April 2, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in Marina del Rey around the fireworks launch site located on the south jetty. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the waterway users during the fireworks display that will take place in the vicinity of the Marina del Rey Main Channel. Entry into this temporary safety zone will be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Los AngelesLong Beach, or her designated representative.

On February 9, 2015, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) regulations to modify the requirements for title IV-E agencies to collect and report data to ACF on children in out-of-home care and who were adopted or in a legal guardianship with a title IV-E subsidized adoption or guardianship agreement. However, we did not propose that title IV-E agencies report data in AFCARS on American Indian and Alaskan Native children related to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA). In this notice, we are announcing that we intend to publish a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM), which will propose that title IV-E agencies collect and report additional ICWA-related data elements in AFCARS. We will consider the public comments on that SNPRM (related to ICWA-related data elements) and the February 9, 2015 NPRM (related to all other data elements) and issue one final rule on AFCARS.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA), Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS), is revising its application-approval procedures for previously approved firework designs and clarifying requirements for assigning Explosives (EX) Approval or Fireworks Certification (FC) numbers. It is not required or necessary for a firework manufacturer, or designated agent, to submit a new EX Approval application each time an additional item name is associated with a firework design type (described under UN0336, UN0335, and UN0431). PHMSA will no longer process additional item name EX Approval applications, effective immediately.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of meeting the requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 128. This rulemaking action also proposes to approve an infrastructure element directly related to the regulations being added for several previously submitted infrastructure SIPs for the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, the 2010 Nitrogen Dioxide NAAQS, and the 2010 Sulfur Dioxide NAAQS. In the Final Rules section of this issue of the Federal Register, EPA is approving the Commonwealth's SIP submittal 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.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve in part and disapprove in part, the August 20, 2012, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission, provided by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for inclusion into the Alabama SIP. This final rulemaking pertains to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) infrastructure requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA, which is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP submission. ADEM certified that the Alabama SIP contains provisions that ensure the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS is implemented, enforced, and maintained in Alabama. With the exception of provisions pertaining to prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting, interstate transport, and visibility protection requirements for which EPA is taking no action in this rulemaking, and provisions respecting state boards for which EPA is taking action to disapprove, EPA is taking final action to approve Alabama's infrastructure SIP submission provided to EPA on August 20, 2012, as satisfying the required infrastructure elements for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), a bat species that occurs in 37 States, the District of Columbia, and 13 Canadian Provinces. The effect of this final rule will be to add the northern long-eared bat to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We are also establishing an interim rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the northern long-eared bat. We are seeking public comments on this interim rule, and we will publish either an affirmation of the interim rule or a final rule amending the interim rule after we consider all comments we receive. If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 4(d) rule we published on January 16, 2015, please do not resubmit them. We have incorporated them into the public record, and we will fully consider them in our final determination on the 4(d) rule.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking comments on this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program (the Program). Specifically, the SBA is seeking comments on development of potential proposed amendments to current regulations governing the Program, which is authorized by the Small Business Act. This ANPRM is being issued to commence the consultative process with stakeholders to examine several issues such as International Trade counselor certification requirements, steps to selecting State/Region Directors, procedures for international travel, clarifying the use of carryover funds and procedures regarding the determination to affect suspension, termination or non-renewal of an SBDC's cooperative agreement to name a few. This ANPRM also addresses other policy and procedural changes necessary for the implementation of the Program.