[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]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Notice No. 96-13]


Temporary Closure of the Dockets Unit

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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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