April 28, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing uses that qualify for the 2011 critical use exemption and the amount of methyl bromide that may be produced, imported, or supplied from existing pre-phaseout inventory for those uses in 2011. EPA is taking action under the authority of the Clean Air Act to reflect a recent consensus decision taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer at the Twenty-First Meeting of the Parties. EPA is seeking comment on the list of critical uses and on EPA's determination of the amounts of methyl bromide needed to satisfy those uses.

EPA is proposing to approve some elements and conditionally approve other elements of certifications submitted by Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin regarding the infrastructure requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and (2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 1997 eight-hour ground level ozone national ambient air quality standards (1997 ozone NAAQS) and 1997 fine particle national ambient air quality standards (1997 PM2.5 NAAQS). The requirements are designed to ensure that the components of each State's air quality management program are adequate to meet the State's responsibilities under the CAA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on the October 21, 2009, proposed designation of revised critical habitat for the Buena Vista Lake shrew (Sorex ornatus relictus) (shrew) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of revised critical habitat for the shrew and an amended required determinations section of the proposed rule. We are reopening the comment period for an additional 60 days to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed revised critical habitat designation, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. We also announce a public hearing; the public is invited to review and comment on the proposed revised critical habitat designation at the public hearing or in writing. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

The Coast Guard is removing two redundant sections from its regulations: Bellingham Bay, Bellingham, WA, and Lake Union, Seattle, WA. This action is necessary to eliminate duplicate safety zones from the regulations. These safety zones are also codified under these regulations: Safety Zones; annual firework displays within the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound Area of Responsibility.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in East Passage, Tacoma, Washington for a Regional Water Rescue Exercise near Browns Point. A safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of participating vessels and participants in the water and will do so by prohibiting any person or vessel from entering or remaining in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

The Secretary of Education amends the regulations governing the Impact Aid Discretionary Construction program, authorized under section 8007(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. This program provides competitive grants for emergency repairs and modernization of school facilities to certain eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive Impact Aid formula funds. These final regulations amend a requirement for applying for these Impact Aid funds and will improve the administration and distribution of funds under this program. These final regulations apply to grant competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and later years.

Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Commission hereby approves four revised regional Reliability Standards developed by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and approved by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which the Commission has certified as the Electric Reliability Organization responsible for developing and enforcing mandatory Reliability Standards. These regional Reliability Standards have been designated by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council as FAC-501-WECC-1Transmission Maintenance, PRC-004-WECC-1Protection System and Remedial Action Scheme Misoperation, VAR-002-WECC-1Automatic Voltage Regulators, and VAR-501-WECC-1Power System Stabilizer. Reliability Standard FAC-501- WECC-1 addresses transmission maintenance for specified transmission paths in the Western Interconnection. Reliability Standard PRC-004- WECC-1 addresses the analysis of misoperations that occur on transmission and generation protection systems and remedial action schemes in the Western Interconnection. Reliability Standard VAR-002- WECC-1 is meant to ensure that automatic voltage regulators remain in service on synchronous generators and condensers in the Western Interconnection. Reliability Standard VAR-501-WECC-1 is meant to ensure that power system stabilizers remain in service on synchronous generators in the Western Interconnection. In addition, the Commission approves five new regional definitions applicable within the Western Interconnection.