Short Takes – 8-8-26 - Federal Register Edition

Special Conditions: ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A Airplanes; Electronic System Security Protection from Unauthorized Internal Access. FAA final special conditions. Summary: “These special conditions are issued for the ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional (ATR) Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of a digital system that contains a wireless and hardwired network with hosted application functionality that allows access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic components. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.” 

Hazardous Materials: Allowing Fireworks Certification Agencies (FCAs) To Approve Professional Fireworks. PHMSA final rule. Summary: “This final rule expands the authority of a Fireworks Certification Agency (FCA) to obtain the ability to approve fireworks constructed to certain requirements. These amendments will streamline PHMSA's fireworks approval process and provide the industry with improved regulatory flexibility.” 

o-Dichlorobenzene and p-Dichlorobenzene; Draft Risk Evaluations Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); Notice of Availability and Request for Comment. EPA notice. Summary: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is announcing the availability of and seeking public comment on the draft risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for o-dichlorobenzene (CASRN 95-50-1) and p-dichlorobenzene (CASRN 106-46-7). The purpose of risk evaluations under TSCA is to determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment under the conditions of use (COUs), including unreasonable risk to potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations identified as relevant to the risk evaluation by EPA, and without consideration of costs or non-risk factors. EPA is seeking public comment on the draft risk evaluations for o-dichlorobenzene and p-dichlorobenzene.” 

National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC); Meeting. NARA meeting notice. Summary: “We are announcing an upcoming National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) meeting in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and implementing regulations. The meeting will be on September 2, 2026, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET.” 

EO 14417 - Establishing the President's Military Spouse Commission. 

Review – 1 Advisory Published – 8-7-26

Today, CISA’s NCCIC-ICS published a control system security advisory for products using the Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) system. 

Advisories  

CPDLC Advisory - This advisory describes five vulnerabilities in the CPDLC system. No mitigation measures are available. 

For more information on this advisory, as well as information about CPDLC and why CISA thought it necessary to issue an unusual Friday advisory, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/1-advisory-published-8-7-26 - subscription required. 

Review – Bills Introduced – 8-6-26

Yesterday, with the Senate in Washington (and preparing to leave for the August recess) and the House meeting in pro forma session, there were 130 bills introduced. Two of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog: 

• S 5291 A bill to require the Comptroller General to evaluate Federal cybersecurity assistance to small business concerns, and for other purposes. Schiff, Adam B. [Sen.-D-CA]    
• S 5313 A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider cybersecurity risks from quantum computers, and for other purposes. Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE]    

Space Geek Legislation 

I would like to mention one bill under my limited Space Geek coverage in this blog: 

• S 5329 A bill to improve space control and space superiority readiness. Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]   

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th Congress, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-8-6-26 - subscription required. 

Chemical Transportation Incidents – Week of 7-4-26

Reporting Background 

See this post for explanation, with the most recent update here (removed from paywall). 

Data from PHMSA’s online database of transportation related chemical incidents that have been reported to the agency. 

Incidents Summary  

• Number of incidents – 550 (514 highway, 31 air, 5 rail, 0 water) 
• Serious incidents – 6 (4 Bulk release, 1 evacuation, 0 injury, 0 death, 0 major artery closed, 2 fire/explosion, 46 no release)  
• Largest container involved – 20,496.0-gal DOT 111A100W5 Railcar {Hydrochloric Acid} Liquid eduction line gasket not properly secured on car containing residue. 
• Largest amount spilled – 3.000-gal Non-spec tank truck {Corrosive Liquid, Basic, Inorganic, N.O.S.} Unexpected chemical reaction during loading from uncharacterized IBCs lead to tank rupture. 
• Total amount reported spilled in all incidents – 5181.0-gal 

NOTE: Links above are to Form 5800.1 for the described incidents. 

Most Interesting Chemical: Organic Peroxide Type F, Liquid: white to yellow colored liquid. Denser than water. Contact with the material may cause irritation to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. May be toxic by ingestion. Unstable and readily liberates oxygen. Exposure to organic compounds, heat or shock may result in an intense fire or explosion. Obtain the technical name of the material from the shipping paper and contact CHEMTREC, 800-424-9300 for specific response information. (Source: CameoChemicals.NOAA.gov). NOTE: This is not technically an N.O.S. entry, but for emergency response purposes, it might as well be. 

Looking Back – 11-13-09 – Security Fencing

Nearly every morning I start my computer time by looking at information from Google about what happened in my blog in the previous 24 hours. Google, and blogspot.com is a Google service, provides interesting pieces of analytical data about my blog readership. One item of particular interest is the top ten blog posts each day. As you would expect, most of those posts were from the last couple of days, but with 16 years of publishing this blog, every once-in-a-while, a blog post from ancient history rises into that list. 

Today, a blog post from November 13th, 2009, made the list. It takes a news story about protests at a naval nuclear weapons storge site and uses it as a launch pad about security fences. The news story link is no longer working, but the discussion is still pertinent almost 15 years later. Interestingly, for this blog, a series of reader comments lead to two more blog posts expanding on the topic. The last post leaves with a toss off comment that I am still happy with today. In talking about why security is getting easier, I make the comment that: “All we have to do is fob off the hard part to those trained and experienced to handle that chore.”