August 12, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is denying 15 petitions for rulemaking submitted by the petitioners identified in the table in Section IV, ``Availability of Documents.'' The petitioners requested that the NRC rescind its regulations that ``reach generic conclusions about the environmental impacts of severe reactor and/or spent fuel pool accidents and therefore prohibit considerations of those impacts in reactor licensing proceedings.''

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve portions of submissions from Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina for inclusion into each State's implementation plan. This proposed action pertains to the Clean Air Act (CAA or 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 state implementation plan (SIP) for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA. These submissions are commonly referred to as ``infrastructure SIPs submissions.'' Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve the portions of the submissions from Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina that pertain to a certain visibility requirement related to the 2008 8-hour ozone infrastructure SIPs for each state. All other applicable infrastructure requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS associated with these States' infrastructure submissions have been or will be addressed in separate rulemakings. In the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's implementation plan revision 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 If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule.

We published a document in the Federal Register revising our rules on April 13, 2015. That document inadvertently included incorrect values in table II of listing 105.08(B)(1)(c) of appendix 1 to subpart P of 20 CFR part 404. This document corrects the final regulation by revising this table.

The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 15 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 15 includes actions to revise the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), overfishing threshold, and overfished threshold definitions and values for three species of penaeid shrimp, and to revise the FMP framework procedures.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement Regulatory Amendment 22 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP)(Regulatory Amendment 22), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises the annual catch limits (ACLs) for gag grouper (gag) and wreckfish and the directed commercial quota for gag, based upon revisions to the acceptable biological catch (ABC) and the optimum yield (OY) for gag and wreckfish. The purpose of this final rule is to help achieve OY and prevent overfishing of gag and wreckfish in the South Atlantic region while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects to the snapper-grouper fishery.

NASA proposes to amend the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to revise a current clause related to safety and health measures and mishaps reporting by narrowing the application of the clause, resulting in a decrease in the reporting burden on contractors while reinforcing the measures contractors at NASA facilities must take to protect the safety of their workers, NASA employees, the public, and high value assets. The revision to this proposed rule is part of NASA's retrospective plan under Executive Order (EO) 13563 completed in August 2011.

In March 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule establishing a new standard for the certification of closed-circuit escape respirators (CCERs) by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new standard was originally designed to take effect over a 3-year transition period. HHS has determined that extending the concluding date for the transition is necessary to allow sufficient time for respirator manufacturers to meet the demands of the mining, maritime, railroad and other industries. Pursuant to this final action, NIOSH extends the phase-in period until 1 year after the date that the first approval is granted to certain CCER models.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is issuing regulations to implement provisions of the Public Health Service Act authorizing the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program Regarding Professions Needed by National Research Institutes (UGSP). The purpose of the program is to recruit appropriately qualified undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds to conduct research in the intramural research program as employees of the NIH by providing scholarship support.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Florida through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on May 1, 2015. This SIP revision seeks to make changes to the SIP to remove certain Stage I vapor control requirements and to make administrative changes to the SIP that would remove gasoline vapor control rules that no longer serve a regulatory purpose, including rules related to the Stage II vapor control requirements for new and upgraded gasoline dispensing facilities in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties (hereinafter referred to as the ``Southeast Florida Area''). EPA has determined that Florida's May 1, 2015, SIP revision is approvable because it is consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

The National Park Service is reopening the public comment period for the proposed rule to amend its regulations to authorize agreements between the National Park Service and federally recognized Indian tribes to allow the gathering and removal of plants or plant parts by designated tribal members for traditional purposes. Reopening the comment period for 45 days will allow more time for the public to review the proposal and submit comments.