Standard Time Zone Boundary in Southwest Indiana, 44466-44469 [07-3864]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 8, 2007 / Proposed Rules
newspapers, or applicants for licenses. As
noted above, we invite small business
entities to comment in response to the
Second FNPRM.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
E. Steps Taken To Minimize Significant
Impact on Small Entities, and Significant
Alternatives Considered
49 CFR Part 71
Office of the Secretary
[OST Docket No. 2007–28746]
11. The RFA requires an agency to describe
any significant alternatives that it has
considered in reaching its proposed
approach, which may include the following
four alternatives (among others): (1) The
establishment of differing compliance or
reporting requirements or timetables that take
into account the resources available to small
entities; (2) the clarification, consolidation,
or simplification of compliance or reporting
requirements under the rule for small
entities; (3) the use of performance, rather
than design, standards; and (4) an exemption
from coverage of the rule, or any part thereof,
for small entities.24
12. We are directed under law to describe
any alternatives we consider, including
alternatives not explicitly listed above.25 The
Second FNPRM describes and seeks
comment on the minority ownership
proposals made by MMTC in comments in
the 2002 biennial ownership proceeding, as
well as the recommendations of the Diversity
Committee, and consolidates the record
developed in MB Docket No. 04–228 with the
record in MB Docket Nos. 06–121, et al. The
proposals are intended to promote minority
and female ownership, and we seek comment
on the extent to which they would benefit
small businesses, including those owned by
minorities and women. We especially
encourage small entities to comment on the
proposals under consideration in this
consolidated proceeding. We do not propose
specific rules in the Second FNRPM but
rather seek comment on a number of different
proposals that could have an impact on small
entities. Accordingly, we will describe the
steps taken to minimize the significant
impact on small entities and the significant
alternatives that we consider in the Final
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis.
F. Federal Rules That May Duplicate,
Overlap, or Conflict With the Proposed
Rules
None.
[FR Doc. E7–15456 Filed 8–7–07; 8:45 am]
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24 5
25 5
U.S.C. 603(c).
U.S.C. 603(b).
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RIN 2105–AD71
Standard Time Zone Boundary in
Southwest Indiana
Department of Transportation
(DOT), Office of the Secretary (OST).
ACTION: Supplemental notice of
proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: DOT is providing notice of a
petition from the Board of
Commissioners in Perry County, IN, to
change the time zone boundary for the
County from the Central Time Zone to
the Eastern Time Zone, and DOT’s
request for additional information from
Perry County to aid in its determination
of whether this change would serve the
convenience of commerce, the statutory
standard for a time zone change. Other
persons supporting or opposing the
change to Perry County’s time zone
boundary are also requested to provide
comment. The final rule will be based
on all of the information received
during the entire rulemaking proceeding
and whether the statutory standard has
been met.
DATES: Comments should be received by
August 31, 2007, to be assured of
consideration. Comments received after
that date will be considered to the
extent practicable. If the time zone
boundary is changed as a result of this
rulemaking, the effective date would be
November 4, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• Web site: https://dms.dot.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting
comments on the DOT electronic docket
site.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590–001.
• Hand Delivery: Room W12–140 on
the plaza level of the U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal Holidays.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
General Instructions: All submissions
must include the agency name and
docket number (OST Docket Number
2007–28746) or Regulatory
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Identification Number (RIN 2105–AD71)
for this rulemaking. Note that all
comments received will be posted
without change (including any personal
information provided) to https://
dms.dot.gov. Please refer to the Privacy
Act heading under Regulatory Notices.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room
W12–140 on the plaza level of the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Judith S. Kaleta, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
indianatime@dot.gov, (202) 493–0992.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Knox,
Daviess, Martin, Pike, and Dubois
Counties (the Petitioning Counties) and
Perry County were six of eight counties
that moved from the Eastern Time Zone
to the Central Time Zone under DOT’s
January 2006 final rule to establish a
standard time zone boundary in Indiana
(71 FR 3228). On July 19, 2007, DOT
published a notice of proposed
rulemaking in the Federal Register (72
FR 39593) finding that, based on a Joint
Petition filed by the Petitioning
Counties and three Supplemental
Responses, the Petitioning Counties
provided enough information to justify
proposing to change their boundary
from the Central Time Zone to the
Eastern Time Zone.
Under our normal procedures, we do
not take action unless a county makes
a clear showing that the proposed
change of time zone would meet the
statutory standard. However, as we
noted in our previous rulemaking on
time zone boundary changes in Indiana,
this has been an unusual case because
of the number of counties involved,
their relationship to each other and to
other neighboring counties, and the
circumstances leading up to the
petitions. Perry County is located in
southwest Indiana, is contiguous to the
Petitioning Counties, and had its time
zone changed at the same time as the
Petitioning Counties. Therefore, DOT
asked for comments with regard to Perry
County in the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking concerning standard time
zone boundary in Southwest Indiana
published in the Federal Register on
July 19, 2007. DOT stated, ‘‘We also
understand that this proposal may have
an impact on surrounding Counties,
particularly Perry County which
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changed time zone boundaries at the
same time as the Petitioning Counties
* * *. Our decision in the final rule
will be made on the basis of information
and comments developed during the
entire rulemaking proceeding.’’ DOT
specifically requested comment on
whether the proposed change would
serve the convenience of commerce, the
statutory standard for a time zone
change, and whether the time zone
boundary should be changed for other
contiguous counties in southwestern
Indiana.
At the time of the NPRM, DOT was
unaware that, on June 1, 2007, Perry
County submitted a Petition (2007 Perry
County Petition) (OST 2007–28746–654)
for a time zone boundary change back
to the Eastern Time Zone. DOT has now
reviewed the 2007 Perry County Petition
and the exhibits attached to it. As set
forth below, the 2007 Perry County
Petition addresses all of the factors that
we consider in these proceedings.
However, on July 31, 2007, DOT wrote
to Perry County requesting additional
information to justify that changing back
Perry County to the Eastern Time Zone
would serve the convenience of
commerce. DOT has summarized below
the petition Perry County filed in
support of its request to change to the
Central Time Zone (the 2005 Perry
County Petition), the 2007 Perry County
Petition, and DOT’s questions on the
information submitted by Perry County.
DOT seeks comments on the
justification provided by Perry County
and responsive information to its
questions.
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2005 and 2007 Perry County Petitions
and DOT’s Questions
Community Imports and Exports
The 2005 Perry County Petition to
move from the Eastern Time Zone to the
Central Time Zone stated that the
primary employers in the county supply
products to customers located
throughout North America although
most of the customer base is located in
the Midwest or the South. In addition,
it noted that Perry County’s newer
employers are considered ‘‘just-in-time’’
suppliers to the automotive industry
which require a location less than a
day’s distance from their respective
customers.
In lieu of answering the question on
community imports and exports with an
overview or analysis of the matter, the
2007 Perry County Petition summarizes
and attaches 16 letters from businesses,
schools, a hospital, and individuals.
According to the 2007 Perry County
Petition, the letters express ‘‘a desire to
change to the Eastern Time Zone’’
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because business conducted on Eastern
time and difference in time zones
‘‘causes operating challenges on a daily
basis.’’ The 2007 Perry County Petition
notes that ‘‘businesses in Perry County
have in effect lost four hours of each day
that they can deal with customers and
suppliers from the Eastern Time Zone:
One hour in the morning, two hours at
lunch, and one hour at the end of the
day.’’ In further support of the Eastern
Time Zone request, the 2007 Perry
County Petition specifically references
three diverse businesses: The Southern
Indiana Rural Electric Cooperatives,
which would be the only Hoosier
Energy Power Network out of 17 that
would be in the Central Time Zone and
claims metering and billing problems;
Kleeman Masonary, Inc, which usually
travels east in its construction business;
and Perry County Memorial Hospital,
which has difficulties dealing with
insurance companies in the Eastern
Time Zone.
While the 2007 Perry County Petition
claims the 16 letters attached to it are
from businesses and schools, DOT notes
that two of the letters were written on
business letterhead but merely provide
a preference for a time zone without any
justification. Another letter states that it
is ‘‘more cumbersome’’ to be on a
different time zone, but provides no
explanation. Similarly, the 2007 Perry
County Petition states that the Perry
County Chamber of Commerce has
informed the Perry County
Commissioners that ‘‘there are 386 total
employers located in Perry County’’ and
that 41% of businesses have expressed
a preference for the Central Time Zone.
The 2007 Perry County Petition does not
provide the reasons for the
‘‘preference.’’
In order to assess the impact of a time
zone change on businesses, DOT
requests comments on the time zone
impact on businesses in the County and
the reasons for the time zone
preferences expressed by Perry County
businesses.
Television and Radio Broadcasts
With regard to television broadcasts,
the 2005 Perry County Petition stated
that the County was ‘‘located within the
Area of Dominant Influence for the
Evansville, Indiana television market.’’
The 2005 Perry County Petition also
stated that Perry County ‘‘receives cable
and over-the-air broadcasts from the
Louisville, Kentucky market as well.’’
The 2007 Perry County Petition makes
the same statements concerning
television broadcasts.
With regard to radio broadcasts, the
2005 Perry County Petition stated that
the ‘‘majority of the stations serving
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Perry County are located either in the
Central Daylight Saving or Eastern
Standard time zones.’’ The 2007 Perry
County Petition elaborates on its earlier
submission by providing a list of AM
and FM radio signals for five cities
within the County based on information
from radio-locator.com. As the 2007
Perry County Petition notes, residents in
the northern part of the County receive
radio signals from the Eastern Time
Zone while residents in the southern
part of the County receive radio signals
from the Central Time Zone. While the
Perry County Petition provides radio
signal information for five cities, it does
not provide any information about the
population of those cities.
In order to assess the impact of a time
zone change on television and radio
broadcasts, DOT seeks comments on
this issue generally and particularly
requests population data for Bristow,
Cannelton, Leopold, St. Croix, and Tell
City, in Perry County.
Newspapers
The 2005 Perry County Petition
stated, ‘‘The primary daily newspaper
that serves Perry County is the
Evansville Courier & Press’’ in the
Central Time Zone and that the local
county newspaper, which publishes
editions twice per week, also operates a
printing plant that prints weekly
newspapers for two Central Time Zone
communities. On the other hand, the
2005 Perry County Petition also noted
that the Louisville Courier & Journal,
from the Eastern Time Zone, maintains
drop boxes for the Sunday edition at
several area convenience stores. Daily
service, however, is unavailable.
The 2007 Perry County Petition
provides more detailed information on
newspaper use within the County. First,
the 2007 Perry County Petition now
asserts that Perry County residents
‘‘primarily’’ receive their news from the
local newspaper, The Perry County
News, which is published twice a week.
Second, it includes circulation numbers
for the Evansville Courier & Press.
According to the 2007 Perry County
Petition, there are 1,901 weekday
subscriptions and 2,271 Sunday
subscriptions. While this is consistent
with Perry County’s original request for
the Central Time Zone, the 2007 Perry
County Petition claims that the
subscriptions support the Eastern Time
Zone because the population base is in
excess of 18,000. Third, it notes that the
Indianapolis Star has a very small
circulation in the County.
With regard to newspaper publishing,
DOT seeks comment on this issue
generally and is also interested in the
number of subscriptions of The Perry
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County News and the Indianapolis Star;
the total number of households in Perry
County; whether the residents of Perry
County receive any newspapers from
Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, or Pike
Counties and; if residents do receive
newspaper from these counties, the
circulation numbers of those
newspapers within Perry County.
Bus and Passenger Rail Service
The 2005 Perry County Petition states
that there are no bus or passenger rail
services in the community. The 2007
Perry County Petition explains bus
service in more detail, contrasting bus
service provided in Evansville and
Louisville, and freight rail services. The
2007 Perry County Petition notes that
Evansville is approximately 50 miles
away and offers services to western and
southern routes. In contrast, Louisville
is approximately 75 miles away and
offers service to the north, northeast,
and south. As for rail service, although
DOT requested information on
passenger rail service, the 2007 Perry
County Petition refers only to freight rail
service that carries goods through
several southern Indiana counties.
DOT seeks comment on the bus
information submitted by Perry County,
but has no specific request for
additional data on this issue.
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Airports/Airline Services
The 2005 Perry County Petition states
that the nearest airport is in Evansville,
located in the Central Time Zone,
approximately 55 miles from Perry
County. The 2005 Perry County Petition
also notes that that there is an airport in
Louisville, in the Eastern Time Zone, 75
miles from Perry County. The 2007
Perry County Petition reiterates the
same information with regard to airport
location and supplements it by referring
to the number of departures and
destinations and the impact of early
morning flights on travelers. According
to the 2007 Perry County Petition,
Evansville Regional Airport has
approximately only 35 daily departures
in contrast to Louisville International
Airport which offers daily departures to
‘‘around 140 domestic destinations plus
53 international destinations.’’ The 2007
Perry County Petition also notes that
because Louisville International Airport
is in the Eastern Time Zone, it is
‘‘extremely difficult’’ to take early
morning flights unless travelers spend
the night at or near the airport.
DOT seeks comment on the airport/
airline services information submitted
by Perry County, but has no specific
request for additional data on this issue.
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Worker Commuting Patterns
The 2005 Perry County Petition states
that 3,267 persons, or 26% of its total
workforce, reside in Perry County but
work outside of the County. Of the top
five areas to which Perry County
residents commute for work, four were
in the Central Time Zone and, the fifth,
Dubois County, was at that time
requesting to be located in the Central
Time Zone. (Dubois County is now
requesting to be moved back to the
Eastern Time Zone.) A STATS Indiana
Annual Commuting Trends Profile
based on Indiana IT–40 Returns for Tax
Year 2003 was attached to the Petition.
The 2007 Perry County Petition also
refers to the Perry County workforce.
The actual numbers provided differ
from the earlier submission and are now
based on STATS Indiana Annual
Commuting Trends Profile based on
Indiana IT–40 Returns for Tax Year
2005. Nevertheless, the percentage of
the workforce that leaves the County did
not change; it remains 26%.
DOT seeks comment on the worker
commuting patterns information
submitted by Perry County, but has no
specific request for additional data on
this issue.
The Community’s Economy/Economic
Development
The 2005 Perry County Petition
discussed the major elements of the
community’s economy, the
improvement in the County’s economy,
and efforts to ensure that the local
economy continues to improve. The
Perry County Petition noted ‘‘a dramatic
shift from traditional woodworking
industries to a significant transportation
cluster.’’ It stated that the ‘‘primary
employers manufacture products for the
automotive, heavy truck, and aerospace
industries.’’ The 2005 Perry County
Petition also noted the planning and
infrastructure the County has put in
place to support future economic
growth and its partnerships to enhance
growth.
The 2007 Perry County Petition
answer to the question on the
community’s economy is nearly the
same as the 2005 Perry County Petition.
There is only one change. The 2007
Perry County Petition eliminates, in this
response, reference to ‘‘a regional rural
hospital which serves counties in
Southern Indiana and Western
Kentucky, located in the Central time
zone.’’ However, it includes that
reference to the hospital in response to
the question concerning health care.
In order to assess the impact of a time
zone change on the community’s
economy, DOT requests comment on the
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community’s economy and information
on whether Perry County has entered
into economic partnerships with
Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, or Pike
Counties or other Counties in southern
Indiana and, if yes, the nature of these
partnerships and how a time zone
change would affect these partnerships.
Schools, Recreation, Health Care, or
Religious Worship
With regard to schools, the 2005 Perry
County Petition emphasized postsecondary education. While the 2005
Perry County Petition recognized that
Perry County residents attend postsecondary schools in the Eastern and
Central Time Zones, it noted that more
Perry County residents go to the
University of Southern Indiana in the
Central Time Zone than any other
school.
The 2007 Perry County Petition shifts
the focus from post-secondary education
to the high school level. It notes that
there are no school districts in Perry
County that are in more than one time
zone, but indicates that the schools
cross time zones to participate in
sporting events. Exhibits 10 through 14
to the 2007 Perry County Petition
provide information on the athletic
conferences in southern Indiana, and
the schedules for basketball, volleyball,
football, cross country, baseball, and
softball. The 2007 Perry County Petition
asserts that playing games in different
time zones ‘‘causes extreme
complications with scheduling and
arrival and departure times for the
schools.’’
DOT seeks comment on the
information submitted by Perry County
with regard to schooling, but has no
specific request for additional data.
The 2005 Perry County Petition did
not address recreation or whether
County residents left the County to
pursue recreational interests. The 2007
Perry County Petition, however, states
‘‘Perry County prides itself on its
outdoor recreational activities including
the vast amounts of Hoosier National
Forest and ready access to the Ohio
River for recreation such as boating,
fishing and hunting.’’ The 2007 Perry
County Petition also refers to
recreational softball, baseball, and
soccer leagues that could play later into
the evening if the County were located
in the Eastern Time Zone.
In order to assess the impact of a time
zone change on recreation, DOT
requests information on whether
residents leave Perry County for
recreation and the standard of time
observed in the places where they go for
this purpose.
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With regard to health care, the 2005
Perry County Petition noted that Perry
County is ‘‘home to a regional rural
hospital.’’ It also noted that residents
also ‘‘primarily travel to Evansville and
Jasper, Indiana’’ to purchase health
services. The 2007 Perry County
Petition also notes the regional hospital
and refers to a letter from Perry County
Memorial Hospital that is ‘‘in favor of
the Eastern Time Zone for the reasons
set forth in the letter.’’ The letter states
that the hospital conducts ‘‘a lot of
business with our State Capitol in
Indianapolis’’ and that ‘‘the large
insurance companies’’ that it does
business with are also located there.
While the letter provides business
reasons for an Eastern Time Zone
preference, it does not address the
impact of the current time zone on Perry
County residents and whether they are
referred to health care providers in other
time zones.
In order to assess the impact of a time
zone change on health care, DOT
requests comments on this issue and
information on the number of patients
referred from Perry County to health
care providers in Evansville, Jasper,
Indianapolis, and Louisville.
Neither the 2005 Perry County
Petition nor the 2007 Perry County
Petition addressed religious worship
and DOT has no additional questions
concerning this issue.
Regional Connections
In the original rulemaking proceeding
to change time zone boundaries from
the Eastern Time Zone to the Central
Time Zone, petitioning counties and
commenters advocated for a move by
referring to their ties to other Indiana
counties currently in the Central Time
Zone. DOT carefully reviewed this data
and utilized it in reaching its decision.
DOT recognizes the importance of
regional connections and the benefits of
similar time zones and regional ties
among counties. As described in DOT’s
January 2006 Final Rule’s summary of
the hearings and comments to the
docket, the Southwestern Counties have
strong regional ties to each other and
Central Time Zone Counties. DOT
stated, ‘‘While Daviess, Dubois, Knox,
Martin, and Perry border other Indiana
counties in the Eastern Time Zone, their
ties to those counties are not as strong
as they are to each other and to other
counties to their south, which are
currently in the Central Time Zone.
Along with Pike, these counties are
located in the same workforce,
commerce, transportation, and
education regions designated by
Indiana. Remaining in the same time
zone and maintaining their regional ties
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better position counties to realize
advantages in economic, cultural, social,
and civic activities, thereby serving the
convenience of commerce.’’
The 2007 Perry County Petition
addresses regional connections by
noting that at DOT’s hearing on time
zones in November 2005, ‘‘Perry County
representatives stated that one of the
reasons for the requested change was
the fact that Dubois County was also
petitioning to be placed in the Central
Time Zone.’’ It also notes that five other
counties in the area petitioned for a time
zone change.
DOT seeks comment on the regional
connectivity of Perry County with other
counties in southern Indiana, including
those that have and have not petitioned
for a time zone change and how a time
zone change would affect regional
connections.
Request for Comments
To aid us in our consideration of
whether a time zone change would be
for the convenience of commerce, we
ask for comments on the impact on
commerce of a change in the time zone
and whether a new time zone would
improve the convenience of commerce.
The comments should address the
impact on such things as economic,
cultural, social, and civic activities and
how time zone changes affect
businesses, communication,
transportation, and education. The
comments should be as detailed as
possible, providing the basis of the
information including factual data or
surveys.
Comment Period
It is important to resolve this
rulemaking expeditiously so that we can
provide ample notice if a change to the
Petitioning Counties’ and Perry
County’s time zone boundaries is
adopted. Nevertheless, we are extending
the time for public comments to August
31, 2007. We expect that the comment
period is adequate time to submit the
necessary data, which is based on
currently available information.
Issued in Washington, DC on August 3,
2007.
D.J. Gribbin,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 07–3864 Filed 8–3–07; 2:56 pm]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 070703215–7215–01]
RIN 0648–AU08
Fisheries Off West Coast States;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery;
Vessel Monitoring System; Open
Access Fishery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS issues this proposed
rule to require all vessels fishing
pursuant to the harvest guidelines,
quotas, and other management measures
governing the open access groundfish
fishery, and all trawl vessels to provide
declaration reports and to activate and
use a vessel monitoring system (VMS)
transceiver while fishing off the coasts
of Washington, Oregon and California.
NMFS has implemented a series of
large-scale geographically-defined
closed areas intended to: Minimize the
bycatch of overfished groundfish
species, minimize the bycatch of
protected salmon species, and protect
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) from harm
through contact with fishing gear. This
action is intended to improve the
monitoring of compliance with those
closed areas through regular VMS
transmissions of vessel locations for
those vessel subject to groundfish closed
area restrictions.
DATES: Comments must be received by
September 7, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by RIN 0648–AU08 by any of
the following methods:
E-mail:
VMSOpenAccess.nwr@noaa.gov:
Include RIN 0648–AU08 in the subject
line of the message.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 206–526–6736, Attn: Becky
Renko.
Mail: D. Robert Lohn, Administrator,
Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand
Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA 98115–
0070, Attn: Becky Renko.
Copies of the Environmental
Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(EA/RIR/IRFA) prepared for this action
may be obtained from the Pacific
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 8, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44466-44469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3864]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
49 CFR Part 71
[OST Docket No. 2007-28746]
RIN 2105-AD71
Standard Time Zone Boundary in Southwest Indiana
AGENCY: Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary
(OST).
ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: DOT is providing notice of a petition from the Board of
Commissioners in Perry County, IN, to change the time zone boundary for
the County from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone, and
DOT's request for additional information from Perry County to aid in
its determination of whether this change would serve the convenience of
commerce, the statutory standard for a time zone change. Other persons
supporting or opposing the change to Perry County's time zone boundary
are also requested to provide comment. The final rule will be based on
all of the information received during the entire rulemaking proceeding
and whether the statutory standard has been met.
DATES: Comments should be received by August 31, 2007, to be assured of
consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered to
the extent practicable. If the time zone boundary is changed as a
result of this rulemaking, the effective date would be November 4,
2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Web site: https://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140, Washington,
DC 20590-001.
Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the plaza level of the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
Holidays.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
General Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name
and docket number (OST Docket Number 2007-28746) or Regulatory
Identification Number (RIN 2105-AD71) for this rulemaking. Note that
all comments received will be posted without change (including any
personal information provided) to https://dms.dot.gov. Please refer to
the Privacy Act heading under Regulatory Notices.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room W12-
140 on the plaza level of the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith S. Kaleta, Office of the
General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, indianatime@dot.gov, (202) 493-0992.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Knox, Daviess, Martin, Pike, and Dubois
Counties (the Petitioning Counties) and Perry County were six of eight
counties that moved from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone
under DOT's January 2006 final rule to establish a standard time zone
boundary in Indiana (71 FR 3228). On July 19, 2007, DOT published a
notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (72 FR 39593)
finding that, based on a Joint Petition filed by the Petitioning
Counties and three Supplemental Responses, the Petitioning Counties
provided enough information to justify proposing to change their
boundary from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone.
Under our normal procedures, we do not take action unless a county
makes a clear showing that the proposed change of time zone would meet
the statutory standard. However, as we noted in our previous rulemaking
on time zone boundary changes in Indiana, this has been an unusual case
because of the number of counties involved, their relationship to each
other and to other neighboring counties, and the circumstances leading
up to the petitions. Perry County is located in southwest Indiana, is
contiguous to the Petitioning Counties, and had its time zone changed
at the same time as the Petitioning Counties. Therefore, DOT asked for
comments with regard to Perry County in the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking concerning standard time zone boundary in Southwest Indiana
published in the Federal Register on July 19, 2007. DOT stated, ``We
also understand that this proposal may have an impact on surrounding
Counties, particularly Perry County which
[[Page 44467]]
changed time zone boundaries at the same time as the Petitioning
Counties * * *. Our decision in the final rule will be made on the
basis of information and comments developed during the entire
rulemaking proceeding.'' DOT specifically requested comment on whether
the proposed change would serve the convenience of commerce, the
statutory standard for a time zone change, and whether the time zone
boundary should be changed for other contiguous counties in
southwestern Indiana.
At the time of the NPRM, DOT was unaware that, on June 1, 2007,
Perry County submitted a Petition (2007 Perry County Petition) (OST
2007-28746-654) for a time zone boundary change back to the Eastern
Time Zone. DOT has now reviewed the 2007 Perry County Petition and the
exhibits attached to it. As set forth below, the 2007 Perry County
Petition addresses all of the factors that we consider in these
proceedings. However, on July 31, 2007, DOT wrote to Perry County
requesting additional information to justify that changing back Perry
County to the Eastern Time Zone would serve the convenience of
commerce. DOT has summarized below the petition Perry County filed in
support of its request to change to the Central Time Zone (the 2005
Perry County Petition), the 2007 Perry County Petition, and DOT's
questions on the information submitted by Perry County. DOT seeks
comments on the justification provided by Perry County and responsive
information to its questions.
2005 and 2007 Perry County Petitions and DOT's Questions
Community Imports and Exports
The 2005 Perry County Petition to move from the Eastern Time Zone
to the Central Time Zone stated that the primary employers in the
county supply products to customers located throughout North America
although most of the customer base is located in the Midwest or the
South. In addition, it noted that Perry County's newer employers are
considered ``just-in-time'' suppliers to the automotive industry which
require a location less than a day's distance from their respective
customers.
In lieu of answering the question on community imports and exports
with an overview or analysis of the matter, the 2007 Perry County
Petition summarizes and attaches 16 letters from businesses, schools, a
hospital, and individuals. According to the 2007 Perry County Petition,
the letters express ``a desire to change to the Eastern Time Zone''
because business conducted on Eastern time and difference in time zones
``causes operating challenges on a daily basis.'' The 2007 Perry County
Petition notes that ``businesses in Perry County have in effect lost
four hours of each day that they can deal with customers and suppliers
from the Eastern Time Zone: One hour in the morning, two hours at
lunch, and one hour at the end of the day.'' In further support of the
Eastern Time Zone request, the 2007 Perry County Petition specifically
references three diverse businesses: The Southern Indiana Rural
Electric Cooperatives, which would be the only Hoosier Energy Power
Network out of 17 that would be in the Central Time Zone and claims
metering and billing problems; Kleeman Masonary, Inc, which usually
travels east in its construction business; and Perry County Memorial
Hospital, which has difficulties dealing with insurance companies in
the Eastern Time Zone.
While the 2007 Perry County Petition claims the 16 letters attached
to it are from businesses and schools, DOT notes that two of the
letters were written on business letterhead but merely provide a
preference for a time zone without any justification. Another letter
states that it is ``more cumbersome'' to be on a different time zone,
but provides no explanation. Similarly, the 2007 Perry County Petition
states that the Perry County Chamber of Commerce has informed the Perry
County Commissioners that ``there are 386 total employers located in
Perry County'' and that 41% of businesses have expressed a preference
for the Central Time Zone. The 2007 Perry County Petition does not
provide the reasons for the ``preference.''
In order to assess the impact of a time zone change on businesses,
DOT requests comments on the time zone impact on businesses in the
County and the reasons for the time zone preferences expressed by Perry
County businesses.
Television and Radio Broadcasts
With regard to television broadcasts, the 2005 Perry County
Petition stated that the County was ``located within the Area of
Dominant Influence for the Evansville, Indiana television market.'' The
2005 Perry County Petition also stated that Perry County ``receives
cable and over-the-air broadcasts from the Louisville, Kentucky market
as well.'' The 2007 Perry County Petition makes the same statements
concerning television broadcasts.
With regard to radio broadcasts, the 2005 Perry County Petition
stated that the ``majority of the stations serving Perry County are
located either in the Central Daylight Saving or Eastern Standard time
zones.'' The 2007 Perry County Petition elaborates on its earlier
submission by providing a list of AM and FM radio signals for five
cities within the County based on information from radio-locator.com.
As the 2007 Perry County Petition notes, residents in the northern part
of the County receive radio signals from the Eastern Time Zone while
residents in the southern part of the County receive radio signals from
the Central Time Zone. While the Perry County Petition provides radio
signal information for five cities, it does not provide any information
about the population of those cities.
In order to assess the impact of a time zone change on television
and radio broadcasts, DOT seeks comments on this issue generally and
particularly requests population data for Bristow, Cannelton, Leopold,
St. Croix, and Tell City, in Perry County.
Newspapers
The 2005 Perry County Petition stated, ``The primary daily
newspaper that serves Perry County is the Evansville Courier & Press''
in the Central Time Zone and that the local county newspaper, which
publishes editions twice per week, also operates a printing plant that
prints weekly newspapers for two Central Time Zone communities. On the
other hand, the 2005 Perry County Petition also noted that the
Louisville Courier & Journal, from the Eastern Time Zone, maintains
drop boxes for the Sunday edition at several area convenience stores.
Daily service, however, is unavailable.
The 2007 Perry County Petition provides more detailed information
on newspaper use within the County. First, the 2007 Perry County
Petition now asserts that Perry County residents ``primarily'' receive
their news from the local newspaper, The Perry County News, which is
published twice a week. Second, it includes circulation numbers for the
Evansville Courier & Press. According to the 2007 Perry County
Petition, there are 1,901 weekday subscriptions and 2,271 Sunday
subscriptions. While this is consistent with Perry County's original
request for the Central Time Zone, the 2007 Perry County Petition
claims that the subscriptions support the Eastern Time Zone because the
population base is in excess of 18,000. Third, it notes that the
Indianapolis Star has a very small circulation in the County.
With regard to newspaper publishing, DOT seeks comment on this
issue generally and is also interested in the number of subscriptions
of The Perry
[[Page 44468]]
County News and the Indianapolis Star; the total number of households
in Perry County; whether the residents of Perry County receive any
newspapers from Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, or Pike Counties and; if
residents do receive newspaper from these counties, the circulation
numbers of those newspapers within Perry County.
Bus and Passenger Rail Service
The 2005 Perry County Petition states that there are no bus or
passenger rail services in the community. The 2007 Perry County
Petition explains bus service in more detail, contrasting bus service
provided in Evansville and Louisville, and freight rail services. The
2007 Perry County Petition notes that Evansville is approximately 50
miles away and offers services to western and southern routes. In
contrast, Louisville is approximately 75 miles away and offers service
to the north, northeast, and south. As for rail service, although DOT
requested information on passenger rail service, the 2007 Perry County
Petition refers only to freight rail service that carries goods through
several southern Indiana counties.
DOT seeks comment on the bus information submitted by Perry County,
but has no specific request for additional data on this issue.
Airports/Airline Services
The 2005 Perry County Petition states that the nearest airport is
in Evansville, located in the Central Time Zone, approximately 55 miles
from Perry County. The 2005 Perry County Petition also notes that that
there is an airport in Louisville, in the Eastern Time Zone, 75 miles
from Perry County. The 2007 Perry County Petition reiterates the same
information with regard to airport location and supplements it by
referring to the number of departures and destinations and the impact
of early morning flights on travelers. According to the 2007 Perry
County Petition, Evansville Regional Airport has approximately only 35
daily departures in contrast to Louisville International Airport which
offers daily departures to ``around 140 domestic destinations plus 53
international destinations.'' The 2007 Perry County Petition also notes
that because Louisville International Airport is in the Eastern Time
Zone, it is ``extremely difficult'' to take early morning flights
unless travelers spend the night at or near the airport.
DOT seeks comment on the airport/airline services information
submitted by Perry County, but has no specific request for additional
data on this issue.
Worker Commuting Patterns
The 2005 Perry County Petition states that 3,267 persons, or 26% of
its total workforce, reside in Perry County but work outside of the
County. Of the top five areas to which Perry County residents commute
for work, four were in the Central Time Zone and, the fifth, Dubois
County, was at that time requesting to be located in the Central Time
Zone. (Dubois County is now requesting to be moved back to the Eastern
Time Zone.) A STATS Indiana Annual Commuting Trends Profile based on
Indiana IT-40 Returns for Tax Year 2003 was attached to the Petition.
The 2007 Perry County Petition also refers to the Perry County
workforce. The actual numbers provided differ from the earlier
submission and are now based on STATS Indiana Annual Commuting Trends
Profile based on Indiana IT-40 Returns for Tax Year 2005. Nevertheless,
the percentage of the workforce that leaves the County did not change;
it remains 26%.
DOT seeks comment on the worker commuting patterns information
submitted by Perry County, but has no specific request for additional
data on this issue.
The Community's Economy/Economic Development
The 2005 Perry County Petition discussed the major elements of the
community's economy, the improvement in the County's economy, and
efforts to ensure that the local economy continues to improve. The
Perry County Petition noted ``a dramatic shift from traditional
woodworking industries to a significant transportation cluster.'' It
stated that the ``primary employers manufacture products for the
automotive, heavy truck, and aerospace industries.'' The 2005 Perry
County Petition also noted the planning and infrastructure the County
has put in place to support future economic growth and its partnerships
to enhance growth.
The 2007 Perry County Petition answer to the question on the
community's economy is nearly the same as the 2005 Perry County
Petition. There is only one change. The 2007 Perry County Petition
eliminates, in this response, reference to ``a regional rural hospital
which serves counties in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky, located
in the Central time zone.'' However, it includes that reference to the
hospital in response to the question concerning health care.
In order to assess the impact of a time zone change on the
community's economy, DOT requests comment on the community's economy
and information on whether Perry County has entered into economic
partnerships with Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, or Pike Counties or
other Counties in southern Indiana and, if yes, the nature of these
partnerships and how a time zone change would affect these
partnerships.
Schools, Recreation, Health Care, or Religious Worship
With regard to schools, the 2005 Perry County Petition emphasized
post-secondary education. While the 2005 Perry County Petition
recognized that Perry County residents attend post-secondary schools in
the Eastern and Central Time Zones, it noted that more Perry County
residents go to the University of Southern Indiana in the Central Time
Zone than any other school.
The 2007 Perry County Petition shifts the focus from post-secondary
education to the high school level. It notes that there are no school
districts in Perry County that are in more than one time zone, but
indicates that the schools cross time zones to participate in sporting
events. Exhibits 10 through 14 to the 2007 Perry County Petition
provide information on the athletic conferences in southern Indiana,
and the schedules for basketball, volleyball, football, cross country,
baseball, and softball. The 2007 Perry County Petition asserts that
playing games in different time zones ``causes extreme complications
with scheduling and arrival and departure times for the schools.''
DOT seeks comment on the information submitted by Perry County with
regard to schooling, but has no specific request for additional data.
The 2005 Perry County Petition did not address recreation or
whether County residents left the County to pursue recreational
interests. The 2007 Perry County Petition, however, states ``Perry
County prides itself on its outdoor recreational activities including
the vast amounts of Hoosier National Forest and ready access to the
Ohio River for recreation such as boating, fishing and hunting.'' The
2007 Perry County Petition also refers to recreational softball,
baseball, and soccer leagues that could play later into the evening if
the County were located in the Eastern Time Zone.
In order to assess the impact of a time zone change on recreation,
DOT requests information on whether residents leave Perry County for
recreation and the standard of time observed in the places where they
go for this purpose.
[[Page 44469]]
With regard to health care, the 2005 Perry County Petition noted
that Perry County is ``home to a regional rural hospital.'' It also
noted that residents also ``primarily travel to Evansville and Jasper,
Indiana'' to purchase health services. The 2007 Perry County Petition
also notes the regional hospital and refers to a letter from Perry
County Memorial Hospital that is ``in favor of the Eastern Time Zone
for the reasons set forth in the letter.'' The letter states that the
hospital conducts ``a lot of business with our State Capitol in
Indianapolis'' and that ``the large insurance companies'' that it does
business with are also located there. While the letter provides
business reasons for an Eastern Time Zone preference, it does not
address the impact of the current time zone on Perry County residents
and whether they are referred to health care providers in other time
zones.
In order to assess the impact of a time zone change on health care,
DOT requests comments on this issue and information on the number of
patients referred from Perry County to health care providers in
Evansville, Jasper, Indianapolis, and Louisville.
Neither the 2005 Perry County Petition nor the 2007 Perry County
Petition addressed religious worship and DOT has no additional
questions concerning this issue.
Regional Connections
In the original rulemaking proceeding to change time zone
boundaries from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone,
petitioning counties and commenters advocated for a move by referring
to their ties to other Indiana counties currently in the Central Time
Zone. DOT carefully reviewed this data and utilized it in reaching its
decision. DOT recognizes the importance of regional connections and the
benefits of similar time zones and regional ties among counties. As
described in DOT's January 2006 Final Rule's summary of the hearings
and comments to the docket, the Southwestern Counties have strong
regional ties to each other and Central Time Zone Counties. DOT stated,
``While Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, and Perry border other Indiana
counties in the Eastern Time Zone, their ties to those counties are not
as strong as they are to each other and to other counties to their
south, which are currently in the Central Time Zone. Along with Pike,
these counties are located in the same workforce, commerce,
transportation, and education regions designated by Indiana. Remaining
in the same time zone and maintaining their regional ties better
position counties to realize advantages in economic, cultural, social,
and civic activities, thereby serving the convenience of commerce.''
The 2007 Perry County Petition addresses regional connections by
noting that at DOT's hearing on time zones in November 2005, ``Perry
County representatives stated that one of the reasons for the requested
change was the fact that Dubois County was also petitioning to be
placed in the Central Time Zone.'' It also notes that five other
counties in the area petitioned for a time zone change.
DOT seeks comment on the regional connectivity of Perry County with
other counties in southern Indiana, including those that have and have
not petitioned for a time zone change and how a time zone change would
affect regional connections.
Request for Comments
To aid us in our consideration of whether a time zone change would
be for the convenience of commerce, we ask for comments on the impact
on commerce of a change in the time zone and whether a new time zone
would improve the convenience of commerce. The comments should address
the impact on such things as economic, cultural, social, and civic
activities and how time zone changes affect businesses, communication,
transportation, and education. The comments should be as detailed as
possible, providing the basis of the information including factual data
or surveys.
Comment Period
It is important to resolve this rulemaking expeditiously so that we
can provide ample notice if a change to the Petitioning Counties' and
Perry County's time zone boundaries is adopted. Nevertheless, we are
extending the time for public comments to August 31, 2007. We expect
that the comment period is adequate time to submit the necessary data,
which is based on currently available information.
Issued in Washington, DC on August 3, 2007.
D.J. Gribbin,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 07-3864 Filed 8-3-07; 2:56 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P