2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 1042(c) of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (``Act''), requires the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (``CFPB'' or ``Bureau'') to prescribe rules establishing procedures that govern the process, described in section 1042(b) of the Act, by which state officials notify the CFPB of actions or proceedings undertaken pursuant to the authority granted in section 1042(a) to enforce the Act or regulations prescribed thereunder. This interim final rule with a request for public comment sets forth those rules.

We are revising our rules to implement amendments to the Social Security Act (Act) made by the Social Security Disability Applicants' Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010 (PRA). We are making permanent the direct fee payment rules for eligible non- attorney representatives under titles II and XVI of the Act and for attorney representatives under title XVI of the Act. We also are revising some of our eligibility policies for non-attorney representatives under titles II and XVI of the Act.

In this action, we are proposing to approve San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) Rule 3170, ``Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee,'' as a revision to SJVUAPCD's portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). Rule 3170 is a local fee rule submitted to address section 185 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). EPA is also proposing to approve SJVUAPCD's fee-equivalent program, which includes Rule 3170 and state law authorities that authorize SJVUAPCD to impose supplemental fees on motor vehicles, as an alternative to the program required by section 185 of the Act. We are proposing that SJVUAPCD's alternative fee- equivalent program is not less stringent than the program required by section 185, and, therefore, is approvable, consistent with the principles of section 172(e) of the Act. As part of this action, we are inviting public comment on whether it is appropriate for EPA to consider alternative programs and, if so, what would constitute an approvable alternative program. We are taking comments on these proposals and plan to follow with a final action.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing to revise its regulations on evacuation pay and the separate maintenance allowance for duty at Johnston Island to ensure that same-sex domestic partners of Federal employees and the children of such domestic partners have access to these benefits to the same extent as spouses of Federal employees and their children. These changes would fulfill the Administration policy expressed in Sections 1(a)(v) and (a)(vii) of the President's June 2, 2010, memorandum on the ``Extension of Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of Federal Employees.''

This action establishes Class E airspace at Nephi UT, to accommodate aircraft using new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Nephi Municipal Airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action modifies Class D and Class E airspace at Fort Huachuca, AZ, to accommodate aircraft departing and arriving under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) at Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista Municipal Airport-Libby Army Airfield. This action, initiated by the biennial review of the Fort Huachuca airspace area, enhances the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. This action also updates the airport name.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Kayenta, AZ. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Kayenta Airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily change the enforcement period of one special local regulation for a recurring marine event in the Fifth Coast Guard District. The ``Wilmington YMCA Triathlon,'' conducted on the waters of Wrightsville Channel near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina normally would take place on September 24, 2011; this year, the sponsor would like to have the event on September 17, 2011. This Special Local Regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event, which has been rescheduled from the last Saturday in September to the second-to-last Saturday in September. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic on Wrightsville Channel during the swimming portion of this event.

NMFS closes the northern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'') Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of 2011. This action is being taken to prevent overharvest of the 2011 Angling category northern area subquota for large medium and giant BFT.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Department of the Treasury gives notice of an amendment to update its Privacy Act regulations, and to add an exemption from certain provisions of the Privacy Act for a system of records related to the Office of Financial Stability (OFS).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 40 regulations by adding additional requirements for source material licensees who possess significant quantities of uranium hexafluoride (UF6). The proposed rule and proposed guidance document were published in the Federal Register on May 17, 2011 (76 FR 28336), for public comment and an administrative correction to 76 FR 28336 was published in the Federal Register on June 1, 2011 (76 FR 31507). The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), in a letter dated June 21, 2011, requested the NRC to hold a public meeting on the proposed rule and draft guidance document and to extend the public comment period. Based on NEI's request, the NRC will conduct a public meeting on August 17, 2011, to seek public input on the proposed rule and its associated draft guidance document. In addition, the NRC is extending the public comment period for the proposed rule and associated draft guidance document from 75 days to 115 days to allow the public ample opportunity to submit written comments.

This document provides required notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard and temporarily effective between December 2008 and July 2010, that expired before they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, drawbridge operation regulations and regulated navigation areas, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

On July 27, 2009, NHTSA published a final rule that amended the Federal motor vehicle safety standard for air brake systems by requiring substantial improvements in stopping distance performance on new truck tractors. In response, the agency received eight petitions for reconsideration. The agency has already responded to most of the issues raised in the petitions. This document responds to the one outstanding issue raised in the petitions, stopping distance performance requirements at lower initial speeds. Based on testing results and our concern that the current requirements might not be practicable, NHTSA is slightly relaxing the stopping distance requirement for typical loaded tractors tested from an initial speed of 20 mph by increasing the distance from 30 feet to 32 feet and for unloaded tractors tested from an initial speed of 20 mph by increasing the distance from 28 feet to 30 feet. We believe no other changes are necessary.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) in the eastern portion of its range (east of the Mobile and Tombigbee Rivers) as threatened and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. In this finding, we also evaluate whether the status of the gopher tortoise in the western portion of its range (west of the Mobile and Tombigbee Rivers) is accurate. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that the current listing of the gopher tortoise as a threatened species in the western portion of its range is accurate and that listing the gopher tortoise in the eastern portion of its range is warranted. Currently, however, listing the gopher tortoise in the eastern portion of its range is precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We will add the gopher tortoise in the eastern portion of its range to our candidate species list, and we will develop a proposed rule to list the gopher tortoise in the eastern portion of its range as our priorities allow. We will make any determination on critical habitat during development of the proposed listing rule. In any interim period we will address the status of the candidate taxon through our annual Candidate Notice of Review and will work through partnerships to conserve the species by improving the habitat and removing the threats with the objective to make listing unnecessary. The Service's candidate conservation efforts place great emphasis on coordination with the states and other partners, voluntary conservation efforts, and may include tools such as Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. Even though we are currently unable to take action to list the gopher tortoise in the eastern portion of its range, this does not affect the status of the gopher tortoise in the western portion of its range, where it remains listed as threatened.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend its regulations to establish a common or usual name for raw meat and poultry products that do not meet standard of identity regulations and to which solutions have been added. Products with added solutions are sometimes referred to as ``enhanced products.'' The Agency is proposing that the common or usual name for such products include an accurate description of the raw meat or poultry component, the percentage of added solution incorporated into the raw meat or poultry product, and the individual ingredients or multi-ingredient components in the solution listed in the descending order of predominance by weight. FSIS is also proposing that the print for all words in the common or usual name appear in a single font size, color, and style of print and that the name appear on a single-color contrasting background. In addition, the Agency is proposing to remove the standard of identity regulation for ``ready-to-cook poultry products to which solutions are added.''

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of chlorantraniliprole in or on multiple commodities which are identified and discussed later in this document. This regulation additionally amends previously established tolerances in or on multiple commodities and deletes tolerances in or on several commodities that will be superceded by inclusion in crop group tolerances. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, DuPont Crop Protection, requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of carboxymethyl guar gum sodium salt (CAS Reg. No. 39346-76-4) and carboxymethyl-hydroxypropyl guar (CAS Reg. No. 68130-15-4); when used as an inert ingredient (thicker/drift reduction agent) in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops. SciReg Inc., on behalf of Rhodia Inc., submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of carboxymethyl guar gum sodium salt and carboxymethyl- hydroxypropyl guar.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for Ipomopsis polyantha (Pagosa skyrocket), a plant species in Archuleta County, Colorado; threatened status for Penstemon debilis (Parachute beardtongue) in Garfield County, Colorado; and threatened status for Phacelia submutica (DeBeque phacelia) in Mesa and Garfield Counties, Colorado, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Designation of critical habitat for the three species is proposed concurrently in a separate rule in this edition of the Federal Register.

This proposed rule would revise and amend the regulations that administer the Export Credit Guarantee (GSM-102) Program. Changes in this proposed rule incorporate program operational changes and information from press releases and notices to participants that have been implemented since the publication of the current rule, and include other administrative revisions to enhance clarity and program integrity. These changes should increase program availability to all participants and enhance access and encourage sales for smaller U.S. exporters. The proposed rule would eliminate provisions for the Intermediate Export Credit Guarantee (GSM-103) Program, consistent with the repeal of authority to operate this program in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), of seven animal and plant species. We conduct these reviews to ensure that our classification of each species on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants as threatened or endangered is accurate. A 5-year review assesses the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting the public to send us any information that has become available since the most recent status reviews on each of these species. Based on review results, we will determine whether we should change the listing status of any of these species.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD), Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from gasoline dispensing facilities, polyester resin operations, and spray booth facilities. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

NMFS is closing the commercial shark research fishery for non- sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS). This action is necessary because landings for the 2011 fishing season have reached at least 80 percent of the available quota.

We are amending the regulations concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh shepherd's purse with roots from the Republic of Korea into the United States under a combination of mitigations to reduce the risk of introducing plant pests. As a condition of entry, the shepherd's purse will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that will include requirements for importation of commercial consignments, pest-free place of production, removal of soil, and inspection for quarantine pests by the national plant protection organization of the Republic of Korea. The shepherd's purse will also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that it was grown, packed, and inspected and found to be free of pests in accordance with the regulations. This action will allow the importation of fresh shepherd's purse with roots from the Republic of Korea while continuing to protect against the introduction of plant pests into the United States.

We are adopting as a final rule, with one change, an interim rule that amended the Karnal bunt regulations to make changes to the list of areas or fields regulated because of Karnal bunt, a fungal disease of wheat. Specifically, the interim rule added portions of the Buckeye/Pretoria area of Maricopa County, AZ, to the list of regulated areas and removed Throckmorton and Young Counties, TX, portions of Riverside County, CA, and certain areas in La Paz, Maricopa, and Pinal Counties, AZ, from the list of regulated areas based on our determination that those fields or areas meet our criteria for release from regulation. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the spread of Karnal bunt to noninfected areas of the United States and to relieve restrictions on certain areas that are no longer necessary. In the interim rule, we inadvertently removed two areas in Maricopa County, AZ, from the list of regulated areas. We are returning those areas to the list in this final rule.

EPA is announcing a limited reopening of the public comment period for the proposed rule entitled ``Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Tennessee; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan.'' The proposed rule was initially published in the Federal Register on June 9, 2011. Written comments on the proposed rule were to be submitted to EPA on or before July 11, 2011 (30-day comment period). On June 29, 2011, and July 1, 2011, two Commenters requested that EPA extend the comment period for the June 9, 2011, Tennessee Regional Haze proposed rulemaking for 30 to 60 days in order to review the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which replaced the Clean Air Interstate Rule on July 6, 2011. The Commenters requested the extension in order to determine any potential impacts of the CSAPR on the June 9, 2011, proposed rule. EPA is now reopening the public comment period for 15 days from the date of publication of today's action for the limited purpose of public review and comment on the potential impacts of the final CSAPR on EPA's proposed rulemaking to approve Tennessee's Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP).