June 3, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document summarizes the results of a review of the CALEA Cost Recovery Regulations, under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

EPA is withdrawing the immediate final rule for Virginia: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program revision published on April 3, 2008, which authorized changes to Virginia's hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA stated in the immediate final rule that if EPA received written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, EPA would publish a notice of withdrawal in the Federal Register prior to the effective date of June 2, 2008. Since EPA did receive a comment that opposes this authorization, EPA is withdrawing the immediate final rule. EPA will address these comments in a subsequent final action based on the proposed rule also published on April 3, 2008 at 73 FR 18229.

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirement for the final rule entitled Performance and Handling Qualities Requirements for Rotorcraft (Amendments 27-44 and 29-51), published February 29, 2008.

This rule makes a technical correction to the final regulations, which were published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, that govern Section 4(f) approvals for the FHWA and the FTA. The amendment contained herein makes no substantive change to the FHWA or the FTA regulations, policies, or procedures. This rule clarifies an ambiguity in the language of the regulatory text caused by a global word change implemented in the Final Rule as a result of comments received in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

On August 28, 2007 (72 FR 49352), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a final rule revising the provisions applicable to the licensing and approval processes for nuclear power plants (i.e., early site permit, standard design approval, standard design certification, combined license, and manufacturing license). These amendments clarify the applicability of various requirements to each of the licensing processes by making necessary conforming amendments throughout the NRC's regulations to enhance the NRC's regulatory effectiveness and efficiency in implementing its licensing and approval processes. This document is necessary to include a paragraph that was inadvertently omitted in that final rule.

In accordance with the framework procedures for adjusting management measures of the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), NMFS proposes to decertify the expanded mesh bycatch reduction device (BRD), the ``Gulf fisheye'' BRD, and the ``fisheye'' BRD, as currently specified, for use in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) shrimp fishery. NMFS would also certify a new specification for the fisheye device to be used in the Gulf. The intended effect of this proposed rule is to improve bycatch reduction in the shrimp fishery and better meet the requirements of national standard 9.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the Vidalia Onion Committee (Committee) for the 2008 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.10 to $0.13 per 40-pound container of Vidalia onions handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of Vidalia onions grown in Georgia. Assessments upon Vidalia onion handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins January 1 and ends December 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

EPA is proposing an update to the lead maintenance plan for Dakota County, Minnesota. This plan update demonstrates that Dakota County will maintain attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead through 2014. Minnesota has verified that the emission limits adopted to demonstrate modeled attainment continue to be met, that there are no new significant sources of lead or increases in background emissions, and that the state has in place a comprehensive program to identify sources of violations and address any violation through enforcement and implementation of a contingency plan.

This action announces the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register. EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 99 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples required by regulation. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primary agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

PHMSA is amending its pipeline safety regulations to extend added protection to certain environmentally sensitive areas that could be damaged by failure of a rural onshore hazardous liquid gathering line or low-stress pipeline. Building on PHMSA's existing regulatory framework, the rule is intended to protect designated ``unusually sensitive areas'' (USAs)locations requiring extra protection because of the presence of sole-source drinking water, endangered species, or other ecological resources. This rule defines ``regulated rural onshore hazardous liquid gathering lines'' and requires operators of these lines to comply with safety requirements that address the most common threats to the integrity of these pipelines: Corrosion and third-party damage. In accordance with the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006, the rule also significantly narrows the regulatory exception for rural onshore low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines by extending all existing safety regulations, including integrity management requirements, to large-diameter low- stress pipelines within a defined ``buffer'' area around a USA. The final rule requires operators of these, and all other low-stress pipelines, to comply with annual reporting requirements, furnishing data needed for further rulemaking required by the PIPES Act.