Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 92 / Thursday, May 12, 2016 / Notices 29609 

Dated: April 18, 2016. 

John F. Kerry, 

Secretary of State. 

[FR Doc. 2016–11281 Filed 5–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–42–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 381X)] 

Norfolk Southern Railway Company— 

Abandonment Exemption—in Hamilton 

County, Ohio 

On April 22, 2016, Norfolk Southern 

Railway Company (NSR) filed with the 

Surface Transportation Board (Board) a 

petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for 

exemption from the prior approval 

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10903 to 

abandon approximately 4.10 miles of 

rail line extending from milepost CT 3.7 

to milepost CT 7.8 in Hamilton County, 

Ohio (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. 

Postal Zip Codes 45207, 45212, 45208, 

45209, 45226, and 45227. 

According to NSR, no traffic has 

moved over the Line in more than five 

years. NSR further states that there is no 

potential for new traffic. NSR seeks to 

abandon the Line and sell the property 

to the City of Cincinnati (City) for a 

public redevelopment project. NSR 

states that the City is undertaking a plan 

that would reduce/reroute vehicular 

traffic, create greenways, and provide 

alternative modal access to five major 

development sites, including sites at 

Xavier University and near Uptown. 

NSR asserts that the City would take 

ownership of, and assume responsibility 

for, the safety and maintenance of the 10 

bridges on the Line. 

In addition to an exemption from the 

provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903, NSR also 

seeks an exemption from the offer of 

financial assistance (OFA) procedures of 

49 U.S.C. 10904. In support, NSR states 

that the Line is needed for a public 

purpose, as it is of critical significance 

to the City’s redevelopment plans. NSR 

further asserts that there is no 

overriding public need for continued 

freight rail service. NSR’s request for 

exemption from § 10904 will be 

addressed in the final decision. 

According to NSR, the Line does not 

contain federally granted rights-of-way. 

Any documentation in NSR’s possession 

will be made available promptly to 

those requesting it. 

The interest of railroad employees 

will be protected by the conditions set 

forth in Oregon Short Line Railroad— 

Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch 

Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham & 

Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 

91 (1979). 

By issuing this notice, the Board is 

instituting an exemption proceeding 

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final 

decision will be issued by August 10, 

2016. 

Any OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) 

to subsidize continued rail service will 

be due by August 19, 2016, or 10 days 

after service of a decision granting the 

petition for exemption, whichever 

occurs first. Each OFA must be 

accompanied by a $1,600 filing fee. See 

49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). 

All interested persons should be 

aware that, following abandonment, the 

Line may be suitable for other public 

use, including interim trail use. Any 

request for a public use condition under 

49 CFR 1152.28 or for interim trail use/ 

rail banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will 

be due no later than June 1, 2016. Each 

interim trail use request must be 

accompanied by a $300 filing fee. See 49 

CFR 1002.2(f)(27). However, NSR states 

that, because it seeks abandonment to 

allow the City to purchase the land for 

a public use, NSR is unwilling to 

negotiate interim trail use/rail banking. 

All filings in response to this notice 

must refer to Docket No. AB 290 (SubNo. 381X) and must be sent to: (1) 

Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 

Street SW., Washington, DC 20423– 

0001; and (2) William A Mullins, Baker 

& Miller PLLC, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. 

NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037. 

Replies to the petition are due on or 

before June 1, 2016. 

Persons seeking further information 

concerning abandonment procedures 

may contact the Board’s Office of Public 

Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and 

Compliance at (202) 245–0238 or refer 

to the full abandonment or 

discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR 

part 1152. Questions concerning 

environmental issues may be directed to 

the Board’s Office of Environmental 

Analysis (OEA) at (202) 245–0305. 

Assistance for the hearing impaired is 

available through the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339. 

An environmental assessment (EA) (or 

environmental impact statement (EIS), if 

necessary) prepared by OEA will be 

served upon all parties of record and 

upon any agencies or other persons who 

commented during its preparation. 

Other interested persons may contact 

OEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS). 

EAs in abandonment proceedings 

normally will be made available within 

60 days of the filing of the petition. The 

deadline for submission of comments on 

the EA generally will be within 30 days 

of its service. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at 

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’ 

Decided: May 9, 2016. 

By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2016–11189 Filed 5–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 

Committee—New Task 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of a new task assignment 

for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 

Committee (ARAC). 

SUMMARY: The FAA has assigned the 

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 

Committee (ARAC) a new task to 

provide recommendations regarding the 

certification of persons engaged in 

operations involving the loading of 

special cargo. Assignment of this task is 

in response to National Transportation 

Safety Board Recommendation A–15– 

014 which recommended that the FAA 

create a certification for personnel 

responsible for the loading, restraint, 

and documentation of special cargo 

loads on transport-category airplanes. 

This notice informs the public of the 

new ARAC activity and solicits 

membership for the new Loadmaster 

Certification Working Group. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephen Grota Cargo Focus Team, AFS– 

340 Federal Aviation Administration, 

950 L’Enfant Plaza SW., 5th Floor, 

Washington, DC 20024, stephen.grota@

faa.gov, phone number (781) 238–7528. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

ARAC Acceptance of Task 

As a result of its March 23, 2016, 

ARAC meeting, the ARAC accepted this 

tasking to establish the Loadmaster 

Certification Working Group. The 

Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group will serve as staff to the ARAC 

and provide advice and 

recommendations on the assigned task. 

The ARAC will review and accept the 

recommendation report and will submit 

it to the FAA. 

Background 

The FAA established the ARAC to 

provide information, advice, and 

recommendations on aviation related 


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29610 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 92 / Thursday, May 12, 2016 / Notices 

issues that could result in rulemaking to 

the FAA Administrator, through the 

Associate Administrator for Aviation 

Safety. 

On April 29, 2013, a Boeing 747–400 

BCF operated by an air carrier 

conducting all-cargo operations crashed 

shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air 

Base, Bagram, Afghanistan. The airplane 

was destroyed from impact forces and 

post-crash fire. The flight was a 

supplemental operation conducted 

under part 121 of Title 14, Code of 

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) and was 

being conducted under a multimodal 

contract with the US Transportation 

Command. The intended destination for 

the flight was Dubai World Central—Al 

Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, 

United Arab Emirates. 

The airplane’s cargo included five 

mine-resistant ambush-protected 

(MRAP) vehicles secured onto pallets 

with shoring. Two vehicles were 12-ton 

MRAP all-terrain vehicles (M–ATVs) 

and three were 18-ton Cougars. These 

vehicles were considered special cargo 

because they could not be placed in unit 

load devices (ULDs) and restrained in 

the airplane using the locking 

capabilities of the airplane’s main deck 

cargo handling system. Instead, the 

vehicles were secured to centerlineloaded floating pallets and restrained to 

the airplane’s main deck using tie-down 

straps. Special cargo is defined in 

appendix C of AC 120–85A, Air Cargo 

Operations, as ‘‘cargo not contained in 

a ULD certified for the airplane cargo 

loading system (CLS) or not enclosed in 

a cargo compartment certified for bulk 

loading. This type of cargo requires 

special handling and securing/

restraining procedures.’’ 

During takeoff, the airplane 

immediately climbed steeply, then 

descended in a manner consistent with 

an aerodynamic stall. The National 

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 

investigation found strong evidence that 

at least one of the rear MRAP vehicles 

moved aft into the tail section of the 

airplane, damaging hydraulic systems 

and horizontal stabilizer components 

and making it impossible for the 

flightcrew to maintain pitch control of 

the airplane. The NTSB determined that 

the probable cause of this accident was 

the air carrier’s inadequate procedures 

for restraining special cargo loads, 

which resulted in the loadmaster’s 

improper restraint of the cargo, which 

moved aft and damaged hydraulic 

systems numbers 1 and 2 and horizontal 

stabilizer drive mechanism components, 

rendering the airplane uncontrollable 

(NTSB Aircraft Accident Report NTSB/ 

AAR–15/01 PB2015–104951). 

As a result of this accident, the NTSB 

issued Safety Recommendation A–15– 

14 which recommended, in part, that 

the FAA ‘‘[c]reate a certification for 

personnel responsible for the loading, 

restraint, and documentation of special 

cargo loads on transport-category 

airplanes.’’ Currently, there is no 

certificated position for the loading of 

special cargo specified in the FAA’s 

regulations. Therefore, there are no 

specific individual standards or training 

requirements to ensure adherence to 

operational limitations. Additionally, 

there is no specific FAA oversight of 

these personnel outside of that normally 

conducted of a certificate holder’s 

operations. The FAA believes that such 

oversight is especially critical when 

special cargo is carried in an aircraft. 

Persons performing special cargo 

loading functions typically prepare and 

validate the accuracy of aircraft load 

manifests and ensure the aircraft is 

loaded according to an approved 

schedule that ensures the aircraft’s 

center of gravity is within approved 

limits. Proper performance of these 

functions is critical to ensure the flight 

characteristics of an aircraft are not 

adversely affected and that its structural 

limitations are not exceeded. 

The Task 

The Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group is tasked to: 

1. Provide advice and 

recommendations to the ARAC on 

whether safety would be enhanced if 

persons engaged in the loading and 

supervision of the loading of special 

cargo, to include the preparation and 

accuracy of special cargo load plans, be 

certificated. If the Working Group 

recommends certification of these 

persons, it should also provide 

recommendations regarding which 

specific operations should require the 

use of these certificated persons. 

Additionally, it should also recommend 

appropriate knowledge, experience, and 

skill requirements for the issuance of 

the certificates and appropriate 

privileges and limitations. 

2. Determine the effect of its 

recommendations on impacted parties. 

3. Develop a report containing 

recommendations based upon its 

analysis and findings. The report should 

document both majority and dissenting 

positions on its recommendations and 

findings and the rationale for each 

position. Any disagreements should be 

documented, including the rationale for 

each position and the reasons for the 

disagreement. 

In developing this report the Working 

Group shall familiarize itself with: 

1. NTSB Aircraft Accident Report 

NTSB/AAR–15/01 PB2015– 

104951NTSB, with particular attention 

provided to Safety Recommendation A– 

15–14. 

2. AC 120–85A, Air Cargo Operations. 

3. Minutes of the June 30, 2015 B747 

Special Cargo Load Meeting. 

The working group may be reinstated 

to assist the ARAC by responding to 

FAA’s questions or concerns after its 

recommendations have been submitted. 

Schedule 

The recommendation report should be 

submitted to the FAA for review and 

acceptance no later than 24 months 

from the publication date of this notice 

in the Federal Register. 

Working Group Activity 

The Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group must comply with the procedures 

adopted by the ARAC and: 

1. Conduct a review and analysis of 

the assigned tasks and any other related 

materials or documents. 

2. Draft and submit a work plan for 

completion of the task, including the 

rationale supporting such a plan, for 

consideration by the ARAC. 

3. Provide a status report at each 

ARAC meeting. 

4. Draft and submit the 

recommendation report based on the 

review and analysis of the assigned 

tasks. 

5. Present the recommendation report 

at the ARAC meeting. 

Participation in the Working Group 

The Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group will be comprised of technical 

experts having an interest in the 

assigned task. A working group member 

need not be a member representative of 

the ARAC. The FAA would like a wide 

range of members to ensure all aspects 

of the tasks are considered in 

development of the recommendations. 

The provisions of the August 13, 2014, 

Office of Management and Budget 

guidance, ‘‘Revised Guidance on 

Appointment of Lobbyists to Federal 

Advisory Committees, Boards, and 

Commissions’’ (79 FR 47482), continues 

the ban on registered lobbyists 

participating on Agency Boards and 

Commissions if participating in their 

‘‘individual capacity.’’ The revised 

guidance now allows registered 

lobbyists to participate on Agency 

Boards and Commissions in a 

‘‘representative capacity’’ for the 

‘‘express purpose of providing a 

committee with the views of a 

nongovernmental entity, a recognizable 

group of persons or nongovernmental 

entities (an industry, sector, labor 


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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 92 / Thursday, May 12, 2016 / Notices 29611 

unions, or environmental groups, etc.) 

or state or local government’’ (For 

further information, see the Lobbying 

Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) as 

amended, 2 U.S.C. 1603, 1604, and 

1605). 

If you wish to become a member of 

the Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group, contact the person listed under 

the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT expressing that desire. Describe 

your interest in the task and state the 

expertise you would bring to the 

working group. The FAA must receive 

all requests by June 13, 2016. The ARAC 

and the FAA will review the requests 

and advise you whether or not your 

request is approved. 

If you are chosen for membership on 

the working group, you must actively 

participate in the working group, attend 

all meetings, and provide written 

comments when requested. You must 

devote the resources necessary to 

support the working group in meeting 

any assigned deadlines. You must keep 

your management and those you may 

represent advised of working group 

activities and decisions to ensure the 

proposed technical solutions do not 

conflict with the position of those you 

represent. Once the working group has 

begun deliberations, members will not 

be added or substituted without the 

approval of the ARAC Chair, the FAA, 

including the Designated Federal 

Officer, and the Working Group Chair. 

The Secretary of Transportation 

determined the formation and use of the 

ARAC is necessary and in the public 

interest in connection with the 

performance of duties imposed on the 

FAA by law. The ARAC meetings are 

open to the public. However, meetings 

of the Loadmaster Certification Working 

Group are not open to the public, except 

to the extent individuals with an 

interest and expertise are selected to 

participate. The FAA will make no 

public announcement of working group 

meetings. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2016. 

Lirio Liu, 

Designated Federal Officer, Aviation 

Rulemaking Advisory Committee. 

[FR Doc. 2016–11104 Filed 5–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

Sunshine Act Meetings; Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

Meeting. 

TIME AND DATE: The meeting will be held 

on June 8, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 

p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. 

PLACE: The meetings will be open to the 

public at the Courtyard Providence 

Downtown by Marriott, 32 Exchange 

Terrace at Memorial Blvd., Providence, 

RI 02903, and via conference call. Those 

not attending the meetings in person 

may call 1–877–422–1931, passcode 

2855443940, to listen and participate in 

the meetings. 

STATUS: Open to the public. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The Unified 

Carrier Registration Plan Board of 

Directors (the Board) will continue its 

work in developing and implementing 

the Unified Carrier Registration Plan 

and Agreement and to that end, may 

consider matters properly before the 

Board. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Avelino Gutierrez, Chair, Unified 

Carrier Registration Board of Directors at 

(505) 827–4565. 

Issued on: May 6, 2016. 

Larry W. Minor, 

Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2016–11312 Filed 5–10–16; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2016–0046] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with part 211 of title 49 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 

document provides the public notice 

that by a document dated April 28, 

2016, Union Railroad (UR) petitioned 

the Federal Railroad Administration 

(FRA) for renewal of a waiver of 

compliance from certain provisions of 

the Federal railroad safety regulations 

contained at 49 CFR part 229—Railroad 

Locomotive Safety Standards. This 

regulatory relief was initially granted by 

FRA in 1980 and is due to expire in 

2017 under the ‘‘sunset clause’’ added 

to 49 CFR 229.19—Prior waivers, in 

2012. This relief was formerly handled 

under Docket Number LI–80–24; 

however FRA has updated the docket 

numbering system and assigned this 

petition Docket Number FRA–2016– 

0046. 

The waiver in Docket Number LI–80– 

24 granted UR relief from the 

requirement of 49 CFR 229.123—Pilots, 

snowplows, end plates, that locomotives 

be equipped with a pilot, snowplow, or 

end plate extending across both rails for 

121 locomotives, 32 of which remain in 

service. These locomotives are not 

equipped with a pilot, snowplow, or 

end plate but have hose boxes or 

brackets above the rails with open space 

between. UR states that these 

locomotives operate over yard and 

mainline track, within and between 

three steel mills. The total track length 

of UR is 20 miles, with three public 

grade crossings (two with gates and 

flashers, one with flashers only) and 

trains are limited to 20 mph. UR reports 

that there have been no known safetyrelated incidents or operating 

difficulties associated with this waiver. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. The Docket 

Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. FRA does not anticipate 

scheduling a public hearing in 

connection with these proceedings since 

the facts do not appear to warrant a 

hearing. If any interested party desires 

an opportunity for oral comment, they 

should notify FRA, in writing, before 

the end of the comment period and 

specify the basis for their request. 

All communications concerning these 

proceedings should identify the 

appropriate docket number and may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Web site: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Communications received by June 27, 

2016 will be considered by FRA before 

final action is taken. Comments received 

after that date will be considered as far 

as practicable. 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of any written 

communications and comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES