[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR946.5]

[Page 278-279]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
CHAPTER IX--NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                               OF COMMERCE
 
PART 946_MODERNIZATION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 946.5  Change in operations--commissioning and decommissioning.

    (a) Before commissioning any new NEXRAD or ASOS weather observation 
system, the NWS shall prepare a Commissioning Report documenting that 
the system involved will perform to the Government's specifications; the 
system has been tested on site and performs reliably; satisfactory 
maintenance support is in place; sufficient staff with adequate training 
are available to operate the system; technical coordination with weather 
service users has been completed; and the system satisfactorily supports 
field office operations.
    (b) The Report required by paragraph (a) of this section shall be 
based on the scientific and technical criteria set forth in the NWS' 
NEXRAD and ASOS Commissioning Plans, as appropriate, which criteria 
shall be published in the Federal Register as the final commissioning 
criteria in accordance with sec. 704(b)(1) of the Act. In the case of an 
ASOS commissioning, the Report shall also document that the NWS has 
consulted with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and has 
determined that the weather services provided after commissioning will 
continue to be in full compliance with the applicable FAA flight 
aviation rules.
    (c) Before decommissioning any NWS radar, the NWS shall prepare a 
Decommissioning Report documenting that all replacement radars needed to 
provide equal coverage have been commissioned; confirmation of services 
with users has been completed; and that the radar being decommissioned 
is no

[[Page 279]]

longer needed to support field office operations. The Decommissioning 
Report shall be based on the scientific and technical criteria contained 
in the NWS' Radar Decommissioning Plan, which criteria shall be 
published in the Federal Register as the final decommissioning criteria 
in accordance with the requirements of sec. 704(b)(1) of the Act.
    (d) If the final commissioning criteria significantly modify the 
criteria upon which the previous commissioning of a NEXRAD and/or ASOS 
were based, the NWS shall confirm that the relevant system conforms with 
the final criteria adopted. The NWS shall not decommission any NWS radar 
until the final criteria have been adopted.