2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing technology-based pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges of pollutants into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from existing and new dental practices that discharge dental amalgam. Dental amalgam contains mercury in a highly concentrated form that is relatively easy to collect and recycle. Dental offices are the main source of mercury discharges to POTWs. Mercury is a persistent and bioaccumulative pollutant in the environment with well-documented neurotoxic effects on humans. Mercury pollution is widespread and comes from many diverse sources such as air deposition from municipal and industrial incinerators and combustion of fossil fuels. Mercury easily becomes diffuse in the environment and mercury pollution is a global problem. Removing mercury from the waste stream when it is in a concentrated and easy to handle form like in waste dental amalgam is an important and commonsense step to take to prevent that mercury from being released back into the environment where it can become diffuse and a hazard to humans. The proposal would require dental practices to comply with requirements for controlling the discharge of mercury and other metals in dental amalgam into POTWs based on the best available technology or best available demonstrated control technology. Specifically, the requirements would be based on the use of amalgam separators and best management practices (BMPs). Amalgam separators are a practical, affordable and readily available technology for capturing mercury and other metals before they are discharged into sewers and POTWs. EPA is also proposing to amend selected parts of the General Pretreatment Regulations to streamline oversight requirements for the dental sector. EPA expects compliance with this proposed rule would reduce the discharge of metals to POTWs by at least 8.8 tons per year, about half of which is mercury. EPA estimates the annual cost of the proposed rule would be $44 to $49 million.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the operation of the Long Beach Bridge, across Reynolds Channel, mile 4.7, at Nassau, New York. This deviation is necessary to allow the bridge to remain in the closed position for thirty days to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance, the replacement of the concrete bridge deck.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the SR 661 Swing Bridge across the Houma Navigation Canal, mile 36.0, in Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation for up to four hours at a time during daylight hours for the purpose of conducting necessary maintenance and repairs to the drawbridge.

The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) on a portion of the Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle, Washington. The RNA will protect the riverbed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Slip 4 Early Action Area (EAA). This RNA would prohibit activities that could disrupt the integrity of the engineered sediment and slope caps that have been placed within the Slip 4 EAA. These activities include vessel grounding, anchoring, dragging, trawling, spudding or other such activities that would disturb the riverbed. It will not affect transit or navigation of this area.

This Determination of Acceptability expands the list of acceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. This action lists as acceptable additional substitutes for use in the refrigeration and air conditioning, foam blowing, and fire suppression and explosion protection sectors.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking to consider amended energy conservation standards for commercial water heaters, hot water supply boilers, and unfired hot water storage tanks (commercial water heating equipment). Once completed, this rulemaking will fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to either propose amended energy conservation standards for commercial water heating equipment or to determine that the existing standards do not need to be amended. This notice seeks to solicit information to help DOE determine whether national standards more stringent than those currently in place would result in a significant amount of additional energy savings and whether such amended national standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. In overview, this document presents a brief description of the analysis DOE plans to perform for this rulemaking and requests comment on various issues relating to each of the analyses (e.g., market assessment, engineering analysis, energy use analysis, life-cycle cost and payback period analysis, and national impact analysis). Although this document contains several specific topics on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving written comment, DOE welcomes suggestions and information from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking, including topics not raised in this RFI.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is requesting comments, data, and information related to solar-thermal water heating systems where solar components are paired with electric and/or fossil fuel- fired water heaters, which are utilized as secondary heat sources. Although this document contains several specific topics on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving written comment, DOE welcomes suggestions and information from the public on any subject related to solar water heaters.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing that we have filed a petition, submitted by EMD Millipore Corp., proposing that the color additive regulations be amended to expand the safe use of mica-based pearlescent pigments in alcoholic beverages to include cordials, liqueurs, cocktails, and certain other alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic mixers and mixes.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone in Portland, OR. This safety zone is necessary to help ensure the safety of the maritime public during the annual marine event and will do so by prohibiting unauthorized persons and vessels from entering the regulated area unless authorized by the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port or his designated representatives.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Nebraska to address the requirements of section 110(a)(1) and (2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the inclusion into the SIP, of Nebraska's conflict of interest provisions. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated or revised by the EPA. On October 18, 2011, the Nebraska Department of Environemtal Quality (NDEQ) submitted a revision to Nebraska's SIP which describes the State's provisions for implementing, maintaining, and enforcing the standards listed above. In addition, NDEQ submitted on March 11, 2014, a request to include conflict of interest provisions into the Nebraska SIP. These revisions are necessary to properly implement, maintain and enforce the 2008 Pb NAAQS and also recognizes the state's request to include Nebraska's conflict of interest provisions into the SIP.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Missouri on May 8, 2012, related to a Missouri rule titled ``Control of Emissions from Hand-Fired Equipment.'' This SIP revision provides a rule to allow the burning of discarded clean wood in non-residential (commercial owned and operated) heating devices, with restrictions to ensure environmentally-sound operation, in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Iowa for the purpose of approving the 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013 updates to the Linn County Air Quality Ordinance. EPA is proposing approval of Iowa's request to include revisions to the Linn County Air Quality Ordinance, Chapter 10, because the revisions improve the stringency of the Iowa SIP.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve elements of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Kansas addressing the applicable requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 110 for the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone (O3), which requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP to support implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each new or revised NAAQS promulgated by EPA. These SIPs are commonly referred to as ``infrastructure'' SIPs. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve two revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Missouri on May 8, 2012 and October 17, 2013, related to a Missouri rule titled ``Restriction of Emissions of Particulate Matter from Industrial Processes.'' These SIP revisions are administrative and provide the following: Updates an outdated reference in the current SIP approved rule; provides a hierarchy of compliance measurement approaches requested by EPA; provides a clarification on applicability; and, deletes redundant definitions.

NMFS revises regulations for the application process, use, surrender, and amendment of a Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP) or a Federal Processor Permit (FPP). This action will reduce industry compliance costs associated with fishing and processing permit regulations and NMFS' administrative costs associated with maintaining and updating permit application regulations and forms. This action promotes the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, and other applicable laws.

In this document, the Commission issues a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) seeking comment on amending the definition of Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) in the Commission's rules to conform to changes made to this definition by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA), which allows compensation for TRS calls between two or more individuals with disabilities. The Commission also seeks comment on eliminating as a mandatory minimum standard the requirement that TRS providers provide voice-carry-over to voice-carry-over (VCO-to-VCO) and hearing-carry- over to hearing-carry-over (HCO-to-HCO), subject to exceptions for Captioned Telephone Service (CTS) and Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), as HCO-to-HCO and VCO-to-VCO calls would not require a communications assistant (CA) to provide functionally equivalent communication. These proposals are made to ensure that the intent of Congress in enacting the CVAA is implemented and that the mandatory minimum standards imposed for TRS are applicable and appropriate for each type of TRS to which they are applied.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the applicable state implementation plan for the State of Nevada submitted by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. The revisions include amended State rules related to applications for, and issuance of, permits for stationary sources, but not including review and permitting of major sources and major modifications under parts C and D of title I of the Clean Air Act. EPA is taking action under the Clean Air Act obligation to take action on State submittals of revisions to state implementation plans. The intended effect of the proposed approval is to fix deficiencies in the previously-approved version of the permitting rules and to ensure that new or modified stationary sources do not interfere with attainment or maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards.

The Audio Division, at the request of Bryan Broadcasting License Corporation, substitutes Channel 274A for vacant Channel 267A at Centerville, Texas, and grant the Application for Station KKEE, Centerville, Texas, File No. BMPH-20140324ADD. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 274A can be allotted to Centerville, Texas consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's Rules with a site restriction located 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles) east of Centerville. The reference coordinates are 31-15-00 NL and 95-56-00 WL.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone on Lake Michigan in the vicinity of both Milwaukee Harbor in Milwaukee, WI and Chicago Harbor in Chicago, IL within a 500-yard radius of the Cruise Ship HAMBURG. This security zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Michigan during the transit of the Cruise Ship HAMBURG to and from Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL. This security zone is necessary to protect the Cruise Ship HAMBURG and its occupants during its transit to and from Milwaukee, WI, and Chicago, IL.

This document announces tribal consultation meetings on the proposed rule amending regulations governing Secretarial elections and petitioning procedures.

NMFS proposes to implement the annual catch limit (ACL), harvest guideline (HG), and associated annual reference points for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Pacific coast for the fishing season of July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. This rule is proposed pursuant to the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed 2014-2015 HG for Pacific mackerel is 29,170 metric tons (mt). This is the primary commercial fishing target level. The proposed annual catch target (ACT), which will be the directed fishing harvest target, is 24,170 mt. If the fishery attains the ACT, the directed fishery will close, reserving the difference between the HG (29,170 mt) and ACT as a 5,000 mt set-aside for incidental landings in other CPS fisheries and other sources of mortality. This rule is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast.

This rule amends the Department of Commerce's (Department) regulations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act. The FOIA regulations are revised to clarify, update and streamline the language of several procedural provisions, including methods for submitting FOIA requests and appeals and the time limits for filing an administrative appeal, and to incorporate certain changes brought about by the amendments to the FOIA under the OPEN Government Act of 2007. Additionally, the FOIA regulations are updated to reflect developments in the case law. The Privacy Act regulations are revised to clarify, update and streamline several procedural provisions, including the methods for submitting appeals of Privacy Act requests and the time limits for filing a Privacy Act appeal. Additionally, the Privacy Act regulations are updated to make technical changes to the applicable exemptions.

This notice makes corrections to the proposed rule that appeared in the Federal Register on September 10, 2014, entitled Small Business Size Standards; Industries with Employee Based Size Standards Not Part of Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade, or Retail Trade. This document corrects several incorrect figures in the preamble text.

The Secretary amends the Student Assistance General Provisions regulations issued under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to implement the changes made to the Clery Act by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). These regulations are intended to update, clarify, and improve the current regulations.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Carolina Coastal Railroad Bridge, at AICW mile 203.8, across Newport River in Morehead City, NC. This bridge is presently maintained in the open position except when closure is necessary for train crossings. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation from 9 a.m. to noon and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every day, from November 3 through November 7, 2014, so that necessary maintenance may be made.