August 29, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is finalizing a full approval of the regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) from the State of Florida, submitted through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), on March 19, 2010, as amended on August 31, 2010, and September 17, 2012. Florida's SIP submittal addresses regional haze for the first implementation period. Specifically, this SIP submittal addresses the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') and EPA's rules that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing anthropogenic impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas (national parks and wilderness areas) caused by emissions of air pollutants from numerous sources located over a wide geographic area (also referred to as the ``regional haze program''). States are required to assure reasonable progress toward the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas. In this action, EPA finds that Florida's regional haze SIP meets all of the regional haze requirements of the CAA. Thus, EPA is finalizing a full approval of Florida's entire regional haze SIP.

EPA is approving portions of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittals from the State of Arkansas to address Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) requirements in section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) that prohibit air emissions which will contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance in any other state for the 1997 and 2006 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). EPA has determined that the existing SIP for Arkansas contains adequate provisions to prohibit air emissions from significantly contributing to nonattainment or interfering with maintenance of the 1997 annual and 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS (1997 PM2.5 NAAQS) and the 2006 revised 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS (2006 PM2.5 NAAQS) in any other state as required by section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) of the Act.

EPA is approving, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the state of Michigan's request to redesignate the Detroit-Ann Arbor nonattainment area (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties) to attainment for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). On July 5, 2011, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) submitted a request for EPA to redesignate the Detroit-Ann Arbor Michigan nonattainment area. EPA determined that the Detroit-Ann Arbor area has attained the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard, and proposed on July 2, 2013, to approve Michigan's request to redesignate the area. EPA is taking final action today on that proposal. EPA also is taking final action in this rulemaking on several related proposals. EPA is approving, as a revision to the Michigan state implementation plan (SIP), the state's plan for maintaining the 1997 annual and 2006 24- hour PM2.5 NAAQS in the area through 2023. Finally, EPA finds adequate and is approving Michigan's nitrogen oxides (NOX) and PM2.5 Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for 2023 for the Detroit-Ann Arbor area. EPA, therefore, grants Michigan's request to redesignate the Detroit-Ann Arbor area to attainment for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list the Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa), as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. The effect of this regulation is to add this species to the list of Endangered and Threatened wildlife under the Act.

EPA is finalizing approval of two permitting rules submitted by California as a revision to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD or District) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions were proposed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2013 and concern construction and modification of stationary sources of air pollution within Sacramento County. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA). Final approval of these rules makes the rules federally enforceable and corrects program deficiencies identified in a previous EPA rulemaking (76 FR 43183, July 20, 2011). EPA is also making technical amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to reflect this previous rulemaking, which removed an obsolete provision from the California SIP.

EPA is proposing to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Missouri on March 17, 2011. This revision proposes to amend the rule to provide more specificity to the interagency consultation process requirements and responsibilities. The revision to Missouri's rule does not add any additional requirements to the existing rule but merely adds language that better clarifies specific roles and responsibilities including the consultation groups' processes. Further, these revisions do not have an adverse affect on air quality. EPA's approval of this SIP revision is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is issuing this notice to advise the public that, on July 24, 2013, the CFPB prepared and submitted a recommendation to the State Historical Preservation Office for eligibility for listing on the historic register for the building located at 1700 G Street, NW., Washington, DC. The building is currently used as the headquarters for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Originally built in 1976, the building has three below ground levels that extend beneath a large public courtyard (two of which include secured parking) and seven floors above ground with the highest reserved for mechanical equipment. Storefront retail is located at the ground level. The CFPB and its consultants prepared the final Determination for Eligibility for Listing on the Historic Register, dated July 24, 2013, in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.,

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to add a provision to its regulations that provides forage seed insurance. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions (Basic Provisions), which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crop programs. The intended effect of this action is to convert the Forage Seed pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2015 and succeeding crop years.

EPA is taking several related actions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) affecting the state of Ohio and the Ohio portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Wheeling, West Virginia-Ohio areas for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). EPA is approving requests from the state of Ohio to redesignate the Ohio portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Wheeling areas to attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard. EPA is approving, as a revision to the Ohio state implementation plan (SIP), the state's plans for maintaining the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard in those areas through 2023. EPA is determining the insignificance of the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for purposes of transportation conformity in those areas. EPA is approving the comprehensive inventories submitted by Ohio for the oxides of nitrogen (NOX), primary PM2.5, and sulfur dioxide (SO2), ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the Parkersburg-Marietta area (Washington County), and in the Wheeling area (Belmont County) as meeting the requirements of the CAA. Finally, EPA is determining that the areas continue to maintain the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard based on certified 2009-2011 air quality data.

The FHWA proposes to update the existing value engineering (VE) regulations to make the regulations consistent with the statutory changes in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP- 21) and to make other non-substantive changes for clarity.