February 28, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), plans to conduct a workshop to discuss possible approaches to revising the regulatory framework for the management of commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLW). The purpose of this workshop is to gather information from a broad spectrum of stakeholders concerning the NRC's proposed options for a comprehensive revision to NRC's and DOE's waste regulations and to discuss possible options.

In this document, the Commission considers whether and how to reform the Form 477 data program, which serves as the Commission's primary tool for collecting broadband and local telephone data. The Commission believes it is time to consider whether modifying the Form 477 will improve the Commission's ability to carry out its duties under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act), and is an important part of the Commission's larger initiative to modernize and streamline how the Commission collects, uses, and disseminates data.

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), notice is hereby given of the following meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas.

EPA is proposing to make two separate and independent determinations regarding attainment for the Truckee Meadows PM-10 nonattainment area in Washoe County, Nevada (Truckee Meadows area). First, EPA is proposing to determine that, based on complete and quality-assured air monitoring data for 1999-2001, the Truckee Meadows area did not attain the 24-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (``NAAQS'') for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (``PM-10'') by the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2001. Second, EPA is proposing to determine that the Truckee Meadows area is currently attaining the PM-10 NAAQS, based upon complete, quality-assured PM-10 air quality monitoring data during the years 2007-2009. Preliminary data through June 2010 contained in EPA's Air Quality System (``AQS'') show that no exceedances of the 24-hour NAAQS have been recorded in the Truckee Meadows area. Because the Truckee Meadows area is currently attaining the PM-10 NAAQS, EPA is proposing to determine that the obligation to make submissions to meet certain Clean Air Act (``CAA'' or ``the Act'') requirements related to attainment are not applicable for as long as the area continues to attain the PM-10 NAAQS.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to fully use the A season allowance of the 2011 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is denying a petition for rulemaking (PRM) submitted by Dan Kane. Mr. Kane requested that the NRC rescind the Waste Confidence Rule, suspend all ongoing reactor licensing proceedings, and phase out operations at all operating nuclear power plants. The NRC is denying the petition because, contrary to the assertions made in the PRM, the Commission's Waste Confidence Decision and Rule consider the political uncertainty discussed in the petition and do not depend on the availability of a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or the Board) is amending its open meeting regulations to ensure consistency with the Government in the Sunshine Act.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is inviting comments on its procedures with respect to the assessment of annual charges for the use of government lands. This Notice of Inquiry will assist the Commission in identifying options to consider in determining the methodology to be used to calculate rental rates for use of government lands under Part 11 of the Commission's regulations.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 705.14 and 708.1.1 to provide a new option for mailers to combine Standard Mail[supreg] flats and Periodicals flats within the same bundle, when placed on pallets, and to combine bundles of Standard Mail flats and bundles of Periodicals flats on the same pallet. The Postal Service is also amending the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect that the Standard Mail service standards apply to all Periodicals flats pieces entered in such combined mailings.

In accordance with Section 763 (``Section 763'') of Title VII (``Title VII'') of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (``Dodd-Frank Act''), the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') is proposing Regulation SB SEF under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') that is designed to create a registration framework for security-based swap execution facilities (``SB SEFs''); establish rules with respect to the Dodd-Frank Act's requirement that a SB SEF must comply with the fourteen enumerated core principles (``Core Principles'') and enforce compliance with those principles; and implement a process for a SB SEF to submit to the Commission proposed changes to the SB SEF's rules. The Commission also is proposing an interpretation of the definition of ``security-based swap execution facility'' set forth in Section 3(a)(77) of the Exchange Act to provide guidance on the characteristics of those systems or platforms that would satisfy the statutory definition. In addition, the Commission is proposing to amend Rule 3a-1 under the Exchange Act to exempt a registered SB SEF from the Exchange Act's definition of ``exchange'' and to add Rule 15a-12 under the Exchange Act to exempt, subject to certain conditions, a registered SB SEF from regulation as a broker pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act.