2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On June 20, 2013, the Department of Commerce (Department) received a request for changed circumstances reviews and a request to revoke, in part, the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on aluminum extrusions from the People's Republic of China (PRC),\1\ with respect to certain rectangular wire. We published the notice of initiation of changed circumstances reviews on August 20, 2013 and invited comments from interested parties. We received no comments. We preliminarily conclude that changed circumstances warrant the revocation of the Orders, in part. Specifically, we preliminarily determine that producers accounting for substantially all of the production of the domestic like product to which these Orders pertain lack interest in the relief provided by the AD and CVD Orders based on a statement of no interest in the continuation of the Orders with respect to certain rectangular wire described below. Accordingly, we are notifying the public of our intent to revoke, in part, these Orders as to imports of certain rectangular wire described below. The Department invites interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

OPM is amending its regulations to grant Federal employees residing in the District of Columbia a partial exemption from the political activity restrictions, and to add the District of Columbia to its regulatory list of designated localities in OPM regulations. This regulatory amendment reflects OPM's determination that the District of Columbia meets the criteria in the Hatch Act, as amended by the Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012, for a partial exemption to issue.

Under the authority of section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides financial assistance to individuals and households to repair or replace their homes after a Presidentially-declared major disaster or emergency. This rule finalizes revisions to FEMA's repair, replacement, and housing construction assistance regulations that clarify the eligibility criteria for assistance and implement changes to section 408 of the Stafford Act that were made by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is confirming the effective date of December 9, 2013, for the final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of July 25, 2013. The direct final rule amends the regulations regarding the prohibition on the sale, or other commercial or public distribution, of viable turtle eggs and live turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches to remove procedures for destruction. This document confirms the effective date of the direct final rule.

On September 13, 2013, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published for public comment a proposed rule revising its generic determination on the environmental impacts of the continued storage of spent nuclear fuel beyond a reactor's licensed life for operation and prior to ultimate disposal. The public comment period for this proposed rule was to have ended on November 27, 2013. Due to the lapse in Federal funding and the subsequent shutdown of the NRC, and requests from members of the public to extend the comment period, the NRC has decided to extend the comment period until December 20, 2013. Although public meetings are not required for rulemaking, the extension of the comment period will also allow the NRC to attempt to reschedule meetings related to this rulemaking that were cancelled due to the government shutdown so that they occur during the comment period.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of New Mexico (FEMA- 4152-DR), dated 10/29/2013. Incident: Severe storms, flooding, and mudslides. Incident Period: 09/09/2013 through 09/22/2013. Effective Date: 10/29/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/30/2013. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 07/29/2014.

Pursuant to sections 14(b)(1) and 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), and after consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration, the NASA Administrator has determined that renewal of the charter of the International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on NASA by law. The renewed charter is for a two-year period ending October 18, 2015. It is identical to the previous charter in all respects.

Pursuant to sections 14(b)(1) and 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), and after consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration, the NASA Administrator has determined that renewal and amendment of the charter of the International Space Station Advisory Committee is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on NASA by law. The renewed charter is for a one-year period ending September 30, 2014. It is identical to the previous charter in all respects except with regard to information pertaining to tasking, travel funding, annual operating costs and membership.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of North Carolina (FEMA-4153-DR), dated 10/29/2013. Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides. Incident Period: 07/27/2013. Effective Date: 10/29/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/30/2013. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 07/29/2014.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the Santa Clara Pueblo (FEMA- 4151-DR), dated 10/29/2013. Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding. Incident Period: 09/13/2013 through 09/16/2013. Effective Date: 10/29/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/30/2013. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 07/29/2014.

The United States Department of the Navy, after carefully weighing the strategic, operational and environmental consequences of the proposed action, announces its decision to support and conduct airfield operations at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West by accomplishing the proposed action as set out in Alternative 2. Alternative 2 will provide for the transition from legacy aircraft to next generation aircraft, alteration of existing facilities as necessary to meet requirements for next generation aircraft, and will potentially accommodate carrier air wing detachment training events should primary carrier air wing training locations on the U.S. East Coast be unavailable. Total annual airfield operations could equal up to approximately 52,000 operations.

We are advising the public of our determination that a soybean event developed by the Monsanto Company, designated as MON 87712, which has been genetically engineered for increased yield, is no longer considered a regulated article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by the Monsanto Company in its petition for a determination of nonregulated status, our analysis of available scientific data, and comments received from the public in response to our previous notices announcing the availability of the petition for nonregulated status and its associated environmental assessment and plant pest risk assessment. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination and finding of no significant impact.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is making available for public comment our plant pest risk assessment and our draft environmental assessment regarding a request from BASF Plant Science LP seeking a determination of nonregulated status of soybean designated as event BPS-CV127-9, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to herbicides in the imidazolinone family. We are soliciting comments on whether this genetically engineered soybean is likely to pose a plant pest risk.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 2) amending the complaint and notice of investigation in the above- captioned investigation. The amended complaint withdraws two respondents from the investigation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled ``Regulatory Requirements for Hearing Aid Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products.'' This draft guidance clarifies the distinction between hearing aids and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), as well as the regulatory controls that apply to each. This draft guidance is not final nor is it in effect at this time.

We propose to supersede airworthiness directives AD 2003-14- 11, AD 2004-11-08, AD 2004-13-25, AD 2004-18-14, AD 2008-06-07, and AD 2012-04-07 that apply to certain Airbus Model A330 and A340 series airplanes. AD 2003-14-11, AD 2004-11-08, AD 2004-13-25, AD 2004-18-14, AD 2008-06-07, and AD 2012-04-07 required revising the maintenance program to incorporate certain maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations; replacing certain flap rotary actuators; repetitively inspecting elevator servo-controllers and pressure relief valves of the spoiler servo controls (SSCs); repetitively testing the elevator servo control loops, modifying the elevator servo controls, and repetitively replacing certain retraction brackets of the main landing gear; and revising the airplane flight manual. Since we issued those ADs, we have determined that more restrictive maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the maintenance program to incorporate certain maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations. The proposed AD also removes Airbus Model A340-200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes from the applicability. We are proposing this AD to address the aging effects of aircraft systems. Such aging effects could change the characteristics leading to an increased potential for failure, which, in isolation or in combination with one or more other specific failures or events, could result in failure of certain life limited parts, which could reduce the structural integrity of the airplane or reduce the controllability of the airplane.