41304 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 30, 2017 / Notices 

1See Letter from Board Members Ann D. 

Begeman, Daniel R. Elliott III, and Deb Miller, 

Surface Transportation Board, to E. Hunter 

Harrison, President and Chief Exec. Officer, CSX 

Transportation, Inc. (July 27, 2017) (on file with the 

Board), available at http://www.stb.gov (open tab at 

‘‘E-Library, select ‘‘Correspondence’’, select ‘‘NonDocketed Public Correspondence’’, follow ‘‘07/27/ 

2017’’ hyperlink). 

2See Letter from Board Members Ann D. 

Begeman, Daniel R. Elliott III, and Deb Miller, 

Surface Transportation Board, to E. Hunter 

Harrison, President and Chief Exec. Officer, CSX 

Transportation, Inc. (Aug. 14, 2017) (on file with 

the Board), available at http://www.stb.gov (open 

tab at ‘‘E-Library, select ‘‘Correspondence’’, select 

‘‘Non-Docketed Public Correspondence’’, follow 

‘‘08/14/2017’’ hyperlink). 

3That letter shortly will be posted as a filing on 

the Board’s Web site under Docket No. EP 742. 

1The FAA noted that the following frequencies 

would not be considered for decommissioning: 

frequencies for emergency use only; frequencies for 

military use only, frequencies in the State of Alaska, 

and Ground Communications Outlets. 

staff to discuss the carrier’s efforts to 

restore reliable service to its shippers.1

In a follow-up August 14, 2017 letter, 

the Board requested that CSXT submit 

weekly specific service performance 

data to facilitate these ongoing calls.2

The performance data, in addition to the 

data already submitted in U.S. Rail 

Service Issues—Performance Data 

Reporting, Docket No. EP 724 (Sub-No. 

4), is assisting the Board in actively 

monitoring CSXT’s service levels and 

the effectiveness of its recovery efforts. 

The Board has also been working to 

ensure that CSXT addresses service 

issues that shippers inform the Board 

about as they arise. Representatives of 

RCPA have held numerous meetings 

and conference calls with affected 

parties to better understand the specific 

problems shippers are experiencing and 

to help facilitate a swift resolution 

whenever possible. In monitoring 

CSXT’s recent problems, the Board has 

been providing information to all 

stakeholders in a transparent manner, 

requesting specific service performance 

data, and posting that data to the 

Board’s Web site. RCPA is also having 

frequent phone conversations with 

CSXT’s senior management regarding 

these informal service complaints. 

CSXT has indicated that its internal 

metrics are showing that service in some 

areas is improving and that noticeable 

improvements should be more evident 

after Labor Day. Therefore, the Board 

will hold a public listening session 

beginning at 9:30 a.m., on Tuesday, 

September 12, 2017, at its offices in 

Washington, DC, to hear firsthand from 

CSXT’s senior officials and affected 

shippers about CSXT’s rail service and 

efforts to improve service. 

The Board will direct executive-level 

officials from CSXT to appear at the 

listening session to discuss their 

ongoing and future efforts to improve 

service and to provide an estimated 

timeline for recovery of normal service 

levels. The Board encourages impacted 

shippers to appear at the public 

listening session to discuss their service 

concerns and comment on the railroad’s 

service recovery efforts. The Board’s 

listening session is not intended to 

replace the data collection or the 

informal and confidential dispute 

resolution process facilitated by RCPA, 

and stakeholders who do not have 

formal complaints pending (discussed 

below) are encouraged to continue 

communicating through that office. 

Additionally, in the past two weeks, 

some CSXT shippers have filed formal 

complaints against CSXT seeking 

service-related injunctive relief and/or 

money damages (Docket Nos. NOR 

42154, NOR 42155, and NOR 42156); a 

petition to institute a proceeding to 

address the adequacy of CSXT’s service 

(Docket No. EP 741); and a request for 

an emergency service order (by letter 

addressed to the Board Members).3 The 

Board believes that the concerns raised 

in the petition in Docket No. EP 741 are 

best addressed in this docket, as well as 

through the Board’s other ongoing 

efforts; accordingly, we will deny the 

petition in EP 741 to institute a 

proceeding as unnecessary, but without 

prejudice to taking more formal action 

at a later time, if appropriate. In the 

meantime, the Board will continue to 

address these important service 

reliability issues in a transparent 

manner to ensure shippers, carriers, and 

all interested stakeholders are fully 

informed about the Board’s work. 

It is ordered: 

1. A public listening session will be 

held on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, at 

9:30 a.m., in the Board’s Hearing Room, 

at 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC, as 

described above. 

2. CSXT is directed to appear at the 

listening session through executivelevel officials. 

3. By September 7, 2017, any person 

wishing to speak at the listening session 

shall file with the Board a notice of 

intent to participate (identifying the 

party and the proposed speaker). The 

notices of intent to participate need not 

be served on the parties of record; they 

will be posted to the Board’s Web site 

when they are filed. 

4. The petition to institute a 

proceeding in Docket No. EP 741 is 

denied without prejudice. 

5. This decision is effective on its 

service date. 

Decided: August 24, 2017. 

By the Board, Board Members Begeman, 

Elliott, and Miller. 

Rena Laws-Byrum, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18399 Filed 8–29–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Docket No.: FAA–2016–4756] 

Reduction of Remote Communications 

Outlets Used by Flight Service Stations 

in the Conterminous United States 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of final policy. 

SUMMARY: This action sets forth the final 

policy determination for the FAA’s 

proposed plan to decommission remote 

communications outlets (RCO) used by 

Flight Service Stations in the 

conterminous United States, Hawaii, 

and Puerto Rico. Based on comments, 

the FAA has decreased the number of 

RCOs planned for decommissioning 

from 666 to 641, which includes 404 

RCOs and 237 VOR outlets. 

DATES: Applicable: August 30, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teri 

Bristol, ATO Chief Operating Officer, 

Office of the Administrator, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 

267–1240. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The FAA maintains a network of over 

2,100 remote communications outlets 

(RCOs) throughout the conterminous 

United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. 

The RCOs are used by a contract service 

provider to communicate with pilots in 

flight. By using these frequencies, pilots 

can obtain weather briefings and file 

flight plans and receive numerous other 

services. 

On April 28, 2016, the FAA published 

a notice of proposed policy outlining 

the plan to reduce the number of radio 

frequencies used by Flight Service 

Stations to communicate with aircraft in 

flight (81 FR 25484). The FAA noted 

that a network of 1,223 RCOs and 398 

VOR frequencies cover a vast majority of 

the conterminous United States and 

include duplicate, overlapping, and 

seldom used frequencies. Based on a 

study conducted by MITRE, the FAA 

proposed a policy to decommission 666 

RCOs in the conterminous United 

States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.1 The 

FAA estimated that, by reducing radio 

coverage, the agency could save 

approximately $2.5 million annually in 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 30, 2017 / Notices 41305 

maintenance costs alone. Additional 

savings would be realized once property 

leases are terminated and voice-switch 

communications infrastructure is 

decreased. 

Discussions of Comments 

The FAA received 13 comments on 

the proposed policy. The following 

summary of comments reflects the major 

issues raised and does not restate each 

comment received. The FAA considered 

all comments received even if not 

specifically identified and responded to 

in this notice. The FAA made revisions 

to the policy based on comments 

received. 

1. An individual commented that the 

same frequency, 122.2, was listed twice 

for Princeton, Minnesota (PNM), one 

indicated that it would be retained, and 

one indicated that it would be removed. 

The FAA will retain PNM 122.2. The 

commenter also indicated that we have 

an RCO at Minneapolis that is not on 

either list. The RCO at Minneapolis, 

122.3, will be decommissioned. 

2. Two commenters noted that the 

Duluth, Minnesota (DLH) frequency 

124.8 is not a Flight Service Station 

frequency. The FAA will remove DLH 

frequency 124.8 from the 

decommissioning list as it is not a Flight 

Service Station frequency. 

3. Six commenters requested that the 

FAA not decommission the Galian, 

Ohio (GQQ) remote communications 

outlet. Several of these commenters 

suggested that the frequency was 

important to corporate, business, and 

general aviation traffic using the airport. 

The FAA will not decommission 126.8 

at GQQ. 

4. Another commenter recommended 

retaining Du Page, Illinois (DPA) 

frequency 122.3. The commenter noted 

that, if both Waukegan, Illinois (UGN) 

and DuPage, Illinois RCOs were 

decommissioned, the closest remote 

communications outlet for pilots flying 

in the area would be 40–50 miles 

away—MKE to the North, RFD to the 

West, IKK to the South and VPZ to the 

East. The FAA will not decommission 

DPA frequency 122.3. 

5. A commenter noted that RCO usage 

is not uniformly distributed across the 

RCO coverage area and asked whether 

an analysis has been done to determine 

what percentage of actual FSS 

transactions would be affected. The 

individual commented that, if, for 

instance, there is a mountain pass with 

notoriously bad weather and pilots 

frequently call FSS inflight to get the 

conditions in that area then reduction of 

service in this area should not be 

considered equivalent to reduction of 

service in an area where there are few 

contacts made to FSS due to benign 

weather, few flights, etc. 

Response: Usage data is not available 

for individual RCOs. The FAA is 

retaining coverage across the 

conterminous United States, Hawaii and 

Puerto Rico of greater than 98% at 5,000 

agl, 97% at 3,000 agl, and 92% at 1,000 

agl. The FAA specifically excluded 

mountainous areas in the western US 

and also avoided areas where no other 

Air Traffic frequencies were available. 

6. The same commenter indicated that 

he believed that the baseline coverage 

should not have excluded VORs that are 

proposed to be decommissioned. He 

suggested that not including these VORs 

in the baseline artificially reduces the 

baseline coverage with respect to the 

actual current coverage. He noted that 

the stated goal was to reduce coverage 

by less than 10% but, if the baseline is 

already reduced, the result may be a 

reduction of more than 10% compared 

with today. 

Response: The VORs proposed for 

decommissioning were considered a 

given and not considered for retention 

in the proposal. Approximately 237 

individual VORs with voice capability, 

scheduled for decommissioning through 

the VOR Minimum Operational 

Network (MON) program, will be 

reviewed on a case by case basis. If it 

is determined that a significant 

degradation of service capability exists 

with the decommissioning of a specific 

VOR, steps will be taken to replace it 

with a separate RCO. 

7. The same commenter also stated 

that the proposal reduces redundancy 

which is good from a fiscal and 

complexity standpoint but is bad when 

considering that equipment failures 

happen. He asked whether an analysis 

had been done of the current and 

expected reliability of the RCO MON 

including an assessment of how quickly 

it can be repaired and what the impact 

will be on pilots? 

Response: Most, if not all, of our 

RCOs have standby receivers and 

transmitters in case of mechanical 

malfunction or for use during routine 

maintenance. In case of a line outage, 

FTI has a goal of a four-hour restoration 

time and, in case of major equipment 

malfunction, Technical Operations has a 

response time for RCO outages of either 

24 or 96 hours depending upon backup 

and other facilities co-located or nearby. 

Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) are issued 

for RCO outages as they occur. The FAA 

has concluded that, given these facts, 

there is no discernable safety impact on 

the pilot. 

8. Finally, this commenter noted that 

he was concerned that, with the 

elimination of Flight Watch, there 

would be a further reduction of inflight 

weather resources available to pilots. He 

noted that, while FIS–B is now 

available, the coverage area is not 100%, 

many pilots do not have the necessary 

equipment to receive FIS–B 

information, and many pilots do not 

have the skills necessary to interpret the 

FIS–B data and rely on FSS personnel. 

FSS also provides services that FIS–B 

cannot duplicate such as opening and 

closing VFR flight plans. 

Response: The current RCO coverage 

area was designed at a time when FSS 

personnel were handling over 10,000 

radio calls per day, today they handle 

less than 1,000 calls per day. 

Technological advances, including FIS– 

B, are providing pilots with greater 

access to inflight weather resources than 

ever before. This reduction is meant to 

align the RCO infrastructure with pilot 

demand. While it is true that FIS–B 

cannot open or close flight plans, other 

methods are available for this service 

including using another nearby RCO, 

activation and closure using the 

telephone, assumed departures, etc. 

9. Another commenter stated that, 

with the demise of the En Route Flight 

Advisory Service (EFAS), he believed it 

was unwise to eliminate 122.2 MHz and 

noted that 122.2 and 121.5 are two of 

the frequencies that pilots are taught to 

commit to memory as they were ‘‘go to’’ 

frequencies in a crisis. 

Response: Where there are multiple 

frequencies in the same geographic area, 

the FAA will retain 122.2 to the degree 

possible (this was the case for the RCO 

located at Columbus, NE). Over 95% of 

the current 122.2s are being retained. In 

addition, Flight Service is moving to 

retain 103 frequencies which were 

previously dedicated to EFAS. A 

number of these will be retuned to 122.2 

vice 122.0 which will increase the 

coverage of 122.2’s across the country. 

The FAA conducts safety seminars and 

other outreach programs to educate 

pilots on the need to ensure they obtain 

frequency information for their route of 

flight prior to departure. 

Final Policy 

In accordance with the above, the 

FAA is adopting the following policy 

statement on the decommissioning of 

Remote Communications Outlets used 

by Flight Service Stations in the 

conterminous United States, Hawaii, 

and Puerto Rico. 

The FAA will reduce the number of 

radio frequencies used by Flight Service 

Stations to communicate with aircraft in 

flight. Remote communications outlets 

in 641 locations will be 

decommissioned beginning in late fiscal 

year 2017. Notices to Airmen 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES

41306 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 30, 2017 / Notices 

(NOTAMs) will be issued as each 

frequency is decommissioned. 

Frequencies in Alaska and those 

designated for emergency or military 

use are not included. 

A link to maps showing the 

approximate frequency coverage after 

the reduction at various altitudes, with 

percentages of coverage can be found 

here: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_

org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_

units/systemops/fs/media/Radio_

Reduction_Fed_Reg.pdf. 

A link to the frequencies that will be 

decommissioned can be found here: 

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/ 

headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/ 

systemops/fs/media/RCO_Master_

List.xlsx. 

The FAA posted frequently asked 

Questions and Answers regarding the 

Reduction of Remote Communications 

Outlets Used by Flight Service Stations 

in the Conterminous United States on 

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/ 

headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/ 

systemops/fs/media/RCO_Reduction_

FAQ_030217.pdf. 

These Questions and Answers will be 

periodically updated until FAA charts 

and publications are revised to reflect 

the changes in this notice. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 23, 

2017. 

Michael P. Huerta, 

Administrator, Federal Aviation 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18398 Filed 8–29–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2017–0069] 

Notice To Extend the Public Comment 

Period for the Notice of Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement for Model Year 2022–2025 

Corporate Average Fuel Economy 

Standards 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of extension. 

SUMMARY: NHTSA is extending the 

public comment period for the Notice of 

Intent (NOI) to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for Model Year 2022–2025 Corporate 

Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) 

Standards to Monday, September 25, 

2017. The NOI was published in the 

Federal Register on Wednesday, July 

26, 2017. The public comment period 

for the NOI was originally scheduled to 

end on Friday, August 25, 2017. 

DATES: To ensure that NHTSA has an 

opportunity to fully consider scoping 

comments, scoping comments should be 

received on or before Monday, 

September 25, 2017. NHTSA will 

consider comments received after that 

date to the extent the rulemaking 

schedule allows. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

to the docket number identified in the 

heading of this document by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

M–30, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, West Building, Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. 

Department of Transportation, West 

Building, Ground Floor, Room W12– 

140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m. Eastern time, Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

Regardless of how you submit your 

comments, you must include the docket 

number identified in the heading of this 

notice. Note that all comments received, 

including any personal information 

provided, will be posted without change 

to http://www.regulations.gov. Please 

see the ‘‘Privacy Act’’ heading below. 

You may call the Docket Management 

Facility at 202–366–9324. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov or the street 

address listed above. We will continue 

to file relevant information in the 

Docket as it becomes available. 

Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 

U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 

from the public to better inform its 

rulemaking process. DOT posts these 

comments, without edit, including any 

personal information the commenter 

provides, to http://www.regulations.gov, 

as described in the system of records 

notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can 

be reviewed at https://

www.transportation.gov/privacy. 

Anyone is able to search the electronic 

form of all comments received into any 

of our dockets by the name of the 

individual submitting the comment (or 

signing the comment, if submitted on 

behalf of an association, business, labor 

union, etc.). 

Confidential Business Information: If 

you wish to submit any information 

under a claim of confidentiality, you 

should submit three copies of your 

complete submission, including the 

information you claim to be confidential 

business information, to the Chief 

Counsel, NHTSA, at the address given 

below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. When you send a comment 

containing confidential business 

information, you should include a cover 

letter setting forth the information 

specified in NHTSA’s confidential 

business information regulation. See 49 

CFR part 512. In addition, you should 

submit a copy from which you have 

deleted the claimed confidential 

business information to the Docket by 

one of the methods set forth above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

technical issues, contact Ken Katz, Fuel 

Economy Division, Office of 

International Policy, Fuel Economy, and 

Consumer Programs, telephone: 202– 

366–4936, email: Ken.Katz@dot.gov; for 

legal issues, contact Russell Krupen, 

Legislation & General Law Division, 

Office of the Chief Counsel, telephone: 

202–366–1834, email: Russell.Krupen@

dot.gov, at the National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Requests to be placed on the project 

mailing list may be sent to either 

individual by mail or email. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017, NHTSA 

published in the Federal Register a 

document titled ‘‘Notice of Intent to 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement for Model Year 2022–2025 

Corporate Average Fuel Economy 

Standards.’’ 82 FR 34740. The public 

comment period for the NOI was 

scheduled to end on Friday, August 25, 

2017. 

On Tuesday, August 15, 2017, 

NHTSA received a request for a 30-day 

extension of the public comment period 

from the Sierra Club, the Center for 

Biological Diversity, Environment 

America, the Safe Climate Campaign, 

and the Environment Law & Policy 

Center. NHTSA has reviewed the 

request and is extending the public 

comment period for the NOI by 31 days 

to Monday, September 25, 2017. 

NHTSA will consider comments 

received after that date to the extent the 

rulemaking schedule allows. 

Issued in Washington, DC, under authority 

delegated in 49 CFR parts 1.81 and 1.95. 

Raymond R. Posten, 

Associate Administrator for Rulemaking. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18366 Filed 8–25–17; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES