July 2, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a forthcoming meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel.

The Federal Maritime Commission proposes to repeal the exemption from the 45-day waiting period requirement applicable to certain Marine Terminal Agreements. The Commission also proposes to correct a typographical error in its regulations.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of the MCOE FEIS, which evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the MCOE activities at Fort Benning. The FEIS covers the construction, operation, facilities maintenance, personnel increases, and training activities associated with the proposed MCOE actions, as well as increased training throughput due to Grow the Army missions at Fort Benning.

This document contains proposed rules that would amend project review regulations to include provisions specifically requiring Commission approval of projects undergoing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing actions that affect the basin's water resources; restricting the use of docket reopening petitions to avoid abuses of process; amending the ``Approval by Rule'' (ABR) process to standardize ABR notice procedures and allow for project sponsors to utilize approved water sources at approved drilling pad sites without the need for modification of the ABR; clarifying that the public hearing requirement for rulemaking shall be applicable to the proposed rulemaking stage of that process; and further providing for the time period within which administrative appeals must be filed.

Under Section 122(h)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the United States Environmental Protection Agency has entered into five settlements for reimbursement of past response costs concerning the Davis Refining Superfund Site located in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida for publication.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. The FAA is proposing to raise the upper age limit for pilots serving in domestic, flag, and supplemental operations until they reach their 65th birthday as long as the other pilot at the controls is under age 60. Affected pilots would have to apply for medical examination twice a year to maintain a first-class medical certificate instead of once a year to maintain a second-class medical certificate.

On January 2, 2009, the general permit (GP) regulating activities related to the extraction of oil and gas on the North Slope of the Brooks Range in the state of Alaska expired. This proposed reissuance of a general permit is intended to regulate activities related to the extraction of oil and gas on the North Slope of the Brooks Range in the state of Alaska plus the proposed area expansion described in the Fact Sheet. The proposed general permit would cover the same discharges as the previous general permit except for the domestic wastewater discharges. The covered discharges include gravel pit dewatering, construction dewatering, hydrostatic test water, mobile spill response, and storm water from industrial activities. The proposed reissuance also includes a new outfall designation for the discharge of secondary containment water. When issued, the proposed permit will establish effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions and other conditions on discharges from covered facilities. These conditions are based on existing national effluent guidelines, the state of Alaska's Water Quality Standards and material contained in the administrative record. A description of the basis for the conditions and requirements of the proposed general permit is given in the Fact Sheet. This is also notice of the draft Section 401 Certification provided by the state of Alaska, the Consistency Determination under the Alaska Coastal Management Program, and the termination of administrative extensions as described in the Fact Sheet.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is promulgating and seeking comment on an interim final regulation to implement section 1321 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as amended by section 1123 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The regulation establishes a process for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises) to obtain prior approval from the FHFA Director for a new product and provide prior notice to the Director of a new activity. Specifically, the interim final regulation implements section 1321 and is designed to ensure that the FHFA Director has the opportunity to determine prior to an Enterprise commencing a new activity whether the new activity is a new product, and if it is a new product, to determine whether the new product is authorized by the Enterprise's charter, is in the public interest, and is consistent with the safety and soundness of the Enterprise or the mortgage finance or financial system. FHFA invites public comment on all aspects of the regulation.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (60 FR 39136, August 1, 1995) seeking comment on what further steps the Commission should take, if any, to improve the process of changing telecommunications providers and discussing any new ideas that reflect and build upon the new one- business-day interval for simple ports.