Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Notices 11199

changes, modifications, and supportive

data. Only changes that do not adversely

affect the intended safety level of the

test method (pass/fail level) will be

considered.

Fire safety experts within the FAA

will first approve the modified test

methods before forwarding them to the

Transport Airplane Directorate

(Transport Standards Staff) for a

determination of equivalent level of

safety. Only if such a determination is

made will the changes or modifications

be incorporated into the electronic

version of the Handbook (accessible at

http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/

index.html?handbook.stm&1).

Use of the Test Methods

The FAA will consider the test

methods in Chapters 1 through 10 and

Chapter 15 of the electronic version of

the Handbook to be the most current

methods. However, the test methods

described in the version of the

Handbook dated April 2000, will remain

acceptable for showing compliance. The

test methods described in the

regulations, of course, will also remain

acceptable methods of compliance.

The test methods described in the

Handbook are intended to be adopted in

total, if they are used. That is, use of one

section of a test method from the

Handbook and another section of the

test method from Appendix F of part 25

for example, is not covered by this

policy statement. If an applicant

proposes to use sections from more than

one version of a test method to show

compliance, the applicant first must

obtain approval from the cognizant FAA

Aircraft Certification Office. The

applicant’s requests should be

coordinated with the Transport

Airplane Directorate (Transport

Standards Staff).

Effect of General Statement of Policy

The general policy stated in this

document is not intended to establish a

binding norm; it does not constitute a

new regulation and the FAA would not

apply or rely upon it as a regulation.

The FAA Aircraft Certification Offices

(ACO) that certify transport category

airplanes should generally attempt to

follow this policy, when appropriate.

However, in determining compliance

with certification standards, each ACO

has the discretion not to apply these

guidelines where it determines that they

are inappropriate. Applicants should

expect that the certificating officials will

consider this information when making

findings of compliance relevant to new

certificate actions. Applicants also may

consider the material contained in this

policy statement as supplemental to that

currently contained in Report DOT/

FAA/AR–00/12, ‘‘Aircraft Materials Fire

Test Handbook,’’ dated April 2000,

when developing a means of

compliance with the relevant

certification standards.

In addition, as with all typical

advisory material, this statement of

policy identifies one means, but not the

only means, of compliance.

Application of Policy Statement

The FAA considers this policy

statement an issue for which public

comment is appropriate and, therefore,

requests comment on it. However, it is

the FAA’s intention to immediately

apply this policy. Resolution of any

public comments received will

determine how the policy is applied in

the long term for future projects.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on February

14, 2001.

Ali Bahrami,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4377 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33670]

The Indiana Rail Road Company—

Operation Exemption—Monon Rail

Preservation Corporation

The Indiana Rail Road Company

(INRD), a Class III rail carrier, has filed

a verified notice of exemption under 49

CFR 1150.41 to operate the property of

the Monon Rail Preservation

Corporation, consisting of a line

between milepost Q217.67, at Hunters,

and milepost Q213.41, at Ellettsville, a

distance of 4.26 miles in Monroe

County, IN.

Because INRD’s projected annual

revenues will exceed $5 million, INRD

has certified to the Board on December

26, 2000, that the required notice of the

transaction was posted at the workplace

of the employees on the affected line on

December 20, 2000. See 49 CFR

1150.42(e). According to INRD’s

certification, the employees on the

affected line are not represented by a

labor organization and therefore no

notice to labor organizations was

required. INRD stated in its verified

notice that the transaction will become

effective on the date of the Board’s

approval of INRD’s operation of the line.

The earliest the transaction can be

consummated is February 24, 2001 (60

days after INRD’s certification to the

Board that it had complied with the

Board’s rule at 49 CFR 1150.42(e)).

If the notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

may be filed at any time. The filing of

a petition to revoke does not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33670, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on John

Broadley, Esq., John H. Broadley &

Associates, 1054 31st Street, NW., Suite

200, Washington, DC 20007.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at http://

www.stb.dot.gov.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Decided: February 14, 2001.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–4390 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P