Department of Transportation December 13, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA extends the compliance date for the requirement established by the December 5, 2016, Commercial Driver's License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) final rule that States request information from the Clearinghouse (``query'') about individuals before completing certain commercial driver's license (CDL) transactions for those drivers. The States' compliance with this requirement, currently due to begin on January 6, 2020, is delayed until January 6, 2023. This rule will, however, allow States the option to voluntarily request Clearinghouse information beginning on January 6, 2020. The compliance date extension allows FMCSA the time needed to complete its work on a forthcoming rulemaking to address the States' use of driver-specific information from the Clearinghouse, and time to develop the information technology platform through which States will electronically request and receive Clearinghouse information. The compliance date of January 6, 2020, remains in place for all other requirements set forth in the Clearinghouse final rule.

PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on two (2) requests received from the Kern River Gas Transmission Company to renew previously issued special permits. These special permit renewal requests are seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit renewal requests.

FMCSA announces that Harris Companies, Inc. (Harris) has requested an exemption from the electronic logging devices (ELDs) rule for all its employees who are required to prepare records of duty status (RODS). This includes elevator technicians, electricians, other general laborers, and welders that operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. FMCSA requests public comment on Harris' application for exemption. A copy of Harris' application for exemption is available for review in the docket for this notice.

This action establishes Class E surface airspace for St. Simons Island Airport, St. Simons, GA, and for Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, Brunswick, GA, and amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface in Brunswick, GA, to accommodate airspace reconfiguration due to the airport's names and cities requiring updates. Also, this action removes Class E surface airspace listed as Brunswick Glynco Jetport, GA, and Brunswick Malcolm-McKinnon Airport, GA in the FAA's 7400.11D. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at these airports. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of St. Simons Island Airport, (formally Brunswick Malcolm-McKinnon Airport). In addition, this action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface in the Brunswick area by updating the name and geographic coordinates of St. Simons Island Airport and Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations in the area.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVI airplanes. This AD requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) for your airplane by adding an airplane flight manual supplement (AFMS), which contains operating limitations and abnormal procedures for loss of rudder or yaw damper. This AD was prompted by a report of an inflight rudder surface shutdown that resulted in lateral-directional oscillations of the airplane. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This notice establishes a pilot Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (``RRIF'') Express Program (``RRIF Express'') aimed at increasing access to the RRIF program by short line and regional railroads. The RRIF Express Program will be administered by the DOT's National Surface Transportation and Innovative Finance Bureau (the ``Build America Bureau'' or ``Bureau''). The overall RRIF program finances development of railroad infrastructure, and is authorized to have up to $35 billion in outstanding principal amounts from direct loans and loan guarantees at any one time. The 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act \1\ appropriated $25 million in budget authority to the DOT to cover the cost to the Federal Government (``the Government'') of RRIF credit assistance (Credit Risk Premium (``CRP'') Assistance or ``CRP Assistance''). Additionally, the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act \2\ and the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act \3\ provided $1.96 million and $350,000, respectively (of which approximately $1 million remains available), to the DOT to fund certain expenses incurred by prospective RRIF borrowers in preparation of their applications for RRIF credit assistance (this approximately $1 million assistance, collectively, ``Cost Assistance''). Using existing authorities and these new budget authorities, the DOT has established the RRIF Express Program.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2017-15-01, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 777 airplanes. AD 2017-15-01 requires replacing the existing mode control panel (MCP) with a new MCP having a different part number. Since we issued AD 2017-15-01, the FAA has determined that the affected parts may be installed on airplanes outside of the original applicability of AD 2017-15-01. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2017-15-01, expand the applicability to include those other airplanes, and add a new requirement for certain airplanes to identify and replace the affected parts. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.