Department of Transportation July 2, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt thirty-seven 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.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announces guidance to State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) to support their efforts at achieving compliance with the Federal Commercial Driver's license (CDL) rules concerning timely reporting and posting of convictions for traffic offenses. This action is in response to the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) 2009 report Audit of the Data Integrity of the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS).

FMCSA previously announced its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 21 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 757- 200 series airplanes. These airplanes, as modified by the Federal Express Corporation, will have an advanced, enhanced-flight-visibility system (EFVS). The EFVS is a novel or unusual design feature which consists of a head-up display (HUD) system modified to display forward- looking infrared (FLIR) imagery. 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.

Under this notice, FRA is soliciting applications from interested and responsible parties for a grant to assess the applicability of current knowledge about post traumatic interventions and to advance evidence-based recommendations for controlling the risks associated with traumatic exposure in the railroad setting.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has requested FHWA approval of INDOT's proposed plan to temporarily close a segment of I-70 (from the I-70/I-465 west leg interchange to the I-70/I-65 south split interchange) on October 7, 2010, for a 12-hour period from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The closure is requested to accommodate a concentrated I-70 beautification project sponsored by INDOT. The request is based on the provisions 23 CFR 658.11 which authorizes the deletion of segments of the federally designated routes that make up the National Network designated in Appendix A of 23 CFR Part 658 upon approval by the FHWA.

This notice provides information regarding the FHWA's finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the use of non-domestic high strength steel bars ASTM A722M 150 ksi (1\7/8\ inches in diameter) for emergency repairs of broken eye bars on the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in California. These emergency repairs did not require prior FHWA authorization. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) conducted a search and was not able to find a domestic source for the high strength steel bars ASTM A722M 150 ksi (1\7/8\ inches in diameter). As a result, Caltrans proceeded to utilize a foreign source for this product. Based on the emergency situation, and Caltrans' reasonable efforts to comply with Buy America, the FHWA concludes that a public interest waiver is appropriate for the use of non-domestic high strength steel bars for emergency repairs of broken eye bars on the San Francisco Oakland Bridge in California.

This action modifies the Norton Sound Low and Control 1234L Offshore Airspace Areas in Alaska. This action will lower the airspace floors to provide controlled airspace beyond 12 miles from the coast of the United States given that there is a requirement to provide Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) en route Air Traffic Control (ATC) services and within which the United States is applying domestic ATC procedures.

The FMCSA amends its regulations concerning minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers to allow Canada-domiciled motor carriers and freight forwarders to maintain, as acceptable evidence of financial responsibility, insurance policies issued by Canadian insurance companies legally authorized to issue such policies in the Canadian Province or Territory where the motor carrier or freight forwarder has its principal place of business. This final rule does not change the required minimum levels of financial liability coverage that all motor carriers and freight forwarders must maintain under the existing regulations. This final rule responds to a petition for rulemaking filed by the Government of Canada.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F series airplanes. For all airplanes, this AD requires installing new pump control and time delay relays, doing related investigative and corrective actions if necessary, and changing the wiring for the center and main fuel tank override/jettison fuel pumps; and, for certain airplanes, installing new relays and wiring for the horizontal stabilizer override/jettison fuel pumps. This AD also requires a revision to the maintenance program to incorporate Airworthiness Limitation No. 28-AWL-24 and No. 28-AWL- 26. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires installing an automatic shutoff system for the horizontal stabilizer tank fuel pumps and installing new integrated display system software. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent uncommanded operation of certain override/jettison pumps which could cause overheat, electrical arcs, or frictional sparks, and could lead to an ignition source inside a fuel tank. This condition, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.