[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 76928-76930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31094]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 139

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0997; Notice No. 10-14]
RIN 2120-AJ38


Safety Management System for Certificated Airports; Extension of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period for an NPRM that was 
published on October 7, 2010. In that document, the FAA proposed to 
require each certificate holder to establish a safety management system 
(SMS) for its entire airfield environment (including movement and non-
movement areas) to improve safety at airports hosting air carrier 
operations. Several associations representing airports and other 
aviation industry segments have requested that the FAA extend the 
comment period closing date to allow time to adequately analyze the 
NPRM and prepare comments.

[[Page 76929]]


DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on October 7, 2010, 
closing on January 5, 2011, is extended until March 7, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by docket number FAA-2010-
0997 using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room 
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA dockets, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions 
for accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of 
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Denniston, ARM-200, Office of 
Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-3380; facsimile (202) 
267-5075, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See the Additional Information section for 
information on how to comment on this proposal and how the FAA will 
handle comments received. The ``Additional Information'' section also 
contains related information about the docket, privacy, and the 
handling of proprietary or confidential business information. In 
addition, there is information on obtaining copies of related 
rulemaking documents.

Background

    On October 7, 2010, the FAA published Notice No. 10-14, entitled 
``Safety Management System for Certificated Airports'' (75 FR 62008). 
Comments to that document were to be received on or before January 5, 
2011.
    By a comment posted to the docket on October 13, 2010, the 
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) requested that the comment 
period be extended by the same number of days in which it takes the FAA 
to post a full list of part 139 certificated airports to the Safety 
Management System for Certificated Airports docket. The Airport 
Certification Status List was posted to the docket on October 27, 2010. 
Subsequently, in letters dated November 19, 2010, the Airports Council 
International, North America (ACI-NA) and the American Association of 
Airport Executives (AAAE) requested that the FAA extend the comment 
period for Notice No. 10-14 for 90 days. On December 2, 2010, the Clark 
County, Nevada Department of Aviation also requested an extension of 
the comment period for 90 days. All petitioners requested the extension 
to allow time to adequately assess the impact of the NPRM and prepare 
comments.
    While the FAA concurs with the petitioners' requests for an 
extension of the comment period on Notice No. 10-14, it does not 
support a 90-day extension. The FAA finds that providing an additional 
60 days is sufficient for commenters to analyze the NPRM and provide 
meaningful comment to Notice No. 10-14.
    Absent unusual circumstances, the FAA does not anticipate any 
further extension of the comment period for this rulemaking.

Extension of Comment Period

    In accordance with Sec.  11.47(c) of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the FAA has reviewed the petitions made by the 
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Airports Council 
International, North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of 
Airport Executives (AAAE), and the Clark County, Nevada Department of 
Aviation for extension of the comment period to Notice No. 10-14. These 
petitioners have shown a substantive interest in the proposed rule and 
good cause for the extension. The FAA has determined that extension of 
the comment period is consistent with the public interest, and that 
good cause exists for taking this action.
    Accordingly, the comment period for Notice No. 10-14 is extended 
until March 7, 2011.

Additional Information

A. Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. The agency 
also invites comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy, 
or federalism impacts that might result from adopting the proposals in 
this document. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion 
of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and 
include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain 
duplicate comments, commenters should send only one copy of written 
comments, or if comments are filed electronically, commenters should 
submit only one time.
    The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well 
as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this 
proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before 
the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed 
after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without 
incurring expense or delay. The agency may change this proposal in 
light of the comments it receives.
    Proprietary or Confidential Business Information: Do not file 
proprietary or confidential business information in the docket. Such 
information must be sent or delivered directly to the person identified 
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document, and 
marked as proprietary or confidential. If submitting information on a 
disk or CD ROM, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM, and identify 
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that 
is proprietary or confidential.
    Under 14 CFR 11.35(b), when the FAA is aware of proprietary 
information filed with a comment, the agency does not place it in the 
docket. It is held in a separate file to which the public does not have 
access, and the FAA places a note in the docket that it has received 
it. If the FAA receives a request to examine or copy this information, 
it treats it as any other request under the Freedom of Information Act 
(5 U.S.C. 552). The FAA processes such a request under Department of 
Transportation procedures found in 49 CFR part 7.

[[Page 76930]]

B. Availability of Rulemaking Documents

    An electronic copy of rulemaking documents may be obtained from the 
Internet by--
    1. Searching the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov);
    2. Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies Web page at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies or
    3. Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
    Copies may also be obtained by sending a request to the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, ARM-1, 800 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202) 267-9680. 
Commenters must identify the docket or notice number of this 
rulemaking.
    All documents the FAA considered in developing this proposed rule, 
including economic analyses and technical reports, may be accessed from 
the Internet through the Federal eRulemaking Portal referenced in item 
(1) above.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2010.
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2010-31094 Filed 12-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P