Department of Transportation 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces an extension of the comment period for the above-referenced NPRM, which proposed the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes; Model A330-200, -200 Freighter, and -300 series airplanes; and Model A340-200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes. That NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed requirement to modify the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) to prevent development of an ignition source inside the center fuel tank due to electrical fault conditions. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed requirements of that NPRM.

This document announces an extension of the comment period for the above-referenced NPRM, which proposed the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 777 airplanes. That NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed requirement to modify the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) to prevent development of an ignition source inside the center fuel tank due to electrical fault conditions. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed requirements of that NPRM.

This document announces an extension of the comment period for the above-referenced NPRM, which proposed the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767 airplanes. That NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed requirement to modify the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) to prevent development of an ignition source inside the center fuel tank due to electrical fault conditions. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed requirements of that NPRM.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A318 series airplanes; A319 series airplanes; A320-211, - 212, -214, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicating that certain structural repair manual (SRM) inspection requirements for the fuselage skin repairs are insufficient to detect cracks. This AD requires an inspection to determine whether any fuselage external skin (doubler) repairs have been accomplished, an inspection for cracking of certain repaired external fuselage skin areas in the fuselage, and repair if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the fuselage skin, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application for a land-use change for approximately 31.1 acres of airport property at Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento. The land use change will allow airport land to be released from the aeronautical use provisions of the Grant Assurances that require it to serve an airport purposes since the land is not needed for aeronautical uses. The reuse of the land for solar energy generating arrays represents a compatible land use that will not interfere with the airport or its operations. The solar generated electricity will benefit the airport by producing a market return on the land while reducing electrical costs. Cost savings will equal or exceed the fair market rental value of the land occupied by the solar farms. These benefits will serve the interest of civil aviation and contribute to the self-sustainability of the airport.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group (hereafter, ``Working Group''). The Working Group will provide advice and recommendations to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Director pursuant to Section 6018 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. 114-94; 129 Stat. 1312) on matters related to port performance measures, including: (a) Specifications and data measurements to be used in the Port Performance Freight Statistics Program established under subsection 6018(a); and (b) a process for the Department to collect timely and consistent data, including identifying safeguards to protect proprietary information described in subsection 6018(b)(2). The Working Group will operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the rules and regulations issued in implementation of that Act.

This final rule replaces the existing process by which the Federal Aviation Administration (Agency or FAA) approves portable oxygen concentrators (POC) for use on board aircraft in air carrier operations, commercial operations, and certain other operations using large aircraft. The FAA currently assesses each POC make and model on a case-by-case basis and if the FAA determines that a particular POC is safe for use on board an aircraft, the FAA conducts rulemaking to identify the specific POC model in an FAA regulation. This final rule replaces the current process and allows passengers to use a POC on board an aircraft if the POC satisfies certain acceptance criteria and bears a label indicating conformance with the acceptance criteria. The labeling requirement only affects POCs intended for use on board aircraft that were not previously approved for use on aircraft by the FAA. Additionally, this rulemaking will eliminate redundant operational requirements and paperwork requirements related to the physician's statement. As a result, this rulemaking will reduce burdens for POC manufacturers, passengers who use POCs while traveling, and affected aircraft operators. This final rule also makes conforming amendments to the Department of Transportation's (Department or DOT) rule implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to require carriers to accept all POC models that meet FAA acceptance criteria as detailed in this rule.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-09-07 for all Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. AD 2016- 09-07 required replacing certain pitot probes on the captain, first officer, and standby sides. This new AD retains those requirements, but with a revised compliance time. Since we issued AD 2016-09-07, we received additional reports of airspeed indication discrepancies during flight at high altitudes in inclement weather. We are issuing this AD to prevent airspeed indication discrepancies caused by accumulation of ice crystals during inclement weather, which, depending on the prevailing altitude, could lead to reduced controllability of the airplane.

This action updates the using agency information for restricted areas R-6602A, R-6602B, and R-6602C, Fort Pickett, VA. This is an administrative change to reflect the current organization tasked with using agency responsibilities for the restricted areas. It does not affect the boundaries, designated altitudes, time of designation or activities conducted within the restricted areas.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1994, (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for the utilization of the U.S. Department of Transportation Accessibility Concern Form when reporting accessibility challenges faced during travel on our Nation's streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, buses, trains, airports, and planes. The system will provide an accessible, coordinated, and seamless web-based portal for the traveling public to submit accessibility problems or challenges they face during travel on the Nation's streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, buses, trains, airports, and planes. The establishment of the system is in response the President's National Council on Disability (NCD) Report, ``Transition Update: Where We've Been and What We've Learned,'' released in 2015, as well as a letter to the Secretary of Transportation from the NCD dated May 12, 2015. The information received through the system will strengthen DOT's ability to understand the challenges and impacts that passengers with disabilities face every day when they use our nation' transportation systems.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt five individuals from the regulatory requirement that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have ``no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV.'' The exemptions enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model MD-90-30 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of stick shaker activation at airspeeds that were above the stall protection system's stick shaker schedule. This proposed AD would require installing angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor external case heaters and AOA sensors, changing wires, and doing a functional test and applicable corrective actions. We are proposing this AD to correct water intrusion and subsequent ice formation between the AOA sensor vane and face plate, which could cause the vane to become immobilized. If the vane becomes immobilized, the stall protection system could become unreliable or non-functional, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.

This notice is announcing a one-day public workshop PHMSA is sponsoring on public awareness to bring pipeline safety stakeholders together to review the findings from the joint Public Awareness Program Working Group's (PAPWG) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Report and explore future actions that can be taken to expand public awareness and stakeholder engagement efforts. Various stakeholders, including federal and state regulators, industry, pipeline operators, public, emergency response officials, local public officials, land planners, and excavators, will engage to strengthen pipeline safety public awareness.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2011-17-10, for all Fokker Services B.V. Model F.28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 airplanes. AD 2011-17-10 required inspecting for a by-pass wire between the housing of each in-tank fuel quantity indication (FQI) cable plug and the cable shield, and corrective actions if necessary. AD 2011-17- 10 also required revising the airplane maintenance program. This new AD removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This new AD applies only to Model F.28 Mark 1000 airplanes and also requires revising the airplane maintenance or inspection program by incorporating the instructions in revised service information. This AD was prompted by the issuance of revised service information to update the critical design configuration control limitations (CDCCLs) that address potential ignition sources inside fuel tanks. We are issuing this AD to prevent potential ignition sources inside the fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.

This document responds to a petition for reconsideration of FRA's January 6, 2015, final rule addressing U.S. DOT National Highway- Rail Crossing Inventory (Crossing Inventory or Inventory) Reporting Requirements. This document amends and clarifies the final rule in response to the petition for reconsideration and makes certain additional amendments to the rule to address practical implementation problems that arose after publication of the final rule.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain B/E Aerospace protective breathing equipment (PBE) that is installed on airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a PBE catching fire upon activation by a crewmember. This AD requires replacing the PBE. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

FRA is amending its Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) regulation to resolve interpretative issues that have arisen since the 1996 promulgation of that rule. In particular, this final rule adopts certain terms, resolves miscellaneous interpretive issues, codifies certain FRA Technical Bulletins, adopts new requirements governing redundant signal protections and the movement of roadway maintenance machinery over signalized non-controlled track, and amends certain qualification requirements for roadway workers. This final rule also deletes three outdated incorporations by reference of industry standards in FRA's Bridge Worker Safety Standards, and cross references the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulations on the same point.

NHTSA is announcing a public meeting to seek stakeholder feedback on a full-size 3-dimensional surrogate vehicle being developed to better support the evaluation of advanced crash avoidance technologies. NHTSA, Euro NCAP, Thatcham, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have been collaboratively working to develop this surrogate; however, confirmation that it appears as realistic to the sensors used in automotive safety systems requires feedback from industry experts.

FRA is issuing this notice to solicit public comments on the potential application of 23 CFR part 771, Environmental Impact and Related Procedures, to railroad projects. Part 771 currently prescribes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 23 U.S.C. 139, Efficient Environmental Reviews for Project Decisionmaking. FRA would further develop the application of 23 CFR part 771 to railroad projects in a rulemaking proceeding.

This action modifies the Lansing, MI, Class C airspace at the Capital Region International Airport, formerly the Lansing Capital City Airport, by removing a cutout from the surface area that was put in place to accommodate operations at an airport that is now permanently closed. This action also updates the Capital Region International Airport name and geographic coordinates to reflect the current information in the FAA's aeronautical database. The FAA is taking this action to ensure the safe and efficient operations at Capital Region International Airport.

The Spring 2016 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. Publication of the Spring 2016 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions represents a key component of the regulatory planning mechanism prescribed in Executive Order 12866 ``Regulatory Planning and Review'' (58 FR 51735) and incorporated by reference in the President's Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' issued on January 18, 2011 (76 FR 3821). The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires that agencies publish semiannual regulatory agendas in the Federal Register describing regulatory actions they are developing that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities (5 U.S.C. 602). In the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Unified Agenda) agencies report regulatory actions upcoming in the next year. Executive Order 12866 ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' signed September 30, 1993 (58 FR 51735), and Office of Management and Budget memoranda implementing section 4 of that Order establish minimum standards for agencies' agendas, including specific types of information for each entry. The Unified Agenda helps agencies fulfill these requirements. All Federal regulatory agencies have chosen to publish their regulatory agendas as part of the Unified Agenda. The complete Unified Agenda for spring 2016, which contains the regulatory agendas for 57 Federal agencies, is available to the public at https://reginfo.gov. The spring 2016 Unified Agenda publication appearing in the Federal Register consists of agency regulatory flexibility agendas, in accordance with the publication requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Agency regulatory flexibility agendas contain only those Agenda entries for rules that are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities and entries that have been selected for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 99-19-33 for BLANIK LIMITED Models L-13 Blanik and L-13 AC Blanik gliders (type certificate previously held by LET Aeronautical Works). This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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 lack of distinct color marking of the elevator drive. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA hereby provides notice of intent to release certain airport properties of approximately 16.88 acres at St. Petersburg- Clearwater International (PIE), St. Petersburg, FL from the conditions, reservations, and restrictions as contained in a Quitclaim Deed agreement between the FAA and the Pinellas County, dated 11 March 1941. The release of property will allow Pinellas County to dispose of the property for Florida Department of Transportation roadway right of way project.