[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 144 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 38798] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-18951] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION [Notice No. 96-13] Temporary Closure of the Dockets Unit AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice announces the temporary closure of RSPA's Dockets Unit, which contains hazardous materials and pipeline safety rulemaking and other dockets. Provision, however, is being made for public access to dockets in which comment periods are open or were recently closed and other dockets of current interest to the public. This closure is due to a cleaning project of the entire Nassif Building. RSPA expects its Dockets Unit to be closed for approximately three weeks starting August 12, 1996. DATES: August 12, 1996 to September 3, 1996 (estimated). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For hazardous materials dockets, Ms. J. Suzanne Hedgepeth, Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Exemptions and Approvals, (202) 366-4535; Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, RSPA, Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590-0001. For pipeline safety dockets, Richard D. Huriaux, Director, Office of Technology and Standards, (202) 366-4565; Office of Pipeline Safety, RSPA, Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590-0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RSPA's Dockets Unit is located on the eighth floor of the Nassif Building, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC. In an effort to improve the indoor air quality in the Nassif Building, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the building's owner have initiated a major cleaning project. This project entails a thorough cleaning of the building on a floor-by-floor basis. During the cleaning of each floor, the floor will be closed to employees and visitors. It is estimated that the cleaning of each floor will take approximately three weeks. During this three-week period, the offices on each floor will be closed and the affected employees will be relocated to another building. Once the cleaning of a floor is complete, employees and visitors may return to that floor. Cleaning of the Nassif Building's eighth floor is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 12, 1996. As a result, RSPA's Dockets Unit is scheduled to be closed for approximately three weeks. Due to the massive volume of documents in the Dockets Unit and the short time period involved, RSPA has decided not to relocate the entire Dockets Unit. RSPA recognizes that this closure will present an inconvenience to the public. Although the public will be prevented from viewing most dockets during the cleaning project on the eighth floor, the public can still submit written comments on a particular rulemaking or exemption application by mailing comments to the Dockets Unit, Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room 8421, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. RSPA is taking steps to reduce the public inconvenience. It will provide public access to those rulemakings dockets in which the comment period will be open during, and those in which the comment will have closed just prior to, the closure of the Dockets Unit. Each of those dockets will be available for public review in an alternate location in the Nassif Building from August 12, 1996, until the Dockets Unit is reopened. The hazardous materials dockets available to the public will be located in Room 5414A of the Nassif Building. These will include HM- 181H (Performance Oriented Packaging Standards), HM-200 (Intrastate Transportation of Hazardous Materials), HM-223 (Applicability of the Hazardous Materials Regulations to Loading, Unloading and Storage), HM- 224 (Temporary Prohibition of Oxygen Generators in Air Commerce) and any new docket opened before the reopening of the Dockets Unit. The pipeline safety dockets available to the public will be located in Room 2335 of the Nassif Building. These will include PS-94 (Qualification of Pipeline Personnel), PS-118 (Excess Flow Valve Performance Standard), PS-118A (Excess Flow Valves--Customer Notification), PS-121 (Pressure Testing of Older Hazardous Liquid Pipelines), PS-140(e) (Areas Unusually Sensitive to Environmental Damage), PS-144 (Risk-Based Alternatives to Pressure Testing Rule), P- 96-8W (CNG Transmission; Petition for Waiver), and any new docket opened before the reopening of the Dockets Unit. Requests for the availability of any other dockets during this period should immediately be made to the contact persons listed above. The public may view these dockets between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except Federal holidays. Issued in Washington, DC on July 19, 1996. Alan I. Roberts, Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety. [FR Doc. 96-18951 Filed 7-24-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P