[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68702-68703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19232]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0038]


Supplemental Initial Decision That Certain Frontal Driver and 
Passenger Air Bag Inflators Manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. and 
Delphi Automotive Systems LLC, and Vehicles in Which Those Inflators 
Were Installed, Contain a Safety Defect

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Extension of deadline for written submissions.

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SUMMARY: On August 7, 2024, NHTSA received a request to extend the 
period during which manufacturers and any interested person may submit 
written information in response to the agency's Supplemental Initial 
Decision published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2024. The 
original written submission deadline was September 4, 2024. NHTSA is 
extending the deadline to October 4, 2024.

DATES: The written submission deadline related to the Supplemental 
Initial Decision published on August 5, 2024, at 89 FR 63473, is 
extended to October 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written submissions to the docket number 
identified in the heading of this document by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 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: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. Note that all written submissions received will be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion 
below. We will consider all written submissions received before the 
close of business on Friday, October 4, 2024.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
written submissions received, go to https://www.regulations.gov at any 
time or to 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: (202) 366-9826.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 30118(b)(1), NHTSA will 
make a final decision only after providing an opportunity for 
manufacturers and any interested person to present information, views, 
and arguments. DOT posts written submissions submitted by manufacturers 
and interested persons, without edit, including any personal 
information the submitter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as 
described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed at 
www.transportation.gov/privacy.
    Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any 
information under a claim of confidentiality, you must submit your 
request directly to NHTSA's Office of the Chief Counsel. Requests for 
confidentiality are

[[Page 68703]]

governed by 49 CFR part 512. NHTSA is currently treating electronic 
submission as an acceptable method for submitting confidential business 
information (CBI) to the agency under part 512. If you would like to 
submit a request for confidential treatment, you may email your 
submission to Allison Hendrickson in the Office of the Chief Counsel at 
[email protected] or you may contact her for a secure file 
transfer link. At this time, you should not send a duplicate hardcopy 
of your electronic CBI submissions to DOT headquarters. If you claim 
that any of the information or documents provided to the agency 
constitute confidential business information within the meaning of 5 
U.S.C. 552(b)(4), or are protected from disclosure pursuant to 18 
U.S.C. 1905, you must submit supporting information together with the 
materials that are the subject of the confidentiality request, in 
accordance with part 512, to the Office of the Chief Counsel. Your 
request must include a cover letter setting forth the information 
specified in our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR 
512.8) and a certificate, pursuant to Sec.  512.4(b) and part 512, 
appendix A. In addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have 
redacted the claimed confidential business information, to the Docket 
at the address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Hendrickson, Office of the 
Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-2992.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 31, 2024, NHTSA issued a 
Supplemental Initial Decision That Certain Frontal Driver and Passenger 
Air Bag Inflators Manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. and Delphi 
Automotive Systems LLC, and Vehicles in Which Those Inflators Were 
Installed, Contain a Safety Defect pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(a) and 
49 CFR 554.10. 89 FR 63473 (Aug. 5, 2024). More specifically, NHTSA 
confirmed its initial decision of September 5, 2023, at 88 FR 62140, 
that certain air bag inflators manufactured by ARC Automotive Inc. 
(ARC) and Delphi Automotive Systems LLC (Delphi) may rupture when the 
vehicle's air bag is commanded to deploy, causing metal debris to be 
forcefully ejected into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and 
that these rupturing air bag inflators pose an unreasonable risk of 
serious injury or death to vehicle occupants. In accordance with 49 
U.S.C. 30118(b)(1) and 49 CFR 554.10(c)(4), the Supplemental Initial 
Decision provided manufacturers and any interested person an 
opportunity to present information, views, and arguments in response to 
the Supplemental Initial Decision by submitting written information to 
the Agency. The deadline for written submissions in response to the 
Supplemental Initial Decision was September 4, 2024.

Written Submission Deadline Extension Request

    On August 7, 2024, NHTSA received a request from counsel 
representing certain unspecified motor vehicle and motor vehicle 
equipment manufacturers asking NHTSA to extend the period for written 
submissions by 30 days. The request claimed that, to meaningfully 
respond, the manufacturers needed more time to adequately review the 
Supplemental Initial Decision and related materials and prepare their 
analyses. A copy of the extension request and NHTSA's response will be 
added to the public docket.

Extension of Written Submission Deadline

    After consideration of the request, NHTSA has granted the requested 
30-day extension of the deadline to provide written submissions. The 
prior deadline of September 4, 2024 has been extended, and written 
submissions from any interested person are now due before the close of 
business on October 4, 2024.
    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118(a), (b); 49 CFR 554.10; delegations of 
authority at 49 CFR 1.50(a) and 49 CFR 501.8.

Eileen Sullivan,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2024-19232 Filed 8-26-24; 8:45 am]
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