2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) by revising sections of GSAR Part 546 and 552 that provides requirements for quality assurance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is providing notice that through a letter signed on April 24, 2009, EPA has granted a petition for reconsideration dated February 10, 2009, submitted by Earthjustice on behalf of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club, with respect to the final rule titled, ``Implementation of the New Source Review (NSR) Program for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5),'' published on May 16, 2008. In addition, EPA has administratively stayed one of the provisions to which the petitioners objecteda ``grandfathering'' provision for PM2.5 contained in the federal prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) program. The EPA will publish notification in the Federal Register establishing a comment period and opportunity for a public hearing for the reconsideration proceeding.

EPA is proposing to approve a revision to the South Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning the maintenance plan

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier Southeast Safety Zone in Chicago Harbor from May 2009 through June 2009. This action is necessary protect vessels and people from the hazards associated with fireworks displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the security zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone.

EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register on May 22, 2008, that made technical corrections to five test methods. Inadvertent printing errors were made in the publication. Text insertions were misplaced, duplicate insertions were made, and the definition for system bias was inadvertently revised. The purpose of this action is to correct these errors.

Rural Development is delaying the effective date of the interim rule for Rural Development Guaranteed Loans, which was published on December 17, 2008, to October 1, 2009. The interim rule establishes a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programs: Community Facilities; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; and Rural Energy for America Program, formerly known as Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program.

Pursuant to section 7(b)(5) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. 1817(b)(5), the FDIC is adopting a final rule to impose a 5 basis point special assessment on each insured depository institution's assets minus Tier 1 capital as of June 30, 2009. The amount of the special assessment for any institution, however, will not exceed 10 basis points times the institution's assessment base for the second quarter 2009 risk-based assessment. The special assessment will be collected on September 30, 2009. The final rule also provides that if, after June 30, 2009, the reserve ratio of the Deposit Insurance Fund is estimated to fall to a level that the Board believes would adversely affect public confidence or to a level that shall be close to or below zero at the end of any calendar quarter, the Board, by vote, may impose additional special assessments of up to 5 basis points on all insured depository institutions based on each institution's total assets minus Tier 1 capital reported on the report of condition for that calendar quarter. Any single additional special assessment will not exceed 10 basis points times the institution's assessment base for the corresponding quarter's risk-based assessment. The earliest possible date for imposing any such additional special assessment under the final rule would be September 30, 2009, with collection on December 30, 2009. The latest possible date for imposing any such additional special assessment under the final rule would be December 31, 2009, with collection on March 30, 2010. Authority to impose any additional special assessments under the final rule terminates on January 1, 2010.

The Audio Division grants a Petition for Rule Making issued at the request of Keilly Miller, proposing the allotments of Channel 259A at Beatty, Nevada, and Channel 262C1 at Goldfield, Nevada, as first local FM transmission services. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 259A can be allotted to Beatty consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) west located at reference coordinates 36-56-05 NL and 116-51-00 WL. Moreover, Channel 262C1 can be allotted to Goldfield consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's Rules (the ``Rules'') with a site restriction 0.6 kilometers (0.4 miles) northeast of the community located at reference coordinates 37-42-41 NL and 117-13-56 WL.

This action continues the existing special training and experience requirements in Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 73 until the SFAR is revised or rescinded. SFAR No. 73 requires special training and experience for pilots operating the Robinson model R-22 or R-44 helicopters in order to maintain the safe operation of these helicopters. SFAR No. 73 also requires special training and experience for certified flight instructors conducting student instruction or flight reviews in the R-22 or R-44.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Learjet Model 60 airplanes. This proposed AD would require revising the Tire-Servicing section of the airplane maintenance manual and revising the Tires Limitation section of the airplane flight manual to incorporate revised procedures for servicing tires and checking for proper tire inflation. This proposed AD results from a report of the main landing gear tires blowing out during a takeoff roll. We are proposing this AD to prevent tire failure, which could result in failures of the braking and thrust reverser systems. In a critical phase of operation such as takeoff, loss of airplane control may result.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its bottled water regulations to require that bottled water manufacturers test source water for total coliform, as is required for finished bottled water products, and to require, if any coliform organisms are detected in source water, that bottled water manufacturers determine whether any of the coliform organisms are Escherichia coli (E. coli), an indicator of fecal contamination. FDA also is amending its bottled water regulations to require, if any coliform organisms are detected in finished bottled water products, that bottled water manufacturers determine whether any of the coliform organisms are E. coli. FDA also is amending the adulteration provision of the bottled water standard to reflect the possibility of adulteration caused by the presence of filth. Bottled water containing E. coli will be considered adulterated, and source water containing E. coli will not be considered to be of a safe, sanitary quality and will be prohibited from use in the production of bottled water. FDA is also amending its bottled water regulations to require that, before a bottler can use source water from a source that has tested positive for E. coli, the bottler must take appropriate measures to rectify or eliminate the cause of E. coli contamination of that source, and that the bottler must keep records of such actions. Existing regulatory provisions require bottled water manufacturers to keep records of new testing required by this rule. This final rule will ensure that FDA's standards for the minimum quality of bottled water, as affected by fecal contamination, will be no less protective of the public health than those set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for public drinking water.

The Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) is suspending the H-2A Final Rule published on December 18, 2008 and in effect as of January 17, 2009. That Final Rule amended the regulations governing the certification for temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in agricultural occupations on a temporary or seasonal basis, and the enforcement of contractual obligations applicable to employers of such nonimmigrant workers. To ensure continued functioning of the H-2A program, the Department is republishing and reinstating the regulations in place on January 16, 2009 for a period of 9 months, after which the Department will either have engaged in further rulemaking or lift the suspension.

The Board is adopting, with certain revisions, its interim final rule that amended Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions) to direct Federal Reserve Banks to pay interest on certain balances held at Federal Reserve Banks by or on behalf of certain depository institutions. The Board is also amending Regulation D to authorize the establishment of limited-purpose accounts, called ``excess balance accounts,'' at Federal Reserve Banks for the maintenance of excess balances of eligible institutions. These excess balance accounts are intended to permit eligible institutions to earn interest on their excess balances without significantly disrupting established business relationships with their correspondents.

NMFS announces approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of collection-of-information requirements contained in regulations implementing Amendment 13 to the Fishery Management Plan for Crustacean Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region. The intent of this final rule is to inform the public that the associated permitting and reporting requirements have been approved by OMB.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) by deleting and reserving Part 547, Transportation.

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 27 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). These regulations amend the Crab Rationalization Program to: implement the statutory requirements of section 122(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act that specifically directs NMFS to modify how individual processing quota (IPQ) use caps apply to a person who is custom processing Chionoecetes opilio crab in the North Region; clarify that for other crab fisheries, IPQ crab that is processed at a facility through contractual arrangements with the facility owners will not be applied against the IPQ use cap of the facility owners provided specific conditions are met; and modify IPQ use caps that limit the amount of IPQ that may be used at a facility by persons processing Eastern Aleutian Islands golden king crab and Western Aleutian Islands red king crab. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable law.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Plentywood Sher-Wood Airport, Plentywood, MT. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) at Plentywood Sher-Wood Airport, Plentywood, MT. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at Plentywood Sher-Wood Airport, Plentywood, MT.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Amtrak Dock Bridge across the Passaic River, mile 5.0, at Harrison, New Jersey. This deviation will allow the bridge to remain closed all day on Saturday and Sunday for nine weekends to facilitate track repairs.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) by revising and updating the agency's implementation of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes to approve Reliability Standard PRC-023-1 (Transmission Relay Loadability Reliability Standard) developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. The proposed Reliability Standard requires certain transmission owners, generator owners, and distribution providers to set protective relays according to specific criteria in order to ensure that the relays reliably detect and protect the electric network from all fault conditions, but do not limit transmission loadability or interfere with system operators' ability to protect system reliability. While all relays detect and protect the electric network from fault conditions, the proposed Reliability Standard applies only to load-responsive phase protection relays. In addition, pursuant to section 215(d)(5) of the Federal Power Act, the Commission proposes to direct NERC to develop

On January 16, 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published an interim final rule that implements section 702 of Title VII of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) by amending CBP regulations to replace the current Guam Visa Waiver Program with a new Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and establishing six ports of entry in the CNMI. The interim final rule specified that CBP would begin operation of this program on the statutorily established transition program effective date of June 1, 2009. The interim final rule further specified that the existing Guam Visa Waiver Program for travel to Guam would remain in effect until June 1, 2009. On March 31, 2009, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that she had exercised her authority to delay the transition program effective date until November 28, 2009. This technical amendment effectuates this delay by changing the implementation date of the interim final rule from June 1, 2009 to November 28, 2009.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified ECD model helicopters that currently requires initial and repetitive inspections of the main rotor blade (blade) upper and lower surfaces for bulging. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, based on reported incidents in which a balance weight migrated toward the tip of the blade. The MCAI states that new blades have become available that are not fitted with lead balance weights. The MCAI states that only blades equipped with a lead balance weight may result in the unsafe condition. This AD retains the requirements of the current AD but limits the applicability to those part-numbered blades that are fitted with lead balance weights. The actions are intended to limit the applicability to those blades fitted with lead balance weights that could detach, migrate, and cause severe vibrations leading to blade failure and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This document contains final regulations that provide guidance regarding the information reporting requirements contained in section 6045(e) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) on sales or exchanges of standing timber for lump-sum (outright) payments. The final regulations amend Sec. 1.6045-4 of the Income Tax Regulations to require real estate reporting persons, as defined in section 6045(e)(2) of the Code, to report lump-sum payments received by sellers (landowners) for sales or exchanges of standing timber. The final regulations do not change the information reporting requirements that currently apply to sales or exchanges of standing timber for pay-as-cut (contingent) payments under section 6050N of the Code.

This establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. 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: