December 10, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As part of the President's export control reform initiative, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) seeks public comment on revisions to the United States Munitions List (USML) that would make it a ``positive list'' of controlled defense articles, requests that the public ``tier'' defense articles based on the Administration's three-tier control criteria, and identify those current defense articles that the public believes do not fall within the scope of any of the criteria's tiers. A ``positive list'' is a list that describes controlled items using objective criteria rather than broad, open- ended, subjective, or design intent-based criteria. DDTC is not seeking with this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) input on whether particular defense articles should or should not be controlled on the USML or whether any defense articles should be controlled differently. Rather, it is only seeking with this ANPRM input on how the USML can be revised so that it clearly describes what is subject to the jurisdiction of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), how defense articles are identified by tier, and what current defense articles do not fall within the scope of any of the tiers. Guidelines for revision of the USML toward this end are provided in this ANPRM. Please see the proposed rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register for an example of a USML Category that has been revised in this manner.

Through this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), the Board is instituting a proceeding regarding demurrage, i.e., charges for holding rail cars. The agency's intent is to adopt a rule or policy statement addressing when parties should be responsible for demurrage in light of current commercial practices followed by rail carriers, shippers, and receivers.

We, NMFS, have completed a comprehensive status review of the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the bearded seal as a threatened or endangered species. The bearded seal exists as two subspecies: Erignathus barbatus nauticus and Erignathus barbatus barbatus. Based on the findings from the status review report and consideration of the factors affecting these subspecies, we conclude that E. b. nauticus consists of two distinct population segments (DPSs), the Beringia DPS and the Okhotsk DPS. Moreover, based on consideration of information presented in the status review report, an assessment of the factors in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA, and efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined the Beringia DPS and the Okhotsk DPS are likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges in the foreseeable future. We have also determined that E. b. barbatus is not in danger of extinction or likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of its range in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we are now issuing a proposed rule to list the Beringia DPS and the Okhotsk DPS of the bearded seal as threatened species. No listing action is proposed for E. b. barbatus. We solicit comments on this proposed action. At this time, we do not propose to designate critical habitat for the Beringia DPS because it is not currently determinable. In order to complete the critical habitat designation process, we solicit information on the essential physical and biological features of bearded seal habitat for the Beringia DPS.

Section 342(b) of Public Law (Pub .L.) 103-337, as amended by section 1114 of Public Law 106-398, authorizes the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to conduct personnel management demonstration projects at Department of Defense (DoD) laboratories designated as Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories (STRLs). Section 1107 of Public Law 110-181, as amended by section 1109 of Public Law 110-417, requires the SECDEF to execute a process and plan to employ the Department's personnel management demonstration project authorities found in section 4703 of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) at the STRLs enumerated in section 9902(c)(2) of title 5 U.S.C., as redesignated in section 1105 of Public Law 111-84 and 73 Federal Register (FR) 73248, to enhance the performance of the missions of the laboratories. Section 1107 of Public Law 110-181 further authorizes in subsection 1107(c) that any flexibility available to any demonstration laboratory shall be available for use at any other laboratory as enumerated in section 9902(c)(2) of title 5 U.S.C. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is listed as one of the designated STRLs. This notice announces the approval of the final personnel demonstration project plan for the ONR. This includes adoption of existing demonstration project flexibilities in other STRL demonstration project plans and any necessary modifications thereto for better conformance to the ONR mission requirements and culture.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the ``Commission'') is proposing rules that would implement new exemptions from the registration requirements of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 for advisers to certain privately offered investment funds that were enacted as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the ``Dodd-Frank Act''). As required by Title IV of the Dodd-Frank Actthe Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act of 2010, the new rules would define ``venture capital fund'' and provide for an exemption for advisers with less than $150 million in private fund assets under management in the United States. The new rules would also clarify the meaning of certain terms included in a new exemption for foreign private advisers.

This action finalizes minimum Federal requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for underground injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the purpose of geologic sequestration (GS). GS is one of a portfolio of options that could be deployed to reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and help to mitigate climate change. This final rule applies to owners or operators of wells that will be used to inject CO2 into the subsurface for the purpose of long-term storage. It establishes a new class of well, Class VI, and sets minimum technical criteria for the permitting, geologic site characterization, area of review (AoR) and corrective action, financial responsibility, well construction, operation, mechanical integrity testing (MIT), monitoring, well plugging, post-injection site care (PISC), and site closure of Class VI wells for the purposes of protecting underground sources of drinking water (USDWs). The elements of this rulemaking are based on the existing Underground Injection Control (UIC) regulatory framework, with modifications to address the unique nature of CO2 injection for GS. This rule will help ensure consistency in permitting underground injection of CO2 at GS operations across the United States and provide requirements to prevent endangerment of USDWs in anticipation of the eventual use of GS to reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and to mitigate climate change.