Department of Transportation 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 217Aeronautical Databases being held jointly with EUROCAE WG-44Aeronautical Databases.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the seventeenth meeting of the RTCA Special Committee 225, Rechargeable Lithium Battery and Battery Systems.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-19- 11, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 737 airplanes. AD 2012-19-11 currently requires incorporating design changes to improve the reliability of the cabin altitude warning system by installing a redundant cabin altitude pressure switch, replacing the aural warning module (AWM) with a new or reworked AWM, and changing certain wire bundles or connecting certain previously capped and stowed wires as necessary. For certain airplanes, AD 2012-19-11 also requires prior or concurrent incorporation of related design changes by modifying the instrument panels, installing light assemblies, modifying the wire bundles, and installing a new circuit breaker, as necessary. Since we issued AD 2012-19-11, we have determined that certain airplanes were not included in the requirement to incorporate related design changes. This proposed AD would add, for certain airplanes, a requirement to incorporate related design changes. This proposed AD also, for certain airplanes, no longer gives credit for accomplishing certain previous actions. We are proposing this AD to prevent the loss of cabin altitude warning, which could delay flightcrew recognition of a lack of cabin pressurization, and could result in incapacitation of the flightcrew due to hypoxia (a lack of oxygen in the body), and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

In response to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District's (Bridge District) request for a Buy America waiver for waterjets, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hereby waives its Buy America requirements for waterjets to be installed in the Bridge District's M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel. This waiver is limited to a single procurement for the waterjets to be installed in the M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel, which is part of an FTA-funded project.

Under this notice, the FAA announces the submission deadline of August 12, 2014, for requests to amend slot records (adjust slot times and arrival/departure designations) at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the ``Extension of Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3519 (PRA). This collection was developed as part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process for seeking feedback from the public on the Board's service delivery. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection. Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. Submitted comments will be summarized and included in the Board's request for OMB approval.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given of the actions on special permits applications in (June to June 2014) The mode of transportation involved is identified by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft. Application numbers prefixed by the letters EE represent applications for Emergency Special Permits. It should be noted that some of the sections cited were those in effect at the time certain special permits were issued.

This responds to three (3) petitions for reconsideration to NHTSA's August 20, 2013 final rule adopting amendments to certain provisions of the early warning reporting (EWR) rule and regulations governing motor vehicle and equipment safety recalls. NHTSA received three (3) petitions for reconsideration that contained requests to alter or withdraw several adopted amendments. In addition, this document makes minor technical corrections to ensure all recall communications are received through NHTSA's online recalls portal and that all owner notification letters are sent to owners at the time the remedy is available.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, -311, and -315 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of a fractured wing-to-fuselage strut attachment joint bolt. This AD requires a torque check of all wing-to-fuselage strut attachment joint bolts, and repair or replacement if necessary. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires a detailed inspection for corrosion, damage, and wear of each wing-to-fuselage strut attachment joint bolt and associated hardware, and replacement if necessary; and a borescope inspection for corrosion and damage of the bore hole and barrel nut threads, and repair or replacement if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fractured strut attachment joint bolts, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the wing-to-fuselage strut attachment joint and subsequent loss of the wing.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-300, 747-400, and 747-400D series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicating that the upper deck tension ties are subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking in the upper deck tension ties, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary; tension tie replacement; and post-replacement repetitive inspections for cracking in the upper deck tension ties, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the upper deck tension ties. Severed or disconnected tension ties at multiple locations could result in rapid decompression and loss of structural integrity of the airplane.

In response to Congress' mandate in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), FRA is proposing to expand the scope of its alcohol and drug regulations to cover employees who perform maintenance-of-way (MOW) activities. In addition, FRA is proposing certain substantive amendments that either respond to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations or update and clarify the alcohol and drug regulations based on a retrospective regulatory review (RRR) analysis.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Maritime Administration (MARAD) announce that the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC) will hold a closed door meeting on August 14, 2014. After a review of all comments received from the interested public during its two national maritime symposiums, MARAD is now planning to provide the council a compilation of select concepts for further consideration. In January 2014, MARAD held a three-day National Maritime Strategy Symposium to discuss issues facing U.S.-flag vessels. The purpose of this initial public meeting was to generate ideas to improve, strengthen, and sustain the cargo opportunities and sealift capacity of the U.S.-flagged fleet engaged in international commercial trade. A second symposium was held in May which focused on domestic shipping, shipbuilding, ports and the needs of maritime stakeholders on the inland waterways, Great Lakes, gulf and coastwise trade. The August 14 meeting will be held to obtain the opinions and views of council members with respect to the value and impact of certain strategy options gathered through MARAD outreach. The input MARAD expects to receive from the council will be part of its on-going deliberations as it prepares a long term maritime strategy.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with airplane electronic system security protection or isolation from unauthorized internal access. 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.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes. These airplanes have a novel or unusual design feature associated with crashworthiness of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic used in the construction of the fuselage. 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on April 21, 2014 (76 FR 7897-7898).

These special conditions are issued for the Learjet Inc. Model LJ-200-1A10 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. The fuselage of the Model LJ-200-1A10 will be made of composite materials rather than conventional aluminum, which may affect fire propagation during an in-flight fire. 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.

FMCSA announces enhancements to the display of information on the public Safety Measurement System (SMS) Web site and responds to comments received in response to FMCSA's Federal Register Notice, ``Proposed Enhancements to the Motor Carrier Safety Measurement System (SMS) Public Web site'' published on November 5, 2013 The changes to the design of the SMS public Web site do not alter the SMS methodology or affect a carrier's safety rating, which is subject to 49 CFR part 385, Safety Fitness Procedures. The enhancements are a continuation of the Agency's efforts, first announced in April 2010, to provide the motor carrier industry and other safety stakeholders with more comprehensive, informative, and regularly updated safety performance data. This notice explains the Agency's modifications to the public SMS display, including four additional changes not originally proposed that resulted from comments received. The enhancements will be implemented when SMS data is updated in August 2014. The SMS display preview Web site will remain available until the SMS display changes described in this notice become operational.

The tire identification number (TIN), which must appear on virtually all new and retreaded motor vehicle tires sold in the United States, plays an important role in identifying which tires are subject to recall and remedy campaigns for safety defects and noncompliances. This document proposes two amendments to the TIN. First, because NHTSA is running out of two-symbol codes to identify new tire plants, NHTSA is proposing to expand the first portion of the TIN, known as the manufacturer identifier, from two symbols to three for manufacturers of new tires. This amendment would substantially increase the number of unique combinations of characters that can be used to identify individual manufacturers of new tires. Second, NHTSA is proposing to standardize the length of the tire identification number to eliminate confusion that could arise from the variable length of tire identification numbers. This NPRM would standardize the length of the TIN at 13 symbols for new tires and 7 symbols for retreaded tires, making it easier to identify a TIN from which a symbol is missing.

FRA is issuing this notice to advise other Federal, state, and local agencies and the public that FRA and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) are amending the existing 2007 Notice of Intent for the Palmdale to Los Angeles Section and will jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Burbank to Los Angeles Section of the California High- Speed Rail (HSR) System in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). FRA is publishing this notice to solicit additional public and agency input into the development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by the FRA and the Authority and their representatives will be considered in the preparation of the EIR/EIS. Federal cooperating agencies for the EIS are the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In March 2007, FRA and the Authority respectively issued a Notice of Preparation and a Notice of Intent for the preparation of an EIR/EIS for the Palmdale to Los Angeles Section of the Authority's proposed California HSR System. Because the Palmdale to Los Angeles Section of the HSR System will be implemented in two parts consistent with Authority's Business Plan that prioritizes an Initial Operating Section (IOS) with a southern temporary terminus in the San Fernando Valley, the FRA and Authority have determined that there are two sections of the HSR System between Palmdale and Los Angeles and they will be better evaluated in two separate EIR/EISs: Palmdale to Burbank and Burbank to Los Angeles. Each of these sections has logical termini and independent utility, as discussed further below. This notice provides information regarding the Project EIR/EIS for the Burbank to Los Angeles Section of the California HSR System (proposed action). The Palmdale to Burbank Section of the California HSR System is the subject of a separate Notice of Intent, which is being published concurrently with this notice. The preparation of the Burbank to Los Angeles Section EIR/EIS will involve a robust public outreach process; the development of preliminary engineering designs; and the assessment of potential environmental effects associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of the HSR System.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Lakeport, CA. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Lampson Field. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Pacific Aerospace Limited Model 750XL airplanes. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as failure of the fin forward pickup due to possible fatigue cracks. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.