September 10, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In an effort toward greater transparency and to ensure integrity in public investments, FTA today publishes an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on capital project management. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is considering a revision of its Project Management Oversight (PMO) rule, shifting its focus from project oversight only to project management and oversight. A revised Part would more clearly identify necessary project management skills needed to be demonstrated by project sponsors for all fixed guideway capital projects, as well as additional requirements that would apply only to the more complex major capital projects, and distinguish project characteristics that would require documentation of project plans and implementation strategies in a project management plan, as well as the use of FTA's Project Management Oversight Contractors (PMOCs). Beginning the rulemaking process to update its project management rule will aid some key agency priorities. It will help ensure integrity and accountability in its construction grant programs, and it will provide data the agency can use in its efforts to streamline its discretionary capital project approval process. FTA seeks to elicit a broad array of comments from project sponsors, the industry, other stakeholders, and the public on a number of subjects.

NMFS closes the commercial fishery for vermilion snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. NMFS has determined that the quota for the commercial fishery for vermilion snapper will have been reached by September 18, 2009. This closure is necessary to protect the vermilion snapper resource.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for the Altus, OK area. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Altus/Quartz Mountain Regional Airport, Altus, OK. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Altus/Quartz Mountain Regional Airport.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. Following a review of the petition, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this subspecies may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review to determine if listing the Pacific walrus is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this subspecies.

This notice announces that the period for submitting comments on the proposed rule to amend the regulations implementing the loan guarantee program authorized by section 1703 of Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is extended to September 22, 2009. In the proposed rule, DOE considers certain changes to: Provide flexibility in the determination of appropriate structures, collateral packages to secure guaranteed loan obligations, and other credit support; facilitate collateral sharing and related inter-creditor arrangements with other project lenders; and provide a more workable interpretation of certain statutory provisions regarding DOE's treatment of collateral.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our 12-month finding on a petition to list Astragalus anserinus (Goose Creek milkvetch) as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After a thorough review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing A. anserinus under the Act is warranted. However, listing is currently precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We have assigned a listing priority number (LPN) of 5 to this species, because the threats affecting it have a high magnitude, but are non-imminent. Upon publication of this 12-month petition finding, A. anserinus will be added to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list A. anserinus as our priorities allow. Any determinations on critical habitat will be made during development of the proposed rule.

On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (Serve America Act). The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (``the Corporation'') by amending the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA). The Corporation publishes this interim final rule to implement time-sensitive changes that are required by the Serve America Act to take effect on October 1, 2009. In addition to aligning statutory amendments with the NCSA and DVSA, the interim final rule reorders and renumbers certain parts of the existing regulations and expands the construction and use of defined terms.