Department of Transportation August 6, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing concerning the abandonment and feeder line applications in the respective above-titled dockets. The purpose of the hearing will be to allow interested persons to comment on the applications. On the same day, immediately prior to the hearing, Board staff will hold a public information session concerning the Board's procedures for adjudicating abandonment and feeder line cases. Date/Location: The public hearing will take place on August 21, 2008, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, 405 East Eighth Avenue, Eugene, Oregon, in Room 2200 (the Jury Assembly Room). Any person wishing to speak at the hearing must file with the Board a written notice of intent to participate, identifying (1) the party represented, (2) the proposed speaker, and (3) the number of minutes requested. Notices of intent to participate should be filed as soon as possible, but no later than August 11, 2008. Following receipt of notices of intent, the Board will release a schedule of speakers for the hearing. The public information session will be held on August 21, 2008 from 8:15-9:15 a.m., in Room 1702 (the GSA Conference Room) of the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, 405 East Eighth Avenue, Eugene, Oregon. At that session, Board staff will discuss, and be available to answer questions regarding, the procedures the Board uses in processing abandonment and feeder line cases. No notice of intent to participate in the public information session is necessary. The Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All visitors must present a valid form of government-issued photo identification and pass screening before being granted access into the building. Cameras are not permitted in the building. Visitors will have access to public areas only.

We propose to adopt a superseding airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) model helicopters. This proposed AD results from a revised mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The aviation authority of Italy, with which we have a bilateral agreement, reports that the previous MCAI should not apply to newly redesigned and improved tail rotor blades. This action proposes the same inspection requirements as the current AD but would limit the applicability to only three part-numbered tail rotor blades. The proposed AD would require actions that are intended to prevent fatigue failure of a tail rotor blade (blade), loss of a tail rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

FMCSA announces the extension of the demonstration project allowing up to 100 Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the U.S. border commercial zones, and the same number of U.S. carriers to operate in Mexico, from one year to the full three years allowed by statute, 49 U.S.C. 31315. Reciprocally, Mexico has agreed to allow U.S.-domiciled motor carriers in the demonstration project to continue to operate in Mexico for up to three years.

This action amends Class E airspace at Black River Falls, WI. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Black River Falls Area Airport. This action will enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Black River Falls Area Airport, Black River Falls, WI.