[Federal Register: November 27, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 228)]
[Notices]               
[Page 65634]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27no98-104]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

 
International Standards on the Transport of Dangerous Goods; 
Public Meetings

AGENCY: Research and Special Administration (RSPA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise interested persons that RSPA will 
conduct public meetings in preparation for and to report the results of 
the twentieth session of the United Nation's Committee of Experts on 
the Transport of Dangerous Goods (COE) to be held December 7-16, 1998 
in Geneva, Switzerland.

DATES: December 3, 1998, 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; January 12, 1999, 9:30 
a.m.-1:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting on December 3, 1998 will be held in room 2230-
2232, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
The meeting on January 12, 1998 will be held in room 8236-8240, Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frits Wybenga, International Standards 
Coordinator, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Department of 
Transportation, Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-0656.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary purpose of the first meeting 
will be to prepare for the twentieth session of the COE and to discuss 
U.S. positions on COE proposals. The primary purpose of the second 
meeting will be to provide a briefing on the outcome of the session and 
to prepare for the sixteenth session of the Sub-Committee of Experts on 
the Transport of Dangerous Goods which is scheduled for July 5-16, 1999 
in Geneva, Switzerland. Optics to be covered during the public meetings 
include matters related to restructuring the UN Recommendations on the 
Transport of Dangerous Goods into a model rule including development of 
packing instructions prescribing the types of packagings for specific 
materials, international harmonization of classification criteria and 
labeling, review of intermodal portable tank requirements, review of 
the requirements applicable to small quantities of hazardous materials 
in transport (limited quantities), classification of individual 
substances, primary and subsidiary labeling requirements, restructuring 
the COE to address future global harmonization of classification 
criteria and labeling requirements and the future work program for the 
COE during its 1999-2000 biennium.
    The public is invited to attend without prior notification.

Documents

    Copies of documents submitted to the twentieth session of the COE 
meeting may be obtained from the RSPA Dockets Division (202-366-5046) 
or by downloading them from the United Nations Transport Division's web 
site at http://www.itu.int/itudoc/un/editrans/dgdb/dgscomm.html. This 
site may also be accessed through RSPA's Hazardous Materials Safety 
Homepage at http://hazmat.dot.gov/uncomtdg.htm. A summary of the papers 
and the US positions will be provided at the meetings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 20, 1998.
Alan I. Roberts,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 98-31600 Filed 11-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-M