[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 145 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38888-38889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-18614]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Special Programs Administration
[Notice No. 95-9]


Improving the Hazardous Materials Safety Program; Public Meetings 
Related to Regulatory Review and Customer Service

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces five public meetings to seek information 
from the public on regulatory reform and improved customer service for 
RSPA's hazardous materials safety program. This series of meetings is a 
follow-up to the initial series of public outreach meetings held 
earlier this year. Please note that meetings three through five below 
are tentatively scheduled pending approval of FY 1996 funding.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information for specific times, locations, 
and agendas.

DATES: Public meetings will be held as follows:

(1) September 14, 1995, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
(2) September 28, 1995, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(3) October 31, 1995, in Seattle, Washington.
(4) November 2, 1995, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(5) November 16, 1995, in San Diego, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edmund J. Richards, Interagency 
Hazardous Materials Program Coordinator, (202) 366-0656; or Suezett 
Edwards, Training and Information Specialist, (202) 366-4900; Hazardous 
Materials Safety, RSPA, Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 4, 1995, President Clinton issued a 
memorandum to heads of departments and agencies calling for a review of 
all agency regulations and elimination or revision of those that are 
outdated or in need of reform. The President also directed that front 
line regulators ``* * * get out of Washington and create grassroots 
partnerships'' with people affected by agency regulations.
    On September 11, 1993, the President signed an Executive Order on 
setting customer service standards. The Executive Order promotes 
continuing reform of the executive branch's management practices and 
operations to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the 
best service available to the private sector. RSPA is seeking 
information from individuals and businesses impacted by its hazardous 
materials safety program to determine the kind and quality of services 
they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services.
    A series of outreach meetings to address these two topics was held 
earlier this year in San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; 
Clearwater and Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas, and Minneapolis, 
Minnesota. Many participants requested that these meetings be continued 
on a regular basis and scheduled in areas of the country not previously 
covered. RSPA is attempting to be responsive to their requests.

Areas of Regulatory Concern

    In calling on agencies to review, revise, and when necessary, cut 
obsolete regulations, the President directed each agency to consider 
the following issues:
     Is the regulation obsolete?
     Could its intended goal be achieved in more efficient, 
less obtrusive ways?
     Are there better private sector alternatives, such as 
market mechanisms, that can better achieve the public good envisioned 
by the regulation?
     Could private business, setting its own standards and 
being subject to public accountability, do the job as well?
     Could the states or local governments do the job, making 
Federal regulation unnecessary?
     Can certain regulatory provisions be relaxed without 
unduly impacting safety?

Improvements to Customer Service

    At these meetings, RSPA will solicit comments on the kind and 
quality of services its customers want and their level of satisfaction 
with the services currently provided by the hazardous materials safety 
program. RSPA will use the comments received to establish service 
standards and measure results against them; provide choices in both the 
sources of service and the means of delivery; make information, 
services, and complaint systems easily accessible; and provide a means 
to address customer complaints. RSPA's current customer services 
include providing guidance in understanding and complying with the HMR 
and processing exemptions, approvals, registrations, grant applications 
and enforcement actions. Other customer services include conduct of 
multi-modal hazardous materials seminars, operation of the Hazardous 
Materials Information Exchange (HMIX) electronic bulletin board, and 
development and dissemination of training and information materials.

Conduct of Meetings

    The meetings will be informal, intended to produce a dialogue 
between agency personnel and those persons directly affected by the 
hazardous materials safety programs, regulations and customer services. 
The meeting officer may find it necessary to limit the time allocated 
each speaker to ensure that all participants have an opportunity to 
speak. Conversely, a meeting may conclude before the time scheduled if 
all persons wishing to participate have been heard. 

[[Page 38889]]

    All of the public meetings will have an open agenda and will be 
held as follows:
    (1) September 14, 1995, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Cambridge, 
Massachusetts, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Kendall 
Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142 (Enter through main entrance).
    (2) September 28, 1995, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, Federal Reserve Building, 100 N 7th Street (7th and Arch 
Streets), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106.
    (3) October 31, 1995, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Seattle, 
Washington, Jackson Federal Office Building, North Auditorium, 4th 
Floor, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle, Washington, 98174 (Enter on 2nd Ave. 
side of building).
    (4) November 2, 1995, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., in Charlotte, North 
Carolina, (COHMAT Meeting), Holiday Inn Woodlawn, 212 Woodlawn Road, 
Charlotte, North Carolina, 28217.
    (5) November 16, 1995, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in San Diego, 
California, Bahia Resort Hotel (COHMED Meeting), 998 West Mission Bay, 
San Diego, California, 92109.
    The meetings scheduled after October 1, 1995 are subject to the 
approval of FY 1996 program funds. Any changes will be announced in a 
Federal Register notice.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on July 25, 1995.
Alan I. Roberts,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 95-18614 Filed 7-27-95; 8:45 am]
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