11806 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 48 / Friday, March 12, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

PART 29—AIRWORTHINESS 

STANDARDS: TRANSPORT 

CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT 

1. The authority citation for part 29 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701– 

44702, 44704. 

2. Revise § 29.571 to read as follows: 

§ 29.571 Fatigue Tolerance Evaluation of 

Metallic Structure. 

(a) A fatigue tolerance evaluation of 

each principal structural element (PSE) 

must be performed, and appropriate 

inspections and retirement time or 

approved equivalent means must be 

established to avoid catastrophic failure 

during the operational life of the 

rotorcraft. The fatigue tolerance 

evaluation must consider the effects of 

both fatigue and the damage determined 

in paragraph (e)(4) of this section. Parts 

to be evaluated include PSEs of the 

rotors, rotor drive systems between the 

engines and rotor hubs, controls, 

fuselage, fixed and movable control 

surfaces, engine and transmission 

mountings, landing gear, and their 

related primary attachments. 

(b) For the purposes of this section, 

the term— 

Catastrophic failure means an event 

that could prevent continued safe flight 

and landing. 

Principal Structural Element (PSE) 

means a structural element that 

contributes significantly to the carriage 

of flight or ground loads, and the fatigue 

failure of that structural element could 

result in catastrophic failure of the 

aircraft. 

(c) The methodology used to establish 

compliance with this section must be 

submitted and approved by the 

Administrator. 

(d) Considering all rotorcraft 

structure, structural elements, and 

assemblies, each PSE must be identified. 

(e) Each fatigue tolerance evaluation 

required by this section must include: 

(1) In-flight measurements to 

determine the fatigue loads or stresses 

for the PSEs identified in paragraph (d) 

of this section in all critical conditions 

throughout the range of design 

limitations required in § 29.309 

(including altitude effects), except that 

maneuvering load factors need not 

exceed the maximum values expected in 

operations. 

(2) The loading spectra as severe as 

those expected in operations based on 

loads or stresses determined under 

paragraph (e)(1) of this section, 

including external load operations, if 

applicable, and other high frequency 

power-cycle operations. 

(3) Takeoff, landing, and taxi loads 

when evaluating the landing gear and 

other affected PSEs. 

(4) For each PSE identified in 

paragraph (d) of this section, a threat 

assessment which includes a 

determination of the probable locations, 

types, and sizes of damage, taking into 

account fatigue, environmental effects, 

intrinsic and discrete flaws, or 

accidental damage that may occur 

during manufacture or operation. 

(5) A determination of the fatigue 

tolerance characteristics for the PSE 

with the damage identified in paragraph 

(e)(4) of this section that supports the 

inspection and retirement times, or 

other approved equivalent means. 

(6) Analyses supported by test 

evidence and, if available, service 

experience. 

(f) A residual strength determination 

is required to establish the allowable 

damage size. In determining inspection 

intervals based on damage growth, the 

residual strength evaluation must show 

that the remaining structure, after 

damage growth, is able to withstand 

design limit loads without failure 

within its operational life. 

(g) The effect of damage on stiffness, 

dynamic behavior, loads, and functional 

performance must be considered. 

(h) Based on the requirements of this 

section, inspections and retirement 

times or approved equivalent means 

must be established to avoid 

catastrophic failure. The inspections 

and retirement times or approved 

equivalent means must be included in 

the Airworthiness Limitations Section 

of the Instructions for Continued 

Airworthiness required by Section 

29.1529 and Section A29.4 of Appendix 

A of this part. 

(i) If inspections for any of the damage 

types identified in paragraph (e)(4) of 

this section cannot be established 

within the limitations of geometry, 

inspectability, or good design practice, 

then supplemental procedures, in 

conjunction with the PSE retirement 

time, must be established to minimize 

the risk of occurrence of these types of 

damage that could result in a 

catastrophic failure during the 

operational life of the rotorcraft. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 7, 

2010. 

Kalene C. Yanamura, 

Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–5486 Filed 3–11–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

49 CFR Part 575 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0018] 

Notice of Public Meeting; Tire Fuel 

Efficiency 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public 

meeting. 

SUMMARY: On June 22, 2009, NHTSA 

published a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) proposing a new 

consumer information program for 

replacement tires (74 FR 29542). The 

new consumer information program 

responded to a requirement in the 

Energy Independence and Security Act 

of 2007 (EISA), which directed NHTSA 

to develop a national tire fuel efficiency 

rating system and consumer education 

program for replacement tires. The 

program would inform consumers about 

the effect of tires on fuel efficiency, 

safety and durability. 

Prior to the NPRM, NHTSA 

conducted focus group studies in which 

it presented several labels using 

different graphics and scales to relay the 

ratings proposed in the NPRM. After the 

NPRM was issued, NHTSA conducted 

an internet survey to further explore 

what influences consumers’ tire 

purchasing decisions and how best to 

convey the information in this new 

program to consumers. 

To further refine the consumer 

education portion of this new program, 

NHTSA intends to conduct further 

consumer research. NHTSA invites 

interested parties to submit written 

comments and participate in a public 

meeting on the research plan using the 

instructions set forth in this notice. As 

described in the Procedural Matters 

section of this notice, each speaker 

should anticipate speaking for 

approximately ten minutes, although we 

may need to adjust the time for each 

speaker if there is a large turnout. To 

facilitate discussion, NHTSA has placed 

documents concerning early research, 

and the draft research plan for the future 

in the docket. NHTSA will consider the 

public comments received in 

developing a research plan to aid in the 

development of consumer information 

requirements and NHTSA’s consumer 

education plan regarding tire fuel 

efficiency. 

DATES: Public Meeting: The public 

meeting will be held on Friday, March 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 48 / Friday, March 12, 2010 / Proposed Rules 11807 

1Public Law 110–140, 121 Stat. 1492 (Dec. 18, 

2007). 

26, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 

Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 

20590. NHTSA recommends that all 

persons attending the meeting arrive at 

least 45 minutes early in order to 

facilitate entry into the Department. If 

you wish to attend or speak at the 

meeting, you must register in advance 

no later than Monday, March 22, 2010, 

by following the instructions in the 

Procedural Matters section of this 

notice. NHTSA will consider late 

registrants to the extent time and space 

allows, but NHTSA cannot ensure that 

late registrants will be able to speak at 

the meeting. 

Comments: NHTSA must receive 

written comments by Friday, April 2, 

2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Mary Versailles, Telephone: 1–202– 

366–2057, Office of International 

Vehicle, Fuel Economy and Consumer 

Standards, National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

E-mail: mary.versailles@dot.gov. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

to the docket number identified in the 

heading of this document by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

M–30, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, West Building, Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. 

Department of Transportation, West 

Building, Ground Floor, Room W12– 

140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m. Eastern time, Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

Regardless of how you submit your 

comments, you should mention the 

docket number of this document. 

You may call the Docket at 1–800– 

647–5527. 

Note that all comments received, 

including any personal information, 

will be posted without change to http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 

22, 2009, NHTSA published a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing 

a new consumer information program 

for replacement tires (74 FR 29542). The 

new consumer information program 

responded to a requirement in the 

Energy Independence and Security Act 

of 2007 (EISA),1 which directed NHTSA 

to develop a national tire fuel efficiency 

rating system and consumer education 

program for replacement tires. The 

program would inform consumers about 

the effect of tires on fuel efficiency, 

safety and durability. 

Prior to the NPRM, NHTSA 

conducted focus group studies in which 

it presented several labels using 

different graphics and scales to relay the 

ratings proposed in the NPRM. After the 

NPRM was issued, NHTSA conducted 

an internet survey to further explore 

what influences consumers’ tire 

purchasing decisions and how best to 

convey the information in this new 

program to consumers. 

To further refine the consumer 

education portion of this new program, 

NHTSA intends to conduct further 

consumer research. NHTSA invites 

interested parties to submit written 

comments and participate in a public 

meeting on the research plan using the 

instructions set forth in this notice. To 

facilitate discussion, NHTSA has placed 

documents concerning early research, 

and the draft research plan for the future 

in the docket. NHTSA will consider the 

public comments received in 

developing a research plan to aid in the 

development of consumer information 

requirements and NHTSA’s consumer 

education plan regarding tire fuel 

efficiency. 

NHTSA would like to emphasize that 

the only topic of discussion at this 

public meeting is NHTSA’s research 

plans for consumer education. 

Comments on other aspects of the 

proposed regulation should be 

presented to NHTSA as described in the 

NPRM and not via this forum. 

Procedural Matters: The meeting will 

be open to the public with advanced 

registration for seating on a spaceavailable basis. Individuals wishing to 

register to assure a seat in the public 

seating area should provide their name, 

affiliation, phone number, and e-mail 

address to Ms. Mary Versailles using the 

contact information in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section at the 

beginning of this notice no later than 

Monday March 22, 2010. Should it be 

necessary to cancel the meeting due to 

an emergency or some other reason, 

NHTSA will take all available means to 

notify registered participants by e-mail 

or telephone. 

The meeting will be held at a site 

accessible to individuals with 

disabilities. Individuals who require 

accommodations such as sign language 

interpreters should contact Ms. Mary 

Versailles using the contact information 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section above no later than 

Monday March 22, 2010. Any written 

materials NHTSA presents at the 

meeting will be available electronically 

on the day of the meeting to 

accommodate the needs of the visually 

impaired. Because this meeting is solely 

to develop a research plan, a transcript 

of the meeting will not be created. 

Therefore, NHTSA recommends that 

speakers also submit materials to the 

docket for the record. 

How long will I have to speak at the 

public meeting? 

Once NHTSA learns how many 

people have registered to speak at the 

public meeting, NHTSA will allocate an 

appropriate amount of time to each 

participant, allowing time for lunch and 

necessary breaks throughout the day. 

For planning purposes, each speaker 

should anticipate speaking for 

approximately ten minutes, although we 

may need to adjust the time for each 

speaker if there is a large turnout. To 

accommodate as many speakers as 

possible, NHTSA prefers that speakers 

not use technological aids (e.g., audiovisuals, computer slideshows). 

However, if you plan to do so, you must 

let Ms. Mary Versailles know by 

Monday, March 22, 2010, using the 

contact information in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section above. 

You also must make arrangements to 

provide your presentation or any other 

aids to NHTSA in advance of the 

meeting in order to facilitate set-up. 

During the week of March 22nd, 

NHTSA will post information on its 

Web site (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov) 

indicating the amount of time allocated 

for each speaker and each speaker’s 

approximate order on the agenda for the 

meeting. 

How do I prepare and submit written 

comments? 

It is not necessary to attend or to 

speak at the public meeting to be able 

to comment on the issues. NHTSA 

invites the submission of written 

comments, which the agency will 

consider in preparing its research plan. 

Your comments must be written and in 

English. To ensure that your comments 

are correctly filed in the Docket, please 

include the docket number at the 

beginning of this notice in your 

comments. 

Your primary comments may not 

exceed 15 pages.2 However, you may 

attach supporting documents to your 

primary comments. There is no limit to 

the length of the attachments. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS
11808 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 48 / Friday, March 12, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register at 65 

FR 19477, April 11, 2000, or you may 

visit http://www.regulations.gov. 

If you wish Docket Management to 

notify you upon its receipt of your 

comments, enclose a self-addressed, 

stamped postcard in the envelope 

containing your comments. Upon 

receiving your comments, Docket 

Management will return the postcard by 

mail. 

How do I submit confidential business 

information? 

If you wish to submit any information 

under a claim of confidentiality, send 

three copies of your complete 

submission, including the information 

you claim to be confidential business 

information, to the Chief Counsel, 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Include a cover letter supplying the 

information specified in our 

confidential business information 

regulation (49 CFR part 512). 

In addition, send two copies from 

which you have deleted the claimed 

confidential business information to 

Docket Management, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., West Building, Room 

W12–140, Washington, DC 20590, or 

submit them electronically, in the 

manner described at the beginning of 

this notice. 

Will the agency consider late 

comments? 

NHTSA will consider all comments 

that Docket Management receives before 

the close of business on the comment 

closing date indicated above under 

DATES. To the extent the research 

schedule allows, NHTSA will try to 

consider comments that Docket 

Management receives after that date, but 

we cannot ensure that we will be able 

to do so.3

Please note that even after the 

comment closing date we will continue 

to file relevant information in the docket 

as it becomes available. Further, some 

commenters may submit late comments. 

Accordingly, we recommend that you 

periodically check the docket for new 

material. 

Issued: March 5, 2010. 

Stephen R. Kratzke, 

Associate Administrator for Rulemaking. 

[FR Doc. 2010–5177 Filed 3–11–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

50 CFR Part 16 

RIN 1018-AV68 

[FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015] 

[94140-1342-0000-N3] 

Injurious Wildlife Species; Listing the 

Boa Constrictor, Four Python Species, 

and Four Anaconda Species as 

Injurious Reptiles 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; availability of 

draft environmental assessment and 

draft economic analysis. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) proposes to amend its 

regulations to add Indian python 

(Python molurus, including Burmese 

python Python molurus bivittatus), 

reticulated python (Broghammerus 

reticulatus or Python reticulatus), 

Northern African python (Python 

sebae), Southern African python 

(Python natalensis), boa constrictor (Boa 

constrictor), yellow anaconda (Eunectes 

notaeus), DeSchauensee’s anaconda 

(Eunectes deschauenseei), green 

anaconda (Eunectes murinus), and Beni 

anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) to the list 

of injurious reptiles. This listing would 

prohibit the importation of any live 

animal, gamete, viable egg, or hybrid of 

these nine constrictor snakes into the 

United States, except as specifically 

authorized. The best available 

information indicates that this action is 

necessary to protect the interests of 

humans, wildlife, and wildlife resources 

from the purposeful or accidental 

introduction and subsequent 

establishment of these large constrictor 

snake populations into ecosystems of 

the United States. If the proposed rule 

is made final, live snakes, gametes, or 

hybrids of the nine species or their 

viable eggs could be imported only by 

permit for scientific, medical, 

educational, or zoological purposes, or 

without a permit by Federal agencies 

solely for their own use. The proposed 

rule, if made final, would also prohibit 

any interstate transportation of live 

snakes, gametes, viable eggs, or hybrids 

of the nine species currently held in the 

United States. If the proposed rule is 

made final, interstate transportation 

could be authorized for scientific, 

medical, educational, or zoological 

purposes. 

DATES: We will consider comments we 

receive on or before May 11, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by one of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments to 

Docket No. FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015. 

• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public 

Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 

FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015; Division of 

Policy and Directives Management; U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. 

Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 

22203. 

We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We 

will post all comments on http:// 

www.regulations.gov. This generally 

means that we will post any personal 

information you provide us (see the 

Public Comments section below for 

more information). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Supervisor, South Florida Ecological 

Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, 

FL 32960-3559; telephone 772-562-3909 

ext. 256. If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD), please call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800- 

877-8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Previous Federal Action 

On June 23, 2006, the Service 

received a petition from the South 

Florida Water Management District 

(District) requesting that Burmese 

pythons be considered for inclusion in 

the injurious wildlife regulations under 

the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42). The 

District is concerned about the number 

of Burmese pythons found in Florida, 

particularly in Everglades National Park 

and on the District’s widespread 

property in South Florida. 

The Service published a notice of 

inquiry in the Federal Register (73 FR 

5784; January 31, 2008) soliciting 

available biological, economic, and 

other information and data on the 

Python, Boa, and Eunectes genera for 

possible addition to the list of injurious 

wildlife under the Lacey Act and 

provided a 90–day public comment 

period. The Service received 1,528 

comments during the public comment 

period that closed April 30, 2008. We 

reviewed all comments received for 

substantive issues and information 

regarding the injurious nature of species 

in the Python, Boa, and Eunectes 

genera. Of the 1,528 comments, 115 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with PROPOSALS