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

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making a minor technical change to a final rule published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2004. This final rule established new requirements for the certification, operation, and maintenance of light-sport aircraft under several regulations. In the final rule, the FAA inadvertently did not change an affected regulatory reference in one section. The FAA is issuing this technical amendment to correct that oversight.

We are superseding an existing emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) for the specified Schweizer model helicopters that was previously sent to all known U.S. owners and operators. That EAD currently requires removing each locknut and verifying sufficient drag torque and retorquing, or if the locknut does not have sufficient drag torque, replacing the locknut with an airworthy locknut. This AD retains the existing EAD requirements but also requires within a specified time, modifying the expandable bolts and installing a cotter pin. This AD is prompted by a locknut working loose from a bolt attaching the tailboom support strut at the aft cluster fitting because the locknut installed on the expandable bolt did not have the proper threads. We are issuing this AD to modify each expandable bolt to allow adding a cotter pin to prevent the strut and driveshaft separating from the helicopter and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

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:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are issuing a joint final rule establishing new requirements for the fuel economy and environment label that will be posted on the window sticker of all new automobiles sold in the U.S. The labeling requirements apply for model year 2013 and later vehicles with a voluntary manufacturer option for model year 2012. The labeling requirements apply to passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium duty passenger vehicles such as larger sport-utility vehicles and vans. The redesigned label provides expanded information to American consumers about new vehicle fuel economy and fuel consumption, greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions, and projected fuel costs and savings, and also includes a smartphone interactive code that permits direct access to additional Web resources. Specific label designs are provided for gasoline, diesel, ethanol flexible fuel, compressed natural gas, electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This rulemaking is in response to provisions in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that imposed several new labeling requirements and new advanced-technology vehicles entering the market. NHTSA and EPA believe that these changes will help consumers to make more informed vehicle purchase decisions, particularly as the future automotive marketplace provides more diverse vehicle technologies from which consumers may choose. These new label requirements do not affect the methodologies that EPA uses to generate consumer fuel economy estimates, or the automaker compliance values for NHTSA's corporate average fuel economy and EPA's greenhouse gas emissions standards. This action also finalizes a number of technical corrections to EPA's light-duty greenhouse gas emission standards program.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results 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:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collection. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on January 27, 2011 (76 FR 4993). The Bureau of Economic Analysis at the Department of Commerce submitted comments in support of the continuation of the data collection.

As authorized by 46 U.S.C. 12121, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below. The complete application is given in DOT docket MARAD-2011-0081 at https://www.regulations.gov. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388 (68 FR 23084, April 30, 2003), that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a waiver will not be granted. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in Sec. 388.4 of MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388.

The Federal Transit Administration invites public comment about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew the following information collection:

The Department of Transportation is soliciting proposals from communities or consortia of communities interested in receiving a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The full text of the Department's order is attached to this document. There are two mandatory requirements for filing of applications, both of which must be completed for a community's application to be deemed timely and considered by the Department. The first requirement is the submission of the community's proposal, as described below; the second requirement is the filing of SF424 through https://www.grants.gov.

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Burlington, VT, to accommodate the additional airspace needed for the Standard Instrument Approach Procedures developed for Burlington International Airport. This action shall enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also shall make a minor adjustment to the geographic coordinates of the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Clemson, SC, as a runway extension requires amended Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Oconee County Regional Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would recognize the airport name change to Oconee County Regional Airport.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 220: Automatic Flight Guidance and Control

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 225: Rechargeable Lithium Batteries and Battery SystemsSmall and Medium Sizes.

This action proposes to amend Class D Airspace in the Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), FL airspace area. The Destin Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) has been decommissioned and new Standard Instrument Approaches have been developed for Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport that would enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This interim notice announces the availability of funding and requests proposals for the Department of Transportation's National Infrastructure Investments, or ``TIGER Discretionary Grants.'' In addition, this interim notice announces selection criteria and pre- application and application requirements for these grants. On April 15, 2011, the President signed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations, 2011 (Div. B of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Pub. L. 112-010, Apr. 15, 2011)) (``FY 2011 Continuing Appropriations Act''). The FY 2011 Continuing Appropriations Act appropriated $526.944 million to be awarded by the Department of Transportation (``DOT'') for National Infrastructure Investments. This appropriation is similar, but not identical to the appropriation for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or ``TIGER Discretionary Grant'', program authorized and implemented pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the ``Recovery Act''), and the National Infrastructure Investments or ``TIGER II Discretionary Grant'' program under the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2010 (``FY 2010 Appropriations Act''). Because of the similarity in program structure, DOT has referred to the grants for National Infrastructure Investments under the FY 2010 Appropriations Act as ``TIGER II Discretionary Grants''. Given that funds have now been appropriated for these similar programs in three separate statutes, DOT is referring to the grants for National Infrastructure Investments under the FY 2011 Continuing Appropriations Act simply as ``TIGER Discretionary Grants.'' As with the TIGER and TIGER II programs, funds for the FY2011 TIGER program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area or a region. Through this interim notice, DOT is soliciting applications for TIGER Discretionary Grants. This interim notice requests comments on the proposed selection criteria and guidance for awarding funds. DOT will take all comments into consideration and may publish a supplemental notice revising some elements of this notice. If substantive changes to this notice are necessary, DOT will publish a supplemental Federal Register notice. In the event that this solicitation does not result in the award and obligation of all available funds, DOT may decide to publish an additional solicitation(s).