August 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action is a supplemental notice of data availability and a request for comment related to EPA's January 26, 2010, notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), proposing numeric nutrient water quality criteria to protect aquatic life in lakes and flowing waters within the State of Florida. In the January 2010 NPRM, EPA proposed to classify Florida's streams into four regions (referred to in the proposed rule as ``Nutrient Watershed Regions'') for application of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) criteria. Streams within each of these regions (Panhandle, Bone Valley, Peninsula and North Central) reflect similar geographical characteristics including phosphorus-rich soils, nutrient concentrations and nutrient ratios. In this notice, EPA is requesting comment on revised stream region boundaries based on additional information about watershed delineations and phosphorus-rich geological formations in Florida. Based on comments and additional information, this revised regionalization approach would result in five Nutrient Watershed Regions for Florida's streams and a clarification of certain watershed boundaries for the Bone Valley and Peninsula regions. EPA is also requesting comment on basing the TN and TP criteria for the nutrient watershed regions on a combination of the 75th and 90th percentile values (depending on regions) of the benchmark sites outlined in the alternate approach at proposal. EPA is continuing to consider the primary approach proposed in January 2010 to use the 75th percentile of sites with healthy biological condition as measured by the Stream Condition Index (SCI). The January 2010 proposal also proposed application of the Vollenweider equation to ensure that nutrient criteria in streams are protective of downstream lakes and requested comment on alternative approaches such as the BATHTUB model and whether there should be an allowance for use of other models that are demonstrated to be protective and scientifically defensible. Today's notice also requests comment on using the BATHTUB model in place of the Vollenweider equation for deriving both TP and TN criteria to protect downstream lakes, allowing the use of alternative models under certain circumstances, and providing for an alternative approach to protect downstream lakes when limited data are available that would use the lake criteria themselves as criteria for upstream waters flowing into the lake. EPA is seeking comment on alternative stream regionalization approaches, use of the benchmark dataset to derive criteria, and derivation of lake downstream protection values discussed in more detail below, and will consider the comments received before finalizing the proposed rule, ``Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters.'' This supplemental notice focuses solely on the delineation of stream nutrient regions, resulting criteria associated with two approaches (EPA's SCI-based approach and the alternative benchmark distribution approach), and protection of downstream lakes in Florida. EPA is not soliciting comment on any other provisions of the January 2010 proposal.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is proposing to amend the date by which certain facilities must prepare or amend their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, and implement those Plans. This action would allow additional time for those affected in the regulated community to understand the revisions to the SPCC rule finalized in December 2008 and November 2009. In light of the recent uncertainty surrounding EPA's review of the final amendments to the December 2008 rule and the delay of that rule's effective date, the Agency is proposing to provide an additional year for certain facilities, with a new compliance date of November 10, 2011. Additionally, the Agency is proposing to further delay the compliance date for facilities with milk containers, associated piping and appurtenances that are constructed according to the current applicable 3-A Sanitary Standards, and subject to the current applicable Grade ``A'' Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) or a State dairy regulatory requirement equivalent to the current applicable PMO. The delay would allow the Agency to take final action on a January 15, 2009 action that proposed to exempt these containers from the SPCC requirements. The compliance date would be delayed one year from the

EPA proposes to determine that the Las Vegas Valley nonattainment area in Nevada attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to a nominal ten micrometers (PM10) by the applicable attainment date (December 31, 2006), and that the Las Vegas Valley nonattainment area is currently attaining the standard.

On February 19, 2010, the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), submitted a request to EPA to make a determination that the Knoxville, Tennessee nonattainment area has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) based on quality assured, quality controlled monitoring data from 2007-2009. The Knoxville, Tennessee 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Knoxville Area'') is comprised of Anderson, Blount, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon and Sevier Counties in their entireties and a portion of Cocke County (Great Smoky Mountain National Park) in Tennessee. In this action, EPA is proposing to determine that the Knoxville Area has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. This proposed determination is based upon complete, quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data for the years 2007-2009 showing that the Knoxville Area has monitored attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Preliminary air quality monitoring data available for 2010 are consistent with continued attainment. If this proposed determination is made final, the requirement for the State of Tennessee to submit an attainment demonstration and associated reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the Knoxville, Tennessee 8-hour ozone nonattainment area, shall be suspended for as long as the Knoxville Area continues to meet the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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:

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the LA 24 vertical lift span bridge across Company Canal, mile 8.1, at Bourg, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The deviation is necessary to perform electrical rehabilitation work on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation for twelve consecutive days.

The Department of the Treasury (``Treasury'') is issuing this proposed rule as part of its implementation of Title I of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (``TRIA'' or ``the Act''), as amended by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 (``Extension Act'') and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (``Reauthorization Act''). The Act established a temporary Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (``TRIP'' or ``Program'') under which the Federal Government would share the risk of insured losses from certified acts of terrorism with commercial property and casualty insurers. The Reauthorization Act has now extended the Program until December 31, 2014. This proposed rule is the latest in a series of regulations Treasury has issued to implement the Act. The proposed rule incorporates and implements statutory requirements of the Act for the final netting of payments under the Program. In particular, the proposed rule would establish procedures by which, after the Secretary has determined that claims for the Federal share of insured losses arising from a particular Program Year shall be considered final, a final netting of payments to or from insurers will be accomplished. The rule generally builds upon previous rules issued by Treasury.

The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly referred to as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to authorize States to operate their hazardous waste management programs in lieu of the Federal program. EPA uses the regulations entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'' to provide notice of the authorization status of State programs and to incorporate by reference those provisions of the State regulations that will be subject to EPA's inspection and enforcement. This rule does not incorporate by reference the New York hazardous waste statutes. The rule codifies in the regulations the prior approval of New York's hazardous waste management program and incorporates by reference authorized provisions of the State's regulations.

This document corrects a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2010, with respect to attachments to poles by any telecommunications carrier or cable operator providing telecommunications services. Specifically, this corrects how the maximum just and reasonable rate would be calculated under proposed rule Sec. 1.1409(e)(2).

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would define Tulsa County, Oklahoma, as an area of application to the Oklahoma, OK, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and Angelina County, Texas, as an area of application to the Dallas, TX, NAF FWS wage area. These changes are necessary because there are NAF FWS employees working in Tulsa and Angelina Counties and the counties are not currently defined to NAF wage areas. In addition, this proposed rule would restore Appendix B to subpart B of part 532Nationwide Schedule of Nonappropriated Fund Regular Wage Schedules by removing, under the State of California, ``Santa Clara,'' which was abolished as a NAF FWS wage area by a final rule published on March 9, 2009.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened status for five penguins: The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata), Fiordland crested penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), and erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

EPA is proposing to approve Minnesota's request to amend its State Implementation Plan (SIP) for sulfur dioxide (SO2). The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency submitted the SIP revision request to EPA on May 7, 2010. The proposed approval revises the Minnesota SIP by updating information regarding the heat and steam distributor facility located in Fridley, Minnesota. The source, formerly operated as United Defense, LP, Inc. was sold and is now operating as ELT Minneapolis, LLC. The revision replaces the joint Title I/Title V document currently approved in the SIP for the facility to reflect the change in ownership. These revisions do not change any of the SO2 control requirements and will not result in an increase in SO2 emissions at the facility because no emission limits were increased.

NMFS, upon application from the U.S. Navy (Navy) on behalf of the Department of Defense (including the Navy, the U.S. Air Force (USAF), and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC)), is issuing regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC) study area for the period of July 2010 through July 2015. The Navy's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (NDAA). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of ``Letters of Authorization'' (LOAs) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.

This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule with comment period found in the Federal Register (FR) on November 20, 2009, entitled ``Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates'' and in the correction document found in the Federal Register on December 31, 2009, entitled ``Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates.''