Department of Transportation March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. The information collected is used to determine compliance with applicant eligibility.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. Enplanement data collected from air taxi and commercial operators are required for the calculation of air carrier airport sponsor apportionments as specified by the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and 49 U.S.C. Part A, Air Commerce Safety, and Part B, Airport Development and Noise.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. At the request of the FAA, the Flight Standards office (AFS) is planning to conduct a targeted survey of general aviation pilots to measure the change in their use of and satisfaction with the FAA-sponsored Safety Seminar Program.

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, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

The Board has approved the second quarter 2007 rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by the Association of American Railroads. The second quarter 2007 RCAF (Unadjusted) is 1.147. The second quarter 2007 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.537. The second quarter 2007 RCAF-5 is 0.511.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 airplanes. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the operation of the main landing gear (MLG) door opening sequence to determine if a defective actuator is installed, and replacing any defective actuator with a new actuator. This AD results from reports of slow operation of the MLG door opening/ closing sequence due to a defective actuator. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct defective actuators of the MLG door, which could result in slow operation of the MLG door and consequent non-extension of the MLG during an emergency freefall operation.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A320 series airplanes. This AD requires replacing the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) actuator fittings of the rudder with aluminum actuator fittings and doing related investigative and corrective actions. This AD results from rupture of a CFRP actuator fitting during maintenance. We are issuing this AD to prevent rupture of a rudder actuator fitting, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

This amendment establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and/or Weather Takeoff Minimums for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, addition of new obstacles, or changes in air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This notice invites applications for the discretionary funds available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 for the discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program, authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b). The Bus and Bus Facilities Program makes funds available to public transit providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-profit organizations. The notice includes priorities established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the discretionary program, includes the criteria FTA will use in evaluating applications, and describes how to apply. Applications will be accepted from Designated Recipients for the FTA Urbanized Area Formula program and States, on behalf of nonurbanized or urbanized area transit providers. This announcement is available on the Internet on the FTA Web site at: https://www.fta.dot.gov. FTA will announce final selections on the Web site and in the Federal Register. A synopsis of this announcement will be posted in the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web site at https://www.grants.gov. Proposals may be submitted to FTA electronically through the Grants.Gov APPLY function or through FTA's Transportation Electronic Award and Management (TEAM)-Web.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. Title 49 U.S.C. Section 44936(f) mandates that airlines must obtain safety records of prospective employees from the FAA and from previous air carrier employers, and the National Driver Register, before an offer of employment is made.

The ``Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007,'' (Public Law 110-5), signed into law by President Bush on February 15, 2007, makes funds available for all of the surface transportation programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Fiscal Year (FY) ending September 30, 2007. This notice provides information on the FY 2007 funding available for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assistance programs, and provides program guidance and requirements, and information on several program issues important in the current year. The notice also includes tables that show unobligated carryover funding available in FY 2007 under certain discretionary programs from prior years. Finally, this notice also references separate Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) published concurrently for discretionary opportunities under the Bus and Bus Facilities Program and the Alternatives Analysis Program.

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on January 9, 2007. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This technical amendment corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2006 (71 FR 32271), Docket No. FAA- 2006-24869, Airspace Docket No. 06-ACE-4. In that rule, the reference to FAA Order 7400.9 was published as FAA Order 7400.9N. The correct reference is FAA Order 7400.9P. Also, the corresponding dates that refer to the Order should state ``* * * September 1, 2006, and effective September 15, 2006 * * *'' instead of ``* * * September 1, 2005, and effective September 16, 2005''. This technical amendment corrects those errors.

These special conditions are issued for the Aviation Technology Group, Incorporated, Javelin Model No. 100 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features associated with aft mounted engine fire protection. 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.

This technical amendment corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2006 (71 FR 37492), Docket No. FAA- 2006-23872, Airspace Docket No. 06-AAL-9. In that rule, the reference to FAA Order 7400.9 was published as FAA Order 7400.9O. The correct reference is FAA Order 7400.9P. This technical amendment corrects those errors.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for Federal grant funding and to issue supplemental notice and information to eligible grantees concerning discretionary grant funds available for obligation in Fiscal Year 2007 under eight discretionary grant programs administered by FHWA. It seeks applications (either new or amended) to the programs that both meet the programs' respective statutory criteria and emphasize the proposed projects' highway safety and congestion reduction benefits. The FHWA will make its funding determinations through a merit-based selection process. This notice applies to the following programs: the Ferry Boat Discretionary Program (23 U.S.C. 147), the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program (23 U.S.C. 503(b)), the Interstate Maintenance Discretionary Program (23 U.S.C. 118(c)), Public Lands Highway Discretionary Program (23 U.S.C. 202-204), the Highways for Life Pilot (HfL) Program (Sec. 1502 of Pub. L. 109-59), the Transportation Community and System Preservation Program (Sec. 1117 of Pub. L. 109- 59), the Truck Parking Facilities Pilot Program (Sec. 1305 of Pub. L. 109-59), and the Delta Region Transportation Development Program (Sec. 1308 of Pub. L. 109-59).

The FAA is issuing a correction to the Notice published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2007 (72 FR 10292), Subject: Deadline for Notification to Use the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Sponsor, Cargo, and Nonprimary Entitlement Funds for FY 2006. That Notice announced May 1, 2007, as the deadline for each airport sponsor to notify the FAA that it will use its fiscal year 2007 entitlement funds to accomplish projects identified in the Airports Capital Improvement Plan that was formulated in the spring of 2006. This correction changes the fiscal year referenced in the subject from ``2006'' to ``2007''.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below which will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on September 26, 2006 [Vol. 71, No. 186, Page 56212]. No comments were received.

This amendment amends Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, addition of new obstacles, or changes in air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This notice solicits public comment on continuation of the requirements for the collection of information on safety standards. 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, before seeking approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a collection of information associated with 49 CFR Part 574, Tire Identification and Recordkeeping.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of the FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 777 airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive measurements of the freeplay of certain joints of the trailing edge flap supports; repetitive lubrication of the support joints; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. The proposed AD also provides for modifying certain components of the trailing edge flap supports, which would extend the intervals for the repetitive measurements, and revising the maintenance practices of the maintenance planning data document. This proposed AD results from reports of excessive wear of the pins, bushings, and bearings, and corrosion at the joints of the outboard trailing edge flap supports. We are proposing this AD to prevent wear and corrosion at the flap support joints, which could result in loss of the trailing edge flap and possible loss of control of the airplane.

The FHWA is issuing this revised notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is being prepared for the proposed U.S. Highway 181 Harbor Bridge replacement/State Highway (SH) 286 (Crosstown Expressway) improvement highway project in Nueces County, Texas, and that the project and study limits described in the May 20, 2005, Notice of Intent (NOI) have been expanded.