Department of Transportation March 3, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board is instituting a proceeding to determine the railroad industry's cost of capital for 2019. The decision solicits comments on the following issues: The railroads' 2019 current cost of debt capital; the railroads' 2019 current cost of preferred equity capital (if any); the railroads' 2019 cost of common equity capital; and the 2019 capital structure mix of the railroad industry on a market value basis.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (``FY 2020 Appropriations Act'' or the Act), authorized and appropriated $225 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to make grants to improve facilities within, or outside of and directly related to operations of coastal seaports, inland river ports, and Great Lakes ports. This notice announces the availability of funding for grants under this program and establishes selection criteria and application requirements. The Act directed that at least $200 million of the appropriated funds shall be for grants to coastal seaports or Great Lakes ports. Funds for the PIDP are to be awarded as discretionary grants on a competitive basis for projects that will improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port. All PIDP grant recipients must meet all applicable Federal requirements, including the Buy American Act. The purpose of this notice is to solicit grant applications for the PIDP.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Department of Transportation's (Department) intention to renew and revise an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number as related to the Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Form 251, Report of Passengers Denied Confirm Space. The Department has collected and published information regarding the industry's practice of overselling flights for over 40 years. In the past few years, there has been changes in the airline industry regarding how airlines handle oversale situations and denied boardings. For example, airlines have begun taking proactive steps to reduce the number of involuntary denied boardings including increasing the amount of compensation offered to passengers in exchange for voluntary changes to a passenger's itinerary. These changes have resulted in an overall reduction in the rate of denied boardings, but the practice still occurs and is an integral part of the airline industry. The Department is seeking to renew the current OMB control number and to revise and rename Form 251 to Form 250 to reduce the burden on airlines, better clarify the instructions for completing the form, and provide more relevant information to consumers.

This action amends Class E airspace at Rifle Garfield County Airport, Rifle, CO. The action increases the circular radius of the Class E airspace, designated as a surface area, to the west and northwest of the airport. Also, this action amends the Class E airspace by adding an airspace area, designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, to the east of the airport. Additionally, this action amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface by increasing the radius of the airspace around most of the airport and reducing the radius to the north and northeast of the airport. This action also removes the extensions from this airspace area. Lastly, this action makes several administrative corrections to the airspace legal descriptions for the airport.

This action amends Class E airspace at Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison, CO. The action increases the circular radius of the Class E airspace designated as a surface area and adds an extension to the west of the airport. Also, this action amends the Class E airspace by adding an airspace area, designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, to the southwest of the airport. Additionally, this action amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface by significantly reducing the area around the airport, except to the west and southwest of the airport. Furthermore, this action amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface by removing this area. This area is wholly contained within the Denver Class E6 en route airspace area and duplication is not necessary. Lastly, this action makes several administrative corrections to the airspace legal descriptions for the airport.

This action proposes to revoke the Class E airspace at Sloulin Field International Airport, Williston, ND, due to the airport's closure. This action also proposes to amend Class E airspace at Williston Basin International Airport, Williston, ND. The action proposes to add an area designated as a surface area. This action also proposes to amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface by adding two extensions, one to the southeast and one to the north of the airport. Additionally, this action proposes to add a Class E airspace area extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. Lastly, this action proposes an administrative correction to the airspace legal description's text header by updating the airport's geographic coordinate to match the FAA's aeronautical database. These changes are necessary to accommodate airspace redesign for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.