[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 28 (Friday, February 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7247-7248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2732]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Public Meeting Concerning Petition Requesting Ban of All-Terrain 
Vehicles Sold for Use of Children Under 16 Years Old

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (``CPSC'' or 
``Commission'') will conduct a public meeting on March 22, 2005 to 
receive comments concerning Petition CP 02-4/HP-02-1, which requested 
that the Commission issue a rule banning adult-size four wheel all 
terrain vehicles (``ATVS'') sold for the use of children under 16 years 
old. The CPSC staff's briefing package recommends that the Commission 
deny the petition. The Commission invites oral presentations from 
members of the public with information or comments related to the 
petition or the staff's briefing package. The Commission will consider 
these presentations as it decides what action to take on the petition.

DATES: The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on March 22, 2005. Requests to 
make oral presentations, and 10 copies of the text of the presentation, 
must be received by the CPSC Office of the Secretary no later than 
March 15, 2005. Persons making presentations at the meeting should 
provide an additional 25 copies for dissemination on the date of the 
meeting.
    The Commission reserves the right to limit the number of persons 
who make presentations and the duration of their presentations. To 
prevent duplicative presentations, groups will be directed to designate 
a spokesperson.
    Written submissions, in addition to, or instead of, an oral 
presentation may be sent to the address listed below and will be 
accepted until April 22, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be in room 420 of the Bethesda Towers 
Building, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD. Requests to make oral 
presentations, and texts of oral presentations should be captioned 
``ATV Petition Briefing'' and submitted by e-mail to [email protected]. 
Requests and texts of oral presentations may also be submitted by 
facsimile to (301) 504-0127 or mailed to the Office of the Secretary, 
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207, or delivered 
to that office, room 502, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 
20814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the purpose or

[[Page 7248]]

subject matter of this meeting contact Elizabeth Leland, Directorate 
for Economic Analysis, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 
Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-7706; e-mail: 
[email protected]. For information about the schedule for submission of 
requests to make oral presentations and submission of texts of oral 
presentations, contact Rockelle Hammond, Office of the Secretary, 
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone 
(301) 504-6833; fax (301) 504-0127; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    In August 2002, the Commission received correspondence from the 
Consumer Federation of America (``CFA'') and eight other groups 
requesting several actions concerning ATVs. The Commission docketed 
their request that the Commission ban adult-size four wheel ATVs sold 
for the use of children under 16 years old as a petition. The 
petitioners assert that such ATVs pose an unreasonable risk of injury 
and death to children.
    The Commission published a notice in the Federal Register on 
October 18, 2002, requesting comments on the petition. 67 FR 64353. The 
Commission extended the comment period 60 days. 67 FR 78776. The 
Commission received a total of 78 comments in response to these Federal 
Register notices. In addition, the Commission held a public hearing in 
Morgantown, West Virginia on June 5, 2003, and the Chairman of the 
Commission conducted one public hearing in Anchorage, Alaska on July 8, 
2003 and another in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 6, 2003. 
Presenters at these hearings discussed their opinions about the 
petition as well as other issues concerning ATVs.
    The staff reviewed the petition, comments and other relevant 
available information. The staff then forwarded a briefing package to 
the Commission, which is available on the Commission's Web site http://
www.cpsc.gov or from the Commission's Office of the Secretary. The 
staff recommends that the Commission deny the petition. The staff 
concludes that the effectiveness of the ban requested by petitioners 
would likely be limited for the following reasons. A sales ban would 
primarily address how ATVs are sold, rather than how they are used 
after they are purchased, and is likely to have limited effect on 
deaths and injuries. CPSC does not have the authority to regulate how 
consumers use a product. Under current ATV Voluntary Action Plans, 
major distributors already prohibit their dealers from selling adult-
size ATVs for the use of children. Also, numerous hangtags and warnings 
on ATVs inform consumers that adult-size ATVs are not intended for 
children. It is uncertain that a ban of the type petitioners request 
could have any greater impact than these existing measures.

B. The Public Meeting

    The purpose of the public meeting is to provide a forum for oral 
presentations on the ATV petition and the CPSC staff briefing package.
    Participation in the meeting is open. See the DATES section of this 
notice for information on making requests to give oral presentations at 
the meeting and on making written submissions.

    Dated: February 8, 2005.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-2732 Filed 2-10-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P