[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 62318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29576]




  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 5, 1995 / 
Proposed Rules  
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[[Page 62318]]


DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Parts 475, 476, and 478


Removal of Obsolete Regulations

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy is proposing to amend the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) to remove obsolete regulations relating to 
defunct programs of financial assistance for electric and hybrid 
vehicle research and methane transportation research. This action is 
being taken in response to the President's Regulatory Reinvention 
Initiative to eliminate obsolete regulations and streamline existing 
rules.

DATES: Comments on this proposed rule must be received in writing by 
January 4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to Mr. Romulo L. Diaz, 
Jr., Director, Rulemaking Support, Office of the General Counsel, (GC-
75), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-2902.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Romulo L. Diaz, Jr., Director, 
Rulemaking Support, Office of the General Counsel, (GC-75), U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-2902.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In connection with the President's 
Regulatory Reinvention Initiative, the Department of Energy is engaged 
in a continuing and comprehensive review of its regulatory program. As 
part of that review, the Department is removing from Title 10 of the 
CFR regulations for which statutory authority has expired or has been 
superseded by subsequent legislation, and other regulations governing 
nonfunctioning and unfunded programs. As a result of this proposed 
action and prior actions, the Department will have reduced its pages in 
the CFR by 514 pages.
    The Department is proposing to remove from the CFR the following 
regulations, which it has determined to be obsolete:

10 CFR Part 475--Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and 
Demonstration Program

    The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and 
Demonstration Act of 1976, 15 U.S.C. 2501 et seq., authorized the 
Department to support research, development and demonstration of 
electric and hybrid vehicle technologies. Part 475 contains performance 
standards for electric vehicles which DOE developed for purposes of the 
demonstration program. The demonstration period extended, by law, 
through fiscal year 1986. 15 U.S.C. 2506(c)(3). Because the 
demonstration program has ended, these regulations are obsolete.

10 CFR Part 476--Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and 
Demonstration Program Small Business Planning Grants

    Section 9 of the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development 
and Demonstration Act of 1976, 15 U.S.C. 2508(c)(2), authorized the 
Department to make grants to qualified small businesses that needed 
assistance in developing and submitting proposals for contracts. Part 
476 contains regulations implementing the Act's provision for these 
small business planning grants. Congress has not appropriated funds for 
this program for the past 15 years. DOE does not expect the program to 
be revived.

10 CFR Part 478--Methane Transportation Research and Development; 
Review and Certification of Contracts, Grants, Cooperative Agreements 
and Projects

    Part 478 provides procedures for grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements to support research and development for methane-fueled 
vehicles. The regulations implement section 4(d) of the Methane 
Transportation Research, Development, and Demonstration Act. 15 U.S.C. 
3801 et seq. The Department has not requested, and Congress has not 
provided, funds for this program for many years. The Department has no 
plans to seek revival of this program, and it considers these 
regulations to be obsolete.
    The Department of Energy is publishing, elsewhere in this issue, a 
direct final rule, to remove these CFR parts. As explained in the 
preamble for the direct final rule, the Department considers this 
removal action to be uncontroversial and unlikely to generate 
significant adverse or critical comments. If no significant adverse 
comments are received by the Department, the direct final rule will 
become effective on January 16, 1996, and there will be no further 
action on this proposal. If such comments are received, the direct 
final rule will be withdrawn for those parts that are the subject of 
significant adverse comments. The public comments then will be 
addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. The 
Department will not institute a second comment period on this action.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 29, 1995.
Robert R. Nordhaus,
General Counsel.

PARTS 475, 476, 478--[REMOVED]

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, under the authority of 
42 U.S.C 7101, Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations is proposed 
to be amended by removing parts 475, 476, and 478.
[FR Doc. 95-29576 Filed 12-4-95; 8:45 am]
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