July 29, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of animals and animal products to define a low-risk classical swine fever region in Mexico from which we would allow the importation of fresh pork and pork products under certain conditions. Under this proposed rule, such pork and pork products would have to be derived from swine raised on farms meeting stringent sanitary and biosecurity requirements. We would also provide safeguards against commingling of the swine and the pork and pork products with animals and products that do not meet our proposed requirements. Establishments that slaughter the swine from which the pork or pork products are derived would have to allow periodic inspection and evaluation of their facilities, records, and operations by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. This proposed rule would relieve some restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Mexico while continuing to protect against the introduction of classical swine fever into the United States.

We are amending the regulations regarding official tuberculosis tests for captive cervids to remove the CervidTB Stat- Pak[supreg] as an official bovine tuberculosis test for the following species of captive cervids: Elk, red deer, white-tailed deer, fallow deer, and reindeer. We are also amending the regulations to specify that the Dual Path Platform (DPP)[supreg] test, which was previously a supplemental test to be used in conjunction with the CervidTB Stat- Pak[supreg], is now considered a primary test, as well. We are taking this action because the CervidTB Stat-Pak[supreg] is no longer being produced, and because we have determined that the DPP[supreg] test can reliably be used as a primary test for bovine tuberculosis in certain species of captive cervids. This action is necessary on an immediate basis so that the regulations do not continue to authorize usage of a discontinued test, yet still provide regulated entities with options in order to meet the testing requirements for captive cervids within the regulations.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the University Bridge, mile 4.3, across Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to allow King County Metro Transit to perform essential maintenance on the University Bridge. This deviation allows one half (leaf) of the bridge to remain in the closed position and need not open to marine traffic.

The Coast Guard will enforce the annual Seafair Air Show safety zone on Lake Washington, Seattle, WA from 8 a.m. on August 1, 2014 to 4 p.m. on August 3, 2014. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the public from inherent dangers associated with these annual aerial displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter or transit this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Southern Railroad Drawbridge across the Tennessee River, mile 304.4, at Decatur, Alabama. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to replace and adjust the down haul operating ropes that are essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position and not open to vessel traffic.

This document provides required notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard and that were made temporarily effective between July 2013 and June 2014, and that expired before they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, drawbridge operation regulations and regulated navigation areas, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule that would expand eligibility for enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to certain temporary, seasonal, and intermittent employees who are identified as full-time employees. This regulation would make FEHB coverage available to these newly eligible employees no later than January 2015.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-19- 11, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 737 airplanes. AD 2012-19-11 currently requires incorporating design changes to improve the reliability of the cabin altitude warning system by installing a redundant cabin altitude pressure switch, replacing the aural warning module (AWM) with a new or reworked AWM, and changing certain wire bundles or connecting certain previously capped and stowed wires as necessary. For certain airplanes, AD 2012-19-11 also requires prior or concurrent incorporation of related design changes by modifying the instrument panels, installing light assemblies, modifying the wire bundles, and installing a new circuit breaker, as necessary. Since we issued AD 2012-19-11, we have determined that certain airplanes were not included in the requirement to incorporate related design changes. This proposed AD would add, for certain airplanes, a requirement to incorporate related design changes. This proposed AD also, for certain airplanes, no longer gives credit for accomplishing certain previous actions. We are proposing this AD to prevent the loss of cabin altitude warning, which could delay flightcrew recognition of a lack of cabin pressurization, and could result in incapacitation of the flightcrew due to hypoxia (a lack of oxygen in the body), and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are updating the addresses of our headquarters offices in our regulations. The Service will relocate its headquarters offices on July 28, 2014. We are taking this action to ensure regulated entities and the general public have accurate contact information for the Service's offices.

NASA is issuing an interim rule amending the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to implement statutory requirements providing whistleblower protections for contractor and subcontractor employees and to address the allowability of legal costs incurred by a contractor related to whistleblower proceedings.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revision establishes transportation conformity regulations for the State of New York. EPA is approving this revision in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is proposing to amend the filing requirements for natural gas pipeline system maps. Under current regulations, natural gas pipelines must include a system map as part of their tariff on file with the Commission, and file an updated map by the following April for any year that there is a major change in the pipeline's system. Additionally, this map must be posted on the pipeline's own Web site. In order to reduce regulatory burden on these pipelines, the Commission proposes to eliminate the requirement to file a map as part of the tariff, leaving only the requirement to maintain a map on the pipeline's own Web site. Furthermore, in order to promote transparency, the Commission proposes to change the deadline for updating system maps. Currently, if a pipeline experiences a major change that renders its existing map obsolete, it must make a tariff filing no later than April 30 of the subsequent calendar year. The Commission proposes a quarterly deadline for updating pipeline maps.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by New York State to establish transportation conformity regulations. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.