Department of Transportation July 9, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Maritime Administration announces that the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC) will hold a meeting to assess its priorities for the coming year, and to discuss other issues of importance to the Marine Transportation System. A public comment period is scheduled for 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24, 2009. To provide time for as many people to speak as possible, speaking time for each individual will be limited to three minutes. Members of the public who would like to speak are asked to contact Richard J. Lolich by July 17, 2009. Commenters will be placed on the agenda in the order in which notifications are received. If time allows, additional comments will be permitted. Copies of oral comments must be submitted in writing at the meeting. Additional written comments are welcome and must be filed by August 4, 2009.

As authorized by 46 U.S.C. 12121, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below. The complete application is given in DOT docket MARAD-2009-0064 at https://www.regulations.gov. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a waiver will not be granted. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the

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 aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is amending a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2008. That final rule amended the regulations governing flight data recorders to increase the number of digital flight data recorder parameters for all Boeing 737 series airplanes manufactured after August 18, 2000. The rule also adopts a prohibition on deviations from flight recorder requirements for all airplanes operated under part 125. In our changes to part 125, the FAA incorrectly referenced the appendix containing airplane flight recorder specifications as appendix M when it is actually appendix E.

By Federal Register notice (See 74 FR 16442; April 10, 2009) the National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) invited interested persons to apply to fill six upcoming openings on the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). The notice invited interested persons to apply to fill six vacancies representing commercial air tour operators (2), general aviation (1), Native American tribal (1), and environmental (2) concerns due to the incumbent members' completion of three-year term appointments on October 9, 2009. This notice informs the public of the persons selected to fill four of the six vacancies on the NPOAG ARC. Vacancies filled include the two commercial tour operator openings, the general aviation opening, and one of the environmental openings. Since the previous notice did not draw enough responses from individuals for the Native American tribal opening or the remaining environmental vacancy, NPS and FAA are also using this notice to invite other interested individuals to apply for these two remaining openings. If you responded to the initial notice, for either the Native American tribal or environmental openings, you will still be under consideration and need not re-apply.