Department of Transportation May 17, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program allows a State to assume FHWA's environmental responsibilities for review, consultation, and compliance for Federal highway projects. When a State assumes these Federal responsibilities, the State becomes solely responsible and liable for carrying out the responsibilities it has assumed, in lieu of FHWA. Prior to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, the Program required semiannual audits during each of the first 2 years of State participation to ensure compliance by each State participating in the Program. This notice finalizes the findings of the fifth and last audit report for the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) participation in accordance to these pre-FAST Act requirements.

FRA is updating the Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT) for purposes of FRA's regulation on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. This action is needed to ensure the public has the proper permissible risk threshold to evaluate risk resulting from prohibiting routine locomotive horn sounding at highway- rail grade crossings located in quiet zones. This is the eighth update to the NSRT and it is decreasing from 14,723 to 13,811.

This action modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Charleston, Mississippi County Airport in Charleston, MO. This action is due to the decommissioning of the Charleston non-directional radio beacon (NDB).

This action amends Class E airspace for the Cambridge- Dorchester Regional Airport, Cambridge, MD, by correcting the airspace designation header in the 7400.11 to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. This does not affect the boundaries or operating requirements of the airspace.

This action provides notice of the statutory exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. It also describes the agency's incremental implementation approach for the exception and how individuals can operate recreational unmanned aircraft (commonly referred to as drones) today under the exception.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its findings on the noise compatibility program submitted by the City and County of San Francisco, Airport Commission (Airport Commission), San Mateo County, California under the provisions of 49, United States Code (U.S.C.) (the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, hereinafter referred to as ``the Act'') and 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 150 (hereinafter referred to as ``Part 150''). These findings are made in recognition of the description of Federal and nonfederal responsibilities in Senate Report No. 96-52 (1990). On January 29, 2016, the FAA determined that the noise exposure map updates submitted by the Airport Commission under Part 150 were in compliance with applicable requirements. On April 1, 2019, the FAA approved the San Francisco International Airport, Airport Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) Update. The 3 (three) measures recommended in the NCP Update were approved. No program elements relating to new or revised flight procedures for noise abatement were proposed by the airport operator.