Department of Transportation February 27, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it has discontinued preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed capacity enhancements and other improvements (Proposed Action) at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte, NC. The Proposed Action initially presented to the FAA entailed: (1) A Fourth 12,000-foot Parallel Runway 1-19 and End-Around Taxiways; (2) Concourse B and Ramp Expansion; (3) Concourse C and Ramp Expansion; and (4) Daily North Parking Deck. Based on developments during the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (NEPA), review process, the project now subject to environmental review includes a fourth parallel runway of only 10,000 feet. The FAA determined that this was a sufficient change to one of the proposed capacity enhancements, as described in greater detail below in the Supplementary Information section of this Notice, to warrant cancellation of the EIS and conversion to an Environmental Assessment (EA).

The Surface Transportation Board's (Board's) Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) in response to a petition for exemption filed on November 21, 2018 by Texas Railway Exchange LLC (TREX) to construct and operate an approximately 2,800-foot line of railroad in the City of Galveston, Galveston County, Texas. The proposed rail line would connect the Texas International Terminals facility (the Terminal) on Galveston Bay with an existing line of railroad operated by BNSF Railway Company by crossing an existing Union Pacific Railroad rail line. The proposed rail line would offer a new alternative rail transportation option for rail traffic entering and leaving the Terminal. The Draft EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of two alternative rail alignments, as well as the No-Action Alternative and preliminarily concludes that construction of the proposed rail line connection would have no significant environmental impacts if the Board imposes and TREX implements the recommended mitigation measures set forth in the Draft EA. The entire Draft EA is available on the Board's website (www.stb.dot.gov) by clicking on the ``Decisions & Notices'' button that appears in the drop down menu for ``ELIBRARY,'' and searching by Service Date (February 22, 2019) or Docket Number (FD 36186).

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the release of land at the Deadhorse Airport, Deadhorse, Alaska.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-201, -202, and -203 airplanes, and Model A330- 301, -302, and -303 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of damaged drain pipes located above the lower aft pylon fairing (LAPF), caused by a contact between the drain pipe and the two u-shape ribs of the LAPF. This AD requires a special detailed inspection for damage, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.