Department of Transportation October 23, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice publishes the final designation of the highway- only Primary Freight Network (highway-only PFN). Section 167(d) of title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.) requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish the highway-only PFN and re-designate it every 10 years, giving consideration to certain factors. This designation meets the requirements of the law, but the Department and a multitude of public comments recognize that the highway-only PFN fails to demonstrate that freight moves through a complex and extensive network of highways, railroads, waterways, pipelines, and airways. While specific commodities are likely to be moved on a particular mode or series of modes, a complex multimodal system is required to carry the growing volume of bulk and high-velocity, high-value goods in the United States. In addition, the 27,000-mile cap required by the law does not yield a PFN representative of all the critical highway elements of the United States freight system. While the Department is designating the highway-only PFN to meet the statutory requirements of the authorizing law, the Department is concurrently and simultaneously proposing a comprehensive Multimodal Freight Network for public comment in the draft National Freight Strategic Plan to identify key infrastructure for all modes that is critical for the efficient movement of freight.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposes to rename, update, and reissue the Department of Transportation system of records currently titled, ``Department of Transportation/ALL 8 Employee Transportation Facilitation System of Records.'' This system of records allows the Department of Transportation/Office of the Secretary to collect and maintain records on Department of Transportation employees who participate in the Department's transit, carpool/vanpool, bicycle and parking benefit program, employees of other Federal agencies for whom DOT administers a Federal carpool/vanpool, and/or parking and transit benefit program. It also allows the Federal Aviation Administration to collect and maintain records on behalf of its employees who participate in transit and parking benefit programs administered by the Federal Aviation Administration. In addition to non-substantive changes to simply the formatting and text of the previously published notice, we are revising this notice to reflect System Manager's address change, and clarify the routine uses of information in the system. This updated system will be renamed and included in the Department of Transportation's inventory of record systems and referred to as ``DOT/ ALL 8Parking and Transit Benefit System.''

This action establishes Class E airspace at Vidalia, LA. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Concordia Parish Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Engine Alliance (EA) GP7270 turbofan engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of the installation of non-conforming honeycomb seals in the high-pressure compressor (HPC) adjacent to the HPC rotor stage 2 to 5 spool and stage 7 to 9 spool. This proposed AD would require removal and replacement of the affected HPC rotor stage 2 to 5 and stage 7 to 9 spools. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the HPC rotor stage 2 to 5 and stage 7 to 9 spools, which could lead to uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-18- 12, for certain Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes. AD 2012-18-12 currently requires modifying the off-wing escape slide (OWS) enclosures on the left-hand (LH) side and right-hand (RH) side of the fuselage. Since we issued AD 2012-18-12, we have received reports that additional OWS part numbers have been affected. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2012-18-12 and expand the applicability to all Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes. We are proposing this AD to prevent off-wing exits on the LH and RH sides of the fuselage from becoming inoperative, which, during an emergency, could impair the safe evacuation of occupants, possibly resulting in personal injuries.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Technify Motors GmbH TAE 125-02 reciprocating engines with a dual mass flywheel installed. This AD requires installation of a start phase monitoring system and associated specified software. This AD was prompted by reports of a gearbox drive shaft breaking during starting or restarting of the engine. We are issuing this AD to prevent overload and failure of the gearbox drive shaft, which could result in failure of the engine, in-flight shutdown, and loss of control of the airplane.