August 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document denies a petition for rulemaking submitted by Mr. Michael R. Schramm, to amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard on seat belt assemblies, to include a requirement that seat belts be releasable without unbuckling. We are denying the petition because the petitioner did not demonstrate a safety need for such a requirement or show how such a requirement could be implemented without increasing inadvertent release of seat belts during normal vehicle operation and certain crash scenarios, resulting in increased risk to vehicle occupants.

This final rule amends the Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) on occupant crash protection to remove the sunset of a requirement that a vehicle's lap belt must be lockable, without the use of special tools, to tightly secure a child restraint system (CRS). We refer to this as the ``lockability'' requirement. Under the current standard, the lockability requirement ceases to apply to seating positions that are equipped with a child restraint anchorage system (commonly referred to as a ``LATCH'' system) on vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 2012. Because data indicate that motorists are still using lockable belts to install CRSs even in seating positions with LATCH, there is a continuing need for the lockability requirement even in seating positions with LATCH. Thus, this final rule ensures that the lockability requirement continues in effect for all seating positions past September 1, 2012.

EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions were proposed in the Federal Register on June 24, 2011 and concern oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from glass melting furnaces. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Delaware on September 16, 2009, as supplemented on April 27, 2011. The revision satisfies the Clean Air Act (CAA) infrastructure requirement that each State's plan contain adequate provisions prohibiting its emissions from contributing significantly to nonattainment in, or interfering with maintenance by, any other state with respect to the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). EPA is approving this revision in accordance with the requirements of the CAA.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Viking Air Limited (type certificate No. A-815 formerly held by Bombardier Inc. and de Havilland, Inc.) Model DHC-3 airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitively inspecting the elevator control tabs for discrepancies, taking necessary corrective actions to bring all discrepancies within acceptable tolerances, and reporting certain inspection results to the FAA. This new AD retains the actions currently required in AD 2011-05-02 and removes the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA01059SE condition in the Applicability section. This AD was prompted by our determination that we inadvertently omitted certain airplanes from the Applicability section. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking direct final action to relocate the BioPreferred Program, established under the authority of section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA), as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), 7 U.S.C. 81027, from chapter XXIX of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to chapter XXXII of title 7 of the CFR.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to migrate from a paper file-based, non-integrated systems environment to an electronic customer-focused, centralized case management environment for benefit processing. This transformation process will allow USCIS to streamline benefit processing, eliminate the capture and processing of redundant data, and reduce the number of and automate its forms. This transformation process will be a phased multi-year initiative to restructure USCIS business processes and related information technology systems. DHS is removing references to form numbers, form titles, expired regulatory provisions, and descriptions of internal procedures, many of which will change during transformation. DHS is also finalizing interim rules that permitted submission of benefit requests with an electronic signature when such requests are submitted in an electronic format rather than on a paper form and that removed references to filing locations for immigration benefits. In addition, in this rule DHS is publishing the final rule for six other interim rules published during the past several years, most of which received no public comments.

An Exposure Modeling Public Meeting (EMPM) will be held for one day on September 20, 2011. This notice announces the location and time for the meeting and sets forth the tentative agenda topics.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC,\1\ on behalf of Jaguar Cars Limited \2\ (collectively referred to as ``Jaguar'') has determined that model year 2010 and certain 2011 Jaguar XJ passenger cars manufactured between September 11, 2009 and March 28, 2011, do not fully comply with paragraphs S5.2.1 and S5.5.2 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101,\3\ Controls and displays. Jaguar has filed an appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports (dated April 15, 2011).

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with July anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews. The Department also received requests to revoke two antidumping duty orders in part.

Following the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, Executive Order 13337 calls on the Secretary of State, or her designee, to determine if issuance of a Presidential Permit to the applicant would serve the national interest. This decision on the application will take into account a wide range of factors, including environmental, economic, energy security, foreign policy, and pipeline safety concerns. No decision will be made until the completion of this thorough review process. The Department expects to make a decision on whether to grant or deny the Permit before the end of the year. If built, the Keystone XL pipeline would carry crude oil from Canada and from U.S. oil fields in North Dakota and Montana to refineries primarily on the Gulf Coast of the United States. As part of the review and analysis of the national interest, the U.S. Department of State will hold a series of public meetings, and provide other opportunities for the public to comment on the project. Along with other factors listed above, these comments will be considered in the final decision. Meetings will be held at the following dates, locations and times (all meeting times are local time):

EPA is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The SIP revision pertains to amendments to 25 Pennsylvania Code (Pa. Code) Chapters 121, 129, and 130, relating to control of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the manufacture, sale, use, or application of adhesives, sealants, primers, and solvents. The revision also amends related definitions. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for porbeagle sharks. This action is necessary because landings for the 2011 fishing season have reached at least 80 percent of the available quota.

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236-3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as appropriate, Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``Mirror of the Buddha: Early Portraits from Tibet,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, NY, from on or about October 21, 2011, until on or about March 5, 2012, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these Determinations be published in the Federal Register.

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236-3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as appropriate, Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph, 1964-1977,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, from on or about December 11, 2011, until on or about March 11, 2012, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these Determinations be published in the Federal Register.

The Committee is proposing to add services to the Procurement List that will be provided by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. Comments must be Received On or Before: 9/26/2011.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Centerville, IA. Decommissioning of the Centerville non directional beacon (NDB) and cancellation of the NDB approach at Centerville Municipal Airport, as well as the addition of a new COPTER RNAV standard instrument approach procedure (SIAP) at Mercy Medical Center-Centerville Heliport, have made this action necessary to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations within the National Airspace System.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Carroll, IA. Decommissioning of the Carroll non-directional beacon (NDB) at Arthur N. Neu Airport, Carroll, IA, has made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.