### 15449 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 51 / Thursday, March 15, 2012 / Notices

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**59th Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 135, Environmental**  **Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment** 

**AGENCY :**  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

**ACTION :**  Notice of meeting RTCA Special Committee 135, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.

**SUMMARY :**  The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the fifty-ninth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 135, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.

**DATES :**  The meeting will be held April 19, 2012, from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  The meeting will be held at National Center for Aviation Training, 4004 N. Webb Rd., Wichita, KS 67226.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  The RTCA Secretariat, 1150 18th Street NW., Suite 910, Washington, DC 20036, or by telephone at (202) 833–9339, fax at (202) 833–9434, or Web site at http://www.rtca.org.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463, 5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given for a meeting of Special Committee 135. The agenda will include the following: April 19, 2012

• Chairmen’s Opening Remarks, Introductions

• Introduce FAA Representative

• Approval of Summary from the FiftyEighth Meeting—(RTCA Paper No. 025–12/SC135–687)

• Review proposed User’s Guide

• Section 9

• Section 15

• Review Working Group activities

• Section 4

• Section 5

• Section 16

• Section 20

• Section 21

• Section 22

• Section 23

• RTCA Workspace Presentation

• New/Unfinished Business

• Errata Sheet

• Change Proposal Form User’s Guide

• Change Proposal Form Rev H

• Schedule for User’s Guide

• FAA TSO Template

• Establish Date for Next SC–135 Meeting

• Adjourn Attendance is open to the interested public but limited to space availability. With the approval of the chairman, members of the public may present oral statements at the meeting. Persons wishing to present statements or obtain information should contact the person listed in the **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION**
**CONTACT** section. Members of the public may present a written statement to the committee at any time.

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 8,
2012. John Raper, Manager, Business Operations Branch, Federal Aviation Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012–6348 Filed 3–14–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4910–13–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**[Docket No FAA–2012–22842]**

**Notice of Opportunity To Participate, Criteria Requirements and Application**  **Procedure for Participation in the Military Airport Program (MAP)** 

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

**ACTION :**  Notice of criteria and application procedures for designation or redesignation, in the Military Airport Program (MAP), for the fiscal year 2012.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice supplements the Federal Register Notice of September 22, 2011 and implements Military Airport Program (MAP) changes in the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Public Law 112–91, February 14, 2012. This supplementary notice announces the criteria, application procedures, and schedule to be applied by the Secretary of Transportation in designating or redesignating, and funding capital development annually for up to 3 current (joint-use) or former military general aviation airports seeking designation or redesignation to participate in the MAP. Of the 15 current (joint-use) or former MAP slots the new legislation permits up to 3 general aviation airports to be selected for the program. Applicants who previously submitted applications based on the September 22, 2011 Federal Register notice do not need to reapply. Their applications will be considered for Fiscal Year 2012 MAP along with any applications received from additional general aviation airports as a result of this supplemental notice.

The MAP allows the Secretary to designate current (joint-use) or former military airports to receive grants from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

The Secretary is authorized to designate an airport (other than an airport designated before August 24, 1994) only if:

(1) The airport is a former military installation closed or realigned under the Title 10 U.S.C. Sec. 2687 (announcement of closures of large Department of Defense installations after September 30, 1977), or under Section 201 or 2905 of the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Acts; or

(2) the airport is a military installation with both military and civil aircraft operations.

The Secretary shall consider for designation only those current or former military airports, at least partly converted to civilian airports as part of the national air transportation system, that will reduce delays at airports with more than 20,000 hours of annual delays in commercial passenger aircraft takeoffs and landings, or will enhance airport and air traffic control system capacity in metropolitan areas, or reduce current and projected flight delays (49 U.S.C. 47118(c)).

**DATES :**  Applications must be received on or before April 16, 2012.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit an original and two copies of Standard Form (SF) 424, ‘‘Application for Federal Assistance,’’ prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–102, available at http://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/ forms/media/aip

_sf424

_2010.pdf along with any supporting and justifying documentation. Applicant should specifically request to be considered for designation or redesignation as a general aviation airport to participate in the fiscal year 2012 MAP. Submission should be sent to the Regional FAA Airports Division or Airports District Office that serves the airport. Applicants may find the proper office on the FAA Web site http://www.faa.gov/ airports

_airtraffic/airports/ regional

_

guidance/ or may contact the office below.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mr. Kendall Ball (Kendall.Ball@faa.gov ), Airports Financial Assistance Division (APP–500), Office of Airport Planning and Programming, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591 (202) 267–7436.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  General Description of the Program

The MAP provides capital development assistance to civil airportsponsors of designated current (jointVerDate Mar<15>2010 16:50 Mar 14, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00095 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

### 15450 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 51 / Thursday, March 15, 2012 / Notices

use) military airfields or former military airports that are included in the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Airports designated tothe MAP may obtain funds from a setaside (currently four percent) of AIP discretionary funds for airport development, including certain projects not otherwise eligible for AIP assistance. These airports are also eligible to receive grants from other categories of AIP funding.

Additional information required for application to the MAP may be found in the original Federal Register Notice Vol. 76, No. 184/Thursday, September 22, 2011/Notices Pg. 58861. The original notice may also be found at: http:// www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR–2011–09– 22/html/2011–24350.htm.

This notice is issued pursuant to Title 49 U.S.C. 47118.

Issued at Washington, DC, on March 7,
2012. Elliott Black, Deputy Director, Office of Airport Planning and Programming.
[FR Doc. 2012–6350 Filed 3–14–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4910–13–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**

**Federal Railroad Administration**

**Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Chicago, Illinois, to Omaha,**  **Nebraska, Regional Passenger Rail System** 

**AGENCY :**  Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

**ACTION :**  Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

**SUMMARY :**  FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) will jointly prepare a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate potential passenger rail improvements for the Chicago, Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska regional passenger rail system in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The Tier 1 EIS will evaluate environmental and related impacts for reasonable corridor-level passenger rail route alternatives between Chicago, Illinois and Omaha, Nebraska. The route alternatives will support proposed conventional locomotive-hauled, passenger train service, operating on track used jointly with freight trains, at an initial maximum speed of seventy-nine (79) to ninety (90) miles per hour (mph). The Tier 1 EIS will also examine passenger rail service levels.

FRA is issuing this Notice to alert interested parties, including the public and resource agencies about the EIS, to provide information on the nature of the proposed action, including the purpose and need for the proposed action, and possible route alternatives to be considered in the preparation of the Tier 1 EIS. To ensure all significant issues are identified and considered, all interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed scope of environmental review. Comments on the scope of the EIS, including the proposed action’s purpose and need, the route alternatives to be considered, the impacts to be evaluated, and the methodologies to be used in the evaluations will be accepted online and in writing up to thirty (30) days following the publication of this Notice.

**DATES :**  Iowa DOT will host an online, self-directed public scoping meeting during the months of March and April, 2012. The online public scoping meeting will be available for thirty (30) days following the publication of this Notice. Detailed information on the public scoping meeting is also available on the following Web site: http:// www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha. Interested parties, including the public and resource agencies can provide written comments on the Tier 1 EIS up to thirty (30) days following the publication of this Notice, by writing Ms. Tamara Nicholson, Director, Office of Rail Transportation, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010.

If a member of the public wishes to participate in the scoping process and does not have access to a computer or the internet, they can request an informational scoping package and comment form by contacting Ms. Tamara Nicholson at the above address or by telephone (515) 239–1052 or (800)
488–7119.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Ms. Andrea Martin, Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue Southeast, (Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493–6201; or Ms. Tamara Nicholson, Director, Office of Rail Transportation, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010, telephone (515) 239–1052 or (800) 488– 7119. Information and documents regarding the environmental review process will be made available for the duration of the Tier 1 EIS process on the following Web site: http:// www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha. **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The FRA, in cooperation with Iowa DOT, will prepare a Tier 1 EIS to evaluate passenger rail service improvements from Chicago, Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska. The agencies will use a tiered process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28 and in accordance with FRA’s Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28454) (Environmental Procedures), in the completion of the environmental review. Tiering is a staged environmental review process applied to environmental reviews for complex projects. The proposed Tier 1 EIS described in this Notice is a service level analysis that will examine a range of reasonable corridor route alternatives between Chicago, Illinois and Omaha, Nebraska and will consider improvements necessary to support additional passenger trains while accommodating the anticipated growth in freight rail traffic. The Tier 1 EIS will assess potential track improvements, a potential increase in the number of higher-speed passenger trains, potential corridor route alternatives between Chicago, Illinois and Omaha, Nebraska, and the associated transportation and environmental impacts. It is anticipated that the route alternative analysis will involve a screening process to identify reasonable and feasible alternatives for evaluation in the Tier 1 EIS. Potential route alternatives include the former Illinois Central route, the former Chicago and North Western route, the former Milwaukee Road route, the former Rock Island route, and the former Burlington route. The No-Action (or No-Build) Alternative will also be considered.

The Tier 1 EIS will also appropriately address Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (see 36 CFR part 800), Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (49 U.S.C. 303) and other applicable Federal and state laws and regulations. The result will be a Tier 1 EIS NEPA document that addresses broad overall issues of concern for corridor decisions including, but not limited to:

• Describing the purpose and need for the proposed action.

• Describing the environment potentially affected by the proposed action.

• Developing evaluation criteria to identify route alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the proposed action and those that do not.

• Identifying the range of reasonable route alternatives that satisfy the purpose and need for the proposed action.