[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24464-24465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09724]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2013-0035; Notice 1]


Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming 
2011 Thule 3008BL Boat Trailers Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: This document announces receipt by the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 
2011 Thule 3008BL boat trailers that were not originally manufactured 
to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 
(FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because 
they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being 
altered to comply with, all such standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is May 28, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket and notice numbers above 
and be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the

[[Page 24465]]

online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Instructions: Comments must be written in the English language, and 
be no greater than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to 
the length of necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are 
submitted in hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are 
provided. If you wish to receive confirmation that your comments were 
received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the 
comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78).
    How to Read Comments submitted to the Docket: You may read the 
comments received by Docket Management at the address and times given 
above. You may also view the documents from the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. The 
docket ID number and title of this notice are shown at the heading of 
this document notice. Please note that even after the comment closing 
date, we will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it 
becomes available. Further, some people may submit late comments. 
Accordingly, we recommend that you periodically search the Docket for 
new material.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-3151).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B), a motor vehicle, including a 
trailer, that was not originally manufactured to conform to all 
applicable FMVSS, and has no substantially similar U.S.-certified 
counterpart, shall be refused admission into the United States unless 
NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle has safety features that 
comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all 
applicable FMVSS based on destructive test data or such other evidence 
as NHTSA decides to be adequate.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR Part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    US Specs of Havre de Grace, Maryland (Registered Importer 03-321) 
has petitioned NHTSA to decide whether nonconforming 2011 Thule 3008BL 
boat trailers are eligible for importation into the United States. US 
Specs believes these vehicles are capable of being modified to meet all 
applicable FMVSS.
    US Specs submitted information with its petition intended to 
demonstrate that 2011 Thule 3008BL boat trailers are capable of being 
altered to comply with all standards to which they were not originally 
manufactured to conform.
    The petitioner contends that the nonconforming 2011 Thule 3008BL 
boat trailers are capable of being readily altered to meet the 
following standards, in the manner indicated:
    Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated 
Equipment: Installation of conforming tail lamps, license plate lamps, 
rear side marker lamps, front and rear side marker lamps, rear 
identification lamps, and rear clearance lamps, as necessary to achieve 
compliance with the standard.
    Standard No. 119 New Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles other than 
Passenger Cars: installation of tires meeting the vehicle's gross 
vehicle and gross axle weight ratings (GVWR and GAWR) and other 
requirements of the standard if the vehicle is not already so equipped.
    Standard No. 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles Other 
than Passenger Cars: installation of a tire information placard and 
inspection and replacement of any nonconforming rims with ones 
conforming to the standard.
    All comments received before the close of business on the closing 
date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for 
examination in the docket at the above addresses both before and after 
that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the closing 
date will also be considered. Notice of final action on the petition 
will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated below.

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; 
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

    Issued on: April 15, 2013.
Claude H. Harris,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2013-09724 Filed 4-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P