[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4218]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 25, 1994]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 1

[ET Docket No. 93-62; DA 94-161]

 

Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of 
Radiofrequency Radiation

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Chief of the Commission's Office of Engineering and 
Technology has granted a 60 day extension for filing reply comments in 
response to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). This extension 
is in response to a motion filed by the Telecommunications Industry 
Association (``TIA''). The additional time will allow for further 
analysis with respect to numerous comments already filed that are 
relevant to the Commission's implementation of new radiofrequency 
exposure guidelines.

DATES: Reply comments are due by April 25, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Cleveland, Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal 
Communications Commission, (202) 653-8169.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. On February 15, 1994, the Mobile Communications Division of the 
Telecommunications Industry Association (``TIA'') filed with the 
Commission a ``Motion for Extension of Time'' in the above-named 
proceeding. TIA has requested that the Commission extend, by a period 
of 60 days, the time for filing reply comments.
    2. The Commission has proposed to incorporate into its rules the 
revised standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 
developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 
(IEEE) and designated IEEE C95.1-1991 (also ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992) for 
human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields.\1\ The deadline 
originally established for filing comments in this proceeding was 
August 13, 1993, and the date for reply comments was September 13, 
1993.
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    \1\See Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET Docket 93-62, 58 FR 
19393 (1993), 8 FCC Rcd 2849 (1993).
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    3. Previously, on August 3, 1993, the Commission granted a request 
filed by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) for an 
extension of time of ninety (90) days for filing comments and reply 
comments.\2\ This action established a new deadline for filing comments 
of November 12, 1993, and a new deadline for filing reply comments of 
December 13, 1993.
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    \2\See Order Extending Time for Comments and Reply Comments, ET 
Docket 93-62, 58 Fed. Reg. 43091 (1993), 8 FCC Rcd 5528 (1993).
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    4. Subsequently, on November 2, 1993, CBS, Inc., (``CBS'') and 
Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., filed a request to extend the comment and 
reply comment deadlines an additional sixty (60) days. The Commission 
approved this request changing the deadlines for filing comments and 
reply comments to January 11, 1994, and February 10, 1994, 
respectively.\3\ On January 3, 1994, CBS filed a request for an 
additional 14 day extension. This was also approved resulting in new 
dates of January 25, 1994, and February 24, 1994, for comments and 
reply comments.\4\
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    \3\See Order Extending Comments and Reply Comments, ET Docket 
93-62, 58 Fed. Reg. 60827 (November 18, 1993).
    \4\See Order Extending Time for Comments and Reply Comments, ET 
Docket 93-62, 59 Fed. Reg. 3050 (January 20, 1994).
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    5. The first extension was granted to allow NAB time to complete a 
study commissioned to develop non-measurement based techniques for 
determining compliance with new guidelines. The second extension was 
granted in response to filings by CBS, Capital Cities, and Hammett and 
Edison, Inc., noting that new information from the NAB study and other 
experimental results relevant to the consequences of the proposed 
guidelines had only recently become available. CBS and Capital Cities 
maintained that additional time was necessary to consider the 
implications of the new data, both to determine whether further study 
was required and to assess the effect that the proposed guidelines will 
have on broadcast operations.
    6. The most recent extension was granted to allow CBS an additional 
14 days to perform measurements and to organize and analyze data that 
is relevant in considering implementation of new guidelines on RF 
induced currents. CBS also requested additional time to facilitate the 
filing of a single set of comments representing the views of itself and 
several other broadcast entities.
    7. The TIA represents manufacturers and suppliers of 
telecommunications equipment used primarily in the cellular, private 
land-mobile radio, cordless radio and personal communications services. 
In the latest request for an extension TIA points out that there have 
been over 1200 pages of comments filed with the Commission to date in 
this proceeding over the approximately nine-month period that was 
ultimately allowed for comments. Therefore, TIA maintains that it would 
not be equitable to allow only a thirty-day period in which to evaluate 
and respond to these comments, especially in view of the complex nature 
of the issues involved.
    8. The Commission does not routinely grant requests for extensions 
of time.\5\ However, we continue to recognize the complexity of the 
issues raised by the new exposure guidelines and the difficulties in 
developing reasonable methods by which compliance can be evaluated. We 
also agree that the many comments filed in this docket to date require 
a more reasonable amount of time for review and response. Therefore, 
the request by TIA for a further extension is justified.
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    \5\47 CFR 1.46 (1991).
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    9. Accordingly, It is Ordered that the deadline for filing reply 
comments Is Extended to April 25, 1994. This action is taken pursuant 
to Sections 4(i) and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. 154(i) and 303, and pursuant to sections 0.31, 0.241 and 1.46 
of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 0.31, 0.241 and 1.46.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas P. Stanley,
Chief Engineer.
[FR Doc. 94-4218 Filed 2-24-94; 8:45 am]
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