Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group, 53475-53476 [2024-13945]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 26, 2024 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Docket No. FAA–2024–1902] Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of a Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Rotorcraft External Load Operator Certificate Application Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involves the submission of FAA Form 8710–4 for the certification process of rotorcraft external-load operators. The information to be collected is necessary to evaluate the applicants’ eligibility for certification. SUMMARY: Written comments should be submitted by August 26, 2024. ADDRESSES: Please send written comments: By Electronic Docket: www.regulations.gov (Enter docket number into search field). By mail: Chris Morris, 800 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591. By email: chris.morris@faa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raymond Plessinger by email at: raymond.plessinger@faa.gov; phone: 717–443–7296. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for FAA’s performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB’s clearance of this information collection. OMB Control Number: 2120–0044. Title: Rotorcraft External Load Operator Certificate Application. Form Numbers: FAA Form 8710–4. Type of Review: Renewal. Background: This collection involves the application for issuance or renewal ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 DATES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Jun 25, 2024 Jkt 262001 of a 14 CFR part 133 Rotorcraft External Load Operator Certificate. Application for an original certificate or renewal of a certificate issued under 14 CFR part 133 is made on a form, and in a manner prescribed by the Administrator. The FAA form 8710–4 may be obtained from an FAA Flight Standards District Office, or online at https://www.faa.gov/ documentLibrary/media/form/faa87104.pdf. The completed application is sent to the district office that has jurisdiction over the area in which the applicant’s home base of operation is located. The information collected includes: type of application, operator’s name/ DBA, telephone number, mailing address, physical address of the principal base of operations, chief pilot/ designee name, airman certificate grade and number, rotorcraft make, model and registration numbers to be used, and load combinations requested. Respondents: 357 active part 133 certificate-holders. Frequency: New applications when needed; current 14 CFR part 133 certificate-holders must renew every 24 months. Estimated Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes per application. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 89 total hours per year. Issued in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2024. D.C. Morris, Aviation Safety Analyst, Flight Standards Service, General Aviation and Commercial Division. [FR Doc. 2024–14019 Filed 6–25–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). AGENCY: ACTION: Solicitation of applications. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS) invite interested persons to apply to fill 1 current and 1 upcoming vacancy on the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG). This notice invites interested persons to apply for the openings. The current opening is for a representative of Native American tribes. The upcoming opening is for one of the three commercial air tour representatives. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 53475 Persons interested in these membership openings will need to apply by July 26, 2024. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandi Fox, Environmental Protection Specialist, FAA Office of Environment and Energy, 800 Independence Ave. SW, Suite 900W, Washington, DC 20591, telephone: (202) 267–0928, email: Sandra.Y.Fox@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Background The National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (the Act) was enacted on April 5, 2000, as Public Law 106–181, and subsequently amended in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The Act required the establishment of the advisory group within one year after its enactment. The NPOAG was established in March 2001. The advisory group is comprised of representatives of general aviation, commercial air tour operators, environmental concerns, and Native American tribes. The Administrator of the FAA and the Director of NPS (or their designees) serve as ex officio members of the group. Representatives of the Administrator and Director serve alternating 1-year terms as chairman of the advisory group. In accordance with the Act, the advisory group provides ‘‘advice, information, and recommendations to the Administrator and the Director— (1) On the implementation of this title [the Act] and the amendments made by this title; (2) On commonly accepted quiet aircraft technology for use in commercial air tour operations over a national park or tribal lands, which will receive preferential treatment in a given air tour management plan; (3) On other measures that might be taken to accommodate the interests of visitors to national parks; and (4) At the request of the Administrator and the Director, safety, environmental, and other issues related to commercial air tour operations over a national park or tribal lands.’’ Membership The current NPOAG is made up of one member representing general aviation, three members representing commercial air tour operators, four members representing environmental concerns, and two members representing Native American tribes. Members serve three-year terms. Current members of the NPOAG are as follows: Murray Huling representing general aviation; Eric Lincoln, James Viola, and John Becker representing commercial air E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1 53476 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 26, 2024 / Notices tour operators; Robert Randall, Dick Hingson, Les Blomberg, and John Eastman representing environmental interests; and Carl Slater representing Native American tribes, with one current opening for a Native American tribe representative. The three-year term of Mr. Lincoln expires on July 27, 2024. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Selections AGENCY: To retain balance within the NPOAG, the FAA and NPS are seeking candidates interested in filling the one current vacant seat representing Native American tribes and one upcoming vacancy representing the commercial air tour industry. The FAA and NPS invite persons interested in these openings on the NPOAG to contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Requests to serve on the NPOAG must be made in writing and postmarked or emailed on or before July 26, 2024. Any request to fill one of these seats must describe the requestor’s affiliation with commercial air tour operators, environmental concerns, or federally recognized Native American tribes, as appropriate. The request should also explain what expertise the requestor would bring to the NPOAG as related to issues and concerns with aircraft flights over national parks or tribal lands. The term of service for NPOAG members is 3 years. Members may re-apply for another term. On August 13, 2014, the Office of Management and Budget issued revised guidance regarding the prohibition against appointing or not reappointing federally registered lobbyists to serve on advisory committees (79 FR 47482). Therefore, before appointing an applicant to serve on the NPOAG, the FAA and NPS will require the prospective candidate to certify that they are not a federally registered lobbyist. Issued in Washington, DC, on June 20, 2024. Sandra Fox, Environmental Protection Specialist, FAA Office of Environment and Energy. [FR Doc. 2024–13945 Filed 6–25–24; 8:45 am] ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 BILLING CODE 4910–13–P National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2024–0027] Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition, DP22–004 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Denial of petition for a defect investigation. This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition submitted to NHTSA on August 18, 2022, requesting that the agency commence an investigation of collisions of passenger vehicles and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists) with van-type (also known as box) semi-trailers that result in significant injuries or death due to a lack of effective rear impact guards. On January 17, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition DP22–004 to evaluate petitioners’ request. After consideration of the petition and other information, NHTSA believes that the issues raised here are best addressed through its recent rulemaking and the ongoing actions under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Accordingly, the agency has denied the petition. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Nate Seymour, Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Division, Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590. Email: nate.seymour@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition dated August 18, 2022, requesting an investigation of collisions of passenger vehicles and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists) with van-type (also known as box) semi-trailers that result in significant injuries or death due to a lack of effective rear impact guards (RIGs).1 No specific trailer manufacturer or equipment supplier was identified. The petition acknowledges that the issues presented may be addressed by the actions the agency is taking pursuant to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The petitioners cite crashes exemplifying their concerns, including those in NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), stating that there are ‘‘hundreds of underride deaths and serious injuries annually from collisions with semitrailers.’’ Petitioners SUMMARY: 1 The petition is available at https:// www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=11481272. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Jun 25, 2024 Jkt 262001 PO 00000 Frm 00095 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 observe that from 1994 to 2015, FARS reports 1,803 rear underride deaths, and they further assert that FARS is ‘‘known to underreport these deaths.’’ This data, according to petitioners, ‘‘indicate[s] that semitrailers without effective [RIGs] contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk.’’ Petitioners also submitted to NHTSA, between January 30 and May 15, 2023, various materials—the vast majority of which were over 200 news articles pertaining to fatal incidents involving a heavy vehicle. NHTSA reviewed these materials. Of the news articles, over a third regarded the same crash event, or regarded a non-crash event. Through extensive additional research, ODI determined that twenty-two of the events involved van-type (or ‘‘box’’) semitrailers. Of those twenty-two events, ODI was able to identify the trailer manufacturer in nine; however, none of the model years could be determined. There were no crash reports of vulnerable road user fatalities or injuries included in the materials received from the petitioners. Approximately one month before submission of the petition, NHTSA updated the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for RIGs (FMVSS 223 and 224). See 87 FR 42339. FMVSS provide minimum safety standards for vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment sold in the United States. Such rulemaking efforts involve extensive research and analysis, including requirements to consider economic impacts. NHTSA relied on a collection of crash databases and published research to update these FMVSS. Among other sources, NHTSA used the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) study of Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) in updating the FMVSS for RIGs—not the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data that petitioners claim underreport deaths from collisions with semitrailers. See 87 FR 42354. These updated standards replace the original standards released in 1996 and adopt requirements similar to the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 223 for RIG protection. They provide for upgraded protection in crashes where the passenger motor vehicle hits the center of the rear of the trailer or semitrailer, and crashes in which 50 percent of the width of the passenger motor vehicle overlaps the rear of the trailer or semitrailer. The updated standards went into effect on January 11, 2023, and have a compliance date of no later than July 15, 2024. The updated standards also satisfy BIL requirements. 87 FR 42342. E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53475-53476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13945]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Solicitation of applications.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National 
Park Service (NPS) invite interested persons to apply to fill 1 current 
and 1 upcoming vacancy on the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group 
(NPOAG). This notice invites interested persons to apply for the 
openings. The current opening is for a representative of Native 
American tribes. The upcoming opening is for one of the three 
commercial air tour representatives.

DATES: Persons interested in these membership openings will need to 
apply by July 26, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandi Fox, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, FAA Office of Environment and Energy, 800 Independence Ave. 
SW, Suite 900W, Washington, DC 20591, telephone: (202) 267-0928, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (the Act) was 
enacted on April 5, 2000, as Public Law 106-181, and subsequently 
amended in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The Act 
required the establishment of the advisory group within one year after 
its enactment. The NPOAG was established in March 2001. The advisory 
group is comprised of representatives of general aviation, commercial 
air tour operators, environmental concerns, and Native American tribes. 
The Administrator of the FAA and the Director of NPS (or their 
designees) serve as ex officio members of the group. Representatives of 
the Administrator and Director serve alternating 1-year terms as 
chairman of the advisory group.
    In accordance with the Act, the advisory group provides ``advice, 
information, and recommendations to the Administrator and the 
Director--
    (1) On the implementation of this title [the Act] and the 
amendments made by this title;
    (2) On commonly accepted quiet aircraft technology for use in 
commercial air tour operations over a national park or tribal lands, 
which will receive preferential treatment in a given air tour 
management plan;
    (3) On other measures that might be taken to accommodate the 
interests of visitors to national parks; and
    (4) At the request of the Administrator and the Director, safety, 
environmental, and other issues related to commercial air tour 
operations over a national park or tribal lands.''

Membership

    The current NPOAG is made up of one member representing general 
aviation, three members representing commercial air tour operators, 
four members representing environmental concerns, and two members 
representing Native American tribes. Members serve three-year terms. 
Current members of the NPOAG are as follows: Murray Huling representing 
general aviation; Eric Lincoln, James Viola, and John Becker 
representing commercial air

[[Page 53476]]

tour operators; Robert Randall, Dick Hingson, Les Blomberg, and John 
Eastman representing environmental interests; and Carl Slater 
representing Native American tribes, with one current opening for a 
Native American tribe representative. The three-year term of Mr. 
Lincoln expires on July 27, 2024.

Selections

    To retain balance within the NPOAG, the FAA and NPS are seeking 
candidates interested in filling the one current vacant seat 
representing Native American tribes and one upcoming vacancy 
representing the commercial air tour industry. The FAA and NPS invite 
persons interested in these openings on the NPOAG to contact the person 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Requests to serve on the NPOAG must be made in writing and 
postmarked or emailed on or before July 26, 2024. Any request to fill 
one of these seats must describe the requestor's affiliation with 
commercial air tour operators, environmental concerns, or federally 
recognized Native American tribes, as appropriate. The request should 
also explain what expertise the requestor would bring to the NPOAG as 
related to issues and concerns with aircraft flights over national 
parks or tribal lands. The term of service for NPOAG members is 3 
years. Members may re-apply for another term.
    On August 13, 2014, the Office of Management and Budget issued 
revised guidance regarding the prohibition against appointing or not 
reappointing federally registered lobbyists to serve on advisory 
committees (79 FR 47482). Therefore, before appointing an applicant to 
serve on the NPOAG, the FAA and NPS will require the prospective 
candidate to certify that they are not a federally registered lobbyist.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 20, 2024.
Sandra Fox,
Environmental Protection Specialist, FAA Office of Environment and 
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-13945 Filed 6-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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