Department of Transportation June 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to modify Class E airspace at Willcox, AZ, to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) at Cochise County Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NHTSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the agency's new fuel efficiency improvement program for commercial medium- and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks (referred to hereinafter as MD/HD vehicles). The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of new standards starting with model year (MY) 2016 MD/HD vehicles, and voluntary compliance standards for MY 2014-2015 MD/HD vehicles, that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Surface Transportation Board seeks comments on a request from the Association of American Railroads that the Board restate the previously published productivity adjustment for the 2003-2007 averaging period (2007 productivity adjustment) so that it tracks the 2007 productivity adjustment figure used in the Board's March 26, 2010 calculation of the modified 2008 productivity adjustment, and restate any quarterly RCAF (Adjusted) and RCAF-5 calculations that would be affected by a restatement of the 2007 productivity adjustment.

This action modifies Jet Routes J-32 and J-38 by terminating portions of the routes that are no longer needed at the Duluth, MN, VHF omnidirectional range/tactical air navigation (VORTAC) that are no longer needed. This action also modifies the J-538 airway description to align it with the corresponding segment of J-538 contained in Canadian airspace. This action is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations within the National Airspace System (NAS).

The FAA publishes a monthly notice, as appropriate, of PFC approvals and disapprovals under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and Part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Part 158). This notice is published pursuant to paragraph d of Sec. 1A158.29.

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) helicopters, that currently requires certain checks and inspections of the tail rotor blades. If a crack is found, the existing AD requires replacing the tail rotor blade (blade) with an airworthy blade before further flight. This amendment requires the same checks and inspections of the blades until they are required to be replaced and removes certain serial numbered and specifically coded blades from the applicability of the AD. This amendment is prompted by the approved rework of certain blades and two newly redesigned blades, which, if installed, constitute terminating action for the inspection requirements. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect a crack in a blade, and to prevent loss of a blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. This rule generates a need for new designated pilot examiners and designated airworthiness representatives to support the certification of these new aircraft, pilots, flight instructors, and ground instructors.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

This notice contains a summary of a petition 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 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 the petition or its final disposition.

FMCSA has denied National Agricultural Aviation Association's (NAAA) application for exemption, and, in a separate action, has denied U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc.'s (USCHI) suggestion for a pilot program. Each request asked FMCSA to permit the transportation of hazardous materials (HM) by drivers who have not obtained an HM endorsement for their commercial driver's license (CDL) as required by current regulations. FMCSA reviewed NAAA's application for exemption and the public comments received on it, and also reviewed USCHI's suggestion for a pilot program, and rendered each decision upon its merits.

The FMCSA announces regulatory guidance concerning the requirement for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to prepare, in duplicate, a record of duty status for each 24-hour period. FMCSA has determined that the current requirement may be satisfied through the preparation of an original handwritten record, and subsequent electronic submission to the motor carrier of a scanned image of the original record; the driver would retain the original while the carrier maintains the electronic scanned electronic image along with any supporting documents. The guidance is applicable to all interstate drivers of CMVs subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).

The FHWA, on behalf of Caltrans, is issuing this notice to announce actions taken by Caltrans that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, the Interstate 10 High Occupancy Toll Lanes project between Interstate 605 and Alameda Street in the County of Los Angeles, State of California. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

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.

PHMSA is co-sponsoring a one day public awareness workshop with the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR). The workshop will be an opportunity, following the initial four-year implementation cycle, to review the implementation process, identify what implementation strategies have worked well, discuss challenges faced by the pipeline industry, discuss Federal and state regulatory oversight, learn about public interest and need for information about pipelines in their communities, and identify critical elements of a successful operator public awareness program. Pipeline trade associations, the Pipeline Safety Trust, the National Transportation Safety Board, and pipeline operators will share lessons learned from implementing their public awareness programs based on Federal regulations. PHMSA and state partners will discuss the scope of and timeline for conducting effectiveness evaluations. PHMSA and our state partners will use the results from this event, in addition to existing inspection activities, to further develop our programs for evaluating pipeline operator public awareness programs. The workshop will be webcast live, in real time and presentations will be made available following the workshop.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures 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, adding new obstacles, or changing 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 action removes and establishes Class E airspace on the north slope of Alaska near Nuiqsut, AK, to provide controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing special Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) at two heliport facitities, Pioneer Heliport (AA27), Nuiqsut, AK, and Oooguruk Island Heliport (AK32), Nuiqsut, AK, both formerly known as Oooguruk Drill Site and Oooguruk Tie-in Helipads, respectively. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the Pioneer and Oooguruk Island Heliports, AK.

This action confirms the effective date of a direct final rule

This action revises Class E airspace at Nenana, AK, to

The Department of Transportation is proposing to improve the

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the