Department of Transportation March 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration is requesting public comment on a request by City of Charlotte, to release of land (69.273 acres) at Charlotte Douglas International Airport from federal obligations.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1 Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review for an emergency approval of a new, mandatory information collection. The FTA requests OMB approve this collection within 15 days. The FTA is collecting this information to inform FTA actions to support the transit industry's COVID-19 recovery efforts. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burdens.

In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2021, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, titled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' PHMSA delays the effective date of the final rule, ``Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Regulatory Reform,'' until March 21, 2021. PHMSA also delays until March 21, 2021, its withdrawal of the March 26, 2019, ``Exercise of Enforcement Discretion Regarding Farm Taps'' and the unpublished October 27, 2015, letter to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America announcing a stay of enforcement pertaining to certain pressure vessels.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Safran Helicopter Engines, S.A. (Safran Helicopter Engines) Arriel 1B, Arriel 1C, Arriel 1C2, Arriel 1D1, Astazou XIV B, and Astazou XIV H model turboshaft engines. This AD was prompted by the detection of positive segregation (freckles) on Stage 2 high-pressure turbine (HPT) disks and Stage 3 turbine wheels. This AD requires removal from service of certain Stage 2 HPT disks for Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 1B, 1C, 1C2, and 1D1 model turbofan engines and affected Stage 3 turbine wheels for Safran Helicopter Engines Astazou XIV B and XIV H model turbofan engines. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-24- 03, which applied to all Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 10 airplanes. AD 2018-24-03 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations; as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend VOR Federal airway V-487 in the vicinity of Glens Falls, NY, and Burlington, VT. The proposed change would substitute a radial from the Burlington, VT, VOR/DME (BTV), in place of the current Glens Falls, NY, VOR/DME (GFL) radial, for defining a navigation fix along the route. Additionally, this action would remove segments of V-487 between Burlington, VT, and St Jean, Canada. These changes are necessary due to the decommissioning of the Glens Falls, NY, VOR/DME, and the decommissioning of the St Jean, Canada VOR/DME (YJN).

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-08-20 for certain Airbus Helicopters (previously Eurocopter France) EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters. AD 2016-08-20 requires repetitively inspecting the tail boom to Fenestron junction frame (junction frame) for a crack. Since the FAA issued AD 2016-08-20, additional cracks have been reported and a design change that modifies the junction frame has become available. This proposed AD would continue to require inspecting the junction frame with the horizontal stabilizer removed, and would propose to expand the applicability, revise the compliance time and the inspection procedures for inspecting the junction frame, add inspection procedures for certain helicopters, allow repair of the junction frame, and would require modifying and then repetitively inspecting the junction frame and reporting certain information. The actions of this proposed AD are intended to address an unsafe condition on these products.

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 18, 2019. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-92A helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by an incident of a side facing utility seat detaching from wall attachment points. This proposed AD would require modifying certain side facing utility seats and observer seats. This proposed AD would also prohibit installing those seats unless the modification has been accomplished. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This notice announces a meeting of the ARAC.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will not be prepared for the Eastern Bypass Study, a proposed highway within Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties in Illinois. The termini for the bypass were proposed to be Interstate 74, east of the city of East Peoria, and Illinois Route 6, north of the City of Peoria. The FHWA is rescinding its notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a Tier I EIS which was published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2014.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model SA330J helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by the failure of a second stage planet gear installed in the main gearbox (MGB). This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting the MGB particle detector and the MGB bottom housing (oil sump) for metal particles, analyzing any metal particles that are found, and replacement of the MGB if necessary, as specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency (now European Union Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-26- 01, which applied to certain Airbus Helicopters Model AS332C1, AS332L1, AS332L2, EC225LP, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, EC 155B, and EC155B1 helicopters with an energy-absorbing seat. AD 2015-26-01 required inspecting for the presence of labels (placards) that prohibit stowing anything under the seat, and if a label (placard) is missing or not clearly visible to each occupant, installing a label (placard). This AD retains all of the requirements of AD 2015-26-01, and also adds helicopters to the applicability and requires a modification (installing new labels (placards)). This AD was prompted by the determination that additional helicopters are affected by the unsafe condition, and that new labels (placards) are required for all affected helicopters. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2021, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, titled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' the Department delays the effective date of the final rule, ``Rulemaking Procedures Update,'' until March 21, 2021.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This action modifies the Class E airspace, designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 Airport. This action also modifies the Class E airspace, extending upward from 700 feet above the surface. Additionally, this action removes the Class E airspace, extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. Further, this action removes the Palmdale VORTAC from the Class E4 and the Class E5 legal descriptions. Also, this action removes the Lancaster, Gen. William J. Fox Airfield, CA, from the Class E5 legal description. Lastly, this action implements several administrative corrections to the Class D, Class E4, and Class E5 text headers and legal descriptions.