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

FMCSA announces its decision to grant, with conditions, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, Inc.'s (Knight-Swift) application for an exemption from the requirement that motor carriers rely on the motor vehicle record (MVR) of their drivers holding a commercial driver's license (CDL) as proof of the driver's medical qualifications when the driver undergoes a new medical exam during the initial period of employment as a condition of employment. Knight-Swift would rely on the medical long form for newly hired drivers and then rely on the MVR when the subsequent annual review of the driving record is performed. FMCSA analyzed the exemption application and public comments and determined that the applicant would achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new (periodic) information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on November 19, 2020. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

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 FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-05-09, which applies to all Airbus Helicopters Model AS332C, AS332C1, AS332L, and AS332L1 helicopters. AD 2018-05-09 requires inspecting the tail rotor (T/R) flapping hinge link (hinge) and reporting the results. Since the FAA issued AD 2018-05-09, the FAA has determined that repetitive inspections of the spindle bolts and the inner ring and needle bearings of each flapping hinge and repetitive replacements of affected flapping hinge components must be done in order to address the unsafe condition. Replacement of all affected flapping hinge components on each flapping hinge is terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections of the spindle bolts and the inner ring and needle bearings of each flapping hinge, corrective actions if necessary, and repetitive replacements of affected flapping hinge components, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. This proposed AD would also expand the applicability. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Aviation Administration received written notice from the Alaska Department of Transportation (AKDOT) advising that infrastructure associated with Juneau, Alaska Seaplane Base (5Z1) in Harris Harbor was permanently removed and that 5Z1 is permanently closed.

The FAA is withdrawing the NPRM published in the Federal Register on June 26, 2020, proposing to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-221 and V-305 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Hoosier, IN, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program. Subsequent to the NPRM, the FAA reviewed the Hoosier VOR decommissioning project and determined additional planning meetings are necessary to ensure a more efficient implementation and integration with other ongoing program activities, and determined that withdrawal of the proposed rule is warranted.

This action proposes to amend the Class D airspace and Class E airspace at Niagara Falls International Airport, Niagara Falls, NY, and amend and establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Buffalo, NY. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of airspace reviews due to new instrument procedures being implemented at Buffalo- Lancaster Regional Airport, Lancaster, NY. The names and geographic coordinates of airports and navigational aids would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

PHMSA is making available for comment a set of draft frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding federal oversight of midstream processing facilities. Specifically, this guidance will delineate where PHMSA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will each perform inspection and enforcement activities for midstream processing facilities where there is overlapping authority. The proposed guidance consists of a set of seven FAQs that were developed by the Midstream Processing Working Group (Working Group) established by the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC).