Thu, Feb 26, 2004
A Sign Of Things to Come?
AOPA tells us the TSA
is up to their shennigans again. With only three days'notice, the
agency has called a public meeting to gather ideas on how the it
should proceed in regulating foreign and domestic repair stations.
This is the first time that TSA is proposing to regulate businesses
located at general aviation airports. AOPA is concerned that the
congressionally mandated repair station security measures may
eventually become the model for regulating other general aviation
airport businesses.
The meeting is scheduled for this Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, at 1
p.m. ET at the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arlington,
Virginia.
Questions TSA will be asking at the public meeting:
- What security measures are currently in place at foreign and
domestic aircraft repair stations? Do you use access control,
perimeter security, or identification media? What kind of employee
background checks, if any, are conducted on employees prior to
hiring, or periodically?
- What security vulnerabilities do you believe currently exist at
foreign and domestic repair stations?
- What minimum standards should be in place to prevent
unauthorized access, tampering, and other security breaches at
foreign and domestic aircraft repair stations?
- What does your current
security system cost?
- Should TSA regulations be tailored to the type of rating the
repair station holds, number of employees, proximity to an airport,
number of repairs completed, or other characteristics? If so,
please explain how that could be accomplished.
- Should aircraft operators play a role in ensuring that repair
facilities maintain a secure workplace? If so, what should aircraft
operators do to enhance repair station security?
- Have you experienced security breaches at your facility? If so,
what measures were instituted to prevent recurrence?
TSA will use information presented at the public meeting to
develop the notice of proposed rulemaking. The agency has a
congressionally mandated deadline of August 8, 2004, to implement
the new rule. The agency expects its proposed security
regulation will affect approximately 650 foreign repair stations
that are certified by the FAA to repair aircraft that enter U.S.
airspace and approximately 4,500 domestic repair facilities.
Anyone who cannot attend the meeting may submit written comments
using the Department of Transportation's Docket Management System
by March 29, 2004. Click on "Simple Search," then enter docket
number 17131. Details on the proposal, public meeting, and
submitting comments are available online.
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