Department of Transportation May 5, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA renews an exemption from the requirement to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) sought by Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) on behalf of five employees. Volvo requested renewal of the CDL exemption for five Swedish engineers employed by the company to enable these individuals to continue test-driving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States. All hold valid Swedish CDLs. FMCSA believes that the training program and knowledge and skills testing that drivers must undergo to obtain a Swedish CDL ensure a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the U.S. requirement for a CDL.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends its hours-of-service (HOS) regulations to adopt regulatory language consistent with the statutory exemption for certain railroad signal employees operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in connection with railroad signal work. This is in accordance with the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA of 2008), which took effect July 16, 2009. This action will ensure that Federal, State and local motor carrier enforcement officials are aware of the statutory exemption applicable to signal employees and eliminate the potential for issuance of improper citations.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 19 individuals for exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the Federal vision standard.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 25 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 exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to authorize the release of 0.683 acres of airport property at the Marion Municipal Airport, Marion, Indiana. The State of Indiana notified the Airport of their intent to rebuild a vehicle bridge on State Highway 9 which adjoins the Airport property. The total amount of property which is sought to be purchased by the State of Indiana consists of approximately .683 acres. The FAA issued a categorical exclusion on April 18, 2011. The acreage being released is not needed for aeronautical use as currently identified on the Airport Layout Plan. The acreage comprising this parcel was originally acquired with a combination of local and federal funds -ADAP. The Airport will receive the appraised fair market value of $33,630.00 The legal description of the property is: A part of the Northeast Quarter of Section 36, Township 24 North, Range 7 East, Grant County, Indiana, and being that part of the grantor's land lying within the right of way lines described as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of said quarter section, which is North 0 degrees 07 minutes 13 seconds West 2,618.30 feet from the southeast corner of said section, said southeast corner being designated as point ``80'' on said plat; thence South 89 degrees 19 minutes 47 seconds West 12.00 feet along the south line of said quarter section to the west boundary of S.R.9; thence continuing South 89 degrees 19 minute 47 seconds West 71.12 feet along said south line; thence North 0 degrees 26 minutes 29 seconds East 317.51 feet to point ``901'' designated on said plat; thence North 31 degrees 29 minutes 14 seconds East 76.32 feet to point ``902'' designated on said plat; thence North 89 degrees 52 minutes 47 seconds East 28.00 feet to the west boundary of said S.R. 9; thence continuing North 89 degrees 52 minutes 47 seconds East 12.00 feet to the east line of said section; thence South 0 degrees 07 minute 13 seconds East 381.70 feet along said east line to the point of beginning and containing 0.683 acres, more or less, inclusive of the presently existing right-of-way which contains 0.105 acres, more or less.

This action proposes special conditions for the Gulfstream GVI airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features include engine size and the potential torque load imposed by sudden engine stoppage. These proposed special conditions pertain to their effects on the structural performance of the airplane. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. These proposed 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.

The FAA is correcting an airworthiness directive (AD) that published in the Federal Register. That AD applies to the products listed above. The blade part number (P/N) 817370-1 in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, the Applicability, and the Compliance sections is incorrect. We are also adding a statement to the Compliance section to clarify the applicability. This document corrects those errors. In all other respects, the original document remains the same.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This 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: