Department of Transportation September 22, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In anticipation of Congress enacting a reauthorization of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) the FAA is publishing this annual notice. This notice announces the criteria, application procedures, and schedule to be applied by the Secretary of Transportation in designating or redesignating, and funding capital development annually for up to 15 current (joint-use) or former military airports seeking designation or redesignation to participate in the MAP. While FAA currently has continuing authority to designate or redesignate airports, FAA does not have authority to issue grants for fiscal year 2012 MAP, and will not have authority until Congress enacts legislation enabling FAA to issue grants for fiscal year 2012. The MAP allows the Secretary to designate current (joint-use) or former military airports to receive grants from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The Secretary is authorized to designate an airport (other than an airport designated before August 24, 1994) only if: (1) The airport is a former military installation closed or realigned under the Title 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2687 (announcement of closures of large Department of Defense installations after September 30, 1977), or under Section 201 or 2905 of the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Acts; or (2) the airport is a military installation with both military and civil aircraft operations. The Secretary shall consider for designation only those current or former military airports, at least partly converted to civilian airports as part of the national air transportation system, that will reduce delays at airports with more than 20,000 hours of annual delays in commercial passenger aircraft takeoffs and landings, or will enhance airport and air traffic control system capacity in metropolitan areas, or reduce current and projected flight delays (49 U.S.C. 47118(c)).

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Cumberland, MD, as the Cumberland Non-Directional Beacon (CBE) has been decommissioned and new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) have been developed at Greater Cumberland Regional Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Oneonta, AL, to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Robbins Field. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Transportation proposes to establish a new Department of Transportation system of records titled, ``Department of Transportation/ALL-23 Information Sharing Environment Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative System of Records.'' This system of records will allow DOT to compile suspicious activity report data that meet the Information Sharing Environment Suspicious Activity Reporting Functional Standard and share these Suspicious Activity Reporting data with authorized participants in the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, including other DOT operating administrations, Federal departments and agencies, State, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies, and the private sector. Additionally, the Department of Transportation issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to exempt this system from certain provisions of the Privacy Act elsewhere in the Federal Register. This newly established system will be included in the Department of Transportation's inventory of record systems.