[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13963-13964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05056]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0037]


Overview of FAA Aircraft Noise Policy and Research Efforts: 
Request for Input on Research Activities To Inform Aircraft Noise 
Policy; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period on a summary review of 
FAA sponsored research programs on civil aircraft noise that could 
potentially inform future aircraft noise policy, which was published to 
the Federal Register on January 13, 2021. The FAA invites public 
comment on the scope and applicability of these research initiatives to 
address aircraft noise.

DATES: The comment period for this review was opened on January 13, 
2021, 86 FR 2722, and was scheduled to close on March 15, 2021. The 
comment period is extended for an additional 30 days or a total of 90 
days from the original publication date in the Federal Register to 
April 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by docket number FAA-2021-
0037 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: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 
from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts 
these comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.
    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 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: Mr. Donald Scata, Office of 
Environment and Energy (AEE-100), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591. Telephone: (202) 267-0606. 
Email address: [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, the handling of 
proprietary or confidential business information. In addition, there is 
information on obtaining copies of related rulemaking documents.

Background

    On January 13, 2021, the FAA issued a Federal Register Notice (FAA-
2021-0037), entitled ``Overview of FAA Aircraft Noise Policy and 
Research Efforts: Request for Input on Research Activities To Inform 
Aircraft Noise Policy.''
    The FAA invites public comment on the scope and applicability of 
its aircraft noise research initiatives to address aircraft noise. 
Comments were to be received on or before March 15, 2021. Through 
discussions with stakeholders during public briefings on the materials 
presented in this notice, including discussions at Airport Community 
Roundtable groups, interest in extending the comment period were 
expressed. An extension of the comment period was requested in order to 
provide additional time for review of the material presented in the 
notice and allow for consensus comments to be submitted by community or 
airport roundtable organizations. To help facilitate the submission of 
these comments the FAA is adding an additional 30 days to the comment 
period until April 14, 2021.

Extension of Comment Period

    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 FAA-2021-0037 is extended for 
for an additional 30 days or a total of 90 days from the original 
publication date in the Federal Register to April 14, 2021.

Additional Information

Comments Invited

    The FAA recognizes that a range of factors may be driving concerns 
due to aircraft noise. However, as outlined in this notice, a broad 
understanding of aircraft noise and its potential impacts is needed in 
order to better manage and reduce concerns from aviation noise.
    The FAA is inviting comments on these concerns to assist the agency 
in assessing how resources should be directed to better understand and 
manage the factors underlying the concern from aircraft noise exposure.
    Comments that focus on the questions listed below will be most 
helpful. The more specific the comments, the more useful they will be 
in the FAA's considerations.

[[Page 13964]]

    (1) What, if any, additional investigation, analysis, or research 
should be undertaken in each of the following three categories as 
described in this notice:
     Effects of Aircraft Noise on Individuals and Communities;
     Noise Modeling, Noise Metrics, and Environmental Data 
Visualization; and
     Reduction, Abatement, and Mitigation of Aviation Noise?
    (2) As outlined in this notice, the FAA recognizes that a range of 
factors may be driving the increase in annoyance shown in the 
Neighborhood Environmental Survey results compared to earlier 
transportation noise annoyance surveys--including survey methodology, 
changes in how commercial aircraft operate, population distribution, 
how people live and work, and societal response to noise. The FAA 
requests input on the factors that may be contributing to the increase 
in annoyance shown in the survey results.
    (3) What, if any, additional categories of investigation, analysis, 
or research should be undertaken to inform FAA noise policy?

    Authority: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. 
4321 et. seq., Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act (ASNA) 49 
U.S.C. 47501 et. seq., Federal Aviation Act, 49 U.S.C. 44715.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Kevin Welsh,
Director, Office of Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-05056 Filed 3-10-21; 8:45 am]
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