18852 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Proposed Rules

benefits program requiring periodic

deductions from pay, if the amount to

be recovered was accumulated over 4

pay periods or less;

(2) A routine intra-agency adjustment

of pay that is made to correct an

overpayment of pay attributable to

clerical or administrative errors or

delays in processing pay documents, if

the overpayment occurred within the 4

pay periods preceding the adjustment

and, at the time of such adjustment, or

as soon thereafter as practical, the

individual is provided written notice of

the nature and the amount of the

adjustment and point of contact for such

adjustment; or

(3) Any adjustment to collect a debt

amounting to $50 or less, if, at the time

of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter

as practical, the individual is provided

written notice of the nature and the

amount of the adjustment and a point of

contact for contesting such adjustment.

(d) * * *

(3) The frequency and amount of the

intended deduction (stated as a fixed

dollar amount or as a percentage of pay,

not to exceed 15 percent of disposable

pay) and the intention to continue the

deductions until the debt is paid in full

or otherwise resolved;

* * * * *

§ 550.1106 [Amended]

5. Section 550.1106 is amended by

removing ‘‘4 CFR 102.3(b)(3)’’ and

adding ‘‘the FCCS as defined in

§ 550.1103’’ in its place.

§ 550.1107 Obtaining the services of a

hearing official.

6. Section 550.1107 is amended, in

paragraph (a), by removing ‘‘4 CFR

102.1’’ and adding ‘‘the FCCS as defined

in § 550.1103’’ in its place; in paragraph

(b), by removing ‘‘4 CFR 102.1’’ and

adding ‘‘the FCCS’’ in its place; and by

adding a new paragraph (c) to read as

follows:

* * * * *

(c) The determination of a hearing

official designated under this section is

considered to be an official certification

regarding the existence and amount of

the debt for purposes of executing salary

offset under 5 U.S.C. 5514. A creditor

agency may make a certification to the

Secretary of the Treasury under

§ 550.1108 or a paying agency under

§ 550.1109 regarding the existence and

amount of the debt based on the

certification of a hearing official. If a

hearing official determines that a debt

may not be collected via salary offset,

but the creditor agency finds that the

debt is still valid, the creditor agency

may still seek collection of the debt

through other means, such as offset of

other Federal payments, litigation, etc.

7. Section 550.1108 is redesignated as

§ 550.1109 and is amended by removing

the ‘‘(b)’’ after ‘‘5514’’ in paragraph

(a)(3), adding ‘‘claim’’ after the first

appearance of ‘‘debt’’ in paragraph

(b)(2), removing ‘‘creditor agency’s’’ in

paragraph (b)(3), and adding

introductory text at the beginning of the

section; and a new § 550.1108 is added

to read as follows:

§ 550.1108 Requesting recovery through

centralized administrative offset.

Under 31 U.S.C. 3716, creditor

agencies must notify the Secretary of the

Treasury of all debts over 180 days

delinquent (as defined in the FCCS, see

§ 550.1103) so that recovery may be

made by centralized administrative

offset. This includes those debts the

agency seeks to recover from the pay

account of an employee of another

agency via salary offset. The Secretary of

the Treasury and other Federal

disbursing officials will match

payments, including Federal salary

payments, against these debts. Where a

match occurs, and all the requirements

for offset have been met, the payment

will be offset to satisfy the debt in whole

or part. Prior to offset of the pay account

of an employee, an agency must comply

with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 5514,

this subpart, and agency regulations

issued thereunder. Specific procedures

for notifying the Secretary of the

Treasury of debt for purposes of

collection by centralized administrative

offset are contained in 31 CFR part 285

and the FCCS. At their discretion,

creditor agencies may notify the

Secretary of the Treasury of debts that

have been delinquent for 180 days or

less, including debts the agency seeks to

recover from the pay account of an

employee via salary offset.

§ 550.1109 Requesting recovery from the

paying agency.

When possible, salary offset through

the centralized administrative offset

procedures in § 550.1108 should be

attempted before applying the

procedures in this section.

* * * * *

8. A new section § 550.1110 is added

to read as follows:

§ 550.1110 Debt collection centers.

A debt collection center may act in

behalf of a creditor agency to collect

claims via salary offset consistent with

this section, subject to any limitations

on its authority established by the

creditor agency it represents or by the

U.S. Department of the Treasury.

(a) A debt collection center may be

authorized to enter into a written

agreement with the indebted employee

regarding the repayment schedule or, in

the absence of such agreement, to

establish the terms of the repayment

schedule.

(b) A debt collection center may make

certifications to the Secretary of the

Treasury under § 550.1108 or to a

paying agency under § 550.1109 based

on the certifications it has received from

the creditor agency or a hearing official.

(c) A debt collection center

responsible for collecting a particular

debt may not act in behalf of a creditor

agency for the purpose of making

determinations regarding the existence

or amount of that debt.

(d) A debt collection center

responsible for collecting a particular

debt may arrange for a hearing on the

existence or amount of the debt or the

repayment schedule by an

administrative law judge or,

alternatively, another hearing official

not under the supervision or control of

the head of the creditor agency or the

debt collection center.

[FR Doc. 98–9972 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 98–NM–87–AD]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; British

Aerospace Model BAe 146–200A

Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes the

adoption of a new airworthiness

directive (AD) that is applicable to

certain British Aerospace Model BAe

146–200A series airplanes. This

proposal would require a one-time

inspection of the gust damper of the

elevator control system to determine if

the gust damper is properly charged,

and of the horizontal stabilizer to detect

cracking of elevator hinge rib 1; and

corrective action, if necessary. This

proposal is prompted by the issuance of

mandatory continuing airworthiness

information by a foreign civil

airworthiness authority. The actions

specified by the proposed AD are

intended to detect and correct cracking
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Proposed Rules 18853

of elevator hinge rib 1 of the horizontal

stabilizer, which could occur if the gust

damper of the elevator control system

discharges and allows the elevator to

move freely in ground gust conditions.

Such cracking could result in damage to

the structural attachment of the elevator

to the horizontal stabilizer, and

consequent reduced controllability of

the airplane.

DATES: Comments must be received by

May 18, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Transport

Airplane Directorate, ANM–114,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 98–NM–

87–AD, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW.,

Renton, Washington 98055–4056.

Comments may be inspected at this

location between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays.

The service information referenced in

the proposed rule may be obtained AI(R)

American Support, Inc., 13850 Mclearen

Road, Herndon, Virginia 20171. This

information may be examined at the

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Norman B. Martenson, Manager,

International Branch, ANM–116, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601

Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington

98055–4056; telephone (425) 227–2110;

fax (425) 227–1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of the

proposed rule by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Communications shall

identify the Rules Docket number and

be submitted in triplicate to the address

specified above. All communications

received on or before the closing date

for comments, specified above, will be

considered before taking action on the

proposed rule. The proposals contained

in this notice may be changed in light

of the comments received.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the proposed rule. All comments

submitted will be available, both before

and after the closing date for comments,

in the Rules Docket for examination by

interested persons. A report

summarizing each FAA-public contact

concerned with the substance of this

proposal will be filed in the Rules

Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to this notice

must submit a self-addressed, stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to

Docket Number 98–NM–87–AD.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

Any person may obtain a copy of this

NPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

ANM–114, Attention: Rules Docket No.

98–NM–87–AD, 1601 Lind Avenue,

SW., Renton, Washington 98055–4056.

Discussion

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),

which is the airworthiness authority for

the United Kingdom, notified the FAA

that an unsafe condition may exist on

certain British Aerospace Model BAe

146–200A series airplanes. The elevator

control system on this model

incorporates a gust damper, which,

when properly pressurized with

hydraulic fluid, prevents free movement

of the elevators in ground wind gusts.

The CAA advises that two airplanes,

which had been stored in the desert for

an extended period of time, were each

found to have a cracked or broken

elevator hinge rib 1. Investigation

revealed that the gust damper of the

elevator control system on the airplanes

was discharged, which may have been

caused by deterioration of the gust

damper seals due to the desert heat. The

discharged gust damper of the elevator

control system allowed the elevators on

the airplanes to move freely in ground

wind gusts, which resulted in high

impact loads on the elevator hinge rib

1 stops, and consequent cracking of

elevator hinge rib 1 on these airplanes.

Such cracking, if not corrected, could

result in damage to the structural

attachment of the elevator to the

horizontal stabilizer, and consequent

reduced controllability of the airplane.

Explanation of Relevant Service

Information

British Aerospace has issued Service

Bulletin SB.55–16, dated July 14, 1997,

which describes procedures for

performing a one-time visual inspection

of the gust damper of the elevator

control system to determine whether the

gust damper is properly charged, and

recharging any gust damper that is

found to be improperly charged. This

service bulletin also describes

procedures for performing a one-time

detailed visual inspection of the

horizontal stabilizer, using a borescope,

to detect cracking of elevator hinge rib

1. Accomplishment of the actions

specified in the service bulletin is

intended to adequately address the

identified unsafe condition. The CAA

classified this service bulletin as

mandatory and issued British

airworthiness directive 010–07–97,

dated March 2, 1998, in order to assure

the continued airworthiness of these

airplanes in the United Kingdom.

FAA’s Conclusions

This airplane model is manufactured

in the United Kingdom and is type

certificated for operation in the United

States under the provisions of section

21.29 of the Federal Aviation

Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the

applicable bilateral airworthiness

agreement. Pursuant to this bilateral

airworthiness agreement, the CAA has

kept the FAA informed of the situation

described above. The FAA has

examined the findings of the CAA,

reviewed all available information, and

determined that AD action is necessary

for products of this type design that are

certificated for operation in the United

States.

Explanation of Requirements of

Proposed Rule

Since an unsafe condition has been

identified that is likely to exist or

develop on other airplanes of the same

type design registered in the United

States, the proposed AD would require

accomplishment of the actions specified

in the service bulletin described

previously, except as discussed in the

following paragraph.

Differences Between Proposed Rule and

Service Bulletin

Operators should note that, although

the service bulletin specifies that the

manufacturer should be contacted for

repair instructions if any cracking is

found in elevator hinge rib 1, this

proposal would require that discrepant

parts be replaced with new or

serviceable parts prior to further flight,

in accordance with replacement

instructions provided by the

manufacturer and approved by the CAA.

Cost Impact

The FAA estimates that 19 British

Aerospace Model BAe 146–200A series

airplanes of U.S. registry would be

affected by this proposed AD. It would

take approximately 1 work hour per

airplane to accomplish the proposed

inspections, at an average labor rate of

$60 per work hour. Based on these

figures, the cost impact of the proposed

AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be

$1,140, or $60 per airplane.
18854 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Proposed Rules

The cost impact figure discussed

above is based on assumptions that no

operator has yet accomplished any of

the proposed requirements of this AD

action, and that no operator would

accomplish those actions in the future if

this AD were not adopted.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations proposed herein

would not have substantial direct effects

on the States, on the relationship

between the national government and

the States, or on the distribution of

power and responsibilities among the

various levels of government. Therefore,

in accordance with Executive Order

12612, it is determined that this

proposal would not have sufficient

federalism implications to warrant the

preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this proposed regulation (1)

is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’

under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not

a ‘‘significant rule’’ under the DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44

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

promulgated, will not have a significant

economic impact, positive or negative,

on a substantial number of small entities

under the criteria of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act. A copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action is contained in the Rules Docket.

A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend part

39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

(14 CFR part 39) as follows:

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS

DIRECTIVES

1. The authority citation for part 39

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

§ 39.13 [Amended]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding the following new airworthiness

directive:

British Aerospace Regional Aircraft

(Formerly British Aerospace Regional

Aircraft Limited, Avro International

Aerospace Division; British Aerospace,

PLC; British Aerospace Commercial

Aircraft Limited): Docket 98–NM–87–

AD.

Applicability: Model BAe 146–200A series

airplanes, as listed in British Aerospace

Service Bulletin SB.55–16, dated July 14,

1997; certificated in any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

modified, altered, or repaired in the area

subject to the requirements of this AD. For

airplanes that have been modified, altered, or

repaired so that the performance of the

requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (b) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To detect and correct cracking of elevator

hinge rib 1 of the horizontal stabilizer, which

could result in damage to the structural

attachment of the elevator to the horizontal

stabilizer and consequent reduced

controllability of the airplane; accomplish

the following:

(a) Within 60 days after the effective date

of this AD, accomplish paragraphs (a)(1) and

(a)(2) of this AD, in accordance with British

Aerospace Service Bulletin SB.55–16, dated

July 14, 1997.

(1) Perform a visual inspection of the gust

damper of the elevator control system to

determine if the gust damper is properly

charged. If any gust damper is found to be

improperly charged, prior to further flight,

recharge the gust damper in accordance with

the service bulletin.

(2) Perform a detailed visual inspection,

using a borescope, to detect cracking of

elevator hinge rib 1, on the left and right side

of the airplane, in accordance with the

service bulletin. If any cracking is found,

prior to further flight, replace any cracked

hinge rib 1 with a new or serviceable part,

in accordance with a method approved by

either the Manager, International Branch,

ANM–116, FAA, Transport Airplane

Directorate; or procedures provided by the

manufacturer that are approved by the Civil

Aviation Authority, which is the

airworthiness authority for the United

Kingdom.

(b) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager,

International Branch, ANM–116, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate. Operators

shall submit their requests through an

appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, International Branch,

ANM–116.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the International Branch,

ANM–116.

(c) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199

of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to

a location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed

in British airworthiness directive 010–07–97,

dated March 2, 1998.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 9,

1998.

Darrell M. Pederson,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10055 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Part 50

[FRL–5998–4]

Air Quality Criteria for Particulate

Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Initial call for information.

SUMMARY: The National Center for

Environmental Assessment, of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), is undertaking to review and, as

appropriate, revise the EPA criteria

document entitled Air Quality Criteria

for Particulate Matter (PM) as required

under sections 108 and 109 of the Clean

Air Act. The process that the EPA plans

to follow is described in a previous

notice (62 FR 55201, October 23, 1997).

Since completion of the 1996 criteria

document for particulate matter, the

EPA has continued to follow the

scientific literature and compile

information that may be relevant to the

next periodic review of the National

Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM

(PM NAAQS). Interested parties are

invited to assist the EPA in developing

and refining its scientific information

base to help ensure that all relevant

information is considered in updating

the PM criteria document. In particular,

new information is being sought with

regard to the following three general

topic areas: (1) PM health effects,

including experimental studies of PM

exposure effects on humans or