Department of Transportation 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the provisions of Title 49, U.S.C. Section 47153(c), notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Gadsden Airport Authority to waive the requirement that a 24.4-acre parcel of surplus property, located at the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, be used for aeronautical purposes.

This notice announces the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) implementation of Department of Transportation guidance for participants of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. This notice solely concerns FTA implementation procedures applicable to FTA grantees in the states comprising the 9th Federal Judicial Circuit (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Hawaii).

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an airworthiness authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The proposed AD would require actions that are intended to address the unsafe condition described in the MCAI.

FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public and interested agencies that FRA has decided to adopt the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) issued by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for construction and operation of a new rail line and related improvements by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation (DM&E). Under applicable regulations, FRA is allowed to adopt and recirculate the STB's Final EIS and Final SEIS as its own, since FRA's proposed action is substantially the same as the action covered by the STB's EISs. The FRA further announces the availability of a draft Section 4(f)/303 Statement prepared for the Project by the FRA pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. Sec. 303(c)). The draft Section 4(f)/303 Statement and STB's EISs are available and comments may be submitted as indicated below. This project, known as the Powder River Basin Expansion Project (Project), would involve construction of approximately 280 miles of new rail line to reach the coal mines of Wyoming's Powder River Basin and reconstruction of another approximately 600 miles of DM&E's existing rail line that would allow operation of unit coal trains along the reconstructed route to and from the new line. The Project takes place in the States of Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The DM&E has applied to the FRA for a $2.3 billion loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program to finance the Project.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 series airplanes. That AD currently requires a revision of the airplane flight manual (AFM) to alert the flightcrew that both flight management computers (FMCs) must be installed and operational. That AD also requires an inspection to determine the serial number of the FMCs; and follow- on corrective actions, if necessary, which terminate the AFM revision. That AD also requires an inspection to verify if a certain modification is on the identification plates of the FMCs; and applicable follow-on and corrective actions. This new AD requires installation of upgraded FMC software, which would terminate the existing AD. This new AD also adds airplanes to the applicability, including adding Model MD-10-10F and MD-10-30F airplanes. This AD results from a report that the FMC does not acknowledge the pre-set glareshield control panel (GCP) altitude when profile (PROF) mode is engaged in descent mode. We are issuing this AD to prevent the un-commanded descent of an airplane below the selected level-off altitude, which could result in an unacceptable reduction in the separation between the airplane and nearby air traffic or terrain.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 172R, 172S, 182T, T182T, 206H, and T206H airplanes. This AD requires you to inspect the two end fittings on each of the flexible fuel hoses located in the engine compartment for the correct torque values, and, if any incorrect torque values are found during the inspection, tighten the hose end fittings to the correct torque values. This AD results from one report of loose fuel hose connections to the fuel injector servo on a Cessna Model 172S airplane. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct any incorrect torque values of the end fittings of flexible fuel hoses in the engine compartment, which could result in the loss of fuel flow and fuel leakage. Loss of fuel flow could result in partial or complete loss of engine power and fuel leakage could result in an engine compartment fire.

The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Stemme GmbH & Co. KG (Stemme) Models S10, S10-V, and S10-VT sailplanes. This AD requires you to inspect the connection between the aileron push-rod and the connecting shaft to determine if a safety washer is installed. If there is no safety washer installed, this AD requires you to modify the aileron control assembly. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Germany. We are issuing this AD to prevent a loose bearing in the aileron control lever, which could result in separation of the aileron control system. Separation of the aileron control system could lead to loss of aileron control.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for GE CF6-80 series turbofan engines with certain stage 1 high- pressure turbine (HPT) rotor disks. That AD currently requires an initial inspection as a qualification for the mandatory rework procedures for certain disks, and repetitive inspections only for certain disks for which the rework procedures were not required. That action also requires reworking certain disks before further flight, and removes certain CF6-80E1 series disks from service. This AD requires the same actions but shortens the compliance schedule for HPT disks that have not been previously inspected using AD 2004-04-07, which this AD supersedes. This AD results from a recent report of an uncontained failure of a stage 1 HPT disk. We are issuing this AD to detect and prevent cracks in the bottoms of the dovetail slots that could propagate to failure of the disk and cause an uncontained engine failure.

This action modifies the Class D and the Class E airspace areas at Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM, to provide controlled airspace for Category (CAT) E aircraft performing a circling approach within Class D and Class E Airspace.

The Federal Transit Administration invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew the following information collections: (1) Nondiscrimination as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs. (2) Title VI as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs. The collections involve our Nondiscrimination and Title VI Programs. The information to be collected for the Nondiscrimination Program is necessary to ensure that any employee or applicant for employment is not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age or disability. The information to be collected for the Title VI Program is necessary to ensure that service and benefits are provided nondiscriminatorily without regard to race, color, or national origin. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments was published on May 30, 2006.

Section 1114 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59; 119 Stat. 1144) continued the highway bridge program to enable States to improve the condition of their highway bridges over waterways, other topographical barriers, other highways, and railroads. Section 1114(f) amends 23 U.S.C. 144 by adding subsection (r), requiring the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to publish in the Federal Register a report describing construction materials used in new Federal-aid bridge construction and bridge rehabilitation projects.

This document responds to petitions for reconsideration of FRA's April 27, 2005 final rule that required that the locomotive horn be sounded while trains approach and enter public highway-rail grade crossings. This document amends and clarifies the final rule, in response to petitions for reconsideration and associated letters in support that have been submitted by interested parties, including the railroad industry, rail unions, and a manufacturer of traffic channelization devices.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Learjet Model 23, 24, 24A, 24B, 24B-A, 24C, 24D, 24D-A, 24E, 24F, 24F-A, 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, 25F, 28, 29, 31, 31A, 35, 35A (C-21A), 36, 36A, 55, 55B, and 55C airplanes. This proposed AD would require modifying the left- and right-hand standby fuel pump switches. This proposed AD would also require revising the Emergency and Abnormal Procedures sections of the airplane flight manual to advise the flightcrew of the proper procedures to follow in the event of failure of the standby fuel pump to shut off. This proposed AD results from a report of inadvertent operation of a standby fuel pump due to an electrical system malfunction. We are proposing this AD to prevent this inadvertent operation, which could result in inadvertent fuel transfer by the left or right wing fuel system and subsequent over-limit fuel imbalance between the left and right wing fuel loads. This imbalance could affect lateral control of the airplane which could result in reduced controllability.

This document contains corrections to the preamble of final rule published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2006, (71 FR 28518) and an amendment to the regulatory language. That final rule implements adjustments to certain civil monetary penalties under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996.

This document confirms the effective date of the direct final rule which revises Class E airspace at Keokuk, IA.

This document confirms the effective date of the direct final rule which revises Class E airspace at Scottsbluff, NE.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of special permits (e.g. to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.

The Maritime Administration is establishing regulations governing administrative determinations of availability of coastwise- qualified launch barges to be used in the transportation and launching of offshore oil drilling or production platform jackets in specified projects. This rulemaking implements provisions of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, which, among other things, requires the Secretary of Transportation (acting through the Maritime Administrator) to adopt procedures to determine if coastwise-qualified vessels are available for platform jacket transport and launching, and, if not, to allow the use of non-coastwise qualified foreign built vessels. The notice of proposed rulemaking for this action was published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2005 (70 FR 47771) with comments due by October 14, 2005. The opening comment period was extended on October 19, 2005 (70 FR 60770) and closed on December 13, 2005. The Maritime Administration is hereby giving notice that we received and have granted a request by a commenting party to open a reply comment period for this rulemaking. Reply comments are responses to comments that were filed during the previous comment periods for this rulemaking.

This action amends commercial space transportation regulations by adding procedures for obtaining a safety approval for a safety element. Also, this action adds procedures for including a safety approval in a license application. Once the FAA issues a safety approval, the holder could offer the approved safety element to prospective launch and reentry operators for use within a defined and proven envelope. Those operators would not need added FAA approval of that portion of their license application. The decision to apply for a safety approval is voluntary. The intent of this action is to facilitate the launch and reentry license application and approval processes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making available a ROD and a Written Evaluation of the FEIS in response to FAA procedure changes that have rendered the previously approved third runway unable to accomplish the purpose and need of triple-independent approach operations, thereby minimizing any capacity enhancement that the runway was intended to accomplish. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, has therefore proposed acceptance of another alternative located 600 feet west of the previously approved runway location that was fully analyzed in the EIS as Alternative 5 and that meets the current FAA Airport Design Standards. Point of Contact: Mr. Scott Seritt, Manager, Airports District Office, Southern Region Federal Aviation Administration, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337-2747, (404) 305-7151.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Hartzell Propeller Inc. models ( )HC-( )( )Y( )-( )( )( ) compact series, constant speed or feathering propellers with Hartzell manufactured ``Y'' shank aluminum blades. That AD currently requires initial blade inspections, with no repetitive inspections; rework of all ``Y'' shank aluminum blades including cold rolling of the blade shank retention radius, blade replacement and modification of pitch change mechanisms for certain propeller models; and changing the airplane operating limitations with specific models of propellers installed. This proposed AD would require the same actions but would clarify certain areas of the compliance and would update a certain service bulletin (SB) reference to the most recent SB. This proposed AD results from operators requesting clarification of certain portions of AD 2002-09-08. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the propeller blade from fatigue cracks in the blade shank radius, which can result in damage to the airplane and loss of airplane control.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an airworthiness authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. We are issuing this AD to require actions to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

This final rule will revise the Class E airspace at Eagle, CO. Additional controlled airspace is necessary for the safety of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft executing a new Instrument Landing System or Localizer Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS or LOC DME) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Eagle County Regional Airport.

This proposal would revise Class E airspace at Gillette, WY. Additional Class E airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) at Gillette-Campbell County Airport. This change is proposed to improve the safety of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft executing the new RNAV GPS SIAP at Gillette-Campbell County Airport, Gillette, WY.