November 26, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to approve the State of North Carolina's April 12, 2013, State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision associated with the currently approved maintenance plan addressing the 1997 8-hour national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the Greensboro/ Winston-Salem/High Point (Triad) Area. Specifically, North Carolina's revision, including updated modeling, shows that the Triad Area would continue to maintain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard if the currently applicable Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard for gasoline of 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) were modified to 9.0 psi for four portions (Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford and Davie Counties) of the ``Triad Area'' during the high-ozone season. The State has included a technical demonstration with the revision to demonstrate that a less-stringent RVP standard of 9.0 psi in these portions of this area would not interfere with continued maintenance of the 1997 8-hour Ozone NAAQS or any other applicable standard. Approval of this SIP revision is a prerequisite for EPA's consideration of an amendment to the regulations to remove the aforementioned portions of the Triad Area from the list of areas that are currently subject to the Federal 7.8 psi RVP requirements. In addition, the revised on-road mobile and non- road mobile source emissions modeling associated with the requested modification to the RVP standard results in the use of the updated Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) and NONROAD2008 models which are the most current versions of modeling systems available for these sources. EPA has preliminarily determined that North Carolina's April 12, 2013, SIP revision with respect to the revisions to the modeling and associated technical demonstration associated with the State's request for the removal of the Federal RVP requirements, and with respect to the updated on-road mobile, non-road mobile and area source emissions, is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Should EPA decide to remove the subject portions of the Triad Area from those areas subject to the 7.8 psi Federal RVP requirements, such action will occur in a subsequent rulemaking.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the State Highway 4 Drawbridge across Old River, mile 14.8 between Victoria Island and Byron Tract, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to make critical repairs to the bridge gears. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments made to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late planting period. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes to better meet the needs of the producers. The changes will be effective for the 2014 and succeeding crop years.

We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition requesting that we amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations to add specific standards for the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of all species of bears held in captivity except polar bears, for which there are already standards. We are making this petition available to the public and soliciting comments regarding the petition and any issues raised by the petition that we should take into account as we consider this petition.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is correcting final rules that appeared in the Federal Register of 78 FR 66288, November 5, 2013. The document issued final rules that establish a single protection scheme for tower construction and modification near AM tower arrays and designate ``moment method'' computer modeling as the principal means of determining whether a nearby tower affects an AM radiation pattern. This correction makes no change to the substance of the rules.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211 Trent 553-61, 553A2-61, 556-61, 556A2-61, 556B-61, 556B2-61, 560-61, and 560A2-61 turbofan engines. This AD requires replacement or repair of the low-pressure (LP) compressor fan blade set before reaching a specified number of flight cycles since new (FCSN) or flight cycles since last leading edge profile blade repair (FCSLR). This AD was prompted by reports of erosion of the leading edge profile of the LP compressor blade set contributing to fan blade flutter. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the LP compressor blades, which could lead to an uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

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.

EPA is approving a request submitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) on July 3, 2013, to revise the Illinois state implementation plan (SIP). The submission amends the Illinois Administrative Code (IAC) by updating the definition of ``Volatile organic material (VOM) or Volatile organic compound (VOC)'' to add trans-1,3,3,3-tetra-flouropropene (HFO-1234ze) to the list of compounds excluded from the definition of VOM or VOC. This revision is based on EPA's 2012 rulemaking which added HFO-1234ze to the list of chemical compounds that are excluded from the Federal definition of VOC because of their negligible contribution to the formation of tropospheric ozone.