Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 16, 1997 / Notices 65845

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. 29088]

Airport Privatization Pilot Program

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of acceptance for review:

Preliminary application for Stewart

International Airport, Newburgh, New

York.

SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) has completed its

review of the Stewart International

Airport (SWF) preliminary application

for participation in the airport

privatization pilot program. The

preliminary application is accepted for

review, with a filing date of October 23,

1997. The New York State Department

of Transportation (NYSDOT), the airport

sponsor, may select a private operator,

negotiate an agreement and submit a

final application to the FAA for

exemption under the pilot program.

49 U.S.C. Section 47134 establishes

an airport privatization pilot program

and authorizes the Department of

Transportation to grant exemptions from

certain Federal statutory and regulatory

requirements for up to five airport

privatization projects. The application

procedures require the FAA to publish

a notice in the Federal Register after

review of a preliminary application. The

FAA must publish a final application in

the Federal Register for public review

and comment for a sixty day period. The

SWF preliminary application is

available for public review in the

Federal Aviation Administration, Office

of Chief Counsel, Attention: Rules

Docket (AGC–200), Docket No. 29088,

800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Benedict D. Castellano, Manager, (202–

267–8728) or Kevin C. Willis (202–267–

8741) Airport Safety and Compliance

Branch, AAS–310, Federal Aviation

Administration, 800 Independence Ave.

SW., Washington, DC 20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction and Background

Section 149 of the Federal Aviation

Administration Authorization Act of

1996, Pub. L. No. 104–264 (October 9,

1996) (1996 Reauthorization Act), adds

a new § 47134 to Title 49 of the U.S.

Code. Section 47134 authorizes the

Secretary of Transportation, and

through delegation, the FAA

Administrator, to exempt a sponsor of a

public use airport that has received

Federal assistance, from certain Federal

requirements in connection with the

privatization of the airport by sale or

lease to a private party. Specifically, the

Administrator may exempt the sponsor

from all or part of the requirements to

use airport revenues for airport-related

purposes, to pay back a portion of

Federal grants upon the sale of an

airport, and to return airport property

deeded by the Federal Government

upon transfer of the airport. The

Administrator is also authorized to

exempt the private purchaser or lessee

from the requirement to use all airport

revenues for airport-related purposes, to

the extent necessary to permit the

purchaser or lessee to earn

compensation from the operations of the

airport.

On September 16, 1997, the Federal

Aviation Administration issued a notice

of procedures to be used in applications

for exemption under Airport

Privatization Pilot Program (62 FR

48693). That notice, and public

comments received on a notice of

proposed procedures issued in April

1997, are available for review in FAA

Rules Docket No. 28895. A request for

participation in the Pilot Program must

be initiated by the filing of either a

preliminary or final application for

exemption with the FAA.

Final and preliminary applications

were not accepted before December 1,

1997, unless an applicant has issued a

request for proposal (RFP) on or before

the date of the notice, September 16,

1997. Applicants that had already

issued a RFP for proposals for the sale

or lease of the airport on or before

September 16, 1997 and had selected a

private operator could submit a final

application for review before December

1, 1997. Applicants that had issued the

RFP but had not selected a private

operator could file a preliminary

application on or before December 1,

1997.

NYSDOT issued its RFP on June 19,

1997, for Stewart International Airport,

Newburgh, New York and has not

selected a private operator. It was,

therefore qualified to submit a

preliminary application prior to

December 1, 1997. The filing date of the

NYSDOT preliminary application is

October 23, 1997, the date the

preliminary application was received by

the FAA. NYSDOT may select a private

operator, negotiate an agreement and

submit a final application to the FAA

for exemption.

When a final application is reviewed

by the FAA, a notice that the

application is available for review will

be published in the Federal Register,

with a sixty day comment period.

Issued in Washington, DC on December 9,

1997.

Susan L. Kurland,

Associate Administrator for Airports.

[FR Doc. 97–32773 Filed 12–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Summary Notice No. PE–97–62]

Petitions for Exemption; Summary of

Petitions Received; Dispositions of

Petitions Issued

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of petitions for

exemption received and of dispositions

of prior petitions.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to FAA’s rulemaking

provisions governing the application,

processing, and disposition of petitions

for exemption (14 CFR part 11), this

notice contains a summary of certain

petitions seeking relief from specified

requirements of the Federal Aviation

Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I),

dispositions of certain petitions

previously received, and corrections.

The purpose of this notice is to improve

the public’s awareness of, and

participation in, this aspect of FAA’s

regulatory activities. Neither publication

of this notice nor the inclusion or

omission of information in the summary

is intended to affect the legal status of

any petition or its final disposition.

DATES: Comments on petitions received

must identify the petition docket

number involved and must be received

on or before January 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on any

petition in triplicate to: Federal

Aviation Administration, Office of the

Chief Counsel, Attn: Rule Docket (AGC–

200), Petition Docket No. llllll,

800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591.

Comments may also be sent

electronically to the following internet

address: 9–NPRM–CMNTS@faa.dot.gov.

The petition, any comments received,

and a copy of any final disposition are

filed in the assigned regulatory docket

and are available for examination in the

Rules Docket (AGC–200), Room 915G,

FAA Headquarters Building (FOB 10A),

800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202)

267–3132.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Anderson (202) 267–9681 or

Tawana Matthews (202) 267–9783,

Office of Rulemaking (ARM–1), Federal