

should revise or revoke specific rules.

We are also interested in receiving

comments on the quality of our

processing of written requests for

information, applications for

exemptions and approvals, registration

statements, and other administrative

actions. Participants are encouraged to

provide suggestions on how we can

improve our performance in processing

these administrative actions.

We welcome all comments on ways to

improve the understanding of and

compliance with the HMR, including

removal of obsolete requirements,

revisions to conflicting or confusing

requirements, and the use of plain

language. We will also address inquiries

concerning new or proposed

requirements, including recently

published actions concerning:

• Proposed revisions for infectious

substances and genetically modified

materials to: (1) Adopt new

classification criteria for infectious

substances based on defining criteria

developed by the World Health

Organization and consistent with

international transportation standards;

(2) eliminate the current exception for

diagnostic specimens and impose new

packaging and hazardous

communication requirements; (3) limit

the current exception for biological

products to biological products licensed

for use by the Food and Drug

Administration or U.S. Department of

Agriculture; (4) adopt new requirements

for the transportation of genetically

modified micro-organisms consistent

with international requirements; and (5)

provide new bulk packaging options for

the transportation of regulated medical

waste, based on current exemption

provisions (Docket No. RSPA–98–3971,

66 FR 6942, January 22, 2001).

• Harmonization of the HMR

requirements with standards published

in the United Nations

Recommendations on the Transport of

Dangerous Goods, the International

Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, and

the International Civil Aviation

Organization’s Technical Instructions

for the Safe Transport of Dangerous

Goods by Air (Docket No. RSPA–2000–

7702; 65 FR 63294, October 23, 2000).

Representatives from the United

States Coast Guard, Federal Aviation

Administration, Federal Railroad

Administration, and Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration will

participate with RSPA in this public

meeting to address mode-specific issues.

Conduct of the Meeting

This is an informal meeting intended

to foster a dialogue between agency

personnel and persons affected by the

hazardous materials transportation

safety program. The presiding official

may find it necessary to limit the time

available to each person to ensure that

all participants have an opportunity to

speak. Conversely, this meeting may

conclude earlier than 4 p.m. if all

persons wishing to participate have

been heard. While there will be no

transcript of the meeting, RSPA will

prepare a written summary and post it

in this notice’s docket (RSPA–01–8587).

Persons interested in participating in

this public meeting need not be

registered for the Hazardous Materials

Multimodal Training Seminar.

Robert A. McGuire,

Associate Administrator for Hazardous

Materials Safety, Research and Special

Programs Administration.

[FR Doc. 01–5297 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P