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

The FAA is revising a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that applied to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000- K2, and Trent 1000-L2 model turbofan engines. This action revises the NPRM by requiring revision of the engine Time Limits Manual (TLM) life limits of certain critical rotating parts and direct accumulation counting (DAC) data files, as specified in a 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. Since these actions would impose an additional burden over those in the NPRM, the agency is requesting comments on this SNPRM.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for approximately $409.59 million in fiscal year (FY) 2021 funds under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (Federal Assistance Listing #20.526). As required by Federal public transportation law and subject to funding availability, funds will be awarded competitively to assist in the financing of capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, purchase or lease buses and related equipment, and to rehabilitate, purchase, construct or lease bus-related facilities. Projects may include costs incidental to the acquisition of buses or to the construction of facilities, such as the costs of related workforce development and training activities, and project administration expenses. FTA may award additional funds if they are made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the Surface Transportation Board (Board) intends to renew the charter of the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee (RETAC).

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited (type certificate previously held by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited) Model 505 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by the determination that reducing the pressure altitude limitations for certain fuel types is necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing Rotorcraft Flight Manal (RFM) for your helicopter. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This notice announces a meeting of the Drone Advisory Committee.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 777 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that an operator found solid rivets with missing heads at the left buttock line 25 on the sloping pressure deck web. This AD requires doing a detailed inspection of the left- and right-side sloping pressure deck at certain stations for any damaged solid rivets, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Models GV and GV- SP airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the omission of a life limit in the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the maintenance manual for a certain main landing gear (MLG) trunnion pin. This proposed AD would require revising the ALS of your existing instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) or inspection program for the airplane to establish a life limit of 20,000 flight cycles for the affected MLG trunnion pin. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Daher Aerospace (type certificate previously held by SOCATA) Models TB 20 and TB 21 airplanes. This AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as cracks on the main landing gear (MLG) legs. This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting the MLG and performing all applicable corrective actions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of defects on the piston hole associated with the O2 saver feature that may prevent efficient deactivation of the O2 saver function. This AD requires amending the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to incorporate a check and an operating limitation regarding the O2 saver function, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also limits the installation of affected parts under certain conditions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order, ``America's Supply Chains,'' which directs several Federal agency actions to secure and strengthen America's supply chains. On June 8, 2021, the President also established a Supply Chain Disruptions Task Forceco-chaired by the Secretaries of Transportation, Agriculture, and Commerceto address near term supply chain challenges, with a focus on alleviating bottlenecks and supply constraints in the transportation sector, particularly for ports, rail, and trucking. The Executive Order requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit, within one year, a report to the President on supply chains for the transportation industrial base. DOT's one-year assessment will build off the work of the Supply Chains Disruption Task Force and focus on the freight and logistics sector, with the goal of strengthening resilience among transportation supply chains. This notice requests information from the public to assist the Department of Transportation in preparing the report required by the Executive Order and solicits practical solutions from a broad range of stakeholders to address current and future challenges to supply chain resilience in the freight and logistics sector.

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 nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-26- 02, which applied to certain Yabor[atilde] Ind[uacute]stria Aeron[aacute]utica S.A. (type certificate previously held by Embraer S.A.) Model ERJ 190-400 airplanes. AD 2020-26-02 required amending the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to incorporate a new limitation and revise certain normal procedures. This AD retains those requirements and also requires upgrading the electronic engine control (EEC) software, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD was prompted by a report of an in-flight shutdown (IFSD) due in part to failure in the low-pressure compressor (LPC) rotor 1 during operation in high altitude at high thrust settings, and by the development of updated EEC software, which would terminate the requirement to amend the existing AFM. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for an information collection for the Department's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The information collected is necessary to maintain successful implementation of the DBE program, as it helps ensure that state and local recipients of DOT funds carry out the program's mission of providing a level playing field for small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

FRA, on behalf of the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), is issuing this notice to announce actions taken by the Authority that are final. By this notice, FRA is advising the public of the time limit to file a claim seeking judicial review of the actions related to a proposed railroad project, the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) Authority's Bakersfield to Palmdale Project Section (Project). These actions grant approvals for project implementation pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws, regulations, and executive orders.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of low halon concentration in the forward and aft cargo compartments due to air leakage through cargo door seals, and the certification of improved cargo door seals. This AD requires repetitive cleaning and greasing of affected cargo door seals; replacing the forward, aft, and bulk cargo compartment door seals with new seals; and installing a placard on the forward, aft, and cargo compartment doors; and for certain airplanes, implementing an operational limitation for certain routes, 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.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection. This Mariner Survey Pre-Test collection provides for cognitive interviews and a pilot survey of a sample of appropriately credentialed U.S. merchant mariners to validate and improve the study design for a subsequent Mariner Survey.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is announcing a virtual public hearing to be held October 13, 2021, on its proposal for the ``Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,'' which was signed on August 5, 2021, and published in the Federal Register on September 3, 2021. This hearing also allows the public to provide oral comments regarding the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement that accompanies the proposal. An additional session will be held on October 14, if necessary, to accommodate the number of people who sign up to provide oral comments. NHTSA is proposing to revise the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2024 through 2026 to make the standards more stringent.

The FHWA, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), is issuing this Notice to advise the public that we are rescinding the July 20, 2006 Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge corridor improvements project, located in Hamilton County, Ohio and Kenton County, Kentucky. We are rescinding the NOI because the project was down scoped to an Environmental Assessment (EA) in 2010 and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued in 2012.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-1A11 (600), CL-600-2A12 (601), and CL-600-2B16 (601-3A, 601-3R, and 604 Variants) airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH Model MBB-BK 117 D-2 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of chafing marks on a wiring harness near the locking washer of the lateral control rod. This proposed AD would require an inspection of the wiring harness and the routing of the wiring harness and corrective actions if necessary, as specified in a 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 revising an earlier proposal for certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters. This action revises the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) by expanding the required actions. This proposed AD would require various inspections of certain main rotor (MR) dampers, as specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency (now European Union Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). This proposed AD would also require reducing the torque of the MR damper hub attachment bolts, installing a special washer, installing a certain part-numbered MR damper, and prohibit installing other part-numbered MR dampers. The FAA is proposing this airworthiness directive (AD) to address the unsafe condition on these products. Since these actions would impose an additional burden over those in the NPRM, the FAA is requesting comments on this SNPRM.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 206, 206A, 206A-1, 206B, 206B-1, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, and 206L-4 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracked or missing nuts on the tail rotor drive shaft (TRDS) disc pack (Thomas) couplings. This proposed AD would require removing certain nuts from service, installing newly designed nuts, and applying a specific torque and a torque stripe to each newly installed nut. This proposed AD would then require, after the installation of each newly designed nut, inspecting the torque and, depending on the inspection results, either applying a torque stripe or performing further inspections and removing certain parts from service. Finally, this proposed AD would prohibit installing any affected nut on any TRDS Thomas coupling. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.