August 7, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is promulgating significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 53 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Seven of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA section 5(e) consent orders issued by EPA. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture or process any of these 53 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR Sec. 102-3.150, a Defense Health Board (DHB) meeting is announced.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of topramezone in or on multiple commodities which are identified and discussed later in this document. BASF Corporation requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Point-to-Point Network Communication Devices and Products Containing Same, DN 2970; the Commission is soliciting comments on any public interest issues raised by the complaint or complainant's filing under section 210.8(b) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 210.8(b)).

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft document entitled, Update to An Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States for the Years 1987, 1995, and 2000, (EPA/600/R-11/005A). EPA also is announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will select a group of experts to conduct a letter peer-review of the draft document. The document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development. In November 2006, EPA released the report: An Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States for the Years 1987, 1995, and 2000, (EPA/600/P-03/002F). That report presented an evaluation of sources and emissions of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls to the air, land, and water of the United States. The inventory suggested that there was a significant reduction in environmental releases of dioxin-like compounds from regulated industrial sources between the years 1987 and 2000, and that the open burning of residential refuse in backyard burn barrels was the largest source in 2000 that could be reliably quantified. This revised draft is an update to the 2006 report and reflects the additional consideration of pre-2006 peer review. This update does not expand the scope of the document beyond the three reference years covered in the 2006 document or earlier drafts: 1987, 1995, and 2000. Changes in the updated report reflect the addition of previously unquantified sources and adjustments to emission factors, for example those used for municipal and medical waste incinerators. The largest source added to the inventory was emissions to air from forest fires, a source previously classified as preliminary and not included in the quantitative inventory. The updated inventory lists the top three air sources in the year 2000 as forest fires, backyard barrel burning of refuse, and medical waste incinerators. EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in accordance with this notice to Versar to distribute to the external peer-reviewers for their consideration during the letter peer-review. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to consider any public comments received in accordance with this notice. EPA is releasing this draft assessment for the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft assessment is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. The draft document is available via the Internet on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at www.epa.gov/ncea.

EPA is proposing to grant a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision request submitted by the state of Illinois on October 15, 2010, and supplemented on September 16, 2011, and May 6, 2013. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requested EPA to redesignate the Illinois portion of the Chicago-Gary- Lake County, Illinois-Indiana (IL-IN) nonattainment area to attainment of the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) and requested EPA approval of Illinois' PM2.5 maintenance plan and PM2.5-related emission inventories for this area as revisions of the Illinois SIP. The Illinois portion (Chicago area) of this nonattainment area is: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties, Aux Sable and Goose Lake Townships in Grundy County, and Oswego Township in Kendall County. EPA is proposing to grant the state's redesignation request and to approve the requested Illinois SIP revisions, including the state's plan for maintaining attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS in this area through 2025. EPA is also proposing to approve Illinois' 2008 and 2025 Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) and PM2.5 Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the Chicago area. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve Illinois' 2002 NOX, Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Volatile Organic Compound, ammonia, and primary PM2.5 emission inventories for this area. In the context of this proposal to redesignate the Chicago area, EPA addresses a number of additional issues, including the effects of two decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit or Court): The Court's August 21, 2012, decision to vacate and remand to EPA the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR); and the Court's January 4, 2013, decision to remand to EPA two final rules implementing the 1997 PM2.5 standard.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to update its regulations to standardize the frequency of required security education training for employees of NRC licensees possessing security clearances so that such training will be conducted annually consistent with the objectives of Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information. The rule would allow licensees flexibility in determining the means and methods for providing this training. This action would establish uniformity in the frequency of licensee security education and training programs and enhances the protection of classified information.

This final rule updates the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2014, and continues the phase out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor (BNAF). Including the FY 2014 15 percent BNAF reduction, the total 5 year cumulative BNAF reduction in FY 2014 will be 70 percent. The BNAF phase-out will continue with successive 15 percent reductions in FY 2015 and FY 2016. This final rule also clarifies how hospices are to report diagnoses on hospice claims, and provides updates to the public on hospice payment reform. Additionally, this final rule changes the requirements for the hospice quality reporting program by discontinuing currently reported measures and implementing a Hospice Item Set with seven National Quality Forum (NFQ) endorsed measures beginning July 1, 2014, as proposed. Finally, this final rule will implement the hospice Experience of Care Survey on January 1, 2015, as proposed.