January 11, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The EPA is proposing to approve two revisions to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to EPA on February 17, 2010 and November 6, 2012. The February 17, 2010 proposed SIP revision to the Arkansas New Source Review (NSR) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program updates the Arkansas SIP to incorporate by reference (IBR) requirements for the Federal PSD permitting program under EPA's November 29, 2005 Phase 2 8-hour Ozone Implementation rule. The November 6, 2012 proposed SIP revision to the Arkansas NSR PSD program provides the state of Arkansas with the authority to issue PSD permits governing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and establishes appropriate emission thresholds for determining which new stationary sources and modifications to existing stationary sources become subject to Arkansas's PSD permitting requirements for their GHG emissions. The November 6, 2012 proposed SIP revision also defers until July 21, 2014 application of the PSD permitting requirements to biogenic carbon dioxide emissions from bioenergy and other biogenic stationary sources. EPA is proposing to approve the February 17, 2010, and November 6, 2012 SIP revisions to the Arkansas NSR PSD permitting program as consistent with Federal requirements for PSD permitting. EPA is also proposing to rescind the GHG PSD Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for Arkansas that was put in place to ensure the availability of a permitting authority for GHG permitting in Arkansas, upon final approval of the November 6, 2012 PSD SIP revisions. EPA is proposing this action under the Clean Air Act (the Act).

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is incorporated in our regulations, approved by the Federal Highway Administration, and recognized as the national standard for traffic control devices used on all streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel. Consistent with Executive Order 13563, and in particular its emphasis on burden-reduction and on retrospective analysis of existing rules, this document requests comments on potential formats for restructuring the MUTCD into two documents, one that would be subject to rulemaking and one that would contain supplemental information that is not subject to rulemaking. This document asks for responses to a series of questions regarding formats, types of material to be included in each document, implications on agency acceptance of the MUTCD, ease of use, and effects on future MUTCD updates.

In this document, the Commission continues the process of reviewing its special access rules to ensure that they reflect the state of competition today and promote competition, investment, and access to dedicated communications services businesses across the country rely on every day to deliver their products and services to American consumers. The Report and Order initiates a comprehensive data collection and specifies the nature of the data to be collected and the scope of respondents. An initial version of the data collection is attached to the Report and Order as an appendix; the Report and Order delegates authority to the Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau to review and modify the collection to implement the requirements of the Report and Order.

Under the Clean Air Act (``CAA'') and Federal regulations promulgated there under, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (``NH DES'') submitted a request for approval to implement and enforce the readopted and re-codified ``Env-Sw 2100: Management and Control of Asbestos Disposal Sites Not Operated after July 9, 1981,'' and the amended ``Env-A 1801-1807.01: Asbestos Management and Control,'' (amended Asbestos Management Rules) in place of the National Emission Standard for Asbestos (``Asbestos NESHAP''). EPA has reviewed this request and has determined that the amended Asbestos Management Rules satisfy the requirements necessary for approval. Thus, EPA is hereby granting NH DES the authority to implement and enforce the amended Asbestos Management Rules in place of the Asbestos NESHAP. This approval makes NH DES's amended Asbestos Management Rules federally enforceable.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list the Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The effect of this regulation would be to add the Gunnison sage-grouse to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Act.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) PW118, PW118A, PW118B, PW119B, PW119C, PW120, PW120A, PW121, PW121A, PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, PW123E, PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126A, PW127, PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, and PW127M turboprop engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive inspections of certain serial numbers (S/Ns) of propeller shafts for cracks and removal from service if found cracked. This new AD requires the same actions, but requires removal from service of affected propeller shafts as mandatory terminating action to the repetitive inspections. This AD was prompted by reports of two propeller shafts found cracked at time of inspection during maintenance. We are issuing this AD to detect propeller shaft cracks, which could cause failure of the shaft, propeller release, and loss of control of the airplane.