November 30, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG-1000T gliders equipped with Solo Kleinmotoren Model 2350 C engines. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as a material defect of the propeller shaft, most likely caused by a manufacturing error. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Secretary of Homeland Security announces that the numerical limitation for the annual fiscal year numerical limitation for CNMI-only Transitional Worker (CW-1) nonimmigrant classification for fiscal year 2013 is set at 15,000. In accordance with Title VII of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) (codified, in relevant part, at 48 U.S.C. 1806(d)) and 8 CFR 214.2(w)(1)(viii)(C), this document announces the mandated annual reduction of the CW-1 numerical limit and provides the public with information regarding the new CW-1 numerical limit. This document is intended to ensure that CNMI employers and employees have sufficient notice regarding the maximum number of workers who may be granted transitional worker status during the upcoming fiscal year.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Decorah, IA. Decommissioning of the Decorah non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at Decorah Municipal Airport has made reconfiguration necessary for standard instrument approach procedures and for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at West Union, IA. Decommissioning of the West Union non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at George L. Scott Municipal Airport has made reconfiguration necessary for standard instrument approach procedures and for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

On April 16, 2012, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency submitted a request for EPA to approve the redesignation of the Ohio portion of the Wheeling, West Virginia-Ohio (WV-OH), nonattainment area to attainment of the 1997 annual standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). EPA is proposing to approve Ohio's request. EPA is proposing to determine that the entire Wheeling West Virginia-Ohio area attains the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard, based on the most recent three years of certified air quality data. EPA is proposing to approve, as revisions to the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP), the state's plan for maintaining the 1997 annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) through 2022 in the Ohio portion of the area. EPA is proposing to approve a 2005 emissions inventory for the Ohio portion of the Wheeling area as meeting the comprehensive emissions inventory requirement of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Ohio's maintenance plan submission includes an insignificance finding for the mobile source contribution of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) to Ohio's portion of the Wheeling PM2.5 Area for transportation conformity purposes; EPA agrees with this finding and proposes to determine the insignificance of the 2022 motor vehicle emission budget (MVEB) for the Ohio portion of the Wheeling area for transportation conformity purposes.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Superior, WI. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Richard I. Bong Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport. Geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the food additive regulations to increase the maximum dose of ionizing radiation permitted in the treatment of poultry products, to include specific language intended to clarify the poultry products covered by the regulations, and to remove the limitation that any packaging used during irradiation of poultry shall not exclude oxygen. This action is in response to a petition filed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS).

This rule increases the rail equipment accident/incident reporting threshold from $9,500 to $9,900 for certain railroad accidents/incidents involving property damage that occur during calendar year 2013. This action is needed to ensure that FRA's reporting requirements reflect cost increases that have occurred since the reporting threshold was last published in November of 2011.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of May 24, 2012. This document corrects rules adopted to help consumers prevent and detect the placement of unauthorized charges on their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as ``cramming.''

On February 16, 2012, pursuant to sections 111 and 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the EPA published the final rules titled ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial- Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units.'' The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule issued pursuant to CAA section 112 is referred to as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), and the New Source Performance Standards rule issued pursuant to CAA section 111 is referred to as the Utility NSPS. The Administrator received petitions for reconsideration of certain aspects of MATS and the Utility NSPS. In this notice, the EPA is announcing reconsideration of certain new source standards for MATS, the requirements applicable during periods of startup and shutdown for MATS, the startup and shutdown provisions related to the particulate matter (PM) standard in the Utility NSPS, and certain revisions to the definitional and monitoring provisions of the Utility NSPS. We are also proposing certain technical corrections to both MATS and the Utility NSPS. We seek comment only on the aspects of the final MATS and Utility NSPS rules specifically identified in this notice. We are not opening for reconsideration any other provisions of MATS or the Utility NSPS at this time.

During a review of Texas' regulations, the EPA identified a variety of State-initiated changes to Texas' hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA), for which the State had not previously sought authorization. The EPA proposes to authorize the State for the program changes. In addition, the EPA proposes to codify in the regulations entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', Texas' authorized hazardous waste program. The EPA will incorporate by reference into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) those provisions of the State regulations that are authorized and that the EPA will enforce under RCRA.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) amends its regulations to change the process for filing Electric Quarterly Reports (EQR). Due to technology changes that will render the current filing process outmoded, ineffective, and unsustainable, the Commission will discontinue the use of Commission-distributed software to file an EQR. Instead, the Commission adopts a web-based approach to filing EQRs that will allow a public or non-public utility to file an EQR directly through the Commission's Web site, either through a web interface or by submitting an Extensible Mark-Up Language-formatted file. By adopting a process with two options for filing EQRs, the Commission seeks to provide the flexibility needed to accommodate a public or non-public utility's technical preference. The Commission also requires a public or non-public utility to identify itself with a company identification number rather than the existing software-based EQR identifier. The changes to the process for filing EQRs will apply to EQR filings beginning with the third quarter 2013 EQR, which will provide data for July through September 2013.