### 70529 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices

1 Public Law 104–50, 109 Stat. 436 (November 15, 1995).

2 61 FR 24348; May 14, 1996.

3 64 FR 32926; June 18, 1999.

4 See 63 FR 49151, September 14, 1998; 65 FR 19958–01, April 13, 2000; 69 FR 17469–02, April

2, 2004.

5 See Public Law 108–176, § 224(b), 117 Stat. 2490, 2528 (codified as amended at 49 U.S.C. 40110(d)(4)). **DEPARTMENT OF STATE**

**[Public Notice 7601]**

**Shipping Coordinating Committee; Notice of Committee Meeting** 

The Shipping Coordinating Committee (SHC) will conduct an open meeting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, 2011, in Room 5–1224 of
the United States Coast Guard Headquarters Building, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, DC 20593– 0001. The primary purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the fifty fourth
Session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Subcommittee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) to be held at the IMO Headquarters, United Kingdom, January 16–20, 2012.

The Primary Matters To Be Considered
Include

Adoption of the agenda; Decisions of other IMO bodies; Development of second generation intact stability criteria;

Development of guidelines on safe return to port for passenger ships;

Development of guidelines for verification of damage stability requirements for tankers;

Revision of the damage stability regulations for ro-ro passenger ships;

Development of amendments to SOLAS chapter II–1 subdivision standards for cargo ships;

Revision of SOLAS chapter II–1 subdivision and damage stability regulations;

Development of provisions to ensure the integrity and uniform implementation of the 1969 TM Convention;

Development of amendments to part B of the 2008 IS Code on towing and anchor operations;

Consideration of IACS unified interpretations;

Development of amendments to the criterion for maximum angle of heel in turns of the 2008 IS Code;

Development of amendments to SOLAS regulation II–1/4 concerning subdivision standards for cargo ships;

Biennial agenda and provisional agenda for SLF 55;

Election of Chairman and ViceChairman for 2013;

Any other business;

Report to the Maritime Safety

Committee

Members of the public may attend this meeting up to the seating capacity of the room. To facilitate the building security process, and to request reasonable accommodation, those who plan to attend should contact the meeting coordinator, LCDR Catherine Phillips, by email at Catherine.A.Phillips@uscg.mil, by phone at (202) 372–1374, by fax at (202) 372–1925, or in writing at Commandant (CG–5212), U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 2nd Street SW., Stop 7126, Washington, DC 20593–7126 not later than December 1, 2011. Requests made after December 1, 2011 might not be able to be
accommodated. Please note that due to security considerations, two valid, government issued photo identifications must be presented to gain entrance to the Headquarters building. The Headquarters building is accessible by taxi and privately owned conveyance (public transportation is not generally available). However, parking in the vicinity of the building is extremely
limited. Additional information regarding this and other IMO SHC public meetings may be found at: www.uscg.mil/imo.

Dated: November 7, 2011.

Brian Robinson, Executive Secretary, Shipping Coordinating Committee, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 2011–29326 Filed 11–10–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4710–09–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**[Docket No. FAA–2011–1243]**

**Designation of Administrative Judges and Delegation of Authority** 

**AGENCY :**  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives notice that the FAA Administrator has: designated the Director and Dispute Resolution Officers of the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) as Administrative Judges for all matters within the ODRA’s jurisdiction; and delegated authority to the ODRA that supersedes and replaces previous delegations of authority. The FAA is publishing the text of the Designation and Delegation, executed on October 12, 2011, so that it is available to interested parties.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Marie A. Collins, Dispute Resolution Officer and Administrative Judge for the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (AGC–70), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Street SW., Room 323, Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267–3290; facsimile (202) 267–3720.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
Background

In 1995 Congress, through the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, directed the FAA ‘‘to develop and implement, not later than April 1, 1996, an acquisition management system that addressed the unique needs of the agency and, at a minimum, provided for more timely and cost effective acquisitions of equipment
and materials.’’ 1 In response, the FAA developed the Acquisition Management System (AMS), a system of policy guidance for the management of FAA procurement, and as a part of the AMS, created the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) to facilitate the Administrator’s review of procurement protests and contract disputes. 2 Subsequently, the FAA promulgated rules of procedure governing the ODRA’s dispute resolution process by publishing a final rule entitled,
Procedures for Protests and Contract Disputes; Amendment of Equal Access to Justice Act Regulations (effective June 28, 1999). 3 In addition to the rules of procedures, ODRA operates pursuant to a series of delegations of authority from the Administrator. Over time, the authority delegated to the ODRA by the Administrator expanded to include the authority of the ODRA Director, among other things, ‘‘to execute and issue, on behalf of the Administrator, Orders and
Final Decisions for the Administrator in
all matters’’ under the ODRA’s jurisdiction valued at not more than $10
Million. 4 Congress provided further confirmation as to the FAA’s dispute resolution authority in the Vision 100– Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act of 2003 (2003 Reauthorization Act), which expressly provided the ODRA with exclusive jurisdiction over bid protests and contract disputes under the

AMS. 5 Specifically, the 2003 Reauthorization Act provided at Subsection (b)(2)(4), under the title ‘‘Adjudication of Certain Bid Protests and Contract Disputes,’’ that ‘‘[a] bid protest or contract dispute that is not addressed or resolved through alternative dispute resolution shall be adjudicated by the Administrator,


### 70530 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices

through Dispute Resolution Officers or Special Masters of the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition, acting pursuant to Sections 46102, 46104, 46105, 46106 and 46107 and shall be subject to judicial review under Section
46110 and Section 504 of Title 5.’’ On January 12, 2011, the FAA proposed to update and streamline the ODRA’s procedural rules by publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register amended Procedures for Protests and Contracts Dispute (76 FR 2035) which, among other things, reorganized and streamlined the rules,
and harmonized them with current statutory and other authority. On September 7, 2011, the FAA adopted the proposed rule, publishing it as a final rule (76 FR 55217) in the Federal Register, with an effective date of October 7, 2011. The full text of the FAA Administrator’s October 12, 2011 Designation and Delegation provides as
follows:

In furtherance of an efficient FAA acquisition dispute resolution process, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 106(f)(2), §§ 40101, et seq., 46101, et. seq., 40110 and 14 CFR part 17, I hereby designate the Director and the Dispute Resolution Officers of the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (‘‘ODRA’’) as Administrative Judges for all matters within the ODRA’s jurisdiction and hereby delegate authority to the ODRA
Director as follows:

a. To administer and conduct proceedings in individual bid protests, contract disputes and Circular A–76 contests, to appoint ODRA Dispute
Resolution Officers/Administrative Judges and Special Masters to adjudicate all or portions of individual bid protests, contract disputes and contests; and to prepare findings and recommendations as well as proposed final orders in such cases;

b. To grant or deny dismissal or summary relief in bid protests, contract disputes or contests;

c. To stay an award or the performance of a contract temporarily, for no more than ten (10) business days, pending an Administrator’s decision on a permanent stay. A stay will only be ordered by the ODRA in cases where the ODRA, based on the submissions of the parties, finds compelling reasons which would justify a stay, and recommends a stay to the Administrator;

d. To dismiss bid protests, contract disputes or contests, based on settlement agreements or voluntary withdrawals by the parties that instituted such proceedings;

e. To issue procedural and other interlocutory orders aimed at proper and efficient case management, including, without limitation, scheduling orders, subpoenas, sanctions orders for failure of discovery, and the like;

f. To issue protective orders aimed at prohibiting the public dissemination of
certain information and materials provided to the ODRA and opposing parties during the course of bid protest, contract dispute or contest proceedings, including, but not limited to, documents or other materials reflecting trade secrets, confidential financial information and other proprietary or competition-sensitive data, as well as confidential Agency source selection
information the disclosure of which might jeopardize future Agency procurement activities;

g. To utilize voluntary alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods as the primary means of dispute resolution, in accordance with established Department of Transportation and FAA policies for using ADR to the maximum extent practicable;

h. To appoint ODRA Dispute
Resolution Officers/Administrative Judges and Special Masters to engage with parties in voluntary, mutually agreeable ADR efforts aimed at resolving acquisition related disputes at the earliest possible stage, even before any formal protest, contract dispute or contest is filed with the ODRA;

i. To execute and issue, on behalf of the Administrator, final FAA decisions
and orders in all matters within the ODRA’s jurisdiction, provided that such matters involve either: (1) A bid protest concerning an acquisition having a
minimum dollar value of not more than ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00); or (2) a contract dispute involving a total amount to be adjudicated, exclusive of interest, legal fees or costs, or not more
than ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00). This Delegation does not preclude the Director of the ODRA from requesting, in any matter before the ODRA, that the order setting forth
the final decision of the FAA be executed by the Administrator;

j. To execute and issue orders and
final decisions on behalf of the Administrator for any applications made pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act for matters within the ODRA’s jurisdiction;

k. To take all other reasonable steps deemed necessary and proper for the management of the FAA Dispute Resolution System and for the resolution of bid protests, contract disputes, or contests, in accordance with the Acquisition Management System and applicable law. The foregoing authority may be redelegated by the Director to ODRA Dispute Resolution Officers/ Administrative Judges and to Special Masters. This Delegation supersedes and replaces the Delegations issued to the Director of the ODRA on July 29, 1998, March 27, 2000, March 10, 2004 (Delegation), March 10, 2004 (OMB Circular A–76 Delegation), and March

31, 2010.

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 12,

2011.

Marc L. Warren, Acting Chief Counsel.

[FR Doc. 2011–29336 Filed 11–10–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4910–13–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**Suspension of Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for**  **the Proposed Replacement General Aviation Airport, Mesquite, Clark**  **County, NV**

**AGENCY :**  Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

**ACTION :**  Notice of suspension of preparation of Environmental Impact

Statement.

**SUMMARY :**  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the Lead Agency for the proposed project is issuing this notice to advise the public the FAA has suspended preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed Replacement General Aviation (GA) Airport in Mesquite, Clark County, Nevada. The FAA received a letter dated September 27, 2011, from the City of Mesquite, Nevada asking the FAA to suspend any
further work on the EIS. The reasons for
this action include the local economic conditions in Mesquite and other local fiscal and budgetary constraints.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  David B. Kessler, AICP, Regional Environmental Protection Specialist, AWP–610.1, Airports Division, FederalAviation Administration, WesternPacific Region, P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, California 90009–2007, Telephone: 310/725–3615.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  On December 8, 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice of
Intent in the Federal Register (69 FR 71097) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed construction and operation of a proposed Replacement General Aviation (GA) Airport, for the City of Mesquite in eastern Clark County, Nevada. The City