Department of Transportation November 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) confirms the effective date of the direct final rule, titled ``Compliance with Interstate Motor Carrier Noise Emission Standards: Exhaust Systems,'' published on September 20, 2010, in the Federal Register (75 FR 57191). This rule eliminates turbochargers from the list of equipment considered to be noise dissipative devices.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER series airplanes, Model 747-400F series airplanes, and Model 767-200 and -300 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require an inspection for affected serial numbers of the crew oxygen mask stowage box units; and replacement of the crew oxygen mask stowage box unit with a new crew oxygen mask stowage unit, if necessary. This proposed AD results from reports indicating that certain crew oxygen mask stowage box units were possibly delivered with a burr in the inlet fitting. The burr may break loose during test or operation and may pose an ignition source or cause an inlet valve to jam. We are proposing this AD to prevent an ignition source, which could result in an oxygen-fed fire; or could cause an inlet valve to jam in a crew oxygen mask stowage box unit, which could result in restricted flow of oxygen.

The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary of Transportation, announces a meeting of the FAAC Subcommittee on Labor and World-class Workforce, which will be held at 501 3rd Street NW., Washington, DC, 20001. This notice announces the date, time, and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public. The purpose of the FAAC is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation to ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry and its capability to effectively manage the evolving transportation needs, challenges, and opportunities of the global economy. The subcommittee is charged with ensuring the availability and quality of a workforce necessary to support a robust, expanding commercial aviation industry in light of the changing socio-economic dynamics of the world's technologically advanced economies. Among other matters, the subcommittee will examine certain issues affecting the future employment requirements of the aviation industry in order to finalize the proposals for the final meeting of the FAAC on December 15, 2010: (1) The need for science, technology, engineering, and math skills in the industry; (2) the creation of a culture of dignity and respect in the workplace by incorporating core workers' human rights conventions into international aviation agreements; (3) the creation of a biannual Aviation Industry Workforce-Management Summit endorsed and implemented by the Secretary of Transportation; and (4) the need to improve labor management relations within the aviation industry by increasing resources available to the National Mediation Board to help improve the collective bargaining process in the airline industry.

FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the NOI to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for proposed improvements to United States Highway 181/State Highway 286 (Crosstown Expressway), in Nueces County, Texas, is being rescinded.

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD revision results from the need to correct the applicability paragraph of that AD, and 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: