96622 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 234 / Thursday, December 5, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

applications and complete 

certifications. 

Growing concerns from industry 

stakeholders, increased congressional 

mandates to improve the certification 

process, and continual growth of the 

aviation industry over the next decade 

will continue to affect FAA resources 

available to conduct initial 

certifications. Comprehensive changes 

in the delegation program may be one 

way to increase operational performance 

to meet the increase in demand and 

lower the impact on FS resources. 

Description of Request for Comments 

on Expansion 

To address this issue, the FAA is 

considering additions to and expansion 

of the current delegation program to 

include tasks associated with issuing 

operator certificates under 14 CFR part 

135, excluding 10 or more passenger 

operations. 

For individual designees, this effort 

would require the FAA to initiate 

rulemaking to amend part 183 and add 

these new certification tasks. Part 183, 

subpart C, Kinds of Designations: 

Privileges, does not allow an individual 

designee to perform functions related to 

operations. However, for organizations, 

current provisions in part 183, subpart 

D, Organization Designation 

Authorization, specifically §§ 183.41, 

183.59, and 183.65, already contain 

privileges related to operations and may 

provide an efficient method to expand 

the delegation program to part 135 

certification tasks. Accordingly, the 

FAA could expand the ODA program 

without rulemaking through a revision 

to its policy and guidance to include the 

additional ODA authorized functions for 

operations. 

The information obtained from this 

Notice will assist the FAA in 

determining potential interest from 

qualified private persons with 

operations, training, and/or 

maintenance experience applicable to 

air carrier and/or air operator 

certification activities, and application 

activities involving FAA roles. 

The FAA wishes to hear from the 

public and any stakeholders that would 

consider participating in an FAA 

delegation program specific to Part 135 

certification tasks. Through this Notice, 

the FAA seeks information regarding: 

• Recommended certification tasks to 

be delegated (refer to FAA Order 8900.1, 

Volume 2, Chapter 4, Section 1 through 

8), available at https://drs.faa.gov/ 

browse/ORDER_8900.1/doctypeDetails, 

Æ Phase 1—Preapplication 

Æ Phase 2—Formal Application 

(Safety Assurance System [SAS] 

Business Process Modules 1 and 2) 

Æ Phase 3—Design Assessment (SAS 

Business Process Modules 2, 3, & 4) 

Æ Phase 4—Performance Assessment 

(SAS Business Process Modules 2, 

3, & 4) 

Æ Phase 5—Administrative Functions 

Æ Single-Pilot, Single Pilot-inCommand, and Basic Part 135 

Operations 

Æ Evaluate a Part 135 (Nine or Less) 

Certificate Holder/Applicant’s 

Maintenance Requirements 

• Potential barriers to success, 

• Steps the FAA should consider to 

optimize implementation success, and 

• Commenters’ business information 

including address, primary contact, 

FAA certificate(s) held, and experience 

with FAA operator certification tasks. 

The following is intended to be an 

illustrative but not comprehensive list 

of possible certification tasks per FAA 

Order 8900.1 that are within the scope 

of this Notice. 

• Review, evaluate, and accept 

certification application documents. 

• Review, evaluate, and accept or 

approve operator manuals and written 

procedures, including operations and 

maintenance manuals. 

• Review and evaluate personnel 

qualifications. 

• Review and evaluate aircraft 

records. 

• Evaluate applicant demonstration 

activities. 

• Perform and evaluate aircraft 

configuration conformity. 

• Review, evaluate, and approve 

aircraft inspection programs. 

• Review, evaluate, and approve 

Minimum Equipment Lists (MEL). 

• Issuance of operating certificates. 

Comments Invited 

The FAA invites interested parties to 

provide comments on this notice and 

the specific information requested in the 

preceding paragraph. Send your 

comments to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. The subject line 

should state ‘‘Response to FAA’s request 

for comment on possible delegation of 

14 CFR part 135 certification tasks’’ and 

should include ‘‘Docket No. FAA–2024– 

2063’’ at the beginning of the comments. 

The FAA will consider all comments 

received on or before the closing date 

and will consider comments filed late if 

it is possible to do so without incurring 

delay. 

Scott A. Geddie, 

Manager, AVS–64, Policy and Oversight 

Integration Section, AVS ODA Office. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27782 Filed 12–4–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Internal Revenue Service 

26 CFR Part 301 

[REG–120137–19] 

RIN 1545–BP66 

Update of Regulations Regarding 

Payment of Tax by Commercially 

Acceptable Means; Hearing 

Cancellation 

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury. 

ACTION: Cancellation of a notification of 

public hearing. 

SUMMARY: This document cancels a 

public hearing on the proposed rule that 

related to the payment of tax by 

commercially acceptable means and 

reflect changes to the law made by the 

Taxpayer First Act that would allow the 

IRS to directly accept payments of tax 

by credit or debit card, without having 

to connect taxpayers to third-party 

payment processors. 

DATES: The public hearing scheduled for 

December 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern 

Time (ET) is cancelled. 

ADDRESSES: Public comments submitted 

for the proposed rule (89 FR 54746, July 

2, 2024) can be viewed electronically 

via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching REG–120137–19. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Concerning the proposed regulations, 

Crystal Jackson-Kaloz, Office of Chief 

Counsel (Procedure and Administration) 

at (202) 317–5191 (not a toll-free 

number); or any other concerns contact: 

Publications and Regulations Section at 

(202) 317–6901 (not a toll-free number), 

or by email at publichearings@irs.gov 

(preferred). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 

notification of public hearing (REG– 

120137–19) that was published in the 

Federal Register on Friday, October 18, 

2024 (89 FR 83825), announced that a 

public hearing held in person and by 

teleconference was scheduled for 

December 6, 2024, at 10 a.m. E.T. The 

subject of the public hearing is under 26 

CFR part 301. The public comment 

period for these regulations expired on 

September 24, 2024. The notification of 

public hearing instructed those 

interested in testifying at the public 

hearing to submit a request to testify 

and an outline of the topics to be 

addressed by November 6, 2024. We did 

not receive any requests to testify at the 

Public Hearing. Therefore, the public 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 234 / Thursday, December 5, 2024 / Proposed Rules 96623 

hearing scheduled for December 6, 

2024, at 10 a.m. ET is cancelled. 

Regina L. Johnson, 

Federal Register Liaison, Publications and 

Regulations Section, Associate Chief Counsel 

(Procedure and Administration). 

[FR Doc. 2024–28462 Filed 12–4–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 

Bureau 

27 CFR Part 9 

[Docket No. TTB–2024–0007; Notice No. 

235] 

RIN 1513–AD08 

Proposed Establishment of the 

Columbia Hills Viticultural Area 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax 

and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to 

establish the 29,387-acre ‘‘Columbia 

Hills’’ American viticultural area (AVA) 

in Klickitat County, Washington. The 

proposed AVA is located entirely within 

the boundaries of the existing Columbia 

Valley AVA. TTB designates viticultural 

areas to allow vintners to better describe 

the origin of their wines and to allow 

consumers to better identify wines they 

may purchase. TTB invites comments 

on these proposals. 

DATES: TTB must receive your 

comments on or before February 3, 

2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may electronically 

submit comments to TTB on this 

proposal, and view copies of this 

document, its supporting materials, and 

any comments TTB receives on it within 

Docket No. TTB–2024–0007 as posted 

on Regulations.gov (https://

www.regulations.gov), the Federal erulemaking portal. Alternatively, you 

may submit comments via postal mail to 

the Director, Regulations and Ruling 

Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW, Box 

12, Washington, DC 20005. Please see 

the ‘‘Public Participation’’ section of 

this document for further information 

on the comments requested on this 

proposal and on the submission, 

confidentiality, and public disclosure of 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen A. Thornton, Regulations and 

Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco 

Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street 

NW, Box 12, Washington, DC 20005; 

phone 202–453–1039, ext. 175. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on Viticultural Areas 

TTB Authority 

Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol 

Administration Act (FAA Act), 27 

U.S.C. 205(e), authorizes the Secretary 

of the Treasury to prescribe regulations 

for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, 

and malt beverages. The FAA Act 

provides that these regulations should, 

among other things, prohibit consumer 

deception and the use of misleading 

statements on labels and ensure that 

labels provide the consumer with 

adequate information as to the identity 

and quality of the product. The Alcohol 

and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 

(TTB) administers the FAA Act 

provisions pursuant to section 1111(d) 

of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 

as codified at 6 U.S.C. 531(d). In 

addition, the Secretary of the Treasury 

has delegated certain administrative and 

enforcement authorities to TTB through 

Treasury Order 120–01. 

Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 

part 4) authorizes TTB to establish 

definitive viticultural areas and regulate 

the use of their names as appellations of 

origin on wine labels and in wine 

advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR part 9) sets forth 

standards for the preparation and 

submission of petitions for the 

establishment or modification of 

American viticultural areas (AVAs) and 

lists the approved AVAs. 

Definition 

Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) defines 

a viticultural area for American wine as 

a delimited grape-growing region having 

distinguishing features as described in 

part 9 of the regulations and, once 

approved, a name and a delineated 

boundary codified in part 9 of the 

regulations. These designations allow 

vintners and consumers to attribute a 

given quality, reputation, or other 

characteristic of a wine made from 

grapes grown in an area to the wine’s 

geographic origin. The establishment of 

AVAs allows vintners to describe more 

accurately the origin of their wines to 

consumers and helps consumers to 

identify wines they may purchase. 

Establishment of an AVA is neither an 

approval nor an endorsement by TTB of 

the wine produced in that area. 

Requirements 

Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(2)) outlines 

the procedure for proposing an AVA 

and allows any interested party to 

petition TTB to establish a grapegrowing region as an AVA. Section 9.12 

of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 9.12) 

prescribes standards for petitions to 

establish or modify AVAs. Petitions to 

establish an AVA must include the 

following: 

• Evidence that the area within the 

proposed AVA boundary is nationally 

or locally known by the AVA name 

specified in the petition; 

• An explanation of the basis for 

defining the boundary of the proposed 

AVA; 

• A narrative description of the 

features of the proposed AVA that affect 

viticulture, such as climate, geology, 

soils, physical features, and elevation, 

that make the proposed AVA distinctive 

and distinguish it from adjacent areas 

outside the proposed AVA boundary; 

• The appropriate United States 

Geological Survey (USGS) map(s) 

showing the location of the proposed 

AVA, with the boundary of the 

proposed AVA clearly drawn thereon; 

and 

• A detailed narrative description of 

the proposed AVA boundary based on 

USGS map markings. 

If the proposed AVA is to be 

established within, or overlapping, an 

existing AVA, an explanation that both 

identifies the attributes of the proposed 

AVA that are consistent with the 

existing AVA and explains how the 

proposed AVA is sufficiently distinct 

from the existing AVA, and therefore 

appropriate for separate recognition. 

Petition To Establish the Columbia Hills 

AVA 

TTB received a petition from Dr. 

Kevin R. Pogue, a geology professor, 

proposing to establish the ‘‘Columbia 

Hills’’ AVA. Dr. Pogue submitted the 

petition on behalf of Robert Lorkowski, 

owner of Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and 

Winery, which is located within the 

boundaries of the proposed AVA. The 

proposed AVA is located in Klickitat 

County, Washington, and is entirely 

within the established Columbia Valley 

AVA (27 CFR 9.74). There are 

approximately 338 acres of vineyards, 

owned by 19 different property owners, 

within the proposed AVA, as well as 

four wineries. The distinguishing 

features of the proposed Columbia Hills 

AVA are its topography, soils, and 

climate. 

Proposed Columbia Hills AVA 

Name Evidence 

The proposed AVA takes its name 

from the Columbia Hills, a 35-mile-long 

ridgeline that parallels the north side of 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with PROPOSALS