Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 14 / Friday, January 23, 2009 / Notices 4279 

operations rather than the equipment 

requirements for HEMS aircraft. 

E. Maintaining Part 91 IFR Flight 

One commenter requested the ability 

to continue to fly IFR under Part 91 

using Part 135 weather minimums. 

Proposed Operations Specification 

A021 does not prohibit part 91 IFR 

operations. As noted in A021 paragraph 

‘‘d,’’ operators equipped and approved 

to so may elect to fly IFR following the 

part 91 IFR, or more stringent, weather 

minimums. The weather minimums 

found in Table 1 apply to VFR flight 

segments in Class G airspace. 

F. Part 135 Compliance for All HEMS 

Flights 

One commenter suggested requiring 

all segments of HEMS flights to be flown 

under Part 135 operating requirements. 

This operations specification revision 

will increase safety for HEMS operators 

by requiring all VFR segments of flights 

that include a part 135 segment to 

adhere to increased weather minimums. 

This is an important factor in preventing 

controlled flight into terrain, obstacle 

collisions, inadvertent IMC, and spatial 

disorientation, or loss of situational 

awareness. The FAA believes that the 

increased weather minimums combined 

with the preflight planning 

requirements will provide an increased 

margin of safety for HEMS operations. 

Operators equipped and approved to do 

so may also elect to fly IFR which 

provides an additional measure of safety 

to VFR flight due to factors such as 

increased interaction with controllers, 

increased flight planning, and 

guaranteed obstacle clearance while in 

controlled airspace. IFR flight also 

provides the benefit of easier access to 

updated real-time en-route and 

destination weather as well as Notice to 

Airmen (NOTAMS). 

The FAA has chosen to focus on the 

enhanced weather minimums and 

preflight planning at this time because 

of the enhancements to safety created by 

the proposed operations specifications, 

and the breadth of the regulatory 

revisions required if the FAA were to 

require compliance with part 135 for all 

HEMS operations. 

G. Application to Public Aircraft 

Two commenters raised the issue of 

application of the proposed operations 

specifications to public aircraft: One 

asked whether the proposed operations 

specifications would apply to public 

aircraft, another recommended applying 

A021 to all HEMS transports, whether 

public or civil. 

The FAA intends to apply these 

operations specifications to part 135 

HEMS operators currently required by 

their part 135 certificate to obtain 

operations specifications, or to future 

HEMS operations that obtain a part 135 

certificate. The FAA will consider the 

public aircraft issue separately. 

H. Medical Personnel 

The FAA received several comments 

related to medical personnel that serve 

on board HEMS aircraft. These 

comments included limiting the nonpatient transport related duties assigned 

to air-medical crew, flight time and duty 

period limitations, incorporation of 

medical personnel into safety aspects of 

HEMS operations, training 

requirements, and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

The FAA recognizes that the air 

medical personnel are an important part 

of a HEMS operation. However, these 

operations specifications revisions focus 

on the flight operations and planning 

aspects of HEMS operations; therefore 

requirements pertaining to medical 

personnel are outside the scope of the 

revisions. 

I. Other Comments 

The FAA received numerous 

comments on a number of other topics. 

Topics included: Requiring HEMS 

operators to be based at full-service 

airports; establishing regional dispatch 

centers for HEMS operations; Requiring 

Commission on Accreditation of 

Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) 

certification for all operators; focusing 

on increased training rather than more 

stringent operations specifications; 

permitting landings only at preapproved 

landing sites; requiring two pilot crews; 

requiring two engine aircraft; pilot 

testing on local area hazards and 

procedures; operational credit for 

autopilot operations; use of common 

radio frequencies; prohibiting HEMS 

operators from selling memberships; 

establishment of obstacle free corridors; 

concern over pressure exerted on flight 

crew to engage in operations by forprofit operators; the FAA’s role in 

making medical determinations; and 

continuing current exemptions for 

operators. 

These comments are outside the scope 

of the operations specifications 

revisions, relate to business decisions by 

HEMS operators, or are already 

addressed by the operations 

specification. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 13, 

2009. 

John Duncan, 

Manager, Air Transportation Division, AFS– 

200. 

[FR Doc. E9–1448 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Twelfth Meeting—Special Committee 

215—Aeronautical Mobile Satellite 

(Route) Services, Next Generation 

Satellite Services and Equipment 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special 

Committee 215, Aeronautical Mobile 

Satellite (Route) Services, Next 

Generation Satellite Services and 

Equipment. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice 

to advise the public of a meeting of 

RTCA Special Committee 215, 

Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) 

Services, Next Generation Satellite 

Services and Equipment. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

February 17, 2009, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 

February 18, 2009, 9 a.m. to 12 noon. 

ADDRESSES: RTCA Headquarters, 1828 L 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036; 

USA, Tel: + 1 202 833–9339, Fax: + 1 

202 833–9434, http://www.rtca.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

RTCA Secretariat, 1828 L Street, NW., 

Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036; 

telephone (202) 833–9339; fax (202) 

833–9434; Web site http://www.rtca.org 

for directions. For additional details 

contact: Kelly O’Keefe, Tel: + 1 202 

772–1873, e-mail: 

Kelly@accesspartnership.com. 

Note: Dress is business casual. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 

463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice is 

hereby given for a Special Committee 

215 meeting. The agenda will include: 

February 17 (continued February 18 as 

necessary) 

• Opening Plenary Session 

(Greetings, Introductions, 

Administrative Remarks). 

• Review and Approval of Agenda for 

12th Plenary. 

• Review and Approval of 11th 

Meeting Summary (RTCA Paper No. 

004–09/SC215–038). 

• DO–262 Normative Appendix. 

• Program Management Committee 

(PMC) Approval of Final Draft. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

4280 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 14 / Friday, January 23, 2009 / Notices 

• DO–270 Normative Appendix. 

• Review and Resolution of Final 

Review and Comment (FRAC) 

responses. 

• Approval of DO–270 Normative 

Appendix for submission to PMC. 

• Closing Plenary (Any Other 

Business, Review of Next Plenary 

Meeting Dates (if required), Adjourn). 

Attendance is open to the interested 

public but limited to space availability. 

With the approval of the chairmen, 

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 January 13, 

2009. 

Francisco Estrada C., 

RTCA Advisory Committee. 

[FR Doc. E9–1342 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement 

Adoption; Washington, DC 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this 

notice to advise the public of its intent 

to adopt an existing Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

in accordance with the Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations, 40 

CFR 1506.3. The Final EIS has been 

prepared and approved by the General 

Services Administration (GSA), 

National Capital Region. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack 

Van Dop, Senior Technical Specialist, 

Federal Highway Administration, 21400 

Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166, 

Telephone 703–404–6282 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

An electronic copy of this document 

may be downloaded by using a 

computer, modem and suitable 

communications software from 

Government Printing Office’s Electronic 

Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512– 

1661. Internet users may reach the 

Office of the Federal Register’s home 

page at: http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and 

the Government Printing Office’s Web 

site at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. 

The Final EIS, prepared by GSA is 

posted at http:// 

www.stelizabethswestcampus.com. A 

related Section 4(f) Evaluation, prepared 

by FHWA is posted at the above project 

Web site as well as at http:// 

www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/projectsenvironment.aspx. A hard copy of the 

GSA Final EIS and the Section 4(f) 

Evaluation can be viewed at the 

following location until March 30, 2009: 

Federal Highway Administration, 

Eastern Federal Lands Highway 

Division, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, 

Sterling, VA 20166. 

Background 

The FHWA, in cooperation with the 

District of Columbia Department of 

Transportation (DDOT) intends to adopt 

those portions of an approved Final EIS, 

related to the specific transportation 

aspects, for consolidation of the 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) Headquarters offices located in 

the District of Columbia. The FHWA, in 

consultation with the DDOT, will 

determine if additional documentation 

will be provided as a supplement to this 

Final EIS prior to issuing a decision 

document. The Final EIS was prepared 

by the General Services Administration, 

National Capital Region. The FHWA, 

DDOT and other federal agencies are 

cooperating agencies for this Final EIS. 

The Revised Notice of Intent for the EIS 

appeared in the FR, Volume 72, Number 

124, June 28, 2007. The project consists 

of consolidation of the DHS 

Headquarters at the St. Elizabeths 

Campus in Southeast Washington, DC. 

DHS requested that GSA fulfill its 

requirement of collocating 4.5 million 

gross square feet of office; with parking, 

the project would accommodate up to 

6.4 million gross square feet of 

development and adaptive re-use. The 

EIS considered the social, 

environmental, and economic impacts 

of the project. The No-Action 

alternative, three campus 

redevelopment alternatives, four 

interchange alternatives (I–295/Malcolm 

X Interchange) and a transportation nobuild alternative were considered in the 

Final EIS. 

Agency Action 

The FHWA action subject to the 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act for this 

project is approval of modifications to 

the I–295/Malcolm X Interchange, and a 

related access road. Approval of 

modifications to the interchange may 

have the potential to impact other 

transportation infrastructure in the 

District of Columbia. The GSA preferred 

alternative is identified in the Final EIS. 

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 303, the 

FHWA has also prepared and 

coordinated the distribution of a Section 

4(f) Evaluation for the project. The 

Evaluation assesses the reasonable 

transportation alternatives subject to 

Section 4(f) to determine if they are they 

are the only feasible and prudent 

alternatives pursuant to Section 4(f). In 

addition, FHWA will prepare its own 

Record of Decision for the Selected 

Alternative in accordance with 40 CFR 

1505.2. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

proposed action.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48. 

Dated: January 14, 2009. 

Karen A. Schmidt, 

Director, Program Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–1385 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement: Lawrence, Christian, and 

Greene Counties, MI 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT and the 

Missouri Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this 

notice to advise the public that we are 

rescinding the Notice of Intent (NOI) to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) for improvements that 

were proposed to the transportation 

system in Lawrence, Christian, and 

Greene Counties, Missouri. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peggy J. Casey, Environmental Projects 

Team Leader, FHWA Division Office, 

3220 West Edgewood, Suite H, Jefferson 

City, Missouri 65109, Telephone: (573) 

638–2620 or Kathy Harvey, State Design 

Engineer, Missouri Department of 

Transportation, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson 

City, Missouri 65102, Telephone: (573) 

526–5678. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, in cooperation with the 

Missouri Department of Transportation 

(MoDOT), is rescinding the NOI to 

prepare an EIS for a project that had 

been proposed to improve the 

transportation system in Lawrence, 

Christian and Greene Counties, 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES