Notice of Public Information Meeting and Comment Deadline in the Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding for the Replacement of Certain Takata Air Bag Inflators

Topics:  Takata

Mark R. Rosekind
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
September 11, 2015

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 176 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54807-54808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22712]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0055]


Notice of Public Information Meeting and Comment Deadline in the 
Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding for the Replacement of Certain 
Takata Air Bag Inflators

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

ACTION: Notice of public information meeting; notice of comment 
deadline.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA will hold a public information meeting in the 
Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding, including presentation of facts 
established through this proceeding and possible actions that could aid 
in prioritizing, organizing, and phasing the multiple recalls to remedy 
defective Takata air bag inflators pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30120(c)(3) 
and other authority. This notice also sets the comment deadline for 
Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0055.

DATES: The public information meeting will be held beginning at 10:00 
a.m. ET on October 22, 2015, at the U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. If you wish to attend 
the public information meeting, you must register in advance no later 
than October 18, 2015 (and October 15, 2015 for non-U.S. citizens), by 
following the instructions in the PROCEDURAL MATTERS section of this 
notice. Space is limited. NHTSA will consider late registrants to the 
extent space allows, but cannot ensure that all registrants will be 
able to attend the public information meeting.
    To ensure that NHTSA has an opportunity to consider all comments 
regarding a possible Coordinated Remedy Program, NHTSA must receive 
those written comments not later than October 28, 2015, submitted 
following the instructions provided in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the docket number identified in 
the heading of this document by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Regardless of how you submit your comments, you should mention the 
docket number of this document.
    You may call the Docket at 202-366-9324.
    Note that all comments received will be posted without change to 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For registration to attend the public 
information meeting: Carla Bridges, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590 
(Telephone: 202-366-5263) (Fax: 202-366-3820). For meeting procedures: 
Arija Flowers, Office of the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590 
(Telephone: 202-366-5263). Information regarding NHTSA's investigation 
into Takata Air Bag Inflator ruptures is available on NHTSA's Web site 
at: http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/index.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As set forth in the Federal Register notice 
of June 5, 2015 (80 FR 32197), NHTSA has opened a Coordinated Remedy 
Program Proceeding to consider whether and, if so, how to exercise its 
authority under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 
1966, as amended and recodified (the ``Safety Act''), 49 U.S.C. 30101, 
et seq., to mitigate and control the risk of serious injury or death 
due to an air bag inflator rupture, and to ensure that all affected 
vehicles in the United States are equipped with safe air bags as 
quickly as possible, by providing national-level leadership in 
facilitating the prioritization, organization, and phasing of the 
remedy programs of TK Holdings, Inc. (``Takata'') and all vehicle 
manufacturers with the affected air bag inflators. Currently, this 
includes the remedy programs of BMW of North America, LLC (``BMW''), 
FCA US, LLC (``Chrysler''), Daimler Trucks North America (``DTNA''), 
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (``Daimler Vans''), Ford Motor Company 
(``Ford''), General Motors, LLC (``GM''), American Honda Motor Company 
(``Honda''), Mazda North American Operations (``Mazda''), Mitsubishi 
Motors North America, Inc. (``Mitsubishi''), Nissan North America, Inc. 
(``Nissan''), Subaru of America, Inc. (``Subaru''), and Toyota Motor 
Engineering and Manufacturing (``Toyota'').\1\
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    \1\ In the Federal Register notice published June 5, 2015 (80 FR 
32197), that opened the Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding, 
Mercedes-Benz, LLC-DBA Sprinter (``M-B Sprinter'') (as to Sprinter 
Vans only) was listed as an affected vehicle manufacturer. However, 
the affected M-B Sprinter vehicles are being recalled by Daimler 
Vans. Similarly, based on relationships of companies and products, 
DTNA is working with Chrysler to carry out the recalls of the DTNA 
trucks.
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    Based on information obtained through the Coordinated Remedy 
Program Proceeding, NHTSA may issue one or more administrative orders 
that would coordinate remedy programs associated with defective Takata 
air bag inflators. 49 U.S.C. 30120(c)(3); 49 CFR 573.14. Coordination 
of the remedy programs may include ``acceleration,'' prioritization, 
organization, and/or phasing of some or all such air bag inflator 
remedy programs to ensure that defective vehicles and equipment are 
recalled and remedied. 49 U.S.C. 30118-30120; 49 CFR 573, 577. It may 
further include, among other things, coordination as to air bag 
inflator sourcing, production, allocation, delivery, installation, and 
adequacy of the remedy. 49 U.S.C. 30120(c)(3); 49 CFR 573.14.
    NHTSA has decided to hold a public information meeting on facts 
established through the Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding, analyses 
being conducted by industry and NHTSA, separately and cooperatively, 
and possible actions that could aid in prioritizing, organizing, and 
phasing the multiple recalls to remedy defective Takata air bag 
inflators pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30120(c)(3) and other authority. This 
may include, among other things, information on supply challenges of

[[Page 54808]]

multiple manufacturers implementing recalls of the same or 
substantially similar parts simultaneously; risk factors that support 
prioritizing certain vehicles for remedy; efforts at maximizing recall 
completion rates to achieve NHTSA's goal of one-hundred percent remedy 
rates both in high-priority vehicles and nation-wide; and addressing 
specific questions and concerns consumers may have about how such a 
coordinated remedy program would work. NHTSA anticipates that 
information will be provided in presentations by NHTSA personnel and 
vehicle manufacturers, and that inflator suppliers and organizations 
conducting inflator testing may also present information relevant to 
the investigation into the defective Takata air bag inflators and to 
the Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding.
    NHTSA has determined that given the importance of the subject 
matter and of public education on this significant defect and recall, 
it is appropriate to hold a public information meeting to provide 
updated information relevant to NHTSA's decision-making process in the 
Coordinated Remedy Program Proceeding.
    Any interested person may provide written comments regarding a 
possible Coordinated Remedy Program, including questions or factors the 
individual believes NHTSA should consider in deciding whether, and if 
so how, NHTSA should exercise its authority under the Safety Act. 
Comments must be submitted by October 28, 2015, following the 
directions in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    Procedural Matters: Persons wishing to attend the public 
information meeting must register by contacting Carla Bridges, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, (Telephone: 202-366-5263) (Fax: 202-366-3820), 
before the close of business on October 18, 2015 (and October 15, 2015 
for non-U.S. citizens). Each person wishing to attend must provide his 
or her name and country of citizenship. Non-U.S. citizens must also 
provide date of birth, title or position, and passport or diplomatic ID 
number, along with expiration date.
    For security purposes, photo identification is required to enter 
the U.S. Department of Transportation building. To allow sufficient 
time to clear security and enter the building, NHTSA recommends that 
meeting participants arrive 30 to 60 minutes prior to the start of the 
public information meeting.
    The meeting will be held at a site accessible to individuals with 
disabilities. Individuals who require accommodations, such as sign 
language interpreters, should contact Ms. Arija Flowers using the 
contact information in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
above no later than October 14, 2015. A transcript of the proceedings 
will be placed in the docket for this notice at a later date.
    Persons who wish to file written comments should submit them so 
that they are received by NHTSA no later than October 28, 2015, 
following the submission instructions provided in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30101, et seq., 30118-30120, 30120(c)(3); 
49 CFR 573, 577; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95(a), 
501.2(a)(1).

    Issued: September 3, 2015.
Mark R. Rosekind,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-22712 Filed 9-10-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P