Department of Transportation September 12, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action withdraws an FTA notice of funding availability (NOFA), Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program Ladders of Opportunity Initiative, published in the Federal Register on September 5, 2014 (79 FR 53095). FTA will issue a revised NOFA for this program.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the ninety-second meeting of the RTCA Special Committee 159, Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier Aerospace Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. These airplanes will have novel or unusual design features, specifically, digital systems architecture composed of several connected networks that may allow access to or by external computer systems and networks and may result in security vulnerabilities to the airplanes' systems. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. These 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.

These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier Aerospace Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with a reduced margin between design cruising speed, VC/ MC, and design diving speed, VD/MD, based on the incorporation of a high-speed protection system that limits nose down pilot authority at speeds above VD/ MD. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These 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.

PHMSA is issuing this advisory bulletin to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to provide further clarification regarding the notification(s) required prior to certain construction-related events. PHMSA needs to be aware of certain construction-related events to have sufficient time to schedule reviews of pipeline construction plans and inspections. Moreover, timely construction plan reviews and inspections by PHMSA could help operators avoid costly modifications, repairs and/or additions to achieve compliance with the Federal pipeline safety regulations. Accordingly, PHMSA strongly encourages operators to provide the required construction-related notification(s) not later than 60 days prior to whichever of the following activities occurs first: Material purchasing and manufacturing; right-of-way acquisition; construction equipment move-in activities; onsite or offsite fabrications; or right-of-way clearing, grading and ditching. PHMSA also strongly encourages operators to provide the required notification(s) for the construction of 10 or more miles of a new pipeline for a pipeline that: (1) Did not previously exist; and (2) for the replacement of 10 or more contiguous miles of line pipe in an existing pipeline.

PHMSA is correcting language it issued in a notice of proposed rulemaking under this Docket on August 12, 2014, that proposes to include the standard operating procedures and criteria used to evaluate applications for special permits and approvals under the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The NPRM addresses certain matters identified in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act of 2012 related to these procedures as they are executed by PHMSA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety's Approvals and Permits Division. This correction adds language to clarify that special permit and approval applications that undergo review by an Operating Administration (OA) will complete this review before they undergo an automated review. This proposed correction also clarifies that an OA review, depending on its completeness, may negate the need for the automated review.

This rule amends the Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR) to reflect the elevation of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration into the Office of the Secretary, creating the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. The amendment to TAR allows the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology to have the same authority as the former Research and Innovative Technology Administrator. The change provides the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (formerly the Research and Innovative Technology Administration) the same authority as an Operating Administration, and provides the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology to have the same authority as a Head of an Operating Administration.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for APEX Aircraft Model R 3000/160 airplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as small pieces of paint from the engine air intake box blocking the engine carburetor. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.