Department of Transportation March 4, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to grant the application of R.J. Corman Railroad Services, Cranemasters, Inc., (collectively, ``the Companies'') and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Inc. (NRC) for an exemption from the prohibition against driving a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) after the 14th hour after coming on duty and driving after accumulating 60 hours of on-duty time in 7 consecutive days (60-hour rule), or 70 hours of on-duty time in 8 consecutive days (70-hour rule). The exemption will enable railroad employees subject to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules to respond to unplanned events that occur outside of or extend beyond the employee's normal work hours. FMCSA concluded that granting the Companies/NRC's application is likely to achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety that would be obtained in the absence of the exemption.

In this final rule, FRA is amending its regulations requiring commuter and intercity passenger rail (IPR) operations to develop and implement a system safety program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. The rule clarifies that each passenger rail operation has responsibility for ensuring compliance with the SSP final rule. FRA also adjusts the SSP rule's compliance dates to account for FRA's prior stay of the rule's effect and amends the rule to apply its information protections to the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C\3\RS) program included in a passenger rail operation's SSP. FRA is making conforming amendments to the Risk Reduction Program (RRP) final rule to ensure that the RRP and SSP rules have essentially identical consultation and information protection provisions.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on Queen Anne's County's request to change 7.663 acres of federally obligated airport property at Bay Bridge Airport, Stevensville, MD from aeronautical to non-aeronautical use. This acreage was originally purchased with federal financial assistance through the Airport Improvement Program. The proposed use of land after the sale will be compatible with the airport and will not interfere with the airport or its operation.

This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition submitted on May 9, 2018, by Mr. J. Kevin Byrne (the petitioner) to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). The petition requests that the Agency ``undertake a defects investigation'' into ``rust-related fuel tank detachment of Isuzu Rodeo fuel tanks.'' The petitioner bases his request upon a partial fuel tank detachment he experienced on his vehicle, a model year (MY) 2004 Isuzu Rodeo, and another complaint he found in NHTSA's online complaint database involving a MY 2001 Isuzu Rodeo. The petitioner also asserts that the partial fuel tank detachment is covered by NHTSA Recall Number 13V-547. On May 23, 2018, ODI opened Defect Petition (DP) 18-001 to evaluate the petitioner's concerns. After reviewing the information provided by the petitioner and field data regarding fuel tank detachment in MY 2001 through 2004 Isuzu Rodeos and similarly equipped vehicles, NHTSA has concluded that the issues raised by the petition do not warrant a defect investigation. Accordingly, the Agency has denied the petition.