Department of Transportation May 6, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA announces the forty-eighth meeting of the RSAC, a Federal Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics will include opening remarks from the FRA Administrator. Status reports will be provided by the Fatigue Management, Rail Failure, and Risk Reduction Working Groups. Status reports will also be provided by the Engineering and System Safety Task Forces. This agenda is subject to change, including the possible addition of further proposed tasks under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

FMCSA announces that 16 individuals have applied for a medical exemption from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). In accordance with the statutory requirements concerning applications for exemptions, FMCSA requests public comments on these requests. The statute and implementing regulations concerning exemptions require that exemptions must provide an equivalent or greater level of safety than if they were not granted. If the Agency determines the exemptions would satisfy the statutory requirements and decides to grant theses requests after reviewing the public comments submitted in response to this notice, the exemptions would enable 16 individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

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 the Interstate 90 (I-90) Snoqualmie Pass East Project, located between Hyak and Easton (Milepost [MP] 55.1 to 70.3) in Kittitas County, Washington. The action by FHWA is the Record of Decision (ROD), which selects avalanche bridges for construction on I-90 between MP 57.9 and 58.4. Actions by other Federal agencies include issuing amendments to previously issued permits.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 717-200 airplanes. That NPRM proposed requiring repetitive inspections for cracking of the overwing frames, and corrective actions if necessary. That NPRM was prompted by multiple reports of cracks of overwing frames. This action revises that NPRM by revising the initial compliance time and providing an optional modification that would extend the compliance time for the next repetitive inspection. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to detect and correct such cracking, which could sever a frame and increase the loading of adjacent frames, and could result in damage to the adjacent structure and consequent loss of structural integrity of the airplane. Since certain actions impose an additional burden over that proposed in the NPRM, we are reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on these proposed changes.

This action amends Class E Airspace at Easton, PA, as the Allentown VORTAC has been decommissioned and new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Braden Airpark. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also recognizes the airport's name change and updates the geographic coordinates of the airport.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of damaged fire seals on the forward edge of the thrust reverser. This AD requires inspecting to detect damage to the upper fire seals on the forward edge of the thrust reverser, where the fire seal contacts the 12-o'clock engine strut, and for correct stiffness and vent holes, and doing corrective actions if necessary; and installing a bracket for the fire seal. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct damage to the fire seals, which could allow airflow into the engine fire zone and could degrade the ability to extinguish an engine fire.