March 4, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this interim rule amending the regulations that specify interest rates on guaranteed farm loans. This rule will tie the maximum interest rate that may be charged on FSA guaranteed farm loans to nationally published indices, specifically the 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or the 5-year Treasury note rate, unless the lender uses a formal written risk-based pricing practice for loans, in which case the rate must be at least one risk tier lower than the borrower would receive without the guarantee. These provisions are intended to increase clarity and specificity in the maximum rate requirements, while at the same time setting rates that will work in current credit market conditions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to revise our regulations regarding the approval of nontoxic shot types to make the regulations easier to understand. The language governing determination of Expected Environmental Concentrations (EECs) in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is altered to make clear the shot size and number of shot to be used in calculating the EECs. We propose to specify the pH levels to be used in calculating the EEC in water. We also propose to move the requirement for in vitro testing to Tier 1, which will allow us to better assess applications and minimize the need for Tier 2 applications. We propose to add language for withdrawal of alloys that have been demonstrated to have detrimental environmental or biological effects, or for which no suitable field-testing device is available. We expect these changes to reduce the time required for nontoxic shot approvals. Finally, we propose to charge fees to cover our costs in evaluating these applications.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A318-112, A319-111, A319-112, A319-115, A319-132, and A319-133 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that a fastener, which connects the cargo door keel beam foot to the circumferential butt-strap and the section 13-14 lower shell panel, was not installed on airplanes during production. This proposed AD would require inspecting forward fuselage frame 24, stringer 39, right hand, to determine if the fastener is missing; measuring the hole dimensions of the five holes surrounding the missing fastener if necessary; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct the missing fastener, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is publishing an order granting a petition requesting exemption from premarket notification requirements for powered patient transport devices commonly known as stairway chair lifts. These devices are used to assist in the transfer of a person with a mobility impairment caused by injury or other disease up and down flights of stairs. This order exempts stairway chair lifts, class II devices, from premarket notification and establishes conditions for exemption for this device that will provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device without submission of a premarket notification (510(k)). This exemption from 510(k), subject to these conditions, is immediately in effect for stairway chair lifts. All other devices classified under FDA's powered patient transport regulations, including attendant-operated portable stair-climbing chairs (which are different from wheelchairs) continue to require submission of 510(k)s. FDA is publishing this order in accordance with the section of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) permitting the exemption of a device from the requirement to submit a 510(k).

This action proposes to amend Class D Airspace at El Monte Airport, El Monte, CA. This action, initiated by the biennial review of the El Monte Airspace Area, would amend the Class D Airspace to accommodate departures and arrivals, while enhancing the safety and management of aircraft arriving and departing under Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at El Monte Airport.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or ``we'') is reopening the comment period for the interim final rule entitled ``Use of Materials Derived From Cattle in Human Food and Cosmetics'' that published in the Federal Register of July 14, 2004 (69 FR 42256). The interim final rule prohibited the use of certain cattle material to address the potential risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in human food, including dietary supplements, and cosmetics. In the Federal Register of September 7, 2005 (70 FR 53063), we amended the interim final rule to make changes, including providing that the small intestine of cattle, formerly prohibited cattle material, could be used in human food and cosmetics if the distal ileum was removed by a specified procedure or one that the establishment could demonstrate is equally effective in ensuring complete removal of the distal ileum. Since 2005, peer-reviewed studies have been published showing the presence of infectivity in the proximal ileum, jejunum, ileocecal junction, and colon of cattle with BSE. Therefore, we are reopening the comment period for the interim final rule to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on the new studies concerning infectivity in parts of the small intestine other than the distal ileum.

These special conditions are issued for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with pitch and roll limiting functions, specifically an electronic flight control system which contains fly-by-wire control laws, including envelope protections. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Section 806(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the ``Dodd-Frank Act'' or ``Act'') permits the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the ``Board'') to authorize a Federal Reserve Bank to establish and maintain an account for, and through the account provide certain financial services to, financial market utilities (``FMUs'') that are designated as systemically important by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the ``Council''). In addition, section 806(c) of the Dodd-Frank Act permits a Reserve Bank to pay interest on the balances maintained by or on behalf of a designated FMU. The Board is proposing to add two new sections to Part 234 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations to implement these provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Western Pacific Broadcast, LLC (``Western Pacific''), the permittee of unbuilt station WMDE(TV), Channel 5, Seaford, Delaware, requesting an amendment of the DTV Table of Allotments to delete Channel 5 at Seaford and substitute Channel 5 at Dover, Delaware. Western Pacific further requests modification of WMDE(TV)'s construction permit to specify Dover, Delaware as the station's community license and seeks a waiver of the Commission's freeze on the filing of petitions for rulemaking by televisions stations seeking to change their community of license. Western Pacific asserts that its proposal to reallot Channel 5 to Dover is based on the technical specifications currently authorized for WMDE(TV), and therefore the new allotment will be mutually exclusive with the station's existing allotment. Western Pacific further states that its proposal meets the Commission's allotment priorities by providing Dover with its first local television service, and that Seaford will remain well-served after the reallotment because full-power noncommercial station WDPB(TV), Channel *44, will remain licensed to that community. Therefore, Western Pacific submits that this rulemaking will serve the public interest.

EPA is approving a revision to the Delaware State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Delaware, through the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) on April 3, 2008. The SIP revision pertains to the 2002 base year emissions inventory for the Delaware portion of the Philadelphia- Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware (PA-NJ-DE) nonattainment area. The 2002 base year emissions inventory was submitted to meet nonattainment requirements related to the Delaware nonattainment area for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). EPA is approving the 2002 base year emissions inventory in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.