Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 176 / Monday, September 12, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 62807 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–4133; Airspace 

Docket No. 15–ANM–27] 

Revocation of Class D Airspace; 

Vancouver, WA 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This action removes the Class 

D airspace at Pearson Field, Vancouver, 

WA. FAA Joint Order 7400.2K states 

that non-towered airports requiring a 

surface area will be designated Class E. 

Class E surface area airspace was 

established on December 10, 2015. The 

FAA is taking this action due to the lack 

of an operating air traffic control tower 

at Pearson Field Airport, Vancouver, 

WA. 

DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, November 

10, 2016. The Director of the Federal 

Register approves this incorporation by 

reference action under Title 1, Code of 

Federal Regulations, part 51, subject to 

the annual revision of FAA Order 

7400.9 and publication of conforming 

amendments. 

ADDRESSES: FAA Order 7400.9Z, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, and subsequent amendments can 

be viewed online at http://www.faa.gov/ 

air_traffic/publications/. For further 

information, you can contact the 

Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation 

Administration, 800 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; 

telephone: 202–267–8783. The Order is 

also available for inspection at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For 

information on the availability of FAA 

Order 7400.9Z at NARA, call 202–741– 

6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/ 

federal_register/code_of_federalregulations/ibr_locations.html. FAA 

Order 7400.9, Airspace Designations 

and Reporting Points, is published 

yearly and effective on September 15. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard Roberts, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Operations Support 

Group, Western Service Center, 1601 

Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057; 

telephone (425) 203–4517. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

The FAA’s authority to issue rules 

regarding aviation safety is found in 

Title 49 of the United States Code. 

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. This rulemaking is 

promulgated under the authority 

described in Subtitle VII, Part A, 

Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that 

section, the FAA is charged with 

prescribing regulations to assign the use 

of airspace necessary to ensure the 

safety of aircraft and the efficient use of 

airspace. This regulation is within the 

scope of that authority as it would 

remove Class D airspace at Pearson 

Field Airport, Vancouver, WA. 

History 

On January 26, 2016, the FAA 

published in the Federal Register a 

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 

to remove Class D airspace at 

Vancouver, WA (81 FR 4220) Docket 

No. FAA–2015–4133. Interested parties 

were invited to participate in this 

rulemaking effort by submitting written 

comments on the proposal to the FAA. 

Ten comments were received; nine from 

individuals and one from the Aircraft 

Owners and Pilots Association. 

All expressed concern with the 

revocation of the Class D airspace prior 

to establishment of the Special Flight 

Rules Area (SFRA), Docket No. FAA– 

2015–3980. The FAA concurs with their 

expressed concerns and is making the 

Special Flight Rules Area effective 

concurrently with the removal of the 

Class D airspace. 

All commenters were concerned with 

the SFRA being published without 

containing specific language requested 

during a Safety Risk Management Panel 

in 2012 and comments received on the 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the 

SFRA Docket. The FAA addresses those 

comments in the Final Rule for that 

action, published elsewhere in this 

issue of the Federal Register. 

Class D airspace designations are 

published in paragraph 5000 of FAA 

Order 7400.9Z, dated August 6, 2015, 

and effective September 15, 2015, which 

is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 

part 71.1. The Class E airspace 

designation listed in this document will 

be published subsequently in the Order. 

Availability and Summary of 

Documents for Incorporation by 

Reference 

This document amends FAA Order 

7400.9Z, Airspace Designations and 

Reporting Points, dated August 6, 2015, 

and effective September 15, 2015. FAA 

Order 7400.9Z is publicly available as 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

document. FAA Order 7400.9Z lists 

Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, 

air traffic service routes, and reporting 

points. 

The Rule 

This amendment to Title 14, Code of 

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 

removes Class D airspace at Vancouver, 

WA. FAA Joint Order 7400.2K states 

that non-towered airports requiring a 

surface area, the airspace will be 

designated Class E. There is no 

operating control tower at Pearson Field 

Airport, Vancouver, WA, which 

removes the necessity for the Class D 

airspace area. 

Regulatory Notices and Analyses 

The FAA has determined that this 

regulation only involves an established 

body of technical regulations for which 

frequent and routine amendments are 

necessary to keep them operationally 

current, is non-controversial and 

unlikely to result in adverse or negative 

comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a 

‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under 

Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a 

‘‘significant rule’’ under DOT 

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 

FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) 

does not warrant preparation of a 

Regulatory Evaluation as the anticipated 

impact is so minimal. Since this is a 

routine matter that only affects air traffic 

procedures and air navigation, it is 

certified that this rule, when 

promulgated, does not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities under the 

criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 

Environmental Review 

The FAA has determined that this 

action qualifies for categorical exclusion 

under the National Environmental 

Policy Act in accordance with FAA 

Order 1050.1F, ‘‘Environmental 

Impacts: Policies and Procedures,’’ 

paragraph 5–6.5a. This airspace action 

is not expected to cause any potentially 

significant environmental impacts, and 

no extraordinary circumstances exist 

that warrant preparation of an 

environmental assessment. 

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71 

Airspace, Incorporation by reference, 

Navigation (air). 

Adoption of the Amendment 

In consideration of the foregoing, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows: 


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62808 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 176 / Monday, September 12, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 

PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, 

B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 

TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND 

REPORTING POINTS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 71 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 

40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 

1959–1963 Comp., p. 389. 

§ 71.1 [Amended] 

■ 2. The incorporation by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.9Z, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated August 6, 2015, and 

effective September 15, 2015, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace. 

* * * * * 

ANM OR D Vancouver, WA [Removed] 

Issued in Seattle, Washington, on August 

26, 2016. 

Tracey Johnson, 

Manager, Operations Support Group, Western 

Service Center. 

[FR Doc. 2016–21373 Filed 9–9–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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