October 3, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On January 21, 2009, the Department issued an interim rule that provided guidance on conflicts of interest pursuant to Section 108 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (``EESA''), which was enacted on October 3, 2008. This final rule takes into account the public comments received and adopts revisions to the interim rule.

In accordance with the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Response Act), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reviewed the list of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety and is proposing to amend and republish the list as required by the Bioterrorism Response Act. Further, on July 2, 2010, the President signed Executive Order 13546, ``Optimizing the Security of Biological Select Agents and Toxins in the United States'' that directed the Secretaries of HHS and Agriculture (USDA) to designate a subset of the select agents and toxins list (Tier 1) that presents the greatest risk of deliberate misuse with the most significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure; or public confidence; explore options for graded protection for these Tier 1 agents and toxins to permit tailored risk management practices based upon relevant contextual factors; and consider reducing the overall number of agents and toxins on the select agents and toxins list. E.O. 13546 also established the Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel (FESAP) to advise the HHS and USDA Secretaries on the designation of Tier 1 agents and toxins, reduction in the number of agents on the Select Agent List, establishment of suitability standards for those having access to Tier 1 select agents and toxins, and establishment of physical security and information security standards for Tier 1 select agents and toxins. The tiering of the select agents and toxins list will allow the application of more optimized security measures for those select agents or toxins which pose a higher risk to public health and safety should they be stolen or otherwise misused. In addition to addressing the FESAP recommendations in this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), we are also proposing to add two agents, Lujo and Chapare viruses to the list; adding definitions; and clarifying language concerning security, training, biosafety, and incident response. These changes will increase the usability of the select agents and toxins regulations as well as providing for enhanced program oversight.

NMFS announces that, effective 0001 hr, October 1, 2011, federally permitted vessels may not fish for, catch, possess, transfer, or land more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) of Atlantic herring (herring) in or from Management Area 1B (Area 1B) per calendar day until January 1, 2012, when the 2012 sub-ACL for Area 1B becomes available, except when transiting as described in this notice. This action is based on the determination that 95 percent of the Atlantic herring sub-ACL allocated to Area 1B for 2011 is projected to be harvested by October 1, 2011.

This rule adds a service standard for Stamp Fulfillment Services to the set of service standards for stand-alone market- dominant special services products set forth in our regulations.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD), and Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from organic chemical manufacturing, soil decontamination, and polyester resin operations. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

On May 1, 1998, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the categories of projects eligible for funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The NPRM proposed to define eligible mitigation activities under the HMGP to include minor flood control projects that do not duplicate the efforts and authorities of other Federal agencies. It proposed to include vegetation management programs for wildfire hazard mitigation and erosion hazard mitigation in the list of eligible activities; it proposed to remove development or improvement of warning systems from the list of eligible project types; and modified language relating to general, allowable open space, recreational, and wetlands management uses. FEMA is withdrawing the NPRM so that relevant issues involved in the NPRM may be further considered and because portions of it are redundant or outdated.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. The existing AD currently requires reviewing the airplane maintenance records to determine whether an engine has been removed from the airplane since the airplane was manufactured. For airplanes on which an engine has been removed, the existing AD also requires an inspection of the aft engine mount to determine if the center link assembly is correctly installed, and follow-on actions if necessary. This new AD expands the applicability to include airplanes on which the engine has not been previously removed, and Model 737-900ER airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports indicating that operators found that the center link assembly for the aft engine mount was reversed on several airplanes that had not had an engine removed since delivery. We are issuing this AD to prevent increased structural loads on the aft engine mount, which could result in failure of the aft engine mount and consequent separation of the engine from the airplane.