June 2, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Virginia Beach, VA. This safety zone will restrict vessel movement in the specified area during the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Fireworks. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life and property on the surrounding navigable waters during the air show.

Pursuant to the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, this document is U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) notice of intent to distribute assessed antidumping or countervailing duties (known as the continued dumping and subsidy offset) for Fiscal Year 2014 in connection with countervailing duty orders, antidumping duty orders, or findings under the Antidumping Act of 1921. This document provides the instructions for affected domestic producers, or anyone alleging eligibility to receive a distribution, to file certifications to claim a distribution in relation to the listed orders or findings.

The FHWA and the FTA are jointly issuing this NPRM to propose revisions to the regulations governing the development of metropolitan transportation plans and programs for urbanized areas, State transportation plans and programs, and the congestion management process. The changes reflect recent passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). The MAP-21 continues many provisions related to transportation planning from prior laws; however, it introduces transformational changes and adds some new provisions. The proposed rule would make the regulations consistent with current statutory requirements and proposes the following: A new mandate for State departments of transportation (States) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) to take a performance-based approach to planning and programming; a new emphasis on the nonmetropolitan transportation planning process, by requiring States to have a higher level of involvement with nonmetropolitan local officials and providing a process for the creation of regional transportation planning organizations (RTPO); a structural change to the membership of the larger MPOs; a new framework for voluntary scenario planning; revisions to the integration of the planning and environmental review process; and a process for programmatic mitigation plans.

On January 4, 2013, in Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) v. EPA, the D.C. Circuit Court remanded to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the ``Final Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule'' (April 25, 2007) (the ``2007 PM2.5 Implementation Rule'') and the ``Implementation of the New Source Review (NSR) Program for Particulate Matter Less than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5)'' final rule (May 16, 2008) (the ``2008 PM2.5 NSR Rule''). The Court found that the EPA erred in implementing the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) pursuant solely to the general implementation provisions of subpart 1 of Part D of Title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), without also considering the particulate matter-specific provisions of subpart 4 of Part D. The Court's ruling remanded the rules to the EPA to address implementation of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS under subpart 4. This final rulemaking identifies the classification under subpart 4 for areas currently designated nonattainment for the 1997 and/or 2006 PM2.5 standards, the deadlines for states to submit attainment-related and nonattainment new source review (NNSR) state implementation plan (SIP) elements required for these areas pursuant to subpart 4, and the EPA guidance that is currently available regarding subpart 4 requirements. The final deadlines for 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS attainment-related SIP submissions and NNSR requirements for nonattainment areas would replace previous deadlines that were set solely pursuant to subpart 1. Specifically, the EPA is identifying the initial classification of current 1997 and/or 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS nonattainment areas as ``Moderate,'' and the EPA is setting a deadline of December 31, 2014, for submission of remaining required SIP submissions for these areas, pursuant to and considering the application of subpart 4. This rulemaking affects 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS nonattainment areas. After the careful consideration of the comments received on the proposal, the EPA is planning to finalize the rule as it was proposed. As part of the final rulemaking, the EPA is also updating 40 CFR part 81, ``Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes'' for the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS nonattainment areas.