October 8, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) on the navigable waters of The Gut in South Bristol, ME in support of bridge construction. This regulated navigation area allows the Coast Guard to enforce speed and wake restrictions and prohibit all vessel traffic through the regulated navigation area during bridge replacement operations, both planned and unforeseen, which could pose an imminent hazard to persons and vessels operating in the area. This rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during bridge structural repair operations.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Edgeley, ND. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Edgeley Municipal Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain D7 in or on all food commodities when used in accordance with label directions and good agricultural practices. Ag-Chem Consulting, agent for Northwest Agricultural Products submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain D7 under FFDCA.

With this document, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, or the Agency) approves the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE, or the Department) planned change request to implement the Run-of-Mine Panel Closure System (ROMPCS) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and amends the WIPP Compliance Criteria to allow an EPA-approved panel closure other than the currently-required Option D design. Technical analyses demonstrate that, with the modified panel closure design, WIPP remains in compliance with the 10,000 year release limits set by the ``Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic (TRU) Radioactive Waste.'' The changes do not lessen the requirements for complying with the Compliance Criteria, nor do these changes impact the technical approach that the EPA will employ when considering any future planned changes to the panel closure system. Compliance with environmental or public health regulations other than the EPA's long-term radioactive waste disposal regulations and WIPP Compliance Criteria is not addressed by today's action.

Florida has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). These changes correspond to certain Federal rules promulgated between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009, and July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 (also known as RCRA Clusters XVIII, XIX and XXI). With this proposed rule, EPA is proposing to grant final authorization to Florida for these changes. Along with this proposed rule, EPA is publishing an immediate final rule in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of today's Federal Register pursuant to which EPA is authorizing these changes. EPA did not issue a proposed rule before today because EPA believes this action is not controversial and does not expect comments that oppose it. EPA has explained the reasons for this authorization in the immediate final rule. Unless EPA receives written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, the immediate final rule in today's Federal Register will become effective on the date it establishes, and EPA will not take further action on this proposal. If EPA receives comments that oppose this action, EPA will withdraw the immediate final rule and it will not take effect. EPA will then respond to public comments in a later final rule based on this proposed rule. You may not have another opportunity to comment on these State program changes. If you want to comment on this action, you must do so at this time.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 104 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). If approved, Amendment 104 to the FMP would designate six areas of skate egg concentration as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC). Designating the six areas of skate egg concentration as HAPC in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) would highlight the importance of this essential fish habitat for conservation. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable laws.

The proposed rule would transfer existing parts 931 and 933 of the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance Board) regulations, which address requirements for Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) capital stock and capital plans, to new Part 1277 of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) regulations. The proposed rule would not make any substantive changes to these requirements, but would delete certain provisions that applied only to the one-time conversion of Bank stock to the new capital structure required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act). It would also make certain clarifying changes so that the rules would more precisely reflect long-standing practices and requirements with regard to transactions in Bank stock. Most significantly, the proposed rule would add appropriate references to ``former members'' to clarify when former Bank members can be required to maintain investment in Bank capital stock after withdrawal from the Bank.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau or CFPB) proposes to amend the regulation defining larger participants of certain consumer financial product and service markets by adding a new section to define larger participants of a market for automobile financing. The new section would define a market that includes grants of credit for the purchase of an automobile, refinancings of such credit obligations, and purchases or acquisitions of such credit obligations (including refinancings). It would also include automobile leases and purchases or acquisitions of such automobile lease agreements. The Bureau is proposing this rule pursuant to its authority, under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), to supervise certain nonbank covered persons for compliance with Federal consumer financial law and for other purposes. The Bureau has the authority to supervise nonbank covered persons of all sizes in the residential mortgage, private education lending, and payday lending markets. In addition, the Bureau has the authority to supervise nonbank ``larger participant[s]'' of markets for other consumer financial products or services, as the Bureau defines by rule. The proposal (Proposed Rule) would identify a market for automobile financing and define as larger participants of this market certain nonbank covered persons that would be subject to the Bureau's supervisory authority. The Proposed Rule would also define certain automobile leases as a ``financial product or service'' under section 1002(15)(A)(xi)(II) of the Dodd-Frank Act. Finally, the Proposed Rule would make certain technical corrections to existing larger-participant rules.