2020-25973. Proposed Revocation of Class E Airspace and Amendment of Class E Airspace; Lone Rock, WI  

  • Start Preamble Start Printed Page 75267

    AGENCY:

    Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

    ACTION:

    Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

    SUMMARY:

    This action proposes to revoke the Class E surface airspace at Tri-County Regional Airport, Lone Rock, WI, and amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Tri-County Regional Airport and Richland Airport, Richland Center, WI. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of airspace reviews caused by the decommissioning of the Lone Rock VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation aid as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The names and geographic coordinates of the airports would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

    DATES:

    Comments must be received on or before January 11, 2021.

    ADDRESSES:

    Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-9826, or (800) 647-5527. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2020-1059/Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-40, at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in the Dockets Office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

    FAA Order 7400.11E, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/​air_​traffic/​publications/​. For further information, you can contact the Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order 7400.11E at NARA, email: fedreg.legal@nara.gov or go to https://www.archives.gov/​federal-register/​cfr/​ibr-locations.html.

    Start Further Info

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority as it would revoke the Class E surface airspace at Tri-County Regional Airport, Lone Rock, WI, and amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Tri-County Regional Airport and Richland Airport, Richland Center, WI, which is contained within the Lone Rock, WI, airspace legal description, to support instrument flight rule operations at these airports.

    Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments, as they may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. Communications should identify both docket numbers and be submitted in triplicate to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must submit with those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: “Comments to Docket No. FAA-2020-1059/Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-40.” The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

    All communications received before the specified closing date for comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this notice may be changed in light of the comments received. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the docket.

    Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://www.faa.gov/​air_​traffic/​publications/​airspace_​amendments/​.

    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in the Dockets Office (see the ADDRESSES section for the address and phone number) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal business hours at the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Central Service Center, Operations Support Group, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.

    Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11E, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020. FAA Order 7400.11E is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11E lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

    The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by:

    Revoking the Class E surface airspace at Tri-County Regional Airport, Lone Rock, WI, as the weather reporting and communications requirements of FAA Order 7400.2M, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters, are no longer being met to retain this airspace;

    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 6.5-mile (increased from a 6.4-mile) radius of Tri-County Regional Airport, Lone Rock, Start Printed Page 75268WI; removing the city associated with the airport to comply with changes in FAA Order 7400.2M; and updating the geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database;

    And amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7.3-miles) radius of Richland Airport, Richland Center, WI, which is contained within the Lone Rock, WI, airspace legal description; and updating the name (previously Richland Center Airport) and geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

    This action is the result of airspace reviews caused by the decommissioning of the Lone Rock VOR, which provided navigation information for the instrument procedures these airports, as part of the VOR MON Program.

    Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6002 and 6005 of FAA Order 7400.11E, dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace designations listed in this document will be published subsequently in the Order.

    FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is published yearly and effective on September 15.

    Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is non-controversial and unlikely to result in adverse or negative comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a “significant rule” under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter that will only affect air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this rule, when promulgated, would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

    Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, “Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures” prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

    Start List of Subjects

    List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    • Airspace
    • Incorporation by reference
    • Navigation (air)
    End List of Subjects

    The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

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    PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

    End Part Start Amendment Part

    1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as follows:

    End Amendment Part Start Authority

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.

    End Authority
    [Amended]
    Start Amendment Part

    2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11E, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020, is amended as follows:

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    Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as a Surface Area.

    * * * * *

    AGL WI E2 Lone Rock, WI [Remove]

    Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

    * * * * *

    AGL WI E5 Lone Rock, WI [Amended]

    Tri-County Regional Airport, WI

    (Lat. 43°12′43″ N, long. 90°10′47″ W)

    Richland Airport, WI

    (Lat. 43°17′00″ N, long. 90°17′54″ W)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.5-mile radius of the Tri-County Regional Airport, and within a 6.4-mile radius of the Richland Airport.

    Start Signature

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on November 19, 2020.

    Steven T. Phillips,

    Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.

    End Signature End Supplemental Information

    [FR Doc. 2020-25973 Filed 11-24-20; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

Document Information

Published:
11/25/2020
Department:
Federal Aviation Administration
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
Document Number:
2020-25973
Dates:
Comments must be received on or before January 11, 2021.
Pages:
75267-75268 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. FAA-2020-1059, Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-40
RINs:
2120-AA66: Airspace Actions
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2120-AA66/airspace-actions
Topics:
Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air)
PDF File:
2020-25973.Pdf
Supporting Documents:
» Airspace Designations and Reporting Points: Lone Rock, WI
» Airspace Designations and Reporting Points: Lone Rock, WI
CFR: (1)
14 CFR 71.1