Quiet Aircraft Technology Incentive for Commercial Air Tour Operators in Grand Canyon National Park, 6267-6268 [2014-02184]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 22 / Monday, February 3, 2014 / Notices interest rate is effective for Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans approved on or after January 21, 2014. Military Reservist Loan Program, 4.000% Dated: January 27, 2014. James E. Rivera, Associate Administrator for Disaster Assistance. [FR Doc. 2014–02122 Filed 1–31–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025–01–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Quiet Aircraft Technology Incentive for Commercial Air Tour Operators in Grand Canyon National Park Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation. ACTION: Release of FAA-held allocations for quiet aircraft technology in Grand Canyon National Park. AGENCY: The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP– 21) directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Secretary of the Interior to provide incentives for commercial air tour operators in Grand Canyon National Park that convert to quiet aircraft technology. The FAA holds a limited number of flight allocations that are authorized under 14 CFR part 93, Subpart U, ‘‘Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park.’’ The FAA, in consultation with the National Park Service (NPS), intends to provide these allocations to commercial air tour operators that currently hold allocations in proportion to the number of quiet aircraft technology operations that are flown by respective operators in the first six months of calendar year 2014. This is a one-time release of FAA-held allocations that will be available to operators for quiet aircraft technology flights during the 2014 air tour season and beyond. The FAA and NPS are continuing to make progress on additional quiet aircraft technology incentives for commercial air tour operators in Grand Canyon National Park. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk—Mailing address: Federal Aviation Administration, P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, California 90009– 2007. Telephone: (310) 725–3808. Email address: Keith.Lusk@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Mar<15>2010 20:46 Jan 31, 2014 Jkt 232001 I. Authority 1. Sec. 35001(b)(2) in title V of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP–21), Public Law 112–141 signed July 6, 2012, directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Secretary of the Interior to provide incentives for commercial air tour operators that convert to quiet aircraft technology (QT), such as increasing the flight allocations for such operators on a net basis consistent with section 804(c) of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (title VIII of Pub. L. 106–181), provided that the cumulative impact of such operations does not increase noise at Grand Canyon National Park (‘‘the park’’). Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U, ‘‘Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park,’’ contains procedures for determining the QT designation for aircraft in the park. 2. Under 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U, an allocation is defined as authorization to conduct a commercial air tour in the Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). Sec. 93.319 and 93.321 provide for the authorized annual number and the management of allocations, and Sec. 93.325 requires air tour operators to file quarterly reports with the FAA and specifies the content of those reports. Since the effective date of this regulation, a limited number of authorized annual allocations have reverted from commercial air tour operators to the FAA. 3. This Federal Register Notice announces the FAA’s intent, in consultation with the NPS, to release the allocations it currently holds, amounting to 49 allocations in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors of the park and 1672 allocations elsewhere in the park SFRA, to commercial air tour operators that currently hold allocations in proportion to the number of QT operations that are flown by the respective operators in these areas during the first six months of calendar year 2014. These allocations are within the total annual number that are authorized to be flown in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors and elsewhere in the SFRA, respectively, under 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U. They will be used for operations using QT, as defined in Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U. II. Description of Quiet Aircraft Technology Incentive 1. The FAA currently holds 49 out of a total of 44,960 annual allocations authorized to be flown by commercial air tour operators in the Dragon and PO 00000 Frm 00124 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6267 Zuni Point corridors of the park and 1672 out of a total of 49,011 annual allocations authorized to be flown elsewhere in the SFRA. The FAA intends to provide these allocations to commercial air tour operators that currently hold allocations in proportion to the number of QT operations that are flown by the respective operators in these areas of the park during the first six months of 2014. Consistent with Sec. 93.321(b)(4)(ii), allocations provided in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors may be transferred for use outside of these corridors, while allocations provided for use elsewhere in the SFRA may not be transferred into the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors. 2. Consistent with the FAA and NPS approach to QT incentives, the FAA has selected the first six months of calendar year 2014 as the basis for the release of FAA held allocations to recognize the progress made to date by operators that have already invested in QT and to encourage additional QT operations in 2014. The FAA will use the first and second quarter operator reports required under Sec. 93.325 to determine the numbers of QT operations by each operator in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors and elsewhere in the SFRA, respectively. An operation will be considered QT if conducted in an aircraft that meets the noise limits identified in Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U. Aircraft meeting those noise limits are listed in Appendices I and II of FAA Advisory Circular AC– 93–2, ‘‘Noise Levels for Aircraft Used for Commercial Operations in Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules Area.’’ The FAA’s receipt of the second quarter reports, due by the end of July, will enable the FAA to complete its analysis and provide its allocations by September to round out the 2014 air tour season. In the FAA’s experience, additional allocations have not been needed by operators earlier than September. This is a one-time release of FAA-held allocations that will be available to operators for quiet aircraft technology flights during the 2014 air tour season and beyond. The additional allocations and the condition that they be used for QT operations will be reflected in the operations specifications of individual operators. III. Environmental Considerations As provided in MAP–21, the cumulative impact of operations using FAA-held allocations does not increase noise at the park. The 49 FAA allocations in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors are 0.1% of the total 44,960 allocations authorized in those corridors. The 1672 FAA allocations E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM 03FEN1 6268 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 22 / Monday, February 3, 2014 / Notices comprise 3.4% of the total 49,011 allocations authorized elsewhere in the SFRA. In addition, there are 254,013 air tour operations authorized as of 2013 under contract with the Hualapai tribe that are exempt from allocations— bringing the total authorized number of air tour operations in the park to 347,984. The 1721 total FAA allocations are 0.5% of the total 347,984 authorized air tour operations. Analysis shows that such a small number of QT operations on existing routes will not cumulatively increase noise at the park and will not diminish the substantial restoration of natural quiet. The provision of FAAheld allocations to commercial air tour operators through amendments to their operations specifications is categorically excluded from more detailed environmental review. Issued in Hawthorne, CA on: January 28, 2014. Dale Bouffiou, Deputy Regional Administrator, WesternPacific Region, Federal Aviation Administration. [FR Doc. 2014–02184 Filed 1–31–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA 2014–0011–N–1] Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection request (ICR). Before submitting this ICR for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below. DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 4, 2014. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following proposed mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard stating, ‘‘Comments on OMB control number 2130–0552.’’ Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493– 6216 or (202) 493–6497, or via email to Mr. Brogan at Robert.Brogan@dot.gov, or to Ms. Toone at Kim.Toone@dot.gov. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its information collection submission to OMB for approval. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD– 20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493–6132). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104–13, sec. 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised at 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60-days notice to the public for comment on information collection activities before seeking approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of proposed information collection activities regarding (i) whether the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether the activities will have practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA’s estimates of the burden of the information collection activities, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on the public by automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(i)–(iv); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)(i)–(iv). FRA believes that soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of information mandated by Federal regulations. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it organizes information collection requirements in a ‘‘user friendly’’ format to improve the use of such information; and (iii) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501. Below are brief summaries of three currently approved information collection activities that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA: Title: Locomotive Cab Sanitation Standards OMB Control Number: 2130–0552 Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection Abstract: The collection of information is used by FRA to promote rail safety and the health of railroad workers by ensuring that all locomotive crew members have access to toilet/ sanitary facilities—on as needed basis— which are functioning and hygienic. Also, the collection of information is used by FRA to ensure that railroads repair defective locomotive toilet/ sanitary facilities within 10 calendar days of the date on which these units becomes defective. Form Number(s): N/A. Affected Public: Businesses. Frequency of Submission: One-time. Respondent Universe: 744 railroads. Reporting Burden: CFR section Respondent universe Total annual responses 229.137 (d)—Defective Locomotive Toilet Facility—Tagging. 744 railroads .......................... 11,700 tags/notices ................ VerDate Mar<15>2010 20:46 Jan 31, 2014 Jkt 232001 PO 00000 Frm 00125 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM 03FEN1 Average time per response (seconds) 90 Total annual burden hours 293

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6267-6268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02184]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Quiet Aircraft Technology Incentive for Commercial Air Tour 
Operators in Grand Canyon National Park

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation.

ACTION: Release of FAA-held allocations for quiet aircraft technology 
in Grand Canyon National Park.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) 
directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
and the Secretary of the Interior to provide incentives for commercial 
air tour operators in Grand Canyon National Park that convert to quiet 
aircraft technology. The FAA holds a limited number of flight 
allocations that are authorized under 14 CFR part 93, Subpart U, 
``Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park.'' 
The FAA, in consultation with the National Park Service (NPS), intends 
to provide these allocations to commercial air tour operators that 
currently hold allocations in proportion to the number of quiet 
aircraft technology operations that are flown by respective operators 
in the first six months of calendar year 2014. This is a one-time 
release of FAA-held allocations that will be available to operators for 
quiet aircraft technology flights during the 2014 air tour season and 
beyond. The FAA and NPS are continuing to make progress on additional 
quiet aircraft technology incentives for commercial air tour operators 
in Grand Canyon National Park.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk--Mailing address: Federal 
Aviation Administration, P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, California 90009-
2007. Telephone: (310) 725-3808. Email address: Keith.Lusk@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

    1. Sec. 35001(b)(2) in title V of the Moving Ahead for Progress in 
the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), Public Law 112-141 signed July 6, 2012, 
directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
and the Secretary of the Interior to provide incentives for commercial 
air tour operators that convert to quiet aircraft technology (QT), such 
as increasing the flight allocations for such operators on a net basis 
consistent with section 804(c) of the National Parks Air Tour 
Management Act of 2000 (title VIII of Pub. L. 106-181), provided that 
the cumulative impact of such operations does not increase noise at 
Grand Canyon National Park (``the park''). Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 
93, Subpart U, ``Special Flight Rules in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon 
National Park,'' contains procedures for determining the QT designation 
for aircraft in the park.
    2. Under 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U, an allocation is defined as 
authorization to conduct a commercial air tour in the Grand Canyon 
National Park Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). Sec. 93.319 and 93.321 
provide for the authorized annual number and the management of 
allocations, and Sec. 93.325 requires air tour operators to file 
quarterly reports with the FAA and specifies the content of those 
reports. Since the effective date of this regulation, a limited number 
of authorized annual allocations have reverted from commercial air tour 
operators to the FAA.
    3. This Federal Register Notice announces the FAA's intent, in 
consultation with the NPS, to release the allocations it currently 
holds, amounting to 49 allocations in the Dragon and Zuni Point 
corridors of the park and 1672 allocations elsewhere in the park SFRA, 
to commercial air tour operators that currently hold allocations in 
proportion to the number of QT operations that are flown by the 
respective operators in these areas during the first six months of 
calendar year 2014. These allocations are within the total annual 
number that are authorized to be flown in the Dragon and Zuni Point 
corridors and elsewhere in the SFRA, respectively, under 14 CFR Part 
93, Subpart U. They will be used for operations using QT, as defined in 
Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U.

II. Description of Quiet Aircraft Technology Incentive

    1. The FAA currently holds 49 out of a total of 44,960 annual 
allocations authorized to be flown by commercial air tour operators in 
the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors of the park and 1672 out of a total 
of 49,011 annual allocations authorized to be flown elsewhere in the 
SFRA. The FAA intends to provide these allocations to commercial air 
tour operators that currently hold allocations in proportion to the 
number of QT operations that are flown by the respective operators in 
these areas of the park during the first six months of 2014. Consistent 
with Sec. 93.321(b)(4)(ii), allocations provided in the Dragon and Zuni 
Point corridors may be transferred for use outside of these corridors, 
while allocations provided for use elsewhere in the SFRA may not be 
transferred into the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors.
    2. Consistent with the FAA and NPS approach to QT incentives, the 
FAA has selected the first six months of calendar year 2014 as the 
basis for the release of FAA held allocations to recognize the progress 
made to date by operators that have already invested in QT and to 
encourage additional QT operations in 2014. The FAA will use the first 
and second quarter operator reports required under Sec. 93.325 to 
determine the numbers of QT operations by each operator in the Dragon 
and Zuni Point corridors and elsewhere in the SFRA, respectively. An 
operation will be considered QT if conducted in an aircraft that meets 
the noise limits identified in Appendix A of 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart U. 
Aircraft meeting those noise limits are listed in Appendices I and II 
of FAA Advisory Circular AC-93-2, ``Noise Levels for Aircraft Used for 
Commercial Operations in Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight 
Rules Area.'' The FAA's receipt of the second quarter reports, due by 
the end of July, will enable the FAA to complete its analysis and 
provide its allocations by September to round out the 2014 air tour 
season. In the FAA's experience, additional allocations have not been 
needed by operators earlier than September. This is a one-time release 
of FAA-held allocations that will be available to operators for quiet 
aircraft technology flights during the 2014 air tour season and beyond. 
The additional allocations and the condition that they be used for QT 
operations will be reflected in the operations specifications of 
individual operators.

III. Environmental Considerations

    As provided in MAP-21, the cumulative impact of operations using 
FAA-held allocations does not increase noise at the park. The 49 FAA 
allocations in the Dragon and Zuni Point corridors are 0.1% of the 
total 44,960 allocations authorized in those corridors. The 1672 FAA 
allocations

[[Page 6268]]

comprise 3.4% of the total 49,011 allocations authorized elsewhere in 
the SFRA. In addition, there are 254,013 air tour operations authorized 
as of 2013 under contract with the Hualapai tribe that are exempt from 
allocations--bringing the total authorized number of air tour 
operations in the park to 347,984. The 1721 total FAA allocations are 
0.5% of the total 347,984 authorized air tour operations. Analysis 
shows that such a small number of QT operations on existing routes will 
not cumulatively increase noise at the park and will not diminish the 
substantial restoration of natural quiet. The provision of FAA-held 
allocations to commercial air tour operators through amendments to 
their operations specifications is categorically excluded from more 
detailed environmental review.

    Issued in Hawthorne, CA on: January 28, 2014.
Dale Bouffiou,
Deputy Regional Administrator, Western-Pacific Region, Federal Aviation 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-02184 Filed 1-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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