December 7, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is publishing a temporary rule that for a period of three years modifies the penal sum for a brewer's bond where the excise tax liability of the brewer is reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in the current calendar year and the brewer was liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. Under the temporary rule, for the next three years, the penal sum of the required bond is $1,000 for such brewers who file excise tax returns and remit taxes quarterly. In this document, TTB proposes to adopt the $1,000 penal sum amount for the brewer's bond for such brewers as a permanent regulatory change. This document also proposes amendments to the regulatory text to require that such brewers file Federal excise tax returns and payments quarterly, as well as submit reports of operations quarterly. Finally, TTB is soliciting comments on how the TTB regulations governing brewers' operations might be modified to reduce the burden on brewers and, at the same time, meet all statutory requirements and protect the revenue.

On October 11, 2012, the Postal Service filed a notice of international mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on January 27, 2013. On October 23, 2012, the USPSTM published a proposed rule in the Federal Register with changes to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]). The proposed rule included changes that we would adopt to implement the changes coincident with the price adjustments and classification changes, including changes resulting from the Postal Regulatory Commission granting the Postal Service's request in Docket No. MC2012-44 to transfer First-Class Mail International[supreg] packages (small packets) and rolls from the market-dominant product list to the competitive product list. This final rule conveys the comments received on the proposal and the final mailing standards.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD), Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). Under authority of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act), we are proposing to approve local rules that address emission statements for ICAPCD and PCAPCD and definitions for VCAPCD.

We, NMFS, have completed comprehensive status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 82 reef-building coral species in response to a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to list the species as either threatened or endangered. We have determined, based on the best scientific and commercial data available and efforts being made to protect the species, that 12 of the petitioned coral species warrant listing as endangered (five Caribbean and seven Indo-Pacific), 54 coral species warrant listing as threatened (two Caribbean and 52 Indo-Pacific), and 16 coral species (all Indo- Pacific) do not warrant listing as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Additionally, we have determined, based on the best scientific and commercial information available and efforts undertaken to protect the species, two Caribbean coral species currently listed warrant reclassification from threatened to endangered. We are announcing that 18 public hearings will be held during the public comment period to provide additional opportunities and formats to receive public input. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for public hearing dates, times, and locations.

This final rule corrects reference and typographical errors in the Commerce Control List (CCL) in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The corrections are primarily editorial in nature and do not affect license requirements. A technical standard in ECCN 3A991 is revised.

This final rule is being issued to adjust each civil monetary penalty provided by law within the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce (the Department). The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, required the head of each agency to adjust its civil monetary penalties (CMP) for inflation no later than October 23, 1996, and requires agencies to make adjustments at least once every four years thereafter. These inflation adjustments will apply only to violations that occur after the effective date of this rule.