Department of Transportation August 17, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to grant an exemption to Daimler Trucks North America (Daimler) for one of its commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Daimler requested a 5-year exemption from the Federal requirement to hold a U.S. commercial driver's license (CDL) for Mr. Philipp Helbing, a project engineer for the Daimler Trucks and Bus Division. Mr. Helbing holds a valid German commercial license and wants to test-drive Daimler vehicles on U.S. roads to better understand product requirements for these systems in ``real world'' environments, and verify results. Daimler believes the requirements for a German commercial license ensure that holders of the license will likely achieve a level of safety equal to or greater than that of drivers who hold a U.S. State-issued CDL.

This notice announces both a public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), to discuss topics and provisions of the proposed rule titled ``Safety of Gas Transmission and Gathering Pipelines,'' and a joint meeting of the GPAC and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC). The purpose of the joint meeting of the GPAC and LPAC is to discuss a variety of policy issues and topics relative to pipeline safety.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-03- 07, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes. AD 2014-03-07 requires inspecting certain locations of the wire bundles of the center upper auxiliary fuel tank for damage, and corrective action if necessary. AD 2014-03-07 also requires installing nonmetallic barrier/shield sleeving, new clamps, new attaching hardware, and a new extruded channel. Since we issued AD 2014-03-07, we determined that it is necessary to require an inspection of the wire bundles for damage at additional center upper auxiliary fuel tank locations on certain airplanes. This proposed AD would add that inspection and expand the applicability. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.