Department of Transportation May 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA is correcting an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that published in the Federal Register on May 28, 2019. The document requests public comment about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that may need to be amended, revised, or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our Nation's roadways. The ANPRM contained an erroneous date for closure of the comment period.

This action proposes to modify the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, CA, eliminate references to the Clovis and Friant Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range/Tactical Air Navigation Aids (VORTAC), and update the airports geographic coordinates to match the FAA's current aeronautical database. In addition, this action would update the airspace lateral dimensions to meet current requirements by removing 4.4 miles of airspace extending to the southeast, adding 0.4 miles to the radius around the Airport Reference Point and adding a portion that extends 1 mile either side of 316[deg] bearing from the 4.4 mile radius to 1.5 miles northwest. This action would support the operation of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) under standard instrument approach and departure procedures in the National Airspace System.

This action extends the comment period for an NPRM that was published on April 15, 2019. In that document, the FAA proposed to streamline and increase the flexibility in the FAA's commercial space launch and reentry regulations. This action would consolidate and revise multiple regulatory parts and apply a single set of licensing and safety regulations across several types of operations and vehicles. The FAA is extending the comment period closing date to allow commenters time to adequately analyze the proposed rule and prepare response.

This notice announces a meeting of the Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.

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

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) on behalf of itself and its parent company Daimler AG (DAG), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS-Class motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or Less. MBUSA filed a noncompliance information report dated December 12, 2016, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on December 22, 2016, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of MBUSA's petition.

General Motors, LLC (GM), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2018 Buick Regal motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or Less. GM filed a noncompliance report dated April 4, 2018, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on April 27, 2018, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of GM's petition.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) issue this Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project (Project) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties regarding the intent to prepare the Supplemental Draft EIS, to provide information on the nature of the proposed Project, potential minimal operable segments, and possible alternatives, and to invite public participation in the EIS process. With this notice, FTA and Metro invite public comments on the scope of the Supplemental Draft EIS and announce public scoping meetings that will be conducted. Consistent with Executive Order 11988: Floodplain Management and Executive Order 11990: Protection of Wetlands, this NOI also serves as a notice to the public that one or more of the alternatives under consideration may affect floodplains and/or wetlands.

This notice announces actions taken by FHWA and other Federal Agencies that are final. The actions relate to the I-20/26/126 Carolina Crossroads Corridor Project, located in Lexington and Richland Counties, South Carolina. This action grants FHWA approval of the project.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Leonardo S.p.A. (Type Certificate previously held by Finmeccanica S.p.A., AgustaWestland S.p.A.) Model AW109SP helicopters. This AD requires inspecting and altering the rescue hoist. This AD was prompted by a report of a damaged hoist cable that detached after load application. The actions of this AD are intended to address an unsafe condition on these products.

This notice announces a two-part public meeting to discuss (1) amending the applicable Unusually Sensitive Areas (USA) definition for the Great Lakes, coastal beaches, and marine coastal waters and (2) public awareness and engagement. During this meeting, PHMSA will provide updates on amending the applicable USA and/or high consequences area (HCA) definitions to include the Great Lakes, coastal beaches and marine coastal waters and seek input on applicable definition options and available geospatial information system (GIS) data. In addition, PHMSA will seek input to determine the most effective methods to inform all stakeholders on their shared responsibilities in relation to pipeline safety.

FMCSA requests public comment about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that may need to be amended, revised, or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our Nation's roadways. In approaching the task of adapting its regulations to accommodate automated vehicle technologies, FMCSA is considering changes to its rules to account for significant differences between human operators and ADS.

NHTSA is seeking public comment on the near- and long-term challenges of testing and verifying compliance with existing crash avoidance (100-series) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) for Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs) that lack traditional manual controls necessary for a human driver to maneuver the vehicle and other features intended to facilitate operation of a vehicle by a human driver, but that are otherwise traditional vehicles with typical seating configurations. This document seeks comments on the suitability of various approaches that could be used to address compliance verification challenges that exist for crash avoidance standards that either require a manual control; or specify the use of manual controls in a compliance test procedure. NHTSA's long-term goal is to use what the agency learns from this ANPRM, as well as the agency's other research efforts, to develop a proposal to amend the crash avoidance FMVSSs in ways that address these and other compliance challenges with a continued focus on safety. This ANPRM builds on NHTSA's efforts to identify and address regulatory barriers to ADS technologies, including the request for comments (RFC) on this topic in January 2018. NHTSA intends to issue two additional documents to remove barriers in the crashworthiness FMVSSs (200-series standards) and address issues in the FMVSSs pertaining to telltales, indicators, and warnings in ADS-DVs.

This action modifies the Hawaiian Islands Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet and 5,500 feet above the surface of the earth by removing that portion that extends beyond the Territorial Sea. This action supports the operation of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) under standard instrument approach and departure procedures in the Hawaiian Islands, for the safety and management of aircraft within the National Airspace System.

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) 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 March 18, 2019. No comments were received.

The OSDBU invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involves the following form with an expiration date of May 20, 2022, and is presently in use.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is issuing this notice to advise that a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a proposed bridge replacement project of the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge across the Columbia River between Hood River, Oregon and White Salmon, Washington.