2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a correction to FAR Case 2012- 014; Small Business Protests and Appeals (Item II), which was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2014.

This rule amends U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect that CBP has added a preclearance location in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. CBP Preclearance operations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates officially began on January 24, 2014, pursuant to an agreement between the Governments of the United States and the United Arab Emirates. CBP Officers at preclearance locations conduct inspections and examinations to ensure compliance with U.S. customs, immigration, and agriculture laws, as well as other laws enforced by CBP at the U.S. border. Such inspections and examinations prior to arrival in the United States generally enable travelers to exit the domestic terminal or connect directly to a U.S. domestic flight without undergoing further CBP processing.

This rule implements the new Cotton Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). It also includes general provisions needed to implement CTAP, the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Programs. ARC and PLC will be implemented through a separate rulemaking and will provide benefits for other commodities. CTAP is a temporary program that provides payments to producers on farms for which cotton base acres were in existence as of September 30, 2013, as adjusted. It will operate for only the 2014 crop year and in certain counties for the 2015 crop year, and is intended to be a transition for producers on farms with upland cotton base acres that were in existence as of September 30, 2013, between the previous Direct and Counter- cyclical Payments Program (DCP) and the new Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX), which is authorized to begin no later than the 2015 crop year.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is adopting its proposed phased retirement regulations with four minor changes. Phased retirement is a human resources tool that will allow full-time employees to work a part-time schedule and draw partial retirement benefits during employment. The ``Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,'' or ``MAP-21,'' requires OPM to publish regulations implementing phased retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). The final rule informs agencies and employees about who may elect phased retirement, what benefits are provided during phased retirement, how OPM intends to compute the annuity payable during and after phased retirement, and how employees may fully retire after a period of phased retirement. The final rule does not address every administrative detail of the phased retirement process. OPM will be issuing separate guidance to assist agencies and employees with administrative and procedural matters that do not need to be addressed in this rule. Employees may not enter phased retirement or submit applications for phased retirement to OPM until 90 days after publication of this final rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting errors in the rule language of a final rule pertaining to the infrastructure requirements for the 1997 8-hour ozone and the 1997 and 2006 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to extend two reporting deadlines for the 2013 compliance period under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. This action specifically affects the annual compliance and attest engagement reporting requirement deadlines for regulated parties. The annual compliance reports and attest engagement reports for the 2013 RFS compliance period will not be due until 30 days and 90 days, respectively, following publication of the final rule establishing the 2014 renewable fuel percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel in the Federal Register. This action ensures timely amendment of existing deadlines, before compliance obligations would otherwise go into effect.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating a source-specific Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) requiring the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), a coal-fired power plant located on the Navajo Nation near Page, Arizona, to achieve reductions in oxides of nitrogen (NOX) required under the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Regional Haze Rule (RHR). On February 5, 2013, EPA issued a proposed BART determination for NGS and an alternative to BART. In a supplemental proposal on October 22, 2013, EPA proposed to approve a new alternative plan, based on an agreement developed by a group of stakeholders known as the Technical Work Group (TWG). EPA is finalizing the alternative to BART described in our supplemental proposal. This rule is consistent with the TWG Agreement, including a lifetime cap in total emissions of NOX from NGS over 2009-2044 (2009-2044 NOX Cap). Our final action will achieve greater emissions reductions than BART and is expected to significantly reduce the impact of NGS on visibility at 11 mandatory Class I Federal areas. The operator of NGS must implement one of several alternative operating scenarios to achieve the necessary emission reductions to comply with the 2009-2044 NOX Cap.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Lyons, Pennsylvania (PA) nonattainment area (hereafter also referred to as the ``Lyons Area'' or ``Area'') has attained the 2008 lead (Pb) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). This proposed determination of attainment is based upon certified, quality-assured, and quality-controlled ambient air monitoring data from 2011-2013 which shows that the Area has monitored attainment for the 2008 Pb NAAQS. If EPA finalizes this proposed determination of attainment, the requirements for the Lyons Area to submit an attainment demonstration, associated reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning requirements related to attainment of the standard shall be suspended for so long as the Lyons Area continues to attain the 2008 Pb NAAQS.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Amtrak Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River, mile 5.0, at Little Snake Hill, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary for installation of new ties, miter rails and drive motors at the bridge. This temporary deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for five nights to perform scheduled maintenance.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to expand the approximately 33,380-acre ``Sta. Rita Hills'' viticultural area in Santa Barbara County, California, by approximately 2,296 acres. The established Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area and the proposed expansion area are located entirely within the larger Santa Ynez Valley and Central Coast viticultural areas. 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. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.

Through this action, NOAA proposes to update the Federal list of authorized fisheries and gear issued under section 305(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (``List of Fisheries''). The List of Fisheries includes a description of fisheries that operate in the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council's) geographic area of authority. This action is necessary because the current list is outdated and either includes several fisheries that no longer occur, or does not include fisheries that do occur, within the U.S. West Coast EEZ. The intended effect of this rule is to bring the list up to date with current West Coast fisheries and fishery management plans (FMPs).

This proposed rule to implement draft Amendment 9 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) considers management measures in the smoothhound and shark fisheries. In addition to the measures in draft Amendment 9, this rulemaking would establish an effective date for previously-adopted shark management measures finalized in Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP (Amendment 3) and the 2011 HMS Trawl Rule that were delayed, and proposes to increase the smoothhound shark annual quota that was finalized in Amendment 3, using updated landings data. It also proposes to implement the smoothhound shark-specific requirements of the 2012 Shark Biological Opinion (BiOp), and considers modifying current regulations related to the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) by Atlantic shark fishermen using gillnet gear. For purposes of this rulemaking, the term ``smoothhound sharks'' collectively refers to smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis), Florida smoothhound (M. norrisi), Gulf smoothhound (M. sinusmexicanus), small eye smoothhound (M. higmani), and any other Mustelus spp. that might be found in U.S. waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, collectively. Finally, this action considers the implementation of the smooth dogfish-specific provisions in the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 (the ``SCA''). The SCA requires that all sharks landed from federal waters in the United States be landed with their fins naturally attached to the carcass, but includes a limited exception for smooth dogfish. Throughout this document, the term ``fins'' includes both the tail and the fins of the shark. For the federal Atlantic shark fisheries, current HMS regulations require federally-permitted shark fishermen to land all sharks with fins naturally attached to the carcass. The SCA's fins-attached requirement is being addressed nationwide through a separate ongoing rulemaking. Thus, regarding the SCA, this rulemaking addresses only the provision that allows fin removal at sea of Atlantic smooth dogfish.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with a flight-control system that prevents the pilot from inadvertently or intentionally exceeding the positive or negative airplane limit load factor. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with side-stick controllers for pitch and roll control, instead of conventional wheels and columns. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with fuel tanks constructed of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials located within the tire-impact zone, including the wing fuel tanks. The ability of aluminum wing skins, as has been conventionally used, to resist penetration or rupture when impacted by tire debris, is understood from extensive experience. The ability of carbon-fiber composite material to resist these hazards has not been established. No current airworthiness standards specifically address this hazard for all exposed wing surfaces. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The United States Postal Service (Postal Service) is adding a provision to its regulations to implement the administrative wage garnishment (AWG) provisions of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA), allowing the United States Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) to collect debts owed to the Postal Service, that the Postal Service refers to BFS for collection, by AWG.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of revising the definition of volatile organic compounds. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the Commonwealth's SIP submittals 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.

This action incorporates certain amendments into FAA Order 7400.9X, dated September 8, 2013, and effective September 15, 2013, for incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the understandings reached at the 2005 Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Plenary meeting held in Oslo, Norway; the 2012 NSG Plenary meeting held in Seattle, Washington; and the 2013 NSG Plenary meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic. This rule also implements a decision adopted under the NSG intersessional silent approval procedures in December 2009. Accordingly, this rule amends certain entries in Category 1 (``Special Materials and Related Equipment''), Category 2 (``Materials Processing''), Category 3 (``Electronics''), and Category 6 (``Sensors and Lasers'') of the Commerce Control List (CCL) to reflect changes in the Annex to the NSG ``Guidelines for the Transfer of Nuclear-Related Dual-Use Equipment, Materials, Software and Related Technology'' (the NSG Annex) based on the understandings reached at the 2005, 2012, and 2013 NSG Plenary meetings and the aforementioned 2009 NSG intersessional decision. Consistent with the 2005 NSG understandings, this rule also amends the export licensing policies in the EAR that apply to items that require a license for nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons, or as a result of certain nuclear end- users or end-uses, by adding an additional factor that must be considered by BIS when it reviews license applications involving such items, end-users, and/or end-uses. The 2012 and 2013 NSG Plenary understandings are a continuation of the fundamental review of the NSG control lists that was launched at the 2010 NSG Plenary meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand. Finally, this rule amends the EAR to reflect the status of Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, and Serbia as participating countries in the NSG, first, by adding these countries to the list of participating countries in the definition of ``Nuclear Suppliers Group'' and to Country Group A:4 (Nuclear Suppliers Group countries) and, second, by removing the license requirements for exports and reexports to these countries of certain items controlled for nuclear nonproliferation (NP) reasons.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve portions of a revision to the Mississippi State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Mississippi, through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), on February 10, 2012. The SIP revision modifies Mississippi's New Source Review (NSR) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program to incorporate by reference (IBR) certain Federal PSD regulations. EPA is proposing to approve these portions of Mississippi's SIP revision because the Agency has preliminarily determined that they are consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's NSR permitting regulations.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission extends the deadline for filing reply comments on its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in this proceeding, which was previously published in the Federal Register.

This rule modifies the container requirements currently prescribed under the Idaho-Eastern Oregon potato marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of potatoes grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon and is administered locally by the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Potato Committee (Committee). This rule removes the requirement that fiberboard cartons used to pack 50-pound quantities of U.S. No. 2 grade potatoes be of one-piece construction. This change is needed to respond to market demands and to provide handlers flexibility in shipping U.S. No. 2 grade potatoes. In addition, this rule makes a change to the order's handling regulations to correct a citation reference.

The Coast Guard will enforce its safety zone for the Superior Man Triathlon in Duluth, MN from 6 a.m. through 9 a.m. on August 24, 2014. This action is necessary to protect participants during the swimming portion of the Superior Man Triathlon. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Duluth or his designated on-scene representative.

This notice announces an open meeting for the Regional Standards Enforcement Working Group (RSE Working Group). The purpose of the working group will be to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on a proposed rule for the energy efficiency of requirements of enforcement of regional standards, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, as amended.

This document contains corrections to final regulations (TD 9673) that were published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 (79 FR 37633). The final regulations are relating to the use of longevity annuity contracts in tax qualified defined contribution plans.