Department of Transportation June 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action revises Class E airspace at Deadhorse, AK, to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs). Eight Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and a textual Departure Procedure (DP) are being amended for the Deadhorse Airport. This action revises existing Class E airspace upward from the surface and from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Deadhorse Airport, Deadhorse, AK.

NHTSA announces a meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services to be held in Washington, DC. This notice announces the date, time and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on March 28, 2008 (73 FR 16740).

NHTSA is issuing this notice to publish the schedule of upcoming meetings of WP.29 and its working parties of experts for the remainder of calendar year and to inform the public that a vote to establish a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Electronic Stability Control is planned for the June 2008 session of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). In anticipation of this, NHTSA is requesting comment to inform its decision for the vote.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collections. 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 March 19, 2008 (73 FR 14871).

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76A, S-76B, and S-76C helicopters. The AD would require an initial and recurring inspections of the tail rotor vertical stabilizer aft spar assembly (aft spar assembly) for a crack, loose or working fasteners, and corrosion, and, if any are found, further inspections of the vertical stabilizer forward spar assembly (forward spar assembly). Repairing or replacing any unairworthy part before further flight would also be required. The action would also require a recurring track-and-balance of the tail rotor. Finally, the proposed AD would require installing a vertical stabilizer modification kit, which would be terminating action for the requirements of the AD. This proposal is prompted by 26 reports of fatigue cracks in the aft spar assembly web and outer caps. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to detect and correct an unbalanced or out-of-track tail rotor, which could lead to increased vibrations, a fatigue crack, loss of a portion of the vertical stabilizer and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a document in the Federal Register on April 28, 2008 announcing receipt of a joint request for waiver of compliance from the City of Seattle, Washington and the BNSF Railway Company. This notice corrects that document by acknowledging that the request for waiver of compliance from a certain provision of 49 CFR Part 222 was solely filed by the City of Seattle, Washington.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the RTCA Program Management Committee.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt twenty-nine individuals from its rule prohibiting persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) from operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirement for the final rule entitled Performance and Handling Qualities Requirements for Rotorcraft (Amendments 27-44 and 29-51), published February 29, 2008.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that we are rescinding the notice of intent and the public notice to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed highway project in Currituck and Dare Counties, North Carolina.

PHMSA is amending its pipeline safety regulations to extend added protection to certain environmentally sensitive areas that could be damaged by failure of a rural onshore hazardous liquid gathering line or low-stress pipeline. Building on PHMSA's existing regulatory framework, the rule is intended to protect designated ``unusually sensitive areas'' (USAs)locations requiring extra protection because of the presence of sole-source drinking water, endangered species, or other ecological resources. This rule defines ``regulated rural onshore hazardous liquid gathering lines'' and requires operators of these lines to comply with safety requirements that address the most common threats to the integrity of these pipelines: Corrosion and third-party damage. In accordance with the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006, the rule also significantly narrows the regulatory exception for rural onshore low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines by extending all existing safety regulations, including integrity management requirements, to large-diameter low- stress pipelines within a defined ``buffer'' area around a USA. The final rule requires operators of these, and all other low-stress pipelines, to comply with annual reporting requirements, furnishing data needed for further rulemaking required by the PIPES Act.

On February 19, 2008, FRA issued a Notice of Funding Availability and Solicitation of Applications for the Capital Assistance to StatesIntercity Passenger Rail Service Program. On April 18, 2008, in response to questions posed by prospective applicants, FRA issued Notice of Clarification addressing three issues related to applicant and project eligibility. FRA is now issuing further clarification, as described below.

Section 6005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) established the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Pilot Program, codified at 23 U.S.C. 327. To ensure compliance by each State participating in the Pilot Program, 23 U.S.C. 327(g) mandates semiannual audits during each of the first 2 years of State participation. This notice announces and solicits comments on the first audit report for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above that will supersede an existing AD. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cirrus Design Corporation (CDC) Model SR20 airplanes. This AD requires you to perform an inspection and replacement as necessary of the heat exchanger. This AD results from the discovery of engine exhaust fumes in the cabin of CDC Model SR20 airplanes. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct leaks in the exhaust system, which could result in exhaust gases leaking into the cabin heating system. This condition could lead to carbon monoxide in the cabin and incapacitation of the pilot.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to supersede AD 2002-25-09, which applies to certain Air Tractor, Inc. (Air Tractor) AT-250, AT-300, AT-400, and AT-500 series airplanes. AD 2002-25-09 currently requires you to install an overturn skid plate in the cockpit area. Since we issued AD 2002-25-09, we received a report of the bolts attaching the forward end of the original design overturn skid plate to the airframe breaking in an overturn accident. This allowed the skid plate to rotate around the rear attach point and the forward end of the plate to enter the cockpit area. Consequently, this AD would require the installation of a modified skid plate kit or modification to skid plate kits that are already installed, including those already installed on AT-402B, AT-502B, AT-602, and AT-802A series airplanes during production. We are issuing this AD to prevent the front and rear connections of the overturn skid plate to the airplane from breaking, which could allow foreign debris to enter the cockpit during an airplane overturn. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to pilot injury.