December 7, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, and 747SR series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking of certain lower lobe fuselage frames, and repair if necessary. This new AD specifies appropriate service information for certain corrective actions. This AD results from reports indicating that fatigue cracks were found in lower lobe frames on the left side of the fuselage. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of certain lower lobe fuselage frames, which could lead to fatigue cracks in the fuselage skin, and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all Airbus Model A300 airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections for cracking and corrosion in the lower rim area of the rear pressure bulkhead and adjacent areas, repetitive inspections for cracking or corrosion in the service apertures and the upper rim area of the rear pressure bulkhead, and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD removes certain repetitive inspections and reduces the repetitive interval of one inspection. This new AD also requires an inspection for missing or damaged sealant in the area between the outer attachment angle and circumferential joint doubler, and corrective action if necessary. This new AD also requires additional inspections for corrosion of certain areas and repetitive inspections for airplanes on which repairs have been done. This AD results from reports of corrosion and cracking in the various components associated with the rear pressure bulkhead. We are issuing this AD to prevent reduced structural capability of the fuselage and consequent decompression of the airplane.

In response to Federal District Judge Damrell's August 16, 2006 order regarding the Creeks Forest Health Recovery Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD), I am preparing a Supplement to the September 2005 Final EIS. Consistent with the Court's findings, this supplement will address the following points from the court order: ``(1) The Forest Service violated NEPA by failing to analyze an adequate range of alternatives, particularly alternatives involving less intensive logging. (2) The Forest Service violated NEPA by failing to take a hard look at the Creeks Forest Health Recovery Project's impact on the American marten and the California spotted owl. (3) The Forest Service violated NFMA by failing to insure viable, well- distributed populations of the American marten and the California spotted owl. (4) The Forest Service violated NFMA by approving the Project without appropriate or sufficient population and habitat data for the American marten, the pileated woodpecker, and the black bear.''

This notice proposes to amend Class E5 airspace at Covington, GA. As a result of an evaluation, it has been determined a modification should be made to the Covington, GA, Class E5 airspace area to contain the Nondirectional Radio Beacon (NDB) Runway 28, Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) to Covington Municipal Airport, Covington, GA. Additional controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) is needed to contain the SIAP.

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information. In this case, the information collection consists of a load carrying capacity label applied to all motor homes and recreation vehicle (RV) trailers and a load carrying capacity modification label which corrects original load carrying capacity information on all RVs and light vehicles when significant additional weight is added between final vehicle certification and first retail sale. The load carrying capacity modification label is an alternative to current methods of information correction which requires the original label to be replaced. A PRA 60-day notice was included with the published notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on October 31, 2005 (70 FR 51707), however, since the original notice was a year old and the PRA burden information has been updated, NHTSA decided to publish a second 60-day notice. This notice is related only to obtaining OMB information collection approval under the PRA and is not part of or a substitute for the final rule amending FMVSS Nos. 110 and 120 by adding load carrying capacity requirements which should be published in the near future.