Department of Transportation March 26, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its findings on the Noise Compatibility Program submitted by the Westover Municipal Development Corporation under the provisions of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979. On March 7, 2019 the New England Region Airports Division Manager approved the Noise Compatibility Program under Part 150. On November 7, 2018, the FAA had determined the noise exposure maps submitted by the Westover Municipal Development Corporation were in compliance with applicable requirements of Part 150.

FTA and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) intend to prepare an EIS to evaluate the benefits and impacts of the proposed Tacoma Dome Link Extension (TDLE), a light rail transit extension project. The project would improve public transit service between the Federal Way Transit Center in Federal Way, King County and the Tacoma Dome Station in Tacoma, Pierce County. It would respond to a growing number of transportation and community needs identified in the agency's regional transit system plan, Sound Transit 3 (ST3). The project would also cross the lands of the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation (Puyallup Tribe of Indians). FTA and Sound Transit will prepare the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FTA environmental regulations, Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), and Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice initiates formal scoping for the EIS, provides information on the nature of the proposed transit project, invites participation in the EIS process, provides information about the purpose and need for the proposed transit project, includes general information on the range of alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS, and identifies potential environmental effects to be considered. It also invites comments from interested members of the public, tribes, and agencies on the scope of the EIS and announces upcoming public scoping meetings. Alternatives being considered for evaluation include a No-Build and various build alternatives to develop light rail in the TDLE corridor. The alternatives were developed through a local planning process including a Regional Transit Long-Range Plan, a regional system plan of transit investments (ST3), and a SEPA early scoping and alternatives development process specific to the TDLE corridor. The results of SEPA early scoping and alternatives planning, as well as other background information, are summarized in the Tacoma Dome Link Extension Scoping Information Report, which is available at Sound Transit's office located at 401 S Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, on the project website: www.soundtransit.org/tdlink, or by contacting the project line at (206) 903-7118.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Pratt & Whitney Division (PW) PW4158 turbofan engines. This AD was prompted by several reports of high cycle fatigue (HCF) cracks found in the fuel nozzle supply manifold. This AD requires replacement of the affected fuel nozzles and fuel nozzle manifold supply assemblies with parts eligible for installation. This AD also requires installation of new brackets and clamps on the fuel nozzle supply manifold assemblies. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

PHMSA is announcing its exercise of enforcement discretion with respect to portions of its regulations that pertain to farm taps. Pursuant to the exercise of enforcement discretion announced in this document, PHMSA will not take enforcement action against operators who forego the new maintenance and inspection requirements established in March 2017 and instead mitigate any future risk associated with farm taps through compliance with the existing Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) regulations. This will provide regulatory flexibility to pipeline operators while at the same time maintaining an equivalent level of safety.