Department of Transportation November 27, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FHWA, on behalf of Caltrans, is issuing this notice to announce actions taken by Caltrans, that are final. The actions relate to a proposed highway project, widening of State Route 70 in the County of Butte, State of California. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 14 individuals for an exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. If granted, the exemptions will enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision requirement in one eye.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Pursuant to Section 5404 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, 2015 (FAST Act), FMCSA proposes a 3-year period of information collection to determine: (1) Whether the safety outcomes (to include crashes, moving violations, inspection violations, and safety critical events as available) of drivers under the age of 21 with military experience in the operation of heavy vehicles (i.e., ``covered drivers'') participating in interstate commerce are similar to the safety outcomes of CMV drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 (i.e., drivers aged 21, 22, 23, or 24) operating freight-carrying CMVs, and (2) how training and experience impact the safety of the 18- to 20- year-old driving population. FMCSA proposed this pilot program and solicited public comment on August 22, 2016. Two Federal Register notices were published on July 6, 2018. One notice requested comments on this proposed information collection request (83 FR 31631) and the other announced programmatic details for participating in the pilot program and responded to comments received on the initial proposal for the pilot program (83 FR 31633). The comment period was open for 60- days and closed on September 4, 2018. In response to the notice, FMCSA received 37 comments.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from eight individuals for an exemption from the prohibition in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) against persons with a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition that is likely to cause a loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to drive in interstate commerce. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. This new request titled ``Truck and Bus Maintenance Requirements and Their Impact on Safety'' will allow for a study that focuses on vehicle maintenance and aims to determine the impact of vehicle maintenance requirements on overall motor carrier safety. This information collection supports the DOT Strategic Goal of Safety.

FMCSA announces that it has received an application for exemption from the National Mobile Shower and Catering Association (NMSCA) from various provisions of the Federal hours-of-service (HOS) rules for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The NMSCA requests an exemption to allow their member companies operating under a ``Resource Order'' to: (1) Extend the 14-hour duty period to no more than 16 hours; (2) not include ``waiting time'' while not performing duties in the calculation of the 16-hour duty period; (3) not comply with the minimum 30-minute rest break provision; (4) extend the maximum 60 hours on duty in any 7-day period to 80 hours on duty in any 7-day period; (5) extend the 11 hours of driving time to 12 hours; and, (6) extend the ``8 days in 30'' exception in the electronic logging device (ELD) rule to ``12 days in 30.'' The requested exemption is made on behalf of those drivers employed by NMSCA member companies engaged in the transportation of equipment that provides food and water services to Federally-contracted forest firefighters and similar emergency workers who establish temporary base camps and have immediate need of food and water services near fire scenes. FMCSA requests public comment on the NMSCA application for exemption.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Transportation's Office of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT/OST) intends to establish a DOT-wide System of Records titled, ``DOT/ALL-27, Training Programs.'' This system of records will allow the Department of Transportation, to include its Operating Administrations and Secretarial Offices, to collect and maintain contact, registration, and other information about Department of Transportation employees and other individuals related to participation in and management of Department of Transportation training programs. This system, titled Training Programs, will be included in the Department of Transportation's inventory of record systems. The Department also intends to rescind existing Notices for DOT/RITA-O12, TSI Online Catalog and Learning Management System'', and DOT/FHWA-221, ``National Highway Institute website (NHIW) and Course Management Tracking System (CMTS)'', as these records will be part of the new DOT/ALL-27 described in this Notice.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Voluntary Information-sharing System (VIS) Working Group. The VIS Working Group will convene to discuss proposed recommendations to establish a voluntary information-sharing system.

This action proposes to amend Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T- 331 in the western United States. The modification is necessary due to the planned decommissioning of Clovis, CA, VOR portion of the VOR/ Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid (NAVAID), which provides navigation guidance for portions of affected ATS route V-23. The decommissioning has rendered portions of V-23 unusable and amending T-331 helps overcome affected portions of V-23. The Clovis, CA, VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, A330-200, and A330-300 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a revision of a certain airworthiness limitations item (ALI) document, which specifies new or more restrictive maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations, and a determination that those maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Dassault Aviation Model MYSTERE-FALCON 50, MYSTERE-FALCON 900, and FALCON 900EX airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of cracked reinforcing straps (doublers) on the ailerons of airplanes equipped with blended winglets. This AD requires repetitive detailed inspections for cracking of the upper and lower reinforcing straps on the ailerons, and replacement if necessary. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200 series airplanes; Model A330-200 Freighter series airplanes; and Model A330-300 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by revisions to certain airworthiness limitation item (ALI) documents, which specify more restrictive instructions and/or airworthiness limitations. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive instructions and/or airworthiness limitation requirements. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposes to amend the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to maintain alignment with international regulations and standards by incorporating various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements. These revisions are necessary to harmonize the HMR with recent changes made to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, and the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous GoodsModel Regulations. Additionally, PHMSA proposes several amendments to the HMR that would allow for increased alignment with the Transport Canada, Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations.