April 3, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pocatello Field Office, Pocatello, Idaho, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), Idaho Falls, Idaho, will jointly prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). The purpose of this EIS is to analyze the potential effects of approving a proposed lease modification and phosphate mine and reclamation plan (M&RP) (the Proposed Action) on Federal mineral leases held by the J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot), in southeastern Idaho; and to amend the CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003) in conjunction with the project. In connection with its review of the Proposed Action, the EIS will also consider potential amendments to the CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003). The BLM, as the Federal lease administrator, will serve as the lead agency and the USFS as the co-lead agency. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Idaho Department of Lands are cooperating agencies. This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues for analysis.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Final Authorization for Hazardous Waste Management Programs (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 0969.10, OMB Control No. 2050-0041) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 73575) on December 11, 2014 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its regulations to remove out-of-date legal citations and add the correct authority. This rulemaking contains only nonsubstantive, technical changes.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to revise the boundaries of the Southern California air quality planning areas to designate the reservation of the Pechanga Band of Luise[ntilde]o Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation, California as a separate air quality planning area for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. The EPA is also taking final action to approve the Tribe's tribal implementation plan (``TIP'') for maintaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard within the Pechanga Reservation through 2025 because it meets the Clean Air Act's and the EPA's requirements for maintenance plans. Lastly, based in part on the approval of the maintenance plan, the EPA is granting a request from the Tribe to redesignate the Pechanga Reservation nonattainment area to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard because the area meets the statutory requirements for redesignation under the Clean Air Act.

The Coast Guard is considering amending the regulations for Cedar Grove Anchorage and establishing two new anchorages, Point Michele Anchorage and Plaquemines Point Anchorage on the Lower Mississippi River (LMR), Above Head of Passes (AHP). These actions are being considered to increase the available anchorage areas in this section of the river necessary to accommodate vessel traffic and improve navigation safety for vessels transiting this area, providing for the overall safe and efficient flow of vessel traffic and commerce. The Coast Guard is seeking comments and information about what form the proposed amendment and new regulations should take and the actual need for them.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-524 turbofan engines with certain part number (P/N) low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 3 turbine blades installed. This AD requires implementation of a life limit for certain P/N LPT stage 3 turbine blades and replacement of affected blades that reach or exceed the life limit. This AD was prompted by reports of LPT stage 3 turbine blade failures, release of blades, and subsequent in- flight shutdowns. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of LPT stage 3 turbine blades and subsequent release of blade debris, which could lead to failure of one or more engines, loss of thrust control, and damage to the airplane.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the State of Iowa to include modified permits for Muscatine County, Iowa. The SIP revision addresses modifications to construction permits that were included in the 2006 24-hour particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) control strategy proposed on August 11, 2014, and published as a final rule in the Federal Register on December 1, 2014, with the effective date of December 31, 2014. The state's submission of modified permits includes a revised air dispersion modeling analysis that demonstrated continued attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. This action will also make an administrative correction to permit numbers.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to clarify our regulations related to the data sources used to establish the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price. We are also proposing to remove references to CWC prices from the renewable fuel standard regulations, and instead intend to post the prices on EPA's Web site. This proposed rule also indicates what the CWC prices for 2014 and 2015 would be using the data sources and methodology contained in the rule; however these prices will not be established until they are posted on our Web site following the effective date of the rule. In addition, we are proposing minor amendments to the renewable fuel standard program regulations to reinsert sections inadvertently overwritten by the Quality Assurance Program final rule published on July 18, 2014. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are making these same amendments as a direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, the direct final rule will go into effect and we will not take further action on this proposed rule.

On February 5, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice of Intent to Delete and a direct final Notice of Deletion for the Midvale Slag from the National Priorities List. The EPA is withdrawing the Final Notice of Deletion due to adverse comments that were received during the public comment period. After consideration of the comments received, if appropriate, EPA will publish a Notice of Deletion in the Federal Register based on the parallel Notice of Intent to Delete and place a copy of the final deletion package, including a Responsiveness Summary, if prepared, in the Site repositories.

This document contains proposed regulations relating to the allocation of the group credit. The proposed regulations will affect certain taxpayers claiming the credit. In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing temporary regulations providing guidance relating to the allocation of the credit for increasing research activities (research credit) to corporations and trades or businesses under common control (controlled groups). The temporary regulations also contain rules relating to the allocation of the railroad track maintenance credit (RTMC) and the election for a reduced research credit. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

This document contains final and temporary regulations relating to the allocation of the credit for increasing research activities (research credit) to corporations and trades or businesses under common control (controlled groups)... This document also contains final and temporary regulations relating to the allocation of the railroad track maintenance credit and the election for a reduced research credit. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations (REG-133489-13) published in the Proposed Rules section in this issue of the Federal Register.

The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the Simpson Avenue Bridge on the Hoquiam River, mile 0.5, at Hoquiam, Washington. This temporary final rule is necessary to accommodate Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) extensive maintenance and restoration efforts on this bridge. WSDOT will only open one leaf of the double leaf bascule bridge when at least two hours of notice is given.