Department of Transportation September 19, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program, commonly known as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment Program, allows a State to assume FHWA's environmental responsibilities for review, consultation, and compliance for Federal highway projects. When a State assumes these Federal responsibilities, the State becomes solely responsible and liable for the responsibilities it has assumed, in lieu of FHWA. This program mandates annual audits during each of the first 4 years to ensure the State's compliance with program requirements. This is the fourth and final audit of the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) performance of its responsibilities under the NEPA Assignment Program. This notice finalizes the findings of the fourth and final audit report for FDOT.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) to discuss the notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair'' and ``Class Location Change Requirements.''

In a notice of renewal of exemptions published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2023, FMCSA announced its decision to renew exemptions for eight individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce. The notice inadvertently published an individual's legal name incorrectly. This notice corrects that error.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Viking Air Limited (Viking) (type certificate previously held by Bombardier Inc. and de Havilland, Inc.) Model DHC-3 airplanes. This AD results from 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 corrosion, wear, and fatigue-related degradation in aging aircraft. This AD requires incorporating into the existing maintenance records for your airplane the actions and associated thresholds and intervals, including life limits, specified in a supplemental inspection and corrosion control manual for Model DHC-3 airplanes. This AD also requires completing all the initial tasks identified in this manual and reporting corrosion findings to Viking. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

FRA announces the sixty-fifth meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), a Federal advisory committee that provides advice and recommendations to FRA on railroad safety matters through a consensus process. This meeting of the RSAC will focus on efforts made regarding potential safety improvements related to the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing Safety Advisory 23-1 to encourage agencies that provide bus service to consider mitigation strategies to reduce bus-to-person collisions. This safety advisory provides guidance on identifying specific hazards that may cause or contribute to bus-to-person collisions, completing a safety risk assessment, and developing mitigations to address the assessed safety risks for transit agencies. FTA's Safety Advisory 23-1 ``Bus-to-Person Collisions'' is available on the agency's public website (https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/safety/ fta-safety-advisories).