Department of Transportation October 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 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 action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Plainville, CT, to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) serving Robertson Field Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations within the National Airspace System.

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.

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.

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.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at the Rogue Valley VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range Tactical Air Navigation Aid (VORTAC), Rogue Valley, OR, to facilitate vectoring of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Seattle and Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations within the National Airspace System.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking public comment on the agency's proposed policy to accept, evaluate and process license applications for the construction and operation of offshore deepwater port facilities for the export of oil and natural gas from the United States to foreign markets abroad, and to use the existing Deepwater Port License regulations, cited at 33 CFR Parts 148, 149 and 150 for such purposes.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Kidde Graviner hand-operated fire extinguishers as installed on, but not limited to, various transport and small airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that a fire extinguisher failed to operate when the activation lever was pressed. This proposed AD would require modifying the affected fire extinguishers. We are proposing this AD to prevent fire extinguishers from failing to operate in the event of a fire, which could jeopardize occupants' safety and continuation of safe flight and landing.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the twenty seventh meeting of the RTCA Special Committee 213, Enhanced Flight Vision Systems/Synthetic Vision Systems (EFVS/SVS).

On August 12, 2014, the FAA published an immediate final rule (79 FR 46964) entitled ``Orders of Compliance, Cease and Desist Orders, Orders of Denial, and Other Orders.'' This action confirms the effective date of the immediate final rule and responds to the comments received on that immediate final rule.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public about the resumption of environmental activities leading to a Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Section 6 of I- 69, located in Morgan, Johnson and Marion Counties, Indiana, of the Evansville-to-Indianapolis Interstate 69 (I-69) highway. This Notice of Intent (NOI) updates the NOI published in the April 29, 2004 Federal Register. The purpose of this NOI is to advise that pursuant to the March 24, 2004 Tier 1 Record of Decision (ROD) for this project, a range of alternatives will be evaluated which may include alternatives outside of the corridor selected in the Tier 1 ROD. All alternatives evaluated will connect Section 5 of I-69 in Martinsville with I-465 in Indianapolis.

PHMSA published Advisory Bulletin ADB-2012-10 in the Federal Register on December 5, 2012, to remind operators of gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities of their responsibilities under current regulations to perform evaluations of their Integrity Management (IM) programs using meaningful performance metrics. PHMSA is issuing this Advisory Bulletin to expand that reminder by informing owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that PHMSA has developed guidance on the elements and characteristics of a mature program evaluation process that uses meaningful metrics.

This notice announces the sixth meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection.

FMCSA announces a joint meeting of its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) and Medical Review Board (MRB) on October 27, 2014, and a meeting of the MCSAC on Tuesday, October 28. MCSAC and the MRB will jointly identify concepts the Agency should consider in relation to Schedule II medications and their use by commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in interstate commerce. This follows the MRB's consideration of the effects of Schedule II medications on CMV drivers' ability to operate safely on September 11, 2013, and July 29-30, 2014. On Tuesday, October 28, the MCSAC will meet to finalize its deliberations on financial responsibility requirements for motor carriers and to consider the findings of its Subcommittee on the Long-Haul Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program with Mexico. Meetings are open to the public for their entirety, and there will be a public comment period at the end of each day.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to grant a limited 2-year exemption to Van Hool N.V. and Coach USA (Van Hool/Coach USA) that will allow Coach USA/ Megabus to operate double deck motorcoaches constructed with a sleeper berth than has an exit that does not meet the minimum dimensional requirements specified in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Section 393.76(c)(1) of the FMCSRs requires sleeper berths installed after January 1, 1963 to have an exit that is at least 18 inches high and 36 inches wide. The exemption will allow Coach USA/ Megabus to operate double deck motorcoaches with an exit area from the sleeper berth that, while not meeting the specified dimensions, is only slightly smaller in overall size from what is required in the FMCSRs. FMCSA believes that permitting the reduced exit area size will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption.

DOT publishes the names of the persons selected to serve on the various Departmental PRBs as required by 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to authorize the release and exchange of approximately 7.231 acres of the airport property at the Acadiana Regional Airport, New Iberia LA, owned by the New Iberia Parish. The Parish is proposing a land swap to exchange this 7.231 acre parcel for another parcel of approximately 10.548 acres. The acreage being released is not needed for aeronautical use as currently identified on the Airport Layout Plan. The new proposed parcel will be used for the Acadiana Regional Airport, New Iberia LA, Access Road project from Louisiana Highway 675 (Jefferson Island Road) to Louisiana Highway 3212 (Northwest Bypass). The acreage being released comprising this parcel was originally acquired in 1970 when the Parish governing body petitioned the U.S. government for release of 2,100 acres of previously the Naval Air Station New Iberia property for civil aviation use through the General Services Administration excess land disposal process. In exchange for the 7.231 acres the airport will receive a new parcel of land described above for the Acadiana Regional Airport, New Iberia LA, Access Road project. The 7.231 acre parcel (Tract 14) is Zoned ``I-1: Industrial'' and has access to LA Highway 3212 (Prairie Road) and is being proposed to be swapped for approximately 10.548 acres (Tract 13) Zoned ``A-1: Agricultural''. The appraised fair market value of the proposed 7.231 acres parcel is $64,000, the fair market value of the proposed acquired parcel is $58,000. The difference of $6,000 in fair market value between Tract 14 and Tract 13 will be compensated by the Iberia Parish Council to the Iberia Airport Authority to accommodate FAA auditing standards and requirements to prevent the potential for ``diversion of funds (assets)''. A Phase I, Environmental Site Assessment was conducted and published on April 14, 2014 resulting in the assessment that did not reveal any evidence of Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) in connection with the new acquired property. This action and the affected properties have been evaluated by the Department of the Army, New Orleans District, Corps of Engineers, the State Office of Historic Preservation, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana Ecological Services Office with a determination of an activity that would not negatively affect any wetland subject to Corps' jurisdiction, historical properties or threatened or endangered species respectively. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the disposal of the subject property nor a determination of eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. The disposition of proceeds (or compensation) from the disposal of the airport property will be in accordance with FAA's Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. In accordance with section 47107(c)(2)(B) of title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose and concurring with the proposed land swap.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

FMCSA requests public comment on an application for exemption from Dealers Choice Truckaway System, Inc. (Truckmovers) to allow the use of plastic blocks to build up the height of the front end of a towed vehicle in driveaway-towaway operations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) permit the use of ``hardwood blocks of good quality'' for this purpose but the use of materials other than hardwood blocks is not addressed. Truckmovers believes the use of ultra-high molecular polyethylene plastic blocks will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to the level of safety achieved without the exemption. Truckmovers is requesting the temporary exemption in advance of petitioning FMCSA to conduct a rulemaking to amend 49 CFR 393.71(k)(4) to allow the use of vehicle support blocks made of any suitable material to support the weight of vehicles when towing multiple vehicles in driveaway-towaway operations.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM (serial number 61454), R, and V; Croman Corporation Model SH-3H, Carson Helicopters, Inc., Model S-61L; Glacier Helicopters, Inc. Model CH-3E; Robinson Air Crane, Inc. Model CH-3E, CH-3C, HH-3C, and HH-3E; and Siller Helicopters Model CH-3E and SH-3A helicopters. This SNPRM is prompted by comments received in response to a previous SNPRM and a reevaluation of the relevant data. This SNPRM retains the proposed actions in the previous SNPRM, provides an increased estimated cost of the main rotor shaft (MRS) replacement, and clarifies some of the language in the Required Actions section of the AD. The proposed actions are intended to prevent MRS structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

These special conditions are issued for the Hawker Beechcraft Model No. 400A airplane as modified by Nextant Aerospace. This modification will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with an installed emergency power supply and standby attitude module that use rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems. 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.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the NOI to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed construction project for the reconstruction of NY 112 from the Long Island Expressway, I-495 North Service Road to NY 25 in Suffolk County, New York is being rescinded. On December 19, 2002, the FHWA issued an NOI to advise the public that an EIS would be prepared for a proposed construction project for the Reconstruction of NY Route 112, from I-495 to Skips Road (Mill Road Connector), Suffolk County, New York (67 FR 77823).

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Beechcraft Corporation Model G58 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of fuel leaks due to fuel cells that did not properly fit in Model G58 airplanes. This proposed AD would require inspecting for and replacing, as necessary, certain fuel cells. This proposed AD would also require inspecting and replacing parts, as necessary, of the left and right fuel system installations and correcting torques on fuel system fittings; and prohibit future installations of certain fuel cells. We are proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.