Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 77 / Tuesday, April 22, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 22359 

2015 crop could range between $6.55 

and $8.10 per hundredweight of 

potatoes. Therefore, the estimated 

assessment revenue for the 2014–2015 

fiscal period as a percentage of total 

producer revenue could range between 

0.03 and 0.04 percent. 

This action decreases the assessment 

obligation imposed on handlers. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to producers. As such, the 

decreased assessment rate will reduce 

the burden on handlers and may reduce 

the burden on producers. In addition, 

the Committee’s meeting was widely 

publicized throughout the Idaho-Eastern 

Oregon potato industry and all 

interested persons were invited to 

attend the meeting and participate in 

Committee deliberations on all issues. 

Like all Committee meetings, the 

November 21, 2013, meeting was a 

public meeting and all entities, both 

large and small, were able to express 

views on this issue. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35), the order’s information 

collection requirements have been 

previously approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0178 (Generic 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops). No 

changes in those requirements as a 

result of this action are necessary. 

Should any changes become necessary, 

they would be submitted to OMB for 

approval. 

This rule imposes no additional 

reporting or recordkeeping requirements 

on either small or large Idaho-Eastern 

Oregon potato handlers. As with all 

Federal marketing order programs, 

reports and forms are periodically 

reviewed to reduce information 

requirements and duplication by 

industry and public sector agencies. As 

noted in the initial regulatory flexibility 

analysis, USDA has not identified any 

relevant Federal rules that duplicate, 

overlap, or conflict with this final rule. 

AMS is committed to complying with 

the E-Government Act, to promote the 

use of the internet and other 

information technologies to provide 

increased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

A proposed rule concerning this 

action was published in the Federal 

Register on February 25, 2014 (79 FR 

10423). Copies of the proposed rule 

were distributed to all Idaho-Eastern 

Oregon potato handlers, Committee 

members, and media. Finally, the 

proposal was made available through 

the internet by USDA and the Office of 

the Federal Register. A 30-day comment 

period ending March 27, 2014, was 

provided for interested persons to 

respond to the proposal. No comments 

were received. 

A small business guide on complying 

with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop 

marketing agreements and orders may 

be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/ 

MarketingOrdersSmallBusinessGuide. 

Any questions about the compliance 

guide should be sent to Jeffrey Smutny 

at the previously mentioned address in 

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section. 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, including the 

information and recommendation 

submitted by the Committee and other 

available information, it is hereby found 

that this rule, as hereinafter set forth, 

will tend to effectuate the declared 

policy of the Act. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 945 

Marketing agreements, Potatoes, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, 7 CFR part 945 is amended as 

follows: 

PART 945—IRISH POTATOES GROWN 

IN CERTAIN DESIGNATED COUNTIES 

IN IDAHO, AND MALHEUR COUNTY, 

OREGON 

■ 1. The authority citation for 7 CFR 

part 945 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674. 

■ 2. Section 945.249 is revised to read 

as follows: 

§ 945.249 Assessment rate. 

On and after August 1, 2014, an 

assessment rate of $0.0025 per 

hundredweight is established for IdahoEastern Oregon potatoes. 

Dated: April 16, 2014. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–09093 Filed 4–21–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 985 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–14–0027; FV14–985–3 

IR] 

Spearmint Oil Produced in the Far 

West; Decreased Assessment Rate 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Interim rule with request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This rule decreases the 

assessment rate established for the 

Spearmint Oil Administrative 

Committee (Committee), for the 2014–15 

and subsequent marketing years from 

$0.10 to $0.09 per pound of spearmint 

oil handled. The Committee locally 

administers the marketing order which 

regulates the handling of spearmint oil 

produced in the Far West. Assessments 

upon spearmint oil handlers are used by 

the Committee to fund reasonable and 

necessary expenses of the program. The 

marketing year begins June 1 and ends 

May 31. The assessment rate will 

remain in effect indefinitely unless 

modified, suspended, or terminated. 

Effective April 23, 2014. Comments 

received by June 23, 2014, will be 

considered prior to issuance of a final 

rule. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments 

concerning this rule. Comments must be 

sent to the Docket Clerk, Marketing 

Order and Agreement Division, Fruit 

and Vegetable Program, AMS, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 

0237, Washington, DC 20250–0237; Fax: 

(202) 720–8938; or Internet: http://

www.regulations.gov. Comments should 

reference the document number and the 

date and page number of this issue of 

the Federal Register and will be 

available for public inspection in the 

Office of the Docket Clerk during regular 

business hours, or can be viewed at: 

http://www.regulations.gov. All 

comments submitted in response to this 

rule will be included in the record and 

will be made available to the public. 

Please be advised that the identity of the 

individuals or entities submitting the 

comments will be made public on the 

internet at the address provided above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Manuel Michel, Marketing Specialist, or 

Gary D. Olson, Regional Director, 

Northwest Marketing Field Office, 

Marketing Order and Agreement 

Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, 

AMS, USDA; Telephone: (503) 326– 

2724, Fax: (503) 326–7440, or Email: 

Manuel.Michel@ams.usda.gov or 

GaryD.Olson@ams.usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on complying with this 

regulation by contacting Jeffrey Smutny, 

Marketing Order and Agreement 

Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, 

AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., STOP 0237, Washington, 

DC 20250–0237; Telephone: (202) 720– 

2491, Fax: (202) 720–8938, or Email: 

Jeffrey.Smutny@ams.usda.gov. 


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22360 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 77 / Tuesday, April 22, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule 

is issued under Marketing Order No. 

985 (7 CFR part 985), as amended, 

regulating the handling of spearmint oil 

grown in the Far West (Washington, 

Idaho, Oregon, and designated parts of 

Nevada and Utah), hereinafter referred 

to as the ‘‘order.’’ The order is effective 

under the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), hereinafter referred to 

as the ‘‘Act.’’ 

The Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) is issuing this rule in 

conformance with Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 13175. 

This rule has been reviewed under 

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice 

Reform. Under the order now in effect, 

Far West spearmint oil handlers are 

subject to assessments. Funds to 

administer the order are derived from 

such assessments. It is intended that the 

assessment rate, as issued herein, will 

be applicable to all assessable spearmint 

oil beginning June 1, 2014, and continue 

until amended, suspended, or 

terminated. 

The Act provides that administrative 

proceedings must be exhausted before 

parties may file suit in court. Under 

section 608c(15)(A) of the Act, any 

handler subject to an order may file 

with USDA a petition stating that the 

order, any provision of the order, or any 

obligation imposed in connection with 

the order is not in accordance with law 

and request a modification of the order 

or to be exempted therefrom. Such 

handler is afforded the opportunity for 

a hearing on the petition. After the 

hearing, USDA would rule on the 

petition. The Act provides that the 

district court of the United States in any 

district in which the handler is an 

inhabitant, or has his or her principal 

place of business, has jurisdiction to 

review USDA’s ruling on the petition, 

provided an action is filed not later than 

20 days after the date of the entry of the 

ruling. 

This rule decreases the assessment 

rate established for the Committee for 

the 2014–15 and subsequent marketing 

years from $0.10 to $0.09 per pound of 

spearmint oil handled. 

The Far West spearmint oil marketing 

order provides authority for the 

Committee, with the approval of USDA, 

to formulate an annual budget of 

expenses and collect assessments from 

handlers to administer the program. The 

members of the Committee are 

producers of Far West spearmint oil. 

They are familiar with the Committee’s 

needs and with the costs for goods and 

services in their local area and thus are 

in a position to formulate an appropriate 

budget and assessment rate. The 

assessment rate is formulated and 

discussed in a public meeting. All 

persons directly affected have an 

opportunity to participate and provide 

input. 

For the 2003–04 and subsequent 

marketing years, the Committee 

recommended and USDA approved, an 

assessment rate that would continue in 

effect from marketing year to marketing 

year unless modified, suspended, or 

terminated by USDA upon 

recommendation and information 

submitted by the Committee or other 

information available to USDA. 

The Committee met on February 19, 

2014, and unanimously recommended 

2014–15 expenditures of $266,400 and 

an assessment rate of $0.09 per pound 

of spearmint oil handled. In 

comparison, last year’s budgeted 

expenditures were $220,970. The 

assessment rate of $0.09 is $0.01 lower 

than the rate currently in effect. The 

assessment rate decrease is necessary to 

reduce the funds held in the operating 

reserve in order to not exceed 

approximately one marketing year’s 

operational expenses (§ 985.42(a)). 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Committee for the 

2014–15 marketing year include $25,500 

for Committee expenses; $195,900 for 

administrative expenses; and $45,000 

for market research and promotion 

expenses. Budgeted expenses for these 

items in 2013–14 were $21,500 for 

Committee expenses; $190,470 for 

administrative expenses; and $9,000 for 

market research and promotion 

expenses. 

The assessment rate recommended by 

the Committee was derived by dividing 

anticipated expenses by the expected 

quantity of Far West spearmint oil 

handled. The Committee estimates that 

2,500,000 pounds of spearmint oil will 

be handled, which should provide 

$225,000 in assessment income. Income 

derived from handler assessments, along 

with interest income and funds from the 

Committee’s authorized operating 

reserve will be adequate to cover 

budgeted expenses. Funds in the 

operating reserve (currently $321,689) 

will be reduced to comply with the 

maximum permitted by the order of 

approximately one marketing year’s 

operational expenses. 

The assessment rate established in 

this rule will continue in effect 

indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated by USDA 

upon recommendation and information 

submitted by the Committee or other 

available information. 

Although this assessment rate is 

effective for an indefinite period, the 

Committee will continue to meet prior 

to or during each marketing year to 

recommend a budget of expenses and 

consider recommendations for 

modification of the assessment rate. The 

dates and times of Committee meetings 

are available from the Committee or 

USDA. Committee meetings are open to 

the public and interested persons may 

express their views at these meetings. 

USDA will evaluate Committee 

recommendations and other available 

information to determine whether 

modification of the assessment rate is 

needed. Further rulemaking will be 

undertaken as necessary. The 

Committee’s 2014–15 budget and those 

for subsequent marketing years will be 

reviewed and, as appropriate, approved 

by USDA. 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

Pursuant to requirements set forth in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 

U.S.C. 601–612), the Agricultural 

Marketing Service (AMS) has 

considered the economic impact of this 

rule on small entities. Accordingly, 

AMS has prepared this initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis. 

The purpose of the RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

businesses subject to such actions in 

order that small businesses will not be 

unduly or disproportionately burdened. 

Marketing orders issued pursuant to the 

Act, and the rules issued thereunder, are 

unique in that they are brought about 

through group action of essentially 

small entities acting on their own 

behalf. 

There are eight spearmint oil handlers 

subject to regulation under the order, 

and approximately 39 producers of 

Scotch spearmint oil and approximately 

91 producers of Native spearmint oil in 

the regulated production area. Small 

agricultural service firms are defined by 

the Small Business Administration 

(SBA) as those having annual receipts of 

less than $7,000,000, and small 

agricultural producers are defined as 

those having annual receipts of less than 

$750,000 (13 CFR 121.201). 

Based on the SBA’s definition of 

small entities, the Committee estimates 

that two of the eight handlers regulated 

by the order could be considered small 

entities. Most of the handlers are large 

corporations involved in the 

international trading of essential oils 

and the products of essential oils. In 

addition, the Committee estimates that 

22 of the 39 Scotch spearmint oil 

producers, and 29 of the 91 Native 

spearmint oil producers could be 

classified as small entities under the 

SBA definition. Thus, a majority of 

handlers and producers of Far West 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 77 / Tuesday, April 22, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 22361 

spearmint oil may not be classified as 

small entities. 

The Far West spearmint oil industry 

is characterized by producers whose 

farming operations generally involve 

more than one commodity, and whose 

income from farming operations is not 

exclusively dependent on the 

production of spearmint oil. A typical 

spearmint oil-producing operation has 

enough acreage for rotation such that 

the total acreage required to produce the 

crop is about one-third spearmint and 

two-thirds rotational crops. Thus, the 

typical spearmint oil producer has to 

have considerably more acreage than is 

planted to spearmint during any given 

season. Crop rotation is an essential 

cultural practice in the production of 

spearmint oil for purposes of weed, 

insect, and disease control. To remain 

economically viable with the added 

costs associated with spearmint oil 

production, a majority of spearmint oilproducing farms fall into the SBA 

category of large businesses. 

This rule decreases the assessment 

rate established for the Committee and 

collected from handlers for the 2014–15 

and subsequent marketing years from 

$0.10 to $0.09 per pound of spearmint 

oil handled. The Committee 

unanimously recommended 2014–15 

expenditures of $266,400 and an 

assessment rate of $0.09. The 

assessment rate of $0.09 is $0.01 lower 

than the 2013–14 rate. The quantity of 

assessable spearmint oil for the 2014–15 

marketing year is estimated at 2,500,000 

pounds. Thus, the $0.09 rate should 

provide $225,000 in assessment income. 

Income derived from handler 

assessments, along with interest income 

and funds from the Committee’s 

authorized operating reserve will be 

adequate to cover budgeted expenses. 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Committee for the 

2014–15 marketing year include $25,500 

for Committee expenses, $195,900 for 

administrative expenses, and $45,000 

for market research and promotion 

expenses. Budgeted expenses for these 

items in 2013–14 were $21,500, 

$190,470, and $9,000, respectively. 

The lower assessment rate is 

necessary to reduce the operating 

reserve balance and not exceed 

approximately one marketing year’s 

expenses as provided for in § 985.42. 

The operating reserve balance is 

expected to be $321,689 on May 31, 

2014. This amount exceeds the 

maximum authorized reserve amount of 

$266,400 by $55,289. Assessment 

income for 2014–15 is estimated at 

$225,000, while expenses are estimated 

at $266,400. The Committee anticipates 

using $41,400 of their operating reserve 

fund for the 2014–15 marketing year. 

The Committee discussed alternatives 

to this action. Leaving the assessment 

rate at the current $0.10 per pound was 

initially considered, but not 

recommended, because the Committee 

would like to decrease the level of the 

operating reserve so that it is not more 

than approximately one marketing 

year’s expenses. Lower assessment rates 

were considered, but also not 

recommended, because they would not 

generate the amount of income 

necessary to administer the program. 

The Committee ultimately determined 

that an assessment rate of $0.09 per 

pound, which should generate 

assessment income of $225,000, 

combined with operating reserve funds, 

would be sufficient to meet its 2014–15 

expenses. 

A review of historical data and 

preliminary information pertaining to 

the upcoming marketing year indicates 

that the producer price for the 2014–15 

season could range between $17.00 and 

$19.00 per pound of spearmint oil. 

Therefore, the estimated assessment 

revenue for the 2014–15 marketing year 

as a percentage of total grower revenue 

could range between 0.47 and 0.53 

percent. 

This action decreases the assessment 

obligation imposed on handlers. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to producers. However, 

decreasing the assessment rate reduces 

the burden on handlers, and may reduce 

the burden on producers. In addition, 

the Committee’s meeting was widely 

publicized throughout the Far West 

spearmint oil industry and all interested 

persons were invited to attend the 

meeting and participate in Committee 

deliberations on all issues. Like all 

Committee meetings, the February 19, 

2014, meeting was a public meeting and 

all entities, both large and small, were 

able to express views on this issue. 

Finally, interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on this interim rule, 

including the regulatory and 

informational impacts of this action on 

small businesses. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35), the order’s information 

collection requirements have been 

previously approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0178, 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops. No 

changes in those requirements as a 

result of this action are necessary. 

Should any changes become necessary, 

they would be submitted to OMB for 

approval. 

This action imposes no additional 

reporting or recordkeeping requirements 

on either small or large Far West 

spearmint oil handlers. As with all 

Federal marketing order programs, 

reports and forms are periodically 

reviewed to reduce information 

requirements and duplication by 

industry and public sector agencies. 

AMS is committed to complying with 

the E-Government Act, to promote the 

use of the internet and other 

information technologies to provide 

increased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

USDA has not identified any relevant 

Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with this rule. 

A small business guide on complying 

with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop 

marketing agreements and orders may 

be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/ 

MarketingOrdersSmallBusinessGuide. 

Any questions about the compliance 

guide should be sent to Jeffrey Smutny 

at the previously mentioned address in 

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section. 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, including the 

information and recommendation 

submitted by the Committee and other 

available information, it is hereby found 

that this rule, as hereinafter set forth, 

will tend to effectuate the declared 

policy of the Act. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, it is also 

found and determined upon good cause 

that it is impracticable, unnecessary, 

and contrary to the public interest to 

give preliminary notice prior to putting 

this rule into effect, and that good cause 

exists for not postponing the effective 

date of this rule until 30 days after 

publication in the Federal Register 

because: (1) The 2014–15 marketing 

year begins on June 1, 2014, and the 

marketing order requires that the rate of 

assessment for each marketing year 

apply to all assessable spearmint oil 

handled during such marketing year; (2) 

this action decreases the assessment rate 

for assessable spearmint oil beginning 

with the 2014–15 marketing year; (3) 

handlers are aware of this action which 

was unanimously recommended by the 

Committee at a public meeting; and (4) 

this interim rule provides a 60-day 

comment period, and all comments 

timely received will be considered prior 

to finalization of this rule. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 985 

Marketing agreements, Oils and fats, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Spearmint oil. 


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22362 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 77 / Tuesday, April 22, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, 7 CFR part 985 is amended as 

follows: 

PART 985—MARKETING ORDER 

REGULATING THE HANDLING OF 

SPEARMINT OIL PRODUCED IN THE 

FAR WEST 

■ 1. The authority citation for 7 CFR 

part 985 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674. 

■ 2. Section 985.141 is revised to read 

as follows: 

§ 985.141 Assessment rate. 

On and after June 1, 2014, an 

assessment rate of $0.09 per pound is 

established for Far West spearmint oil. 

Unexpended funds may be carried over 

as a reserve. 

Dated: April 16, 2014. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–09091 Filed 4–21–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0041; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–CE–053–AD; Amendment 

39–17824; AD 2014–07–10] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Ballonbau 

Wo ̈rner GmbH Balloons 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Ballonbau Wo ̈rner GmbH Models NL– 

280/STU, NL–380/STU, NL–510/STU, 

NL–640/STU, NL–840/STU, and NL– 

1000/STU balloons. This AD results 

from mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI) 

issued by an aviation authority of 

another country to identify and correct 

an unsafe condition on an aviation 

product. The MCAI describes the unsafe 

condition as current inspection intervals 

are no longer adequate to ensure timely 

detection of deterioration or damage. 

We are issuing this AD to require 

actions to address the unsafe condition 

on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective May 27, 

2014. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in the AD 

as of May 27, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2014– 

0041; or in person at Document 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Ballonbau Wo ̈rner 

GmbH, Zirbelstrasse 57c, D–86154 

Augsburg, Germany; telephone: +49 821 

4504060; fax: +49 821 419641; Internet: 

www.ballonbau.de. You may view this 

referenced service information at the 

FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 

Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. 

For information on the availability of 

this material at the FAA, call (816) 329– 

4148. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl 

Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 

Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, 

Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; 

telephone: (816) 329–4123; fax: (816) 

329–4090; email: karl.schletzbaum@

faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to adding an AD that would 

apply to Ballonbau Wo ̈rner GmbH 

Model NL–280/STU, NL–380/STU, NL– 

510/STU, NL–640/STU, NL–840/STU, 

and NL–1000/STU airplane. The NPRM 

was published in the Federal Register 

on January 31, 2014 (79 FR 5319). The 

NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe 

condition for the specified products and 

was based on mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI) 

originated by an aviation authority of 

another country. The MCAI states: 

The results of an analysis of NL–STU 

maintenance data revealed that the current 

inspection intervals are no longer adequate to 

ensure timely detection of deterioration or 

damage, which could affected the structural 

integrity of the balloon. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could lead to failure of balloon 

components or envelope, possibly resulting 

in loss of the balloon. 

To address this potential unsafe condition, 

Ballonbau Wo ̈rner developed new, more 

detailed and descriptive Instructions for 

Continued Airworthiness (at the same time 

separated from the Flight Manual) and issued 

Technische Mitteilung/Technical Note 

EASA.BA.009–6 to inform all operators. 

For the reasons described above, EASA 

issued AD 2013–0293 to require compliance 

with the updated Instructions for Continued 

Airworthiness. This AD is revised to extend 

the compliance time for the initial porosity 

test, for balloons which have already 

exceeded the relevant threshold. 

The MCAI can be found in the AD 

docket on the Internet at: http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0041- 

0002. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

received no comments on the NPRM (79 

FR 5319, January 31, 2014) or on the 

determination of the cost to the public. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting the AD 

as proposed except for minor editorial 

changes. We have determined that these 

minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 5319, 

January 31, 2014) for correcting the 

unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 5319, 

January 31, 2014). 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 6 

products of U.S. registry. The scope of 

the inspections may vary depending on 

the condition of the balloon. We have 

no way of knowing how extensive an 

inspection may be necessary for each 

balloon. The scope of damage found in 

the inspections could vary significantly 

from balloon to balloon. We have no 

way of determining how much damage 

may be found on each balloon or the 

cost to repair damaged parts on each 

balloon or the number of balloons that 

may require repair. 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

Title 49 of the United States Code 

specifies the FAA’s authority to issue 

rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, 

section 106, describes the authority of 

the FAA Administrator. ‘‘Subtitle VII: 

Aviation Programs,’’ describes in more 

detail the scope of the Agency’s 

authority. 

We are issuing this rulemaking under 

the authority described in ‘‘Subtitle VII, 

Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: 

General requirements.’’ Under that 

section, Congress charges the FAA with 

promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in 

air commerce by prescribing regulations 

for practices, methods, and procedures 

the Administrator finds necessary for 

safety in air commerce. This regulation 


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