2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule prescribes the hunting seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag and possession limits of mourning, white-winged, and white- tipped doves; band-tailed pigeons; rails; moorhens and gallinules; woodcock; common snipe; sandhill cranes; sea ducks; early (September) waterfowl seasons; migratory game birds in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; youth waterfowl day; and some extended falconry seasons. Taking of migratory birds is prohibited unless specifically provided for by annual regulations. This rule permits taking of designated species during the 2012-13 season.

This document contains an amendment regarding program eligibility to the interim final regulation implementing the Pre- Existing Condition Plan program under provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In light of a new process recently announced by the Department of Homeland Security, eligibility for the program is being amended so that the program does not inadvertently expand the scope of that process.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a public meeting and webcast to share information with the public related to treatment technologies, analytical methods and other information pertaining to the development of a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for Perchlorate.

NMFS, in coordination with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), will hold a public scoping meeting and accept written comments from the public to determine the issues of concern; the appropriate range of management alternatives; and the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures for the Groundfish Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The EIS is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The proposed action would restrict groundfish fishing in the BSAI to ensure the groundfish fisheries are not likely to result in jeopardy of continued existence or adverse modification or destruction of designated critical habitat (JAM) for the western distinct population segment (DPS) of Steller sea lions. The western DPS of Steller sea lions is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and NMFS must ensure that the groundfish fisheries are not likely to result in JAM for this DPS. NMFS intends to work with stakeholders to develop fisheries restrictions that avoid the likelihood of JAM and minimize the potential economic impact on the fishing industry to the extent practicable while meeting the requirements of the ESA. The analysis in the EIS will determine the impacts to the human environment resulting from this proposed action and the alternatives.

NHTSA has a regulation that permits motor vehicle dealers and repair businesses to install retrofit on-off switches for air bags in vehicles owned by or used by persons whose request for a switch has been approved by the agency. This regulation is only available for motor vehicles manufactured before September 1, 2012. This document extends the availability of this regulation for three additional years, so that it applies to motor vehicles manufactured before September 1, 2015.

This final rule clarifies the distinction between ``isolates'' and ``strains,'' and clarifies the requirements applicable to new isolates, which are considered to be new active ingredients under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Additional revisions to regulatory text include several minor corrections to words and references. Finally, EPA is announcing the availability of a final microbial pesticide test guideline that further explains the existing data requirement to deposit a sample in a nationally recognized culture collection. Collectively, the final rule clarifications and revisions, as well as the final microbial pesticide test guideline, are expected to enhance the ability of industry to efficiently manage its microbial pesticide registration submissions.

The Coast Guard is modifying the operating schedule that governs the Berkley (I-264) Bridge, at mile 0.4, across the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Norfolk, VA. The current temporary regulation for the Berkley Bridge is scheduled to end on October 5, 2012. This regulation will make the provisions of the temporary regulation permanent. This change to the regulation is necessary to alleviate heavy vehicular traffic delays throughout the day and secondary congestion during the afternoon rush hour, while still providing for the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard will enforce two fireworks display safety zones in the Sector Long Island Sound area of responsibility on various dates and times listed in the table below. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during these fireworks displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zones without permission of the Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Long Island Sound or designated representative.

This rule revises the reporting requirements currently prescribed under the marketing order that regulates the handling of cranberries grown in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York (order). The order is administered locally by the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee). This rule changes the dates covered by the third reporting period and the date by which the Handler Inventory Report (Form HIR) is due to the Committee. These changes will help ensure the Committee has current and complete information available for its discussions during its annual August meeting, while providing handlers sufficient time to submit their reports.

PHMSA is proposing to revise the Hazardous Materials Regulations applicable to the approval of Division 1.4G consumer fireworks (UN0336 Fireworks) and establish DOT-approved fireworks certification agencies that will provide an alternative to the approval process for Division 1.4G consumer fireworks. PHMSA is also proposing to revise procedural regulations pertaining to certification agencies. These proposed actions, if adopted, will clarify regulations with respect to PHMSA's fireworks approval process and provide regulatory flexibility in seeking authorization for the transportation of Division 1.4G consumer fireworks.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Peach Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

In this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) clarifies certain rules relating to Phase I of the Connect America Fund. Commission staff have received informal inquiries from price cap companies on certain implementation aspects of the rules governing Connect America Fund Phase I. The Bureau also makes an amendment to one of the Commission's rules to fix a clerical error relating to the support for carriers serving remote areas of Alaska.

EPA is proposing to approve into the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) the addition of a new rule that sets emissions limits on the amount of volatile organic compounds in architectural and industrial maintenance coatings that are sold, supplied, manufactured, or offered for sale in the state.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the agencies) are seeking comment on three notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRs) that would revise and replace the agencies' current capital rules. This NPR (Standardized Approach NPR) includes proposed changes to the agencies' general risk-based capital requirements for determining risk-weighted assets (that is, the calculation of the denominator of a banking organization's risk-based capital ratios). The proposed changes would revise and harmonize the agencies' rules for calculating risk- weighted assets to enhance risk-sensitivity and address weaknesses identified over recent years, including by incorporating certain international capital standards of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) set forth in the standardized approach of the ``International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework'' (Basel II), as revised by the BCBS between 2006 and 2009, and other proposals addressed in recent consultative papers of the BCBS. In this NPR, the agencies also propose alternatives to credit ratings for calculating risk-weighted assets for certain assets, consistent with section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act). The revisions include methodologies for determining risk-weighted assets for residential mortgages, securitization exposures, and counterparty credit risk. The changes in the Standardized Approach NPR are proposed to take effect on January 1, 2015, with an option for early adoption. The Standardized Approach NPR also would introduce disclosure requirements that would apply to top-tier banking organizations domiciled in the United States with $50 billion or more in total assets, including disclosures related to regulatory capital instruments. In connection with the proposed changes to the agencies' capital rules in this NPR, the agencies are also seeking comment on the two related NPRs published elsewhere in today's Federal Register. The two related NPR's are discussed further in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) are revising their market risk capital rules to better capture positions for which the market risk capital rules are appropriate; reduce procyclicality; enhance the rules' sensitivity to risks that are not adequately captured under current methodologies; and increase transparency through enhanced disclosures. The final rule does not include all of the methodologies adopted by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision for calculating the standardized specific risk capital requirements for debt and securitization positions due to their reliance on credit ratings, which is impermissible under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Instead, the final rule includes alternative methodologies for calculating standardized specific risk capital requirements for debt and securitization positions.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of pendimethalin in or on multiple commodities which are identified and discussed later in this document. Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of vitamin D2 bakers yeast as a source of vitamin D2 and as a leavening agent in yeast-leavened baked products at levels not to exceed 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D2 per 100 grams (g) in the finished food. This action is in response to a petition filed by Lallemand, Inc. (Lallemand).

This final rule lifts the trade restrictions on importing bigeye tuna from Bolivia and Georgia to implement a recommendation adopted at the 2011 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Additionally, this rule changes the regulations containing species-specific harmonized tariff codes to be consistent with recent changes adopted by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a proposed survey of urban rates for fixed voice and fixed broadband residential services. The Bureau also seeks comment concerning how, using data from the urban rates survey, to determine the local voice rate floor and the reasonable comparability benchmarks for fixed voice and fixed broadband services.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters with a certain wire strike protection system (WSPS) top cable cutter assembly installed. This proposed AD is prompted by a report of in-flight contact between the top cable cutter assembly and two main rotor (M/R) blades. This proposed AD would require reworking or replacing the top cable-cutter assembly to increase clearance between the WSPS and the M/ R blades. The proposed AD actions are intended to prevent damage to the M/R blades and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model 369D, 369E, 369F, and 369FF helicopters with certain serial-numbered tailboom assemblies. This proposed AD is prompted by the discovery of short-edge margin conditions on two tailboom assemblies. The proposed actions are intended to detect a short-edge margin condition, to modify the tailboom by adding a longeron doubler over the area with the short-edge distance, and to prevent failure of the tailboom and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

EPA is taking final action to determine that the Bristol nonattainment area (hereafter also referred to as the ``Bristol Area'' or ``Area'') has attained the 2008 lead NAAQS. On April 4, 2012, the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, submitted a request to EPA to make a determination that the Bristol nonattainment area for the 2008 lead national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard) has attained the 2008 lead NAAQS. This determination of attaining data is based upon complete, quality- assured and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2009-2011 period showing that the Area has monitored attainment of the 2008 lead NAAQS. Additionally, as a result of this determination, EPA is taking final action to suspend the requirements for the Area to submit an attainment demonstration, together with reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, and contingency measures for failure to meet RFP and attainment deadlines for so long as the Area continues to attain the 2008 lead NAAQS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Prince of Wales flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the petition does not present substantial information indicating that listing this subspecies may be warranted. Therefore, we are not initiating a status review in response to this petition. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of, or threats to, the Prince of Wales flying squirrel or its habitat at any time.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission, CPSC, us, or we) is proposing to amend the play yard mandatory standard. This proposed rule would address the hazards associated with the use of play yard bassinet accessories that can be assembled with missing key structural elements. The amendment is being proposed pursuant to section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), also known as the ``Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act'' which requires us to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products.

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