September 16, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule amends the application requirements for the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program (Program). This rulemaking is prompted by enactment of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which converted the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Pilot Program into a permanent program, allowed any State to apply for the Program, created a renewal process for Program participation, and expanded the scope of the Secretary's responsibilities that may be assigned and assumed under the Program to environmental review responsibilities for railroad, public transportation, and multimodal projects, in addition to highway projects.

This rule changes the maturity requirements currently prescribed under the Florida avocado marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of avocados grown in South Florida and is administered locally by the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee). The corresponding change in the avocado import regulation is required under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. This rule changes the maturity shipping schedule to allow certain sizes and weights of the Choquette avocado variety to be shipped to the fresh market earlier. With this change, the maturity schedule will better reflect the current maturity rate for the Choquette variety, facilitating the shipment of this variety as it matures.

This document contains final regulations under section 3402(p) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) relating to voluntary withholding agreements. The final regulations allow the Secretary to issue guidance in the Internal Revenue Bulletin to describe payments for which the Secretary finds that income tax withholding under a voluntary withholding agreement would be appropriate. The regulations affect persons making and persons receiving payments for which the IRS issues subsequent guidance authorizing the parties to enter into voluntary withholding agreements.

In response to requests from interested parties, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is extending the comment period on the proposed rule addressing Criteria and Procedures for Assessment of Civil Penalties. This extension gives commenters additional time to review and comment on the proposed rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice that it has responded to a petition for reconsideration and amended rulemaking of certain provisions of the final rule, ``Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5)Increments, Significant Impact Levels (SILs) and Significant Monitoring Concentration (SMC),'' published on October 20, 2010. The final rule set forth provisions identifying the maximum allowable increases in ambient pollutant concentrations (``increments'') for PM2.5, modifying the definitions for the baseline dates and the baseline area, and adding two screening tools known as SILs and an SMC for PM2.5. On December 23, 2013, the EPA received a petition for reconsideration pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) and for an amended rulemaking pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, from the state of North Carolina. The EPA considered the petition for reconsideration and amended rulemaking, along with information contained in the rulemaking docket, in reaching a decision on the petition. The EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy denied the petition for reconsideration and amended rulemaking in a letter to the Attorney General of North Carolina dated August 28, 2014. The letter documents the EPA's reasons for the denial and can be found in the rulemaking docket.

This action extends the comment period for an NPRM that was published on July 10, 2014. In that document, the FAA proposed new and updated flight simulation training device (FSTD) technical evaluation requirements that are necessary to fully implement the training requirements recently adopted in the Qualification, Service, and Use of Crewmembers and Aircraft Dispatchers final rule (Crewmember and Aircraft Dispatcher Training Final Rule) published on November 12, 2013. Additionally, the FAA proposed further changes to address several NTSB safety recommendations, aviation rulemaking committee recommendations, and to conduct a limited alignment of the part 60 FSTD technical evaluation requirements with that of the latest international FSTD evaluation guidance document. One airline, an association that represents several airlines, and an FSTD sponsor have requested that the FAA extend the comment period to allow time to adequately analyze the NPRM and prepare comments.

This action establishes Class D airspace and amends Class E airspace at Blackstone, VA, to accommodate the new air traffic control tower at Allen C Perkinson Blackstone Army Airfield. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airfield. This action updates the geographic coordinates of the airfield's Class E airspace, and adds exclusion of Restricted area airspace in Class D airspace.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Pine Knot, KY, to accommodate a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) serving Mc Creary County Airport. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

In this Second Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) requires that Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers and other providers of interconnected text messaging applications (collectively, ``covered text providers'') be capable of supporting text-to-911 service by December 31, 2014. Covered text providers will have until June 30, 2015, or six months from the date of a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) request, whichever is later, to implement text-to-911 for that PSAP. These rules will provide the public with an additional means through which individuals can reach emergency services.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) and packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs). EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. In this document, DOE proposes amended energy conservation standards for PTACs and PTHPs. The document also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.