Department of Transportation December 27, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on an information collection under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 2137-0584, ``Gas Pipeline Safety Program Certification and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Program Certification.'' PHMSA will request approval from OMB for a renewal of the current information collection with no revisions.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of title 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This document announces the availability of an FAA Notice that would require FAA inspectors to review 14 CFR part 135 approved training programs to identify and correct those programs which erroneously issued credit for previous training or checking. The document also provides guidance on constructing reduced hour training programs based on previous experience. Upon review of the comments and any necessary revision, this document would cancel and replace FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 3, Chapter 19, Paragraph 3-1111.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on October 26, 2011, vol. 76, no. 207, page 66349. The rule allows some experienced pilots who would otherwise qualify as flight instructors or check airmen, but who are not medically eligible to hold the requisite medical certificate, to perform flight instructor or check airmen functions in a simulator.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on October 26, 2011, vol. 76, no. 207, page 66347. 14 CFR part 21 may require applicants to demonstrate compliance with the latest regulations in effect on the date of application for amended Type Certificates (TC) or a Supplemental TCs for aeronautical products.

FMCSA revises the hours of service (HOS) regulations to limit the use of the 34-hour restart provision to once every 168 hours and to require that anyone using the 34-hour restart provision have as part of the restart two periods that include 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. It also includes a provision that allows truckers to drive if they have had a break of at least 30 minutes, at a time of their choosing, sometime within the previous 8 hours. This rule does not include a change to the daily driving limit because the Agency is unable to definitively demonstrate that a 10-hour limitwhich it favored in the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)would have higher net benefits than an 11-hour limit. The current 11-hour limit is therefore unchanged at this time. The 60- and 70-hour limits are also unchanged. The purpose of the rule is to limit the ability of drivers to work the maximum number of hours currently allowed, or close to the maximum, on a continuing basis to reduce the possibility of driver fatigue. Long daily and weekly hours are associated with an increased risk of crashes and with the chronic health conditions associated with lack of sleep. These changes will affect only the small minority of drivers who regularly work the longer hours.