[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19691-19693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10563]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 107, 108, and 139

[Docket Nos. 28979 and 28978]
RIN 2120-AD-46 and 2120-AD-45


Airport and Aircraft Operator Security; Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of the comment period and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the reopening of the comment period and 
two public meetings on the notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), 
Airport Security (Parts 107 and 139), and Aircraft Operator Security 
(Part 108), published in the Federal Register on August 1, 1997. The 
comment period is being reopened and two public meetings are being held 
to provide an additional opportunity for the public to comment on the 
proposals.

DATES: The comment period will close on June 26, 1998. The public 
meetings will be held on May 21, 1998, at 9:00

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a.m., in Washington, DC; and June 4, 1998, at 9:00 a.m., in Nashville, 
TN. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting at 
each location.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
    (1) May 21, 1998, 9:00 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration, 3rd 
floor Auditorium, 800 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20591.
    (2) June 4, 1998, 9:00 a.m., Days Inn Airport, #1 International 
Plaza, Salon E, Nashville, TN 37217, telephone number: (615) 361-7666.
    Persons who are unable to attend the meetings may mail their 
comments on the NPRMs in triplicate to: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel, Rules Docket (AGC-200), 
Docket Nos. 28979 (Parts 107 and 139), 28978 (Part 108), 800 
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20591. Comments may also be sent 
electronically to the following internet address: 9-NPRM-
[email protected]. Written comments to the docket will receive the same 
consideration as statements made at the public meetings. All comments 
should identify the regulatory docket number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests to present a statement at the 
public meetings on the Airport Security (Parts 107 and 139) and 
Aircraft Operator Security (Part 108) NPRMs and questions regarding the 
logistics of the meetings should be directed to Elizabeth Allen, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking (ARM-105), 800 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-
8199; fax (202) 267-5075.
    Questions concerning the NPRM on Airport Security (Parts 107 and 
139) should be directed to Bob Cammaroto, Office of Civil Aviation 
Security Policy and Planning, Civil Aviation Security Division (ACP-
100), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW, 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-7723.
    Questions concerning the NPRM on Aircraft Operator Security (Part 
108) should be directed to Rhonda Hatmaker, Office of Civil Aviation 
Security Policy and Planning, Civil Aviation Security Division (ACP-
100), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW, 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-9496.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation at the Public Meetings on the NPRMs

    Requests from persons who wish to present oral statements at the 
public meetings on the Airport Security and/or the Aircraft Operator 
Security proposals should be received by the FAA no later than May 15, 
1998, for the Washington, DC meeting and no later than May 28, 1998, 
for the Nashville, TN meeting. Such requests should be submitted to 
Elizabeth Allen as listed in the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT and should include a written summary of oral remarks to be 
presented, the date of the meeting the requester wishes to address, and 
an estimate of time needed for the presentation. Requests received 
after the dates specified above will be scheduled if there is time 
available during the meeting; however, the names of those individuals 
may not appear on the written agenda. The FAA will prepare an agenda of 
speakers that will be available at the meetings. To accommodate as many 
speakers as possible, the amount of time allocated to each speaker may 
be less than the amount of time requested. Those persons desiring to 
have available audiovisual equipment should notify the FAA when 
requesting to be placed on the agenda.

Background

    The FAA will conduct two public meetings on the recently published 
Airport Security (Parts 107 and 139) and Aircraft Operator Security 
(Part 108) proposed rules.
    The notices of proposed rulemaking were published in the Federal 
Register on August 1, 1997 [62 FR 41760 (Parts 107 and 139), and 62 FR 
41730 (Part 108)]. The NPRMs proposed to update the overall regulatory 
structure for airport and air carrier security.
    The closing date for comments on these proposals is June 26, 1998. 
The FAA is planning these meetings to give the public an additional 
opportunity to comment on these proposed rules.
    Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the Airport Security 
(Parts 107 and 139) and/or the Aircraft Operator Security (Part 108) 
proposed rules should contact Elizabeth Allen at the address or 
telephone number provided in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    An electronic copy of these documents may be downloaded using a 
modem and suitable communications software from the FAA regulations 
section of the Fedworld electronic bulletin board service (telephone: 
(703) 321-3339) or the Federal Register's electronic bulletin board 
service (telephone: (202) 512-1661).
    Internet users may reach the FAA's webpage at http://www.faa.gov or 
the Federal Register's webpage at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs to 
access recently published rulemaking documents.

Public Meeting Procedures

    The following procedures are established to facilitate the public 
meetings on the NPRMs:
    1. There will be no admission fee or other charge to attend or to 
participate in the public meetings. The meetings will be open to all 
persons who have requested in advance to present statements, or who 
register on the day of the meeting (between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.) 
subject to availability of space in the meeting room.
    2. The public meetings will adjourn after scheduled speakers have 
completed their statements.
    3. The FAA will try to accommodate all speakers; therefore, it may 
be necessary to limit the time available for an individual or group.
    4. Participants should address their comments to the panel. No 
individual will be subject to cross-examination by any other 
participant.
    5. Sign and oral interpretation can be made available at the 
meetings, as well as an assistive listening device, if requested 10 
calendar days before the meetings.
    6. Representatives of the FAA will conduct the public meetings. A 
panel of FAA personnel involved in this issue will be present.
    7. The meetings will be recorded by a court reporter. A transcript 
of the meetings and any material accepted by the panel during the 
meetings will be included in the public dockets [Docket No. 28979 
(Parts 107 and 139), and Docket No. 28978 (Part 108)]. Any person who 
is interested in purchasing a copy of the transcript should contact the 
court reporter directly. This information will be available at the 
meetings.
    8. The FAA will review and consider all material presented by 
participants at the public meetings. Position papers or material 
presenting views or information related to the proposed NPRMs may be 
accepted at the discretion of the presiding officer and subsequently 
placed in the public docket. The FAA requests that persons 
participating in the meetings provide 10 copies of all materials to be 
presented for distribution to the panel members; other copies may be 
provided to the audience at the discretion of the participant.
    9. Statements made by members of the public meetings panel are 
intended to facilitate discussion of the issues or to clarify issues. 
Because the meetings concerning the Airport Security (Parts 107 and 
139) and Aircraft Operator Security (Part 108) are being held during 
the comment period, final decisions

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concerning issues that the public may raise cannot be made at the 
meetings. Federal Aviation Administration officials may, however, ask 
questions to clarify statements made by the public and to ensure a 
complete and accurate record. Comments made at these public meetings 
will be considered by the FAA when deliberations begin concerning 
whether to adopt any or all of the proposed rules.
    10. The meetings are designed to solicit public views and more 
complete information on the proposed rule. Therefore, the meetings will 
be conducted in an informal and nonadversarial manner.

(49 U.S.C. 106(g), 5103, 40113, 40119, 44701-44702, 44706, 44901-
44905, 44907, 44913-44914, 44932, 44935-44936, 46105).

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 14, 1998.
Ida M. Klepper,
Acting Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 98-10563 Filed 4-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P