Department of Transportation July 30, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations applicable to air bag inflators, air bag modules, and seat-belt pretensioners. The revisions incorporate the provisions of two special permits into the regulations. In addition, PHMSA is amending the current approval and documentation requirements for a material classified as a UN3268 air bag inflator, air bag module, or seat-belt pretensioner. These revisions are intended to reduce the regulatory burden on the automotive industry and facilitate commerce, while continuing to maintain an equivalent level of safety.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that nonconforming 2005 Jaguar XKR passenger cars that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), are eligible for importation into the United States because they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally manufactured for sale in the United States and that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety standards (the U.S.- certified version of 2005 Jaguar XKR passenger cars) and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 777-200, -200LR, -300, and -300ER series airplanes. That supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) proposed to require revising the maintenance program to incorporate a revision to the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the maintenance planning data (MPD) document. That SNPRM was prompted by reports of two in-service occurrences on Model 737- 400 airplanes of total loss of boost pump pressure of the fuel feed system, followed by loss of fuel system suction feed capability on one engine, and in-flight shutdown of the engine. This action revises that SNPRM by adding Model 777F series airplanes to the applicability. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct failure of the engine fuel suction feed of the fuel system, which, in the event of total loss of the fuel boost pumps, could result in dual engine flameout, inability to restart the engines, and consequent forced landing of the airplane. Since this action imposes an additional burden over that proposed in the previous SNPRM, we are reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on this proposed change.

This action modifies Class E airspace at Salt Lake City, UT, to accommodate aircraft using Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) or Localizer (LOC) standard instrument approach procedures at Salt Lake City International Airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also adjusts the geographic coordinates of the airport, and makes a minor change to the legal description of Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface, at Salt Lake City, UT.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008-10-03 for Bell Helicopter Textron Helicopters (Bell) Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, 210, 212, 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters. AD 2008-10-03 required certain checks and inspections of each tail rotor blade assembly (T/R blade) at specified intervals and repairing or replacing, as applicable, any cracked or damaged T/R blade. Since we issued AD 2008-10-03, an accident attributed to a T/R failure occurred. This new AD retains the requirements of AD 2008-10-03 and adds a second, more detailed inspection that allows for an earlier detection of a crack or other damage in a T/R blade. These actions are intended to prevent a failure of the T/R blade and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

The FHWA is proposing the National Tunnel Inspection Standards (NTIS) for highway tunnels. The FHWA previously proposed the NTIS in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2010. On July 6, 2012, the President signed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which requires the Secretary to establish national standards for tunnel inspections. The MAP-21 requires that NTIS contain a number of provisions that were not included in the proposal set forth in the earlier NPRM. As a result, FHWA is issuing this SNPRM to request comment on a revised NTIS proposal that incorporates the provisions required by MAP-21. This SNPRM proposes requirements for tunnel owners, including the establishment of a program for the inspection of highway tunnels, maintenance of a tunnel inventory, reporting of the inspection findings to FHWA, and correction of any critical findings identified during these inspections.