2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

OSHA is reviewing its overall approach to managing chemical exposures in the workplace and seeks stakeholder input about more effective and efficient approaches that addresses challenges found with the current regulatory approach. This review involves considering issues related to updating permissible exposure limits (PELs), as well as examining other strategies that could be implemented to address workplace conditions where workers are exposed to chemicals. The notice details the role of past court decisions on the Agency's current approach to chemical management for the purpose of informing stakeholders of the legal framework in which the Agency must operate. It then describes possible modifications of existing processes, along with potential new sources of data and alternative approaches the Agency may consider. The Agency is particularly interested in information about how it may take advantage of newer approaches, given its legal requirements. This RFI is concerned primarily with chemicals that cause adverse health effects from long-term occupational exposure, and is not related to activities being conducted under Executive Order 13650, Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.

In an effort to streamline, simplify and clarify the recent revisions to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) made pursuant to the President's Export Control Reform (ECR) initiative, the Department of State is amending the ITAR as part of the Department of State's retrospective plan under Executive Order 13563 completed on August 17, 2011.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) are adopting a final rule that implements a quantitative liquidity requirement consistent with the liquidity coverage ratio standard established by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS). The requirement is designed to promote the short-term resilience of the liquidity risk profile of large and internationally active banking organizations, thereby improving the banking sector's ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress, and to further improve the measurement and management of liquidity risk. The final rule establishes a quantitative minimum liquidity coverage ratio that requires a company subject to the rule to maintain an amount of high-quality liquid assets (the numerator of the ratio) that is no less than 100 percent of its total net cash outflows over a prospective 30 calendar-day period (the denominator of the ratio). The final rule applies to large and internationally active banking organizations, generally, bank holding companies, certain savings and loan holding companies, and depository institutions with $250 billion or more in total assets or $10 billion or more in on- balance sheet foreign exposure and to their consolidated subsidiaries that are depository institutions with $10 billion or more in total consolidated assets. The final rule focuses on these financial institutions because of their complexity, funding profiles, and potential risk to the financial system. Therefore, the agencies do not intend to apply the final rule to community banks. In addition, the Board is separately adopting a modified minimum liquidity coverage ratio requirement for bank holding companies and savings and loan holding companies without significant insurance or commercial operations that, in each case, have $50 billion or more in total consolidated assets but that are not internationally active. The final rule is effective January 1, 2015, with transition periods for compliance with the requirements of the rule.

This notice of enforcement policy announces how the Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) will enforce compliance with the requirements of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, which prohibits the Department from subsidizing Essential Air Service (EAS) to communities located within the 48 contiguous States receiving per passenger subsidy amounts exceeding $200, unless the communities are located more than 210 miles from the nearest large or medium hub airport. All communities receiving subsidized EAS have until September 30, 2015, based on data from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, to ensure compliance with the $200 subsidy cap or face termination of subsidy eligibility. After September 30, 2015, the Department will enforce the $200 subsidy cap on an annual basis based on data compiled at the end of every fiscal year. Consistent with established procedures, DOT will issue a show-cause order to each EAS community that has been identified as failing to meet the $200 per passenger subsidy requirement. Each such community will have a fair and reasonable opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the $200 subsidy cap prior to a final decision by DOT. In addition, any community that is deemed ineligible under the $200 subsidy cap provision may petition the Secretary for a waiver. After receiving a community's petition for a waiver, the Secretary may waive the subsidy cap for a limited period of time, on a case-by-case basis, and subject to the availability of funds. To provide the Department with sufficient time to evaluate the FY 2015 data for potentially affected communities, DOT does not intend to issue any show-cause orders concerning compliance with the $200 subsidy cap until 2016.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the approximately 26,260-acre ``Eagle Peak Mendocino County'' viticultural area in Mendocino County, California. The viticultural area lies entirely within the multi-county North Coast viticultural area. TTB also modifies the boundaries of the Mendocino viticultural area and the Redwood Valley viticultural area to eliminate overlaps with the Eagle Peak Mendocino County viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

On February 24, 2014, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) submitted revisions to the limits found in its nitrogen oxides (NOX) combustion turbine rule for the Milwaukee-Racine area formerly nonattainment for the 1997 ozone standard. This revision is contained in ``2013 Wisconsin Act 91Senate Bill 371,'' which provides for alternative NOX requirements, subject to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval on a case-by- case basis, to determine whether these alternative limits satisfy the reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA proposed to approve this rule as a revision to the State Implementation Plan on April 30, 2014 and received adverse comments. EPA is issuing this supplemental proposal to revise and expand the basis for proposing approval of the SIP revision. This supplemental proposal addresses the issue of whether the SIP revision satisfies certain anti-backsliding requirements of the CAA. EPA is seeking comment only on the potential anti-backsliding issue, and is not re-opening for comment other issues raised in its prior proposal.

The Coast Guard is withdrawing its notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJTRO) Bridge across Oceanport Creek at mile 8.4, at Oceanport, New Jersey. The bridge owner submitted a request to require a four-hour advance notice for bridge openings year-round based upon infrequent requests to open the draw over the last three years. The Coast Guard is withdrawing this notice of proposed rulemaking because the data supporting the bridge owner's request was based upon the past three years of bridge openings; however, we received comments in response to our notice of proposed rulemaking that advised us that the Fort Monmouth Marina and Restaurant, located upstream from the bridge, was closed during the three year time period when the bridge opening data was collected. Subsequently, marina and restaurant has re- opened and it is now anticipated that the number of bridge opening requests will significantly increase. As a result of the above information we do not believe that a four- hour advance notice for bridge openings is justified at this time and that a four-hour advance notice for bridge openings would not meet the reasonable needs of navigation.

BOEM has recognized the need to develop a comprehensive program to assist in identifying, prioritizing, and managing the risks associated with industry activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BOEM intends to design and implement a more robust and comprehensive risk management, financial assurance and loss prevention program to address the complex issues and cost differences associated with offshore operations. As part of its overall effort to establish this program and associated changes to regulations, BOEM is seeking stakeholder comments regarding various risk management and monitoring activities pertaining to financial risks to taxpayers that may result from activities on the OCS. BOEM currently requires lessees to provide performance bonds and/or one of various alternative forms of financial assurance to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of leases, Rights-of-Use and Easements and Pipeline Rights-of-Way. BOEM is seeking comments on who is best suited to mitigate risks and whether other forms of financial assurance should be used, as well as whether, or to what extent, the current forms of financial assurance are adequate and appropriate. BOEM has received comments to its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) indicating that the number of issues being addressed and the complexity of the topics being considered would justify a longer comment period. Various groups have also requested that additional time be provided to review and analyze the ANPR. For these reasons, BOEM has agreed to extend the comment period by an additional 30 days. The new comment period will elapse 90 days from August 19, 2014, the date of the original of publication of the ANPR.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) proposes to amend the Agency's regulations for administering fees for testing, evaluation, and approval of products manufactured for use in mines. This proposed rule would revise the fees charged for these services. The proposed rule also would include a fee for approval services that MSHA provides to applicants or approval holders under the existing rule, but for which the Agency currently does not charge a fee, and for other activities required to support the approval process.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) proposes to establish in regulation, for State Unemployment Insurance (UI) program purposes, occupations that regularly conduct drug testing. These regulations would implement the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (the Act) amendments to the Social Security Act (SSA), permitting States to enact legislation that would allow State UI agencies to conduct drug testing on unemployment compensation (UC) applicants for whom suitable work (as defined under the State law) is only available in an occupation that regularly conducts drug testing (as determined under regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor (Secretary)). States may deny UC to an applicant who tests positive for drug use under these circumstances. The Secretary is required under the SSA to issue regulations determining those occupations that regularly conduct drug testing.

On September 30, 2014, FHA issued the FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook section for Title II Insured Housing Programs Forward Mortgages: Origination through Post-Closing/Endorsement, Handbook 4000.1. The goal of the new FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (Handbook) is to streamline and ease the implementation of FHA's various programs by consolidating and organizing all of FHA's Single Family policy into one document. FHA will be issuing other individual sections of the Handbook as they are completed. As part of the consolidation of policy pertaining to streamline refinance transactions, FHA has taken the opportunity to integrate the language pertaining to streamline refinance transactions in Mortgagee Letters 2013-29, 2011-11, 2009-32 and 2008-40 into a refined mortgage payment history and calculation of the maximum insurable mortgage for the streamline refinance program. Prior to adopting in the Handbook as final this refined maximum insured mortgage calculation for streamline refinance transactions, HUD seeks public comment on this language as presented in the Handbook.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to approve a revision to the New Mexico Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) that addresses the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirement for oxides of nitrogen (NOX) for the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) San Juan Generating Station (SJGS) in San Juan County, New Mexico. EPA is also taking final action under the CAA to approve a revision to the New Mexico Visibility Transport SIP that addresses the CAA requirement that emissions from sources in New Mexico do not interfere with programs in other states to protect visibility. The SIP meets this requirement through emission limitations for NOX and sulfur dioxide (SO2) at SJGS.

This action informs the public that on February 27, 2014, the EPA authorized automatic delegation to implement and enforce Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) to the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming (hereafter Region 8 states). Also in this action, we propose to delete the delegation status table of NSPS for Region 8 states in the Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR part 60.4(c) and replace it with a Web page address reflecting current delegation status of Region 8 states.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list Trichomanes punctatum ssp. floridanum (Florida bristle fern), a plant subspecies from Miami-Dade and Sumter Counties in Florida, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this plant and add this plant to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations for loan making and servicing on eligibility conditions for certain legal entities, allowing additional flexibility for loan applicants to meet the required farming experience, and increasing the maximum total indebtedness on Microloans (ML) to $50,000. The changes implement provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill). The changes will help increase the number of entities eligible to participate in certain FLP loans and adjust to better reflect the changes in the way farms are owned and operated by legal entities. The changes will allow FSA to extend credit and servicing to family farm operations that may have been ineligible under existing regulations.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by Chris Samples Broadcasting, Inc, licensee of Station KXDJ(FM), Channel 252C2, Spearman, Texas, proposing to substitute Channel 221A for vacant Channel 252A at Silverton, Texas. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 221A can be allotted to Silverton, Texas consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's Rules with a site restriction located 7.8 kilometers (4.9 miles) east of Silverton. The reference coordinates are 34-28-15 NL and 101-13-09 WL. The purpose of the channel substitution is to accommodate the ``hybrid'' application requesting to upgrade the facilities of Station KXDJ(FM) from Channel 252C2 to Channel 252C1 at Spearman, Texas, File No. BPH-20140519AHY.

EPA issued final significant new use rules (SNURs) in the Federal Register of September 2, 2014 for 36 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). For the chemical substance identified generically as diisocyanate terminated polycarbodiimide (PMN P-04-640), EPA inadvertently omitted the de minimus exemption from the worker protection requirements. Also, for the chemical substance identified generically as hexanedioic acid, polymer with .alpha.-hydro-.omega.- hydroxypoly[oxy(methyl-1,2- ethanediyl)],1,1'-methylenebis[4-isocyanatobenzene], dihydroxydialkyl ether and dialkanol ether (PMN P-11-311) a typographical error in the PMN number has been identified. The amendments in this document are being issued to correct the omission and the typographical error.

This notice announces that the Department will accept comments on the proposed rule governing rights-of-way on Indian land until November 3, 2014.

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). EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, and is authorizing the State's changes through this immediate final rule. In the ``Proposed Rules'' section of today's Federal Register, EPA is also publishing a separate document that serves as the proposal to authorize these changes. EPA believes this action is not controversial and does not expect comments that oppose it. Unless EPA receives written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, the decision to authorize Florida's changes to its hazardous waste program will take effect. If EPA receives comments that oppose this action, EPA will publish a document in the Federal Register withdrawing today's immediate final rule before it takes effect, and the separate document published in today's ``Proposed Rules'' section of this Federal Register will serve as the proposal to authorize the changes.

NMFS proposes regulations under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to establish restrictions on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by U.S. purse seine vessels in the western and central Pacific Ocean. The restrictions would include a prohibition on the use of FADs during January and February and July through September of 2015, and a limit of 3,061 purse seine sets that may be made on FADs in 2015. This action is necessary for the United States to implement provisions of a conservation and management measure (CMM) adopted by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) and to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM (serial number 61454), R, and V; Croman Corporation Model SH-3H, Carson Helicopters, Inc., Model S-61L; Glacier Helicopters, Inc. Model CH-3E; Robinson Air Crane, Inc. Model CH-3E, CH-3C, HH-3C, and HH-3E; and Siller Helicopters Model CH-3E and SH-3A helicopters. This SNPRM is prompted by comments received in response to a previous SNPRM and a reevaluation of the relevant data. This SNPRM retains the proposed actions in the previous SNPRM, provides an increased estimated cost of the main rotor shaft (MRS) replacement, and clarifies some of the language in the Required Actions section of the AD. The proposed actions are intended to prevent MRS structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This action finalizes the residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted for the Acrylic and Modacrylic Fibers Production, Amino/Phenolic Resins Production and Polycarbonate Production source categories regulated under national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP). In addition, we are taking final action addressing emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction, and are adding standards for previously unregulated hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions sources for certain emission points. These changes include revisions made in response to comments received on the proposed rule. These final amendments also include clarifying provisions pertaining to open-ended valves and lines, adding monitoring requirements for pressure relief devices and adding requirements for electronic reporting of performance test results, as proposed. We estimate that these final amendments will reduce HAP emissions from these three source categories by a combined 137 tons per year.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a petition for rulemaking (PRM) from Mr. Mark Edward Leyse (the petitioner), dated June 19, 2014. The petition was docketed by the NRC on July 14, 2014, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-50-108. The petitioner requests that the NRC make new regulations concerning the use of spent fuel pool (SFP) accident evaluation models. The NRC is not requesting public comment on PRM-50-108 at this time.

NMFS issues these final changes to management measures to implement Regulatory Amendment 21 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) (Regulatory Amendment 21), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). Regulatory Amendment 21 modifies the definition of the overfished threshold for red snapper, blueline tilefish, gag, black grouper, yellowtail snapper, vermilion snapper, red porgy, and greater amberjack. The purpose of Regulatory Amendment 21 is to prevent snapper-grouper stocks with low natural mortality rates from frequently alternating between overfished and rebuilt conditions due to natural variation in recruitment and other environmental factors.