Department of Transportation December 16, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice provides NHTSA's finding with respect to a request from the Texas Department of Transpiration, Traffic Safety Section (TxDOT) to waive the requirements of Buy America. NHTSA finds that a cost waiver of the Buy America requirements is appropriate for TxDOT to purchase Light-Up Magnifier Loupes using Federal highway safety grant funds because the cost of domestically produced products is twenty-five percent more than the cost of the foreign-made products.

This Notice provides NHTSA's finding with respect to a request from the Hawaii Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Safety Office, Highway Safety Section (MVSO) to waive the requirements of Buy America. NHTSA finds that a cost waiver is appropriate for MVSO to purchase eight foreign-made training motorcycles using Federal grant funds because the cost of domestically produced products is twenty-five percent more than the cost of the foreign-made products.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announce the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Liberty Natural Gas LLC, Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License Application for the importation of natural gas. Please note that this application is only for the construction and operation of a deepwater port that could only be used as a natural gas import facility. The considerable technical, operational, and environmental differences between import and export operations for natural gas deepwater ports is such that any licensed deepwater port facility that proposed to convert from import to export operations would be required to submit a new license application (including application fee) and conform to all licensing requirements and regulations in effect at such time of application. In addition to payment of the application fee, licensing requirements include, but are not limited to, completion of an extensive environmental impact assessment and financial resources review which would include public participation. The Port Ambrose application describes an offshore natural gas deepwater port facility that would be located 16.1 nautical miles southeast of Jones Beach, New York, 24.9 nautical miles east of Long Branch, New Jersey, and 27.1 nautical miles from the entrance to New York Harbor in a water depth of approximately 103 feet. The DEIS complies with the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) (DWPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (Section 102[2][c]), as implemented by Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500 to 1508). Publication of this notice begins a 60 day comment period, requests public participation in the process, provides information on how to participate in the process, and announces informational open houses and public meetings in New York and New Jersey. Pursuant to the criteria provided in the DWPA, both New Jersey and New York are the Adjacent Coastal States for this application.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A300 series airplanes; Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes); and Airbus Model A310 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of early ruptures on the levers of the nose landing gear (NLG) sequence valve. This AD requires a one-time inspection for damage of the landing gear sequence valve levers and pin shearing indicating areas on the NLG and the main landing gears (MLGs); and depending on findings, replacing the sequence valve and lever, or doing a one-time inspection to detect interference between control rods and sequence valves and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct interference between a landing gear leg and door, which could result in failure of that landing gear to extend and could damage the airplane and injure occupants.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of fatigue cracking in the skin assembly and bear strap of the aft lower corner of the forward airstair stowage doorway. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the skin assembly and bear strap of the forward airstair stowage doorway; post-repair and post-modification inspections for certain airplanes; and related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary. This AD also provides optional terminating actions for certain inspections. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking, which could result in rapid loss of cabin pressure.