[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 227 (Monday, November 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58434-58435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28813]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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 meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting in Long Beach, 
California, to seek information from the public on regulatory reform 
and improved customer service for RSPA's hazardous materials safety 
program. This meeting replaces the meeting previously scheduled for 
November 16, 1995, in San Diego, California, which was canceled due to 
a lapse in funding for the Department of Transportation.
ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information for specific time, location, 
and agenda.
DATES: January 25, 1996.

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outdated or in need of reform.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 in 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.
    An initial series of outreach meetings to address these two topics 
was held in April and May of this year in San Francisco, California; 
Chicago, Illinois; Clearwater and Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas, and 
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Many participants requested that these meeting 
be continued on a regular basis and scheduled in areas of the country 
not previously covered. As a result, a second series of meetings is 
being held. Meetings have been held in Cambridge, Massachusetts; 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; and Charlotte, North 
Carolina. The meeting to be held in Long Beach, California, will 
complete the second series.
Areas of Regulatory Concern
    In calling on agencies to review, revise, and, when necessary, cut 
obsolete regulations, the President

[[Page 58435]]

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 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 doe the job, making 
Federal regulation unnecessary?
     Can certain regulatory provisions be relaxed without 
unduly impacting safety?

Improvements to Customer Service

    At the meeting, 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 
multimodal 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 the Meeting

    The meeting will be informal and is 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, the meeting may conclude before the time scheduled 
if all persons wishing to participate have been heard.
    The meeting will be held on January 25, 1996, from 9:00 a.m. to 
4:00 p.m. in the 7th Floor Conference Room of the Glenn Anderson 
Federal Building (11th Coast Guard District), 501 West Ocean Boulevard, 
Long Beach, California. A picture ID may be required to enter the 
building.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on November 20, 1995.
Alan I. Roberts,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 95-28813 Filed 11-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-M