Department of Transportation 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA has determined that the minimum random drug and alcohol testing percentage rates for the period January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018, will remain at 25 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random drug testing and 10 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random alcohol testing.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-01- 11, which applies to certain Airbus Model A320-211, -212, and -231 airplanes. AD 2016-01-11 requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the radius of the front spar vertical stringers and the horizontal floor beam on frame 36, repetitive inspections for cracking of the fastener holes of the front spar vertical stringers on frame 36, and repair if necessary. Since we issued AD 2016-01-11, we received a report that, during a center fuselage certification full scale fatigue test, cracks were found on the front vertical stringer at a certain frame. This proposed AD would add new thresholds and intervals for the repetitive inspections; would require, for certain airplanes, a modification of the center wing box area; and would expand the applicability. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In this document, the Department of Transportation is announcing that after careful review, and as mandated by Section 7311 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the Department of Transportation has reviewed the final updated Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) and determined that the HM-251 Final Rule's electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake requirements are not economically justified. As the expected benefits do not exceed the expected costs, PHMSA and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will initiate a rulemaking to rescind the necessary regulatory provisions.

Notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport, to change the current land use from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use of 419 acres of land. The parcels are located along the southwesterly side of Runway 07/25, the northerly end of Runway 25 and in a portion of the infield area between Runway 07/25 and Runway 14/32. There is adequate developable area on the airport to meet the future twenty year need for projected activity and the Airport Layout Plan was updated with a Pen and Ink change to designate the parcels for non-aeronautical use. The airport will obtain fair market value for the lease of the land and the income derived from this lease will be placed in the airport's operation and maintenance funds for the facility.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to extend the comment period to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This action corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register of November 1, 2017 that modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Stevens Point Municipal Airport, Stevens Point, WI, to accommodate new standard instrument approach procedures for instrument flight rules operations at the airport. The FAA identified that the latitude coordinate was incorrect.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1 Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 88 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision requirement in one eye.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for three individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) 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 who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to deny applications from 81 individuals who requested an exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) prohibiting persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 178 individuals from its prohibition in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) against persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) from operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. The exemptions enable these individuals with ITDM to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2014-24-08 for all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-535E4-37, RB211-535E4-B-37, and RB211- 535E4-C-37 turbofan engines with certain low-pressure (LP) fuel filter- to-high-pressure (HP) fuel pump tube assemblies, or HP fuel pump-to- fuel flow governor (FFG) or FFG-to-HP pump inlet overspill return tube assemblies and flanged adaptor, installed. AD 2014-24-08 required replacing certain LP fuel filter-to-HP fuel pump tube assemblies. This AD retains the requirement in AD 2014-24-08 to remove the LP fuel filter-to-HP fuel pump tube, adds new compliance thresholds, and requires installation of new HP fuel pump-to-FFG and FFG-to-HP pump inlet overspill return tube assemblies and flanged adaptor. This AD was prompted by fuel leaks that have occurred at the flanged joints of the HP fuel pump-to-FFG tube assembly and FFG-to-HP pump inlet overspill return tube assembly. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

This notice announces a final environmental action taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a project in Los Angeles County, California. The purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the environmental decision by FTA on the subject project and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge this final environmental action.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Yuma Municipal Airport, Yuma, CO, to accommodate the development of area navigation (RNAV) instrument flight rules (IFR) operations under standard instrument approach and departure procedures at the airport, and for the safety and management of IFR operations within the National Airspace System.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-23-10, which applied to all Airbus Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319 series airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. AD 2012-23-10 required modifying the affected slide rafts. This AD retains the requirements of AD 2012-23-10. This AD also requires replacing each escape slide pack assembly having a certain part number with a new escape slide pack assembly. This AD was prompted by reports of the escape raft inflation system not deploying when activated due to the rotation of the cable guide in a direction that resulted in jamming of the inflation control cable. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Textron Aviation Inc. Models 510, 680, and 680A airplanes equipped with certain part number brake assemblies. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that brake pad wear indicator pins were set incorrectly, which could lead to brake pad wear beyond the acceptable limits without indication. This proposed AD would require inspection of the brake pad wear indicator pins and replacement of the brake assembly if any pin is set incorrectly. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

On August 16, 2017, the Office of Management and Budget approved the collection of calendar year (CY) 2017 Underground Natural Gas Storage (UNGS) Facility Annual Reports. This notice includes a PHMSA proposal to use CY 2017 annual report data in the user fee rate structure for both fiscal year (FY) 2018 and 2019.

This action proposes to amend Class E surface airspace and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Massena, NY, as the Massena collocated VHF omnidirectional range tactical air navigation system (VORTAC) has been decommissioned, requiring airspace reconfiguration at Massena International-Richards Field Airport. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would update the geographic coordinates of the airport.

We propose special conditions for Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B2 and AS350B3 helicopters. These helicopters as modified by Garmin International, Inc., (Garmin) will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the Garmin Flight Control (GFC) 600H autopilot with stability and control augmentation system (AP/SCAS). The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 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, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on September 8, 2017. The agency received no comments.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on September 8, 2017 [82 FR 42572]. The agency received no comments.