2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service request to add Parcel Select & Parcel Return Service Contract 5 to the competitive product list. This notice addresses procedural steps associated with this filing.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revision to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.31, ``Control of Ferrite Content in Stainless Steel Weld Metal.'' This guide (Revision 4) describes a method that the NRC staff considers acceptable for controlling ferrite content in stainless steel weld metal. It updates the guide to remove references to outdated standards and to remove an appendix that has been incorporated into relevant specifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a new regulatory guide (RG), 1.79.1, ``Initial Test Program of Emergency Core Cooling Systems for New Boiling-Water Reactors.'' This RG describes testing methods the NRC staff considers acceptable for demonstrating the operability of emergency core cooling systems (ECCSs) for boiling- water reactors (BWRs) whose licenses are issued after the date of issuance of this RG (new BWRs).

HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment. Public and Indian Housing Grant recipients use the payment vouchers to request funds from HUD through the LOCCS/VRS voice activated system. The information collected on the form serves also as an internal control measure to ensure the lawful and appropriate disbursement of Federal funds.

Notice is given of the names of members of a Performance Review Board for the Department of the Army.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is preparing a Regional Environmental Impact Statement (REIS) to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects associated with a decision to develop and assess data and information with waters of the United States and other relevant resources that may be potentially impacted by future surface coal and lignite mine expansions in the state of Texas within the Fort Worth District's area of responsibility. These coal and lignite mining activities may eventually require authorization from the USACE under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, as well as other federal and state permits and approvals.

On Tuesday, September 24, 2013 (78 FR 58526-58528), the Department of Defense published a notice announcing a meeting of the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, Scientific Advisory Board that was to have taken place on October 15, 2013 and October 16, 2013. This meeting was cancelled.

EPA is proposing to fully approve certain revisions to the Rhode Island State Implementation Plan (SIP) primarily relating to regulation of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) under Rhode Island's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) preconstruction permitting program. EPA is also proposing to fully approve the State's definition of ``PM2.5'' (fine particulate matter) which is specific only to permitting. Certain of the State's SIP revisions consist of definitions that also relate more broadly to the State's PSD and nonattainment new source review (NSR) preconstruction permitting requirements, i.e., to major stationary sources that also emit regulated new source review pollutants other than GHGs. EPA is proposing to conditionally approve those definitions as they relate to the non-GHG pollutants. All of the revisions in question were submitted by Rhode Island, through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) Office of Air Resources, on January 18, 2011. They are primarily intended to align Rhode Island's SIP regulations with EPA's ``Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule.'' Finally, EPA is not taking action on certain other SIP revisions contained in RI DEM's January 18, 2011 submittal.

This notice is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend an open meeting of the Plant Variety Protection Board.

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA is approving requests by Ohio to revise the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance air quality state implementation plan (SIP) for the Dayton-Springfield area, the Toledo area, and the Ohio portions of the Parkersburg-Marietta and Steubenville-Weirton, West Virginia-Ohio areas, to replace onroad emissions inventories and motor vehicle emissions budgets (budgets) with inventories and budgets developed using EPA's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) emissions model. The Dayton-Springfield area consists of Clark, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery Counties. The Ohio portion of the Steubenville-Weirton, West Virginia-Ohio area consists of Jefferson County, Ohio. The Toledo area consists of Lucas and Wood Counties. The Ohio portion of the Parkersburg-Marietta, West Virginia-Ohio area consists of Washington County. Ohio submitted the SIP revision requests on the following dates: Dayton-Springfield on February 11, 2013; Steubenville-Weirton on March 15, 2013; Toledo on April 18, 2013; Parkersburg-Marietta on April 26, 2013.

The EPA is taking final action to approve a revision to the Idaho State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Idaho on September 16, 2013, for approval into the Idaho SIP for purposes of meeting the state board requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The EPA is also approving the September 16, 2013, revision as meeting the corresponding state board infrastructure requirements of the CAA for the 1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). On August 1, 2013, the EPA proposed to approve the July 16, 2013, draft of this revision submitted for parallel processing. Because the final SIP revision submitted by Idaho to the EPA on September 16, 2013 is consistent with the July 16, 2013, submittal, the Idaho SIP will, upon the effective date of this final approval, contain the required provisions regarding board composition and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The EPA is taking final action to approve this revision because it satisfies the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This rulemaking will fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. For direct heating equipment, the proposed amendments would add provisions for testing vented home heating equipment that utilizes condensing technology, and to incorporate by reference six industry test standards to replace the outdated test standards which are referred to in the existing DOE test procedure. These industry standards reflect the current practice in test set-up and test conditions for testing direct heating equipment. For pool heaters, the proposed amendments would incorporate by reference ANSI/Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1160-2009, ``Performance Rating of Heat Pump Pool Heaters,'' and ANSI/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 146- 2011, ``Method of Testing and Rating Pool Heaters,'' to establish a test method for electric pool heaters (including heat pump pool heaters). The proposed amendments would also clarify the test procedure's applicability to oil-fired pool heaters. DOE is also announcing a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on issues presented in this test procedure rulemaking.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list the Dakota skipper as a threatened species and the Poweshiek skipperling as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to the Dakota skipper and the Poweshiek skipperling. The effect of this regulation is to add the Dakota skipper and the Poweshiek skipperling to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We also propose a special rule under section 4(d) of the Act that outlines the prohibitions necessary and advisable for the conservation of the Dakota skipper, if it is listed as a threatened species.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the third meeting of the RTCA Tactical Operations Committee.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces an update to the meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). The in-person Task Force meeting is being replaced by an abbreviated conference call as a result of the lapse in the FY 2014 appropriation, which limited CDC's ability to complete the necessary scientific and logistical support for the meeting. The Task Force is an independent, nonfederal, and uncompensated panel. Its members represent a broad range of research, practice, and policy expertise in prevention, wellness, health promotion, and public health, and are appointed by the CDC Director. The Task Force was convened in 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify community preventive programs, services, and policies that increase healthy longevity, save lives and dollars and improve Americans' quality of life. CDC is mandated to provide ongoing administrative, research, and technical support for the operations of the Task Force. During its meetings, the Task Force considers the findings of systematic reviews on existing research, and issues recommendations. These recommendations provide evidence-based options from which decision makers in communities, companies, health departments, health plans and healthcare systems, non-governmental organizations, and at all levels of government can choose what best meets the needs, preferences, available resources, and constraints of their constituents. The Task Force's recommendations, along with the systematic reviews of the scientific evidence on which they are based, are compiled in the Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide).

This rule suspends the minimum grade, size, quality, maturity, and inspection requirements prescribed under the Washington apricot marketing order (order) for the remainder of the 2013-2014 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. The order regulates the handling of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington and is administered locally by the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee). This rule follows a suspension of the handling regulations that was enacted in the 2012-2013 fiscal period, and is expected to reduce overall industry expenses and increase net returns to growers and handlers.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Kiwifruit Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2013-14 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.035 to $0.025 per 9-kilo volume-fill container or equivalent of kiwifruit. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of kiwifruit grown in California. Assessments upon kiwifruit handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period began on August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) will meet on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. The meeting will be open to the public.