July 23, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone around each tall ship participating in the Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes 2013 and the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration. These safety zones will ensure the safety of participating tall ships, spectator vessels, and commercial traffic throughout the Great Lakes.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by KGAN Licensee, LLC (``KGAN Licensee''), the licensee of KGAN(TV), channel 51, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, requesting the substitution of channel 29 for channel 51 at Cedar Rapids. While the Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of full power television rulemaking petitions requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, it subsequently announced that it would lift the freeze to accept such petitions for rulemaking seeking to relocate from channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary relocation agreement with Lower 700 MHz A Block licensees. KGAN Licensee has entered into such a voluntary relocation agreement with King Street Wireless, L.P., stating that operating on channel 29 would remove any potential interference with a wireless operation located directly adjacent to channel 51 in Cedar Rapids. KGAN Licensee believes the grant of this petition would serve the public interest.

The Department of Labor (Department) is proposing to delay indefinitely the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (2011 Wage Rule), in order to comply with recurrent legislation that prohibits the Department from using any funds to implement it, and to permit time for consideration of public comments sought in conjunction with an interim final rule published April 24, 2013, 78 FR 24047. The 2011 Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The 2011 Wage Rule was originally scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2012, and the effective date has been extended a number of times, most recently to October 1, 2013.\1\ The Department is now proposing to delay the effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule until such time as Congress no longer prohibits the Department from implementing the 2011 Wage Rule.

EPA issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register of June 10, 2013, concerning a third-party certification framework for the formaldehyde standards for composite wood products. This document extends the comment period from August 9, 2013 to August 26, 2013. After receiving requests for an extension, EPA believes it is appropriate to extend the comment period in order to give stakeholders additional time to assess the impacts of the proposal, review technical documents in the docket, and prepare comments.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement a limited waiver, published by the Secretary of State on June 12, 2013, of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (the SAA). The waiver authorizes BIS to issue licenses on a case-by-case basis for the export or reexport of certain commodities, software, and technology necessary for the support of the Syrian people. Specifically, consistent with Section 5(b) of the SAA, Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), BIS implements the waiver by amending its Syria licensing policy under the EAR. BIS will review licenses on a case-by-case basis for the export or reexport of certain commodities, software, and technology, including, but not limited to, those related to water supply and sanitation, agricultural production and food processing, power generation, oil and gas production, construction and engineering, transportation, and educational infrastructure, as a means of helping to address the critical needs of the Syrian people and facilitating reconstruction. These exports are necessary to support a political transition, restore stability, and counter destabilizing influences in the region, and are therefore essential to the national security of the United States.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will consider the issues raised in the petition for rulemaking (PRM), PRM-50-100, submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC or the petitioner), in the rulemaking process. The petitioner requests that the NRC amend its regulations to require each operating and new reactor licensee to improve spent nuclear fuel safety. The NRC determined that the issues raised in the PRM are appropriate for consideration and will consider them in the ongoing ``Station Blackout Mitigation Strategies'' rulemaking.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (Eurocopter) Model EC135P2+ and EC135T2+ helicopters. This proposed AD would require inspecting the mechanical air conditioning system compressor bearing block upper bearing (upper bearing) for corrosion, leaking grease, condensation, or water. This proposed AD is prompted by metallic debris from an upper bearing found in the air inlet areas of both engines in a Model EC135P2+ helicopter. The proposed actions are intended to prevent metallic debris from damaging the engine, causing loss of engine power, and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

This final rule announces NHTSA's determination that there are no new model year (MY) 2014 light duty truck lines subject to the parts-marking requirements of the Federal motor vehicle theft prevention standard because they have been determined by the agency to be high-theft or because they have a majority of interchangeable parts with those of a passenger motor vehicle line. This final rule also identifies those vehicle lines that have been granted an exemption from the parts-marking requirements because the vehicles are equipped with antitheft devices determined to meet certain statutory criteria.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model EC225LP helicopters. This proposed AD would require inspecting the swashplates for corrosion or a crack, and making the appropriate repairs or replacement of parts. This proposed AD is prompted by the discovery of corrosion on the swashplates when the main rotor hub (MRH) assemblies were reconditioned. The proposed actions are intended to detect corrosion or a crack in the swashplates, which could lead to failure of the swashplate and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (Eurocopter) Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters with a jettisonable sliding door (door) installed. This proposed AD would require inspecting the lock release assembly and the middle and upper lever locking bolts of each door, replacing any damaged parts with airworthy parts, and ensuring the door is correctly installed. This proposed AD is prompted by the uncommanded detaching of a door from an MBB-BK 117 C-2 fuselage. The proposed actions are intended to prevent the in-flight loss of the door, which could damage the helicopter and injure persons on the ground.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Arizona for the Bullhead City Regatta on August 10, 2013. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, participating vessels, and other vessels and users of the waterway. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through or anchoring within this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or the Board) is amending its rules of practice and procedure to reflect the relocation of its Washington Regional Office.

The Commission amends the Energy Labeling Rule (``Rule'') by updating comparability ranges and unit energy costs for many EnergyGuide labels. The Commission also issues a conditional exemption and amendments for modified refrigerator and clothes washer labels to help consumers compare the labels for these products after the implementation of upcoming changes to the Department of Energy (``DOE'') test procedures.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is giving notice that it intends to establish a negotiated rulemaking working group under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act (NRA) to negotiate proposed Federal standards for the energy efficiency of commercial/industrial pumps. The purpose of the working group will be to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on a proposed rule for the energy efficiency of commercial/industrial pumps, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, as amended. The working group will consist of representatives of parties having a defined stake in the outcome of the proposed standards, and will consult as appropriate with a range of experts on technical issues.

This Notice provides an opportunity to comment on EPA's draft analysis of the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ethanol that is produced using barley as a feedstock. EPA's draft analysis indicates that ethanol produced from barley has an estimated lifecycle GHG emissions reduction of 47% as compared to baseline conventional fuel when the barley ethanol is produced at a dry mill facility that uses natural gas for all process energy, uses electricity from the grid, and dries up to 100% of distillers grains. Such barley ethanol would therefore meet the minimum 20% GHG emissions reduction threshold for conventional biofuels under the Clean Air Act Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. In addition, EPA analyzed two potential options for producing barley ethanol that would meet the 50% GHG emissions reduction threshold for advanced biofuels. Ethanol produced from dry- milling barley meet the advanced biofuels GHG reduction threshold if it is produced at a facility that uses no more than 30,700 Btu of natural gas for process energy, no more than 4,200 Btu of biomass from barley hulls or biogas from landfills, waste treatment plants, barley hull digesters, or waste digesters for process energy, and no more than 0.84 kWh of electricity from the grid for all electricity used at the renewable fuel production facility, calculated on a per gallon basis. Ethanol produced from dry-milling barley can also meet the advanced biofuel GHG reduction threshold if the production facility uses no more than 36,800 Btu of natural gas for process energy and also uses natural gas for on-site production of all electricity used at the facility other than up to 0.19 kWh of electricity from the grid, calculated on a per gallon basis.