Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 33085 

2FSIS Notice 22–19 instructs inspection program 

personnel on how to verify that edible blood, 

including coagulated blood, is collected and 

handled in a manner to be fit for use in human food. 

FSIS will periodically review data generated by 

such verification activities to ensure that 

establishments are following proper food safety 

practices pertaining to the collection of edible 

blood. 

whichever you report on your acreage 

report and for which you qualify; or 

(ii) At any time after the acreage 

reporting date, your unit structure will 

be one enterprise unit for all acreage of 

the crop in the county provided you 

meet the requirements in section 

34(a)(4). Otherwise, we will assign the 

basic unit structure for all acreage of the 

crop in the county. 

(4) If you elected an enterprise unit 

for only one type and we discover you 

do not qualify for an enterprise unit for 

that type and such discovery is made: 

(i) On or before the acreage reporting 

date, your unit division for all acreage 

of the crop in the county will be based 

on basic or optional units, whichever 

you report on your acreage report and 

for which you qualify; or 

(ii) At any time after the acreage 

reporting date, we will assign the basic 

unit structure for all acreage of the crop 

in the county. 

(c) In addition to, or instead of, 

establishing optional units as provided 

in section 34(c) in the Basic Provisions, 

a separate optional unit may be 

established for each bean type 

(designated in actuarial documents and 

including any type insured by written 

agreement). 

(d) Enterprise and optional units by 

type may be further divided by acreage 

of contract seed beans if the seed bean 

processor contract specifies the number 

of acres under contract. Contract seed 

beans produced under a seed bean 

processor contract that specifies only an 

amount of production or a combination 

of acreage and production, are not 

eligible for separate enterprise or 

optional units. 

* * * * * 

Richard Flournoy, 

Acting Manager, Federal Crop Insurance 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13115 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

9 CFR Part 310 

[Docket No. FSIS–2020–0005] 

RIN 0583–AD81 

Elimination of the Requirement To 

Defibrinate Livestock Blood Saved as 

an Edible Product 

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is removing 

from the Federal meat inspection 

regulations a requirement for the 

defibrination of livestock blood saved as 

an edible product. Defibrination is the 

process for removing the protein fibrin, 

which causes blood to clot. Removal of 

the defibrination requirement will not 

affect food safety, but it will allow the 

industry to meet a demand for nondefibrinated blood products. 

DATES: This rule is effective August 23, 

2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Edelstein, Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Policy and 

Program Development, FSIS; Telephone: 

(202)–205–0495. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On June 1, 2020, FSIS proposed to 

remove from the Federal meat 

inspection regulations a provision 

requiring the defibrination of livestock 

blood saved as edible product (85 FR 

33031). The Agency stated in the 

proposed rule that eliminating the 

requirement, along with its associated 

costs to industry, would not affect food 

safety, but would enable industry to 

meet a demand for non-defibrinated 

blood products. 

FSIS noted in the proposal that, 

before 1974, the regulations allowed 

establishments to collect edible blood 

from all livestock, except swine. 

However, in 1974, the Agency 

promulgated 9 CFR 310.20, which 

removed the swine blood prohibition, 

finding that it was not necessary for 

food safety (39 FR 1973, January 16, 

1974). In the 1974 rule, the Agency also 

reasoned that the prohibition was 

burdensome, in that it denied specialty 

food producers a source of swine blood 

for their products. 

Also, FSIS explained in the proposed 

rule that there had been no substantive 

changes governing the saving of 

livestock blood since 1974. Since that 

time, 9 CFR 310.20 has allowed 

establishments to save edible blood 

from all livestock, including swine, 

provided the animals’ carcasses are 

inspected and passed and the blood is 

collected, defibrinated, and handled in 

a manner to prevent its becoming 

adulterated under the FMIA. 

FSIS examined the peer-reviewed 

literature on coagulated, i.e., nondefibrinated, blood and did not identify 

any scientifically supportable food 

safety concerns. Thus, FSIS believes 

coagulated blood, like fluid blood, is 

safe for human consumption, provided 

the blood is saved from inspected and 

passed animals, and the blood is 

otherwise produced and prepared in 

compliance with all other FSIS 

regulations. Therefore, FSIS believes the 

defibrination requirement is not 

necessary to ensure food safety in 

accordance with the FMIA.2

Furthermore, as is explained in the 

proposed rule, FSIS has become aware 

that some establishments are interested 

in collecting coagulated blood for use in 

human food products, including 

specialty and ethnic food products, that 

require coagulated blood as an 

ingredient. Such foods include 

variations of blood sausage, blood 

pudding, and blood tofu. The current 

defibrination requirement denies 

specialty and ethnic food producers a 

source of coagulated blood, thereby 

placing an unnecessary economic 

burden on them and on the livestock 

slaughter establishments that could 

provide coagulated blood. 

FSIS proposed to remove the 

defibrination requirement from the 

Federal meat inspection regulations for 

many of the same reasons it gave for 

eliminating the swine blood prohibition 

in 1974. 

Final Rule 

This final rule is consistent with the 

proposed rule. FSIS is making no 

additional changes to the regulations in 

response to comments. FSIS is removing 

the defibrination requirement from 9 

CFR 310.20. 

Specifically, FSIS is revising the 

codified regulations to remove the word 

‘‘defibrinated’’. Under this final rule, 

official establishments will still have the 

option to defibrinate blood, provided 

they meet all other requirements in 9 

CFR 310.20. The regulations will 

continue to prohibit the defibrination of 

blood by hand. The regulations will also 

continue to require the use of 

anticoagulants that meet cited 

requirements in title 9 and title 21 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations. 

Comments and Response 

Comments: FSIS received two 

comments on the proposed rule. The 

first, from an industry association, was 

in agreement with the Agency’s reasons 

for proposing to eliminate the blood 

defibrination requirement, including the 

lack of a food-safety benefit from the 

requirement and the fact that coagulated 


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33086 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

3 askFSIS is a web-based computer application 

designed to help answer technical and policyrelated questions from inspection program 

personnel, industry, consumer groups, other 

stakeholders, and the public. This data was 

received on December 2, 2020. 

4Sodium citrate prices were obtained from three 

laboratory websites, https://www.jorvet.com/, 

https://www.rpicorp.com/, https://www.tocris.com/. 

These websites were accessed on 11/30/2020. 

The average sodium citrate price per milliliter 

was $0.08. This price was multiplied by the 

conversion rate of 3,785.412 ml per gallon to get the 

average sodium citrate price per gallon of $292.11. 

According to 9 CFR 424.21, the sodium citrate 

solution cannot exceed 0.5 percent, based on the 

ingoing weight of the product. Therefore, the price 

of sodium citrate per gallon of blood would be 

$292.11 multiplied by .005 or $1.47. 

5PHIS is FSIS’s electronic data analytic system, 

used to collect, consolidate, and analyze data in 

order to improve public health. FSIS used data from 

(PHIS) to identify these establishments by Hazard 

Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) 

category. This data was accessed on December 2, 

2020. 

6 Viator. C. et al. 2015. RTI International ‘‘Costs 

of Food Safety Investments’’ prepared by Catherine 

L. Viator, Mary K. Muth, and Jenna E. Brophy. The 

contract number is No. AG–3A94–B–13–0003. The 

order number is AG–3A94–K–14–0056. Table 2–5. 

Available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/ 

connect/0cdc568e-f6b1-45dc-88f1-45f343ed0bcd/ 

Food-Safety-Costs.pdf?MOD=AJPERES. 

7 426 gallons multiplied by $1.47, the sodium 

citrate cost per gallon of blood, equals $626. Costs 

are rounded to the nearest dollar. 

8 1,065 gallons multiplied by $1.47 equals $1,566. 

Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar. 

9Wage estimate of $14.23 obtained from the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 National 

Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and 

Wage Estimates for the Processing Workers 

(Occupational Code 51–3023) in the Animal 

Slaughtering and Process Industry (NAICS code 

311600). https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/ 

oes513023.htm. FSIS multiplied the mean hourly 

wage rate by a benefits factor of 2, to obtain a total 

compensation rate of $28.46 per hour. 

10 $28.46 divided by 60 minutes equals $0.4743 

rounded to the nearest tenth of a cent to $0.50. 

11 3.5 ((2 + 5)/2) minutes multiplied by the mid 

estimate of 3.5 ((2 + 5)/2) gallons of blood per 

production day multiplied by 213 production days, 

multiplied by the labor cost per minute ($0.50). The 

costs are rounded to the nearest dollar. 

blood is a key ingredient in certain 

ethnic cuisines. 

The second comment, from an 

individual, supported the practice of 

saving undefibrinated livestock blood as 

an edible product. The comment also 

underscored the benefits from 

eliminating the unnecessary costs 

associated with the defibrination 

requirement. The commenter stated that 

although these costs, as calculated in 

the Agency’s economic analysis, may 

seem minimal when viewing a single 

employee performing a single 

defibrination task, they add up in the 

course of a year and when considering 

the number of establishments affected. 

Response: FSIS agrees with the 

commenters and appreciates their 

support for this deregulatory action. 

Executive Orders (E.O.s) 12866 and 

13563, and the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act 

E.O.s 12866 and 13563 direct agencies 

to assess all costs and benefits of 

available regulatory alternatives and, if 

regulation is necessary, to select 

regulatory approaches that maximize 

net benefits (including potential 

economic, environmental, public health 

and safety effects, distributive impacts, 

and equity). E.O. 13563 emphasizes the 

importance of quantifying both costs 

and benefits, of reducing costs, of 

harmonizing rules, and of promoting 

flexibility. This final rule has been 

designated as a ‘‘non-significant’’ 

regulatory action under section 3(f) of 

E.O. 12866. Accordingly, the rule has 

not been reviewed by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

E.O. 12866. 

FSIS has updated the estimated 

benefits for this final rule from those 

published in the proposed rule based on 

more recent data. The changes include: 

A slight increase in the number of 

askFSIS questions and establishments; 

updated wage rates for production 

employees; and updated anti-coagulant 

solution costs. 

Baseline 

From October 2015 to December 2, 

2020, FSIS received 16 askFSIS 3

questions about defibrination from 15 

slaughter establishments. Therefore, 

FSIS assumes that at least 15 

establishments will be affected by this 

final rule. 

Expected Costs of the Final Rule 

There are no expected costs 

associated with this final rule. FSIS will 

allow coagulated blood to be saved for 

edible purposes. 

Expected Benefits of the Final Rule 

This final rule will benefit slaughter 

establishments that manufacture 

livestock blood and processing 

establishments that use the blood in 

their products, such as blood sausage, 

blood tofu, and blood pudding. This 

final rule will allow slaughter 

establishments manufacturing livestock 

blood for edible purposes to package 

and sell the item in its customary 

coagulated form, enhancing the 

marketability for these niche products. 

In addition, removing the unnecessary, 

prescriptive requirements will allow 

establishments additional flexibility to 

be innovative and to operate in the most 

efficient manner. 

Removing the regulatory requirement 

for establishments to defibrinate 

livestock blood is expected to result in 

industry cost savings. Establishments 

will reduce anti-coagulant solution costs 

and labor costs associated with 

defibrination. 

According to 9 CFR 424.21, sodium 

citrate is a FSIS-approved anti-coagulant 

that can be used to defibrinate blood. 

FSIS estimates that the 2020 sodium 

citrate solution cost per gallon of blood 

is $1.47.4 Using askFSIS and Public 

Health Information System (PHIS) 5

data, FSIS determined that all 15 

establishments that process edible blood 

are small or very small establishments. 

FSIS experts estimated that small 

establishments that process edible blood 

products process two to five gallons of 

edible blood per production day. These 

establishments operate about 213 6

production days per year, which means 

that they each process an estimated 426 

to 1,065 gallons of edible blood per year. 

Each of these establishments will save 

approximately $1,096 per year, with a 

range of $626 7 to $1,566 8 if they no 

longer defibrinate blood. 

Establishments that process edible 

blood will also benefit from labor cost 

savings. FSIS experts estimate that it 

takes one production worker two to five 

minutes to defibrinate one gallon of 

livestock blood. FSIS estimated the total 

compensation rate of a production 

employee is $28.46 9 per hour or 

approximately $0.50 10 per minute 

based on 2019 estimates from the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each 

establishment will save approximately 

$1,305 in labor costs per year,11 with a 

range of $426 to $2,663 if they no longer 

defibrinate blood. 

FSIS estimated that at least the 15 

establishments that submitted askFSIS 

questions about defibrination from 

October 2015 to December 2, 2020 will 

benefit from the cost savings associated 

with this final rule. The total estimated 

annual industry cost savings are 

detailed in Table 1. 

TABLE 1—INDUSTRY ANNUAL COST SAVINGS ESTIMATES

Low Medium High 

Sodium Citrate Cost Savings/Year .............................................................................................. $9,390 $16,440 $23,490 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 33087 

TABLE 1—INDUSTRY ANNUAL COST SAVINGS ESTIMATES—Continued 

Low Medium High 

Labor Cost Savings/Year ............................................................................................................. 6,390 19,575 39,945 

Total Cost Savings ............................................................................................................... 15,780 36,015 63,435 

Total Costs Savings annualized at a discount rate of 7% over 10 years ........................... 15,780 36,015 63,435 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Assessment 

The FSIS Administrator has made a 

determination that this final rule will 

not have a significant economic impact 

on a substantial number of small entities 

in the United States, as defined by the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 

601). Small and very small 

establishments will benefit from the cost 

savings associated with this final rule. 

However, the benefits to small and very 

small establishments, as indicated by 

the total savings estimates in Table 1 

($15,780 to $63,435 over 10 years), will 

not be significant. Of the 15 

establishments that submitted askFSIS 

questions about defibrination from 

October 2015 to December 2, 2020, 

about 67 percent were classified as 

small, by Hazard Analysis and Critical 

Control Point (HACCP) size, and 33 

percent were HACCP-size very small. 

Under the HACCP-size definitions, large 

establishments have 500 or more 

employees and small establishments 

have fewer than 500 but more than 10 

employees. Very small establishments 

have fewer than 10 employees or annual 

sales of less than $2.5 million. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

There are no new paperwork or 

recordkeeping requirements associated 

with this final rule under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501– 

3520). 

Congressional Review Act 

Pursuant to the Congressional Review 

Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs 

designated this rule as not a ‘‘major 

rule,’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). 

Environmental Impacts 

Each USDA agency is required to 

comply with 7 CFR part 1b of the 

Departmental regulations, which 

supplements the National 

Environmental Policy Act regulations 

published by the Council on 

Environmental Quality. Under these 

regulations, actions of certain USDA 

agencies and agency units are 

categorically excluded from the 

preparation of an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) or an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) unless the 

agency head determines that an action 

may have a significant environmental 

effect (7 CFR 1b.4(b)). FSIS is among the 

agencies categorically excluded from the 

preparation of an EA or EIS (7 CFR 

1b.4(b)(6)). 

FSIS has determined that this final 

rule, which removes the defibrination 

requirement from 9 CFR 310.20, will not 

create any extraordinary circumstances 

that would result in this normally 

excluded action’s having a significant 

individual or cumulative effect on the 

human environment. Therefore, this 

action is appropriately subject to the 

categorical exclusion from the 

preparation of an environmental 

assessment or environmental impact 

statement provided under 7 CFR 1b.4(6) 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

regulations. 

E-Government Act 

FSIS and USDA are committed to 

achieving the purposes of the EGovernment Act (44 U.S.C. 3601, et 

seq.) by, among other things, promoting 

the use of the internet and other 

information technologies and providing 

increased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at https://

www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all of the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter to 

USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; (2) fax: (202) 690–7442; 

or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Additional Public Notification 

Public awareness of all segments of 

rulemaking and policy development is 

important. Consequently, FSIS will 

announce this Federal Register 

publication on-line through the FSIS 

web page located at: https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register. 

FSIS also will make copies of this 

publication available through the FSIS 

Constituent Update, which is used to 

provide information regarding FSIS 

policies, procedures, regulations, 

Federal Register notices, FSIS public 

meetings, and other types of information 

that could affect or would be of interest 

to our constituents and stakeholders. 

The Constituent Update is available on 

the FSIS web page. Through the web 

page, FSIS is able to provide 

information to a much broader, more 

diverse audience. In addition, FSIS 

offers an email subscription service 

which provides automatic and 

customized access to selected food 

safety news and information. This 

service is available at: https://

www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options 

range from recalls to export information, 

regulations, directives, and notices. 

Customers can add or delete 

subscriptions themselves and have the 


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33088 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

option to password-protect their 

accounts. 

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 310 

Meat and meat products, Blood. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, FSIS amends 9 CFR chapter 

III as follows: 

PART 310—POST-MORTEM 

INSPECTION 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 310 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 601–695; 7 CFR 2.18, 

2.53. 

■ 2. Revise § 310.20 to read as follows: 

§ 310.20 Saving of blood from livestock as 

an edible product. 

Blood may be saved for edible 

purposes at official establishments 

provided it is derived from livestock, 

the carcasses of which are inspected and 

passed, and the blood is collected and 

handled in a manner so as not to render 

it adulterated under the Federal Meat 

Inspection Act and regulations issued 

pursuant thereto. The defibrination of 

blood intended for human food 

purposes shall not be done with the 

hands. Anticoagulants may be used in 

accordance with 21 CFR chapter I, 

subchapter A and subchapter B, or by 

regulation in 9 CFR chapter III, 

subchapter A or subchapter E. 

Done, at Washington, DC. 

Paul Kiecker 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13160 Filed 6–23–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2021–0093; Project 

Identifier MCAI–2020–01213–T; Amendment 

39–21535; AD 2021–10–02] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, 

Inc., Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Bombardier, Inc., Model BD–700–1A10 

and BD–700–1A11 airplanes. This AD 

was prompted by reports indicating that 

the left- and right-hand elevator torque 

tube bearings were contaminated with 

sand and corrosion, restricting free 

rotation. This AD requires repetitive 

general visual inspections of the leftand right-hand elevator torque tube 

bearings for any sand, dust, or 

corrosion; repetitive functional tests of 

the elevator control system; and 

replacement of the elevator torque tube 

bearings if necessary. The FAA is 

issuing this AD to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective July 29, 

2021. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in this AD 

as of July 29, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this final rule, contact 

Bombardier, Inc., 200 Coˆte-Vertu Road 

West, Dorval, Que ́bec H4S 2A3, Canada; 

North America toll-free telephone 1– 

866–538–1247 or direct-dial telephone 

1–514–855–2999; email ac.yul@

aero.bombardier.com; internet https://

www.bombardier.com. You may view 

this service information at the FAA, 

Airworthiness Products Section, 

Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 

216th St., Des Moines, WA. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call 206–231–3195. 

It is also available on the internet at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–0093. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the internet at https://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2021– 

0093; or in person at Docket Operations 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

The AD docket contains this final rule, 

any comments received, and other 

information. The address for Docket 

Operations is U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Siddeeq Bacchus, Aerospace Engineer, 

Mechanical Systems and Administrative 

Services Section, FAA, New York ACO 

Branch, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 

410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 

516–228–7362; fax 516–794–5531; email 

9-avs-nyaco-cos@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Transport Canada Civil Aviation 

(TCCA), which is the aviation authority 

for Canada, has issued TCCA AD CF– 

2020–29, dated August 21, 2020 

(referred to after this as the Mandatory 

Continuing Airworthiness Information, 

or the MCAI), to correct an unsafe 

condition for all Bombardier, Inc., 

Model BD–700–1A10 and BD–700– 

1A11 airplanes. You may examine the 

MCAI in the AD docket on the internet 

at https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–0093. 

The FAA issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to all Bombardier, Inc., Model 

BD–700–1A10 and BD–700–1A11 

airplanes. The NPRM published in the 

Federal Register on February 24, 2021 

(86 FR 11180). The NPRM was 

prompted by reports indicating that the 

left- and right-hand elevator torque tube 

bearings were contaminated with sand 

and corrosion, restricting free rotation. 

The NPRM proposed to require 

repetitive general visual inspections of 

the left- and right-hand elevator torque 

tube bearings for any sand, dust, or 

corrosion; repetitive functional tests of 

the elevator control system; and 

replacement of the elevator torque tube 

bearings if necessary. The FAA is 

issuing this AD to address sand 

contamination and corrosion of the 

elevator torque tube bearings, which 

could lead to binding or seizure of the 

bearings, and potentially lead to a 

reduction in or loss of airplane pitch 

control. See the MCAI for additional 

background information. 

Comments 

The FAA gave the public the 

opportunity to participate in developing 

this final rule. The FAA received no 

comments on the NPRM or on the 

determination of the cost to the public. 

Conclusion 

The FAA reviewed the relevant data 

and determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this 

final rule as proposed, except for minor 

editorial changes. The FAA has 

determined that these minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM for 

addressing the unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

Bombardier has issued the following 

service information. 

• Bombardier Service Bulletin 700– 

1A11–27–041, Revision 1, dated 

December 7, 2020. 


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