[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20570-20571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8838]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 139
[Docket No. FAA- 2010-0247; Notice No. 11-01]
RIN 2120-AJ70
Safety Enhancements, Certification of Airports; Reopening of
Comment Period
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); Reopening of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: The FAA published a proposed rule on February 1, 2011, to
establish minimum standards for training of personnel who access the
airport non-movement area (ramp and apron) to help prevent accidents
and incidents in that area. This proposal would require a certificate
holder to conduct pavement surface evaluations to ensure reliability of
runway surfaces in wet weather conditions. This proposed action would
also require a Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS) plan if
the certificate holder conducts low visibility operations, facilitating
the safe movement of aircraft and vehicles in low visibility
conditions. Finally, this proposal would clarify the applicability of
part 139 and explicitly prohibit fraudulent or intentionally false
statements in a certificate application or record required to be
maintained. This action reopens the comment period.
DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on February 1, 2011,
(76 FR 5510) closed on April 4, 2011, and is reopened until May 13,
2011.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA-2010-
0247 using any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
http://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions
for accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of
the West Building Ground Floor at 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: Kenneth Langert, AAS-300, Office of
Airports, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 493-4529; e-mail
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See the ``Additional Information'' section
for information on how to comment on this proposal and how the FAA will
handle comments received. The ``Additional Information'' section also
contains related information about the docket, privacy, and the
handling of proprietary or confidential business information. In
addition, there is information on obtaining copies of related
rulemaking documents.
Background
On February 1, 2011, the FAA issued Notice No. 11-01, entitled
``Safety Enhancements Part 139, Certification of Airports'' [76 FR
5510]. Comments to that document were to be received on or before April
4, 2011.
Historically, the FAA's Flight Standards Service (AFS) has approved
airlines (via Operations Specifications) to depart at visibilities less
than runway visual range (RVR) 1200 feet even in cases where the
instrument approach procedures are published at landing visibilities
above RVR 1200. These departure operations are routinely available
where runway centerline lights and RVR equipment are installed.
Recently, the FAA Office of Airports (ARP) learned that a number of
airport operators may not be aware that low-visibility approaches and
departures have been approved for their airport. Advisory Circular AC
120-57A, Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (SMGCS) Plans,
includes recommendations that airports should follow in low-visibility
take-off operations or develop their own similar procedures. The
proposed rule would require a SMGCS plan, similar to that described in
AC-120-57A, for each certificate holder where departures below RVR 1200
are authorized, as well as where approach minima less than RVR 1200 are
published.
The FAA would like to ensure all airports and industry associations
are fully aware of both AC 120-57A and the proposed rule. For this
reason, and in the interest of transparency, the FAA will notify, by
letter, airports with
[[Page 20571]]
approved low-visibility departures. The reopening of the comment period
will allow time for affected airports to receive notice from the FAA,
review this NPRM, and adequately assess, prepare, and submit comments
on the possible impact of this NPRM.
Reopening of Comment Period
In accordance with Sec. 11.47(c) of title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations, the FAA has determined that re-opening of the comment
period is consistent with the public interest, and that good cause
exists for taking this action. To accomplish the strategies for
providing additional information to the public, the FAA has determined
that re-opening the comment period is consistent with the public
interest, and that good cause exists for this action. Absent unusual
circumstances, the FAA does not anticipate any further extension of the
comment period for this rulemaking.
Accordingly, the comment period for Notice No. 11-01 is reopened
until May 13, 2011.
Additional Information
A. Comments Invited
The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. The agency
also invites comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy,
or federalism impacts that might result from adopting the proposals in
this document. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion
of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and
include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain
duplicate comments, commenters should send only one copy of written
comments, or if comments are filed electronically, commenters should
submit only one time.
The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well
as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this
proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before
the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed
after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without
incurring expense or delay. The agency may change this proposal in
light of the comments it receives.
Proprietary or Confidential Business Information: Do not file
proprietary or confidential business information in the docket. Such
information must be sent or delivered directly to the person identified
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document, and
marked as proprietary or confidential. If submitting information on a
disk or CD-ROM, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM, and identify
electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that
is proprietary or confidential.
Under 14 CFR 11.35(b), if the FAA is aware of proprietary
information filed with a comment, the agency does not place it in the
docket. It is held in a separate file to which the public does not have
access, and the FAA places a note in the docket that it has received
it. If the FAA receives a request to examine or copy this information,
it treats it as any other request under the Freedom of Information Act
(5 U.S.C. 552). The FAA processes such a request under Department of
Transportation procedures found in 49 CFR part 7.
B. Availability of Rulemaking Documents
An electronic copy of rulemaking documents may be obtained from the
Internet by--
1. Searching the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov);
2. Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies web page at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies or
3. Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
Copies may also be obtained by sending a request to the Federal
Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, ARM-1, 800 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202) 267-9680.
Commenters must identify the docket or notice number of this
rulemaking.
All documents the FAA considered in developing this proposed rule,
including economic analyses and technical reports, may be accessed from
the Internet through the Federal eRulemaking Portal referenced in item
(1) above.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2011.
James R. White,
Deputy Director of Airport Safety and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-8838 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
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