Department of Transportation January 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the applications described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Requests for modification of special permits (e.g. to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.

This action removes and establishes high altitude Alaskan compulsory reporting points in the vicinity of the United States (U.S.) and Canadian border. Specifically, the FAA is removing BORAN and establishing the TOVAD reporting point.

This action amends two VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway legal descriptions in the State of Hawaii. The FAA is taking this action to remove exclusions to restricted airspace areas that have been removed from the National Airspace System (NAS).

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project on TH 371 from the intersection of CSAH 18 in Nisswa (Crow Wing County) to the County Road 2/42 intersection in Pine River (Cass County), Minnesota. Those actions grant approvals for the project.

This action makes a minor correction to a final rule published in the Federal Register July 8, 2010, that establishes Class E en route domestic airspace for the Lucin VORTAC, Lucin, UT.

This action corrects a final rule; technical amendment published in the Federal Register. In that rule, errors were made in the airspace description. This action corrects those errors.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 159: Global Positioning System (GPS).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it is reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for San Diego International Airport under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq. (the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, hereinafter referred to as ``the Act'') and 14 CFR part 150 by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego County, California. This program was submitted subsequent to a determination by FAA that associated noise exposure maps submitted under 14 CFR Part 150 for San Diego International Airport were in compliance with applicable requirements, effective November 10, 2009, 74 FR 66400-66401. The proposed noise compatibility program will be approved or disapproved on or before July 3, 2011.

The Surface Transportation Board will receive comments and hold a public hearing to explore the current state of competition in the railroad industry and possible policy alternatives to facilitate more competition, where appropriate. The Board is seeking written comments prior to the hearing addressing the legal, factual, and policy matters described below.

This document proposes superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for MDHI Model MD900 helicopters. That AD currently requires turning on both Vertical Stabilizer Control System (VSCS) switches and turning off the autopilot (AP/SAS) switch; pulling certain AP/SAS circuit breakers; installing a placard near the AP/SAS master switch; installing an airspeed limitation placard on the instrument panel; and making changes to the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM). This action would retain those requirements and would provide an option of replacing each affected tube adapter with a newly-designed tube adapter, which would provide terminating action for the unsafe condition. This proposal is prompted by the manufacturer introducing an improved, newly-designed tube adapter. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent loss of yaw control and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This document proposes several amendments to the regulations pertaining to registered importers (``RIs'') of motor vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety, bumper, and theft prevention standards. The agency proposes amending RI application and renewal requirements to enable the agency to deny or revoke registration to entities that have been convicted of a crime related to the importation, purchase, or sale of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment. Also, the RI would be required to certify that it destroyed or exported nonconforming motor vehicle equipment removed from a vehicle during conformance modifications. The agency is also proposing new requirements for motor vehicles imported under import eligibility petitions, adopting a clearer definition of the term ``model year'' for import eligibility purposes, and requiring that import eligibility petitions include the type classification and gross vehicle weight rating (``GVWR'') of the subject vehicle. This notice also proposes several amendments to the RI regulations that would include adding citations to provisions that can be used as a basis for the non-automatic suspension of an RI registration, deleting redundant text from another provision, and revising several sections to include the agency's current mailing address.

This NPRM proposes to amend NHTSA's consumer information regulations on uniform tire quality grading standards by updating the fees currently charged for use of the traction skid pads at NHTSA's San Angelo Test Facility, formerly called the Uniform Tire Quality Grading Test Facility, in San Angelo, Texas and by eliminating fees for course monitoring tires, which are no longer supplied by NHTSA. This NPRM updates the fees in accordance with Office of Management and Budget Circular A-25, which governs fees assessed for Government services and use of Government goods or resources.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated 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:

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated 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:

This document grants in full the Ford Motor Company's (Ford) petition for an exemption of the Fusion vehicle line in accordance with 49 CFR Part 543, Exemption from the Theft Prevention Standard. This petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the 49 CFR Part 541, Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Model 757-200, -200PF, -200CB, and -300 series airplanes. This AD requires an inspection of the two spring arms in the spin brake assemblies in the nose wheel well to determine if the spring arms are made of aluminum or composite material, and repetitive related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This AD also provides options for terminating the repetitive actions. This AD results from reports of cracked and broken aluminum springs. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracked or broken springs. A cracked or broken spring could separate from the airplane and result in potential hazard to persons or property on the ground, or ingestion into the engine with engine damage and potential shutdown, or damage to the airplane.

This action will establish Class E airspace at Panguitch, UT, to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Panguitch Municipal Airport. This will improve the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires a one-time inspection to detect damage of the wire assemblies of the tail tank fuel system, a wiring change, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also requires, for certain airplanes, a general visual inspection for correct installation of the self-adhering high-temperature electrical insulation tape; installation of a wire assembly support bracket and routing wire assembly; changing wire supports; and installation of a wire protection bracket. This AD was prompted by fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct a potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable vapors, could result in a fuel tank fire or explosion, and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires installing fuel level float and pressure switch in-line fuses on the wing forward spars and forward and aft auxiliary fuel tanks, depending on the airplane configuration. This AD was prompted by fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.

FRA proposes to revise the existing regulations containing Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards. The proposed revisions would update, consolidate, and clarify the existing regulations. The proposal incorporates existing industry and engineering best practices related to locomotives and locomotive electronics. This includes the development of a safety analysis for new locomotive electronic systems. FRA believes this proposal will modernize and improve its safety regulatory program related to locomotives.

The FAA is revising an earlier NPRM for an airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 737-600, -700, -700C, - 800, and -900 series airplanes. The original NPRM would have superseded an existing AD that currently requires reviewing the airplane maintenance records to determine whether an engine has been removed from the airplane since the airplane was manufactured. For airplanes on which an engine has been removed, the existing AD also requires an inspection of the aft engine mount to determine if the center link assembly is correctly installed, and follow-on actions if necessary. The original NPRM proposed to require the same actions for airplanes on which the engine has not been previously removed. The original NPRM resulted from reports indicating that operators found that the center link assembly for the aft engine mount was reversed on several airplanes that had not had an engine removed since delivery. This new action revises the original NPRM by expanding the applicability to include Model 737-900ER airplanes. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to prevent increased structural loads on the aft engine mount, which could result in failure of the aft engine mount and consequent separation of the engine from the airplane.