2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish notice of permits issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the required notice.

NMFS is reopening the comment period for its Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Loggerhead Sea Turtle Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and Proposed Determination Regarding Critical Habitat for the North Pacific Ocean Loggerhead DPS. The comment period is being reopened to provide additional opportunity for public comment.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a statutory pilot program enhancing whistleblower protections for contractor employees.

This document is issued under the joint authority of DOD, GSA, and NASA. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of the rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-70, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-70, which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov.

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the proposal submitted to BOEM by Principle Power, Inc. (Principle Power) to acquire an OCS commercial wind lease; (2) solicit submissions of indications of interest in obtaining a commercial lease for wind energy development on the OCS offshore Oregon in the area described in this notice; and (3) solicit initial public input regarding the area described in this notice, the potential environmental consequences of wind energy development in the area, and the multiple uses of the area. On May 15, 2013, BOEM received an unsolicited request from Principle Power for a commercial wind lease on the OCS offshore Oregon. Principle Power's proposed project, the ``WindFloat Pacific Project,'' would consist of a floating wind energy demonstration facility offshore Coos Bay, Oregon. The project is designed to generate 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity from five floating ``WindFloat'' units, each equipped with a 6-MW offshore wind turbine, connected by inter-unit electrical cabling, with a single transmission cable exporting electricity to the mainland that would extend across both Federal and state lands. The project would be located approximately 16 nautical miles (nmi) west of Coos Bay, Oregon in water depths of approximately 1,400 feet. Additional information on Principle Power's unsolicited lease request can be viewed at https://www.boem.gov/State-Activities-Oregon/. This RFI is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, as amended by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)), and the implementing regulations at 30 CFR 585.231(b). Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) determines after public notice of a proposed lease, easement, or right-of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This RFI provides such public notice for the proposed lease area requested by Principle Power and invites the submission of indications of interest. BOEM is soliciting submissions of interest in commercial wind energy development with this notice. BOEM will consider the responses to this public notice to determine whether competitive interest exists for the area requested by Principle Power, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a commercial lease for wind energy development for the area described below under ``Description of the Proposed Lease Area'' should submit detailed and specific information as described in the section entitled, ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' This announcement also requests that interested and affected parties comment and provide information about site conditions and multiple uses within the area identified in this notice that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. This is the first step in the OCS renewable energy leasing process. There will be additional opportunities to provide comment pursuant to 30 CFR part 585 and applicable laws, such as the opportunity to comment on the environmental analysis that BOEM will prepare under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), before any lease is issued. A detailed description of the proposed lease area can be found in the section of this notice entitled, ``Description of the Area.''

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Colorado (FEMA-4145-DR), dated 09/14/ 2013. Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides. Incident Period: 09/11/2013 and continuing. Effective Date: 09/19/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 11/14/2013. EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 06/16/2014.

This rule amends the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order) to increase the assessment rate from $12 to $18 per ton (an increase of $0.003 per pound). The Order is administered by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the program, assessments are collected from domestic producers and importers and used for research and promotion projects designed to maintain and expand the market for highbush blueberries in the United States and abroad. Additional funds will allow the USHBC to expand its health research activities and promotional efforts. The USHBC uses its health information in its promotion messaging to help build demand for blueberries. Increasing demand will help move the growing supply of blueberries, which will benefit producers and consumers.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

EPA is approving a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) requested that the West Virginia portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (``Wheeling Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). In this rulemaking action, EPA is approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 redesignation request for the West Virginia portion of the Area. EPA is also approving the maintenance plan SIP revision that the State submitted in conjunction with its redesignation request. The maintenance plan provides for continued attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for 10 years after redesignation of the West Virginia portion of the Area. The maintenance plan includes a comprehensive emissions inventory that EPA is approving in this rulemaking. The maintenance plan also includes an insignificance determination for the onroad motor vehicle contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the West Virginia portion of the Area for purposes of transportation conformity. EPA is also approving West Virginia's insignificance determination for transportation conformity. In addition, EPA is also finding that the Area continues to attain the standard. This rulemaking action approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request, maintenance plan, comprehensive emissions inventory, and insignificance determination for transportation conformity for the West Virginia portion of the Area is based on EPA's determination that the Area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is announcing a 45-day public comment period for the draft document titled, ``Next Generation Risk Assessment: Incorporation of Recent Advances in Molecular, Computational, and Systems Biology [External Review Draft]'' (EPA/600/R-13/214A). EPA is also announcing that Eastern Research Group, Inc., an EPA contractor, will select a group of external experts to conduct an external peer review of the draft document. The document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) as part of the Agency's Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Program. EPA is releasing this draft document for the purposes of public comment and external peer review. This draft document 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 public comment period and the external peer review are separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the document. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to consider the external peer reviewer's comments and any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice. The draft document and EPA's peer review charge are available via the Internet on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea.

This action establishes Class E airspace at the Glasgow VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid, Glasgow, MT, to facilitate vectoring of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). This improves the safety and management of IFR operations within the National Airspace System.

This action establishes Class E airspace at White Mountain Airport, White Mountain, AK, to accommodate aircraft using new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at the airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for a new information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: Voluntary Reporting of Planned Licensing Request Submittals. 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-XXXX. 3. How often the collection is required: Annually. 4. Who is required or asked to report: All operating power reactors whose licensing actions are handled by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing. 5. The number of annual respondents: 62. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 310. 7. Abstract: The NRC is seeking information on the licensing actions that licensees plan to submit over the next three years. The information would be used by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to better plan its resource utilization. Specifically, the office would use the information to (1) inform its budget development, (2) identify potential impacts from multiple actions utilizing the same resources, (3) develop solutions, if possible, to resource conflicts, and (4) communicate scheduling impacts to stakeholders. Submit, by November 29, 2013, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? The public may examine and have copied for a fee publicly available documents, including the draft supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC's Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc- comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC's home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available for public inspection. Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly disclosed. Comments submitted should reference Docket No. NRC-2013-0213. You may submit your comments by any of the following methods. Electronic comments go to: https:// www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. NRC-2013-0213. Mail comments to NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-6258, or by email to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@NRC.GOV.

The FDIC, 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 the renewal of an existing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). On July 25, 2013, the FDIC requested comment for 60 days on a proposal to renew the following information collection: Application for Consent to Exercise Trust Powers, OMB Control No. 3064-0025. No comments were received. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the renewal of this collection, and again invites comment on this renewal.