October 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Labor Relations Board is closing its Des Moines, Iowa Resident Office because it has determined that closing the office and serving the area with agents working at other locations, will result in significant savings while continuing to effectively serve the area currently served by this office.

The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register 80 FR 51312, on August 24, 2015, allowing for a 60 day comment period.

The National Park Service is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before October 3, 2015, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are jointly announcing the availability of the Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline (PCGP) Projects Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Proposed Land Management Plan amendments, and by this notice are announcing their availability.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing four public hearings to be held on the proposed ``Federal Plan Requirements for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electric Utility Generating Units Constructed on or before January 8, 2014; Model Trading Rules; Amendments to Framework Regulations.''

This rule implements a recommendation from the California Walnut Board (Board) for an increase of the assessment rate established for the 2015-16 and subsequent marketing years from $0.0189 to $0.0379 per kernelweight pound of walnuts handled under the marketing order. The Board locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of growers and handlers of walnuts operating within the area of production. Assessments upon walnut handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The marketing year begins September 1 and ends August 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule implements a recommendation from the California Date Administrative Committee (committee) for a decrease in the assessment rate established for the 2015-16 and subsequent crop years from $0.20 to $0.10 per hundredweight of dates handled. The committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of dates grown or packed in Riverside County, California. Assessments upon date handlers are used by the committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The new assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 12) terminating the investigation as to certain respondents based on a settlement agreement, and as to all other remaining respondents based on withdrawal of the complaint.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (``FDIC'') is adopting a final rule (``Final Rule'') to rescind and remove from the Code of Federal Regulations 12 CFR part 391, subpart B (``part 391, subpart B''), entitled ``Safety and Soundness Guidelines and Compliance Procedures,'' appendices A and B to part 391, subpart B, and supplement A to appendix B. The Final Rule also amends 12 CFR part 308, subpart R (``part 308, subpart R''), entitled ``Submission and Review of Safety and Soundness Compliance Plans and Issuance of Orders to Correct Safety and Soundness Deficiencies,'' and 12 CFR part 364 (``part 364''), entitled ``Standards for Safety and Soundness'' and its corresponding appendices and supplement. Part 391, subpart B was one of several rules transferred to the FDIC following dissolution of the former Office of Thrift Supervision (``OTS'') in connection with the implementation of applicable provisions of Title III of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). Section 316(b)(3) of the Dodd-Frank Act provided that the former OTS rules that were transferred to the FDIC would be enforceable by or against the FDIC until they were modified, terminated, set aside, or superseded in accordance with applicable law by the FDIC, by any court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law. On January 30, 2015, the FDIC published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (``NPR'' or ``Proposed Rule'') that explained and solicited public comment on a proposal to rescind and remove part 391, subpart B and to amend part 364, its appendices, and its supplement and part 308, subpart R by making them applicable to ``State savings associations'' and making minor technical updates to the appendices and supplement to part 364. The FDIC received no comments on the Proposed Rule and consequently is adopting the Final Rule as proposed in the NPR without change.

On November 25, 2014, the FDIC published a notice of proposed rulemaking (proposed rule or NPR) to amend its filing requirements and processing procedures for notices filed under the Change in Bank Control Act (Notices). The comment period closed January 26, 2015, and no comments were received. The FDIC is now adopting that proposed rule as final with one change (final rule). The final rule accomplishes several objectives. First, the final rule consolidates into one subpart the current requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State nonmember banks and certain parent companies thereof, and the requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State savings associations and certain parent companies thereof. Second, the final rule rescinds the FDIC's separate regulation governing the requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State savings associations and certain parent companies thereof and rescinds any guidance issued by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) relating to changes in control of State savings associations that is inconsistent with the final rule. Third, the final rule adopts the best practices of the related regulations of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board of Governors). Finally, the final rule clarifies the FDIC's requirements and procedures based on its experience interpreting and implementing the existing regulation. This final rule is also part of the FDIC's continuing review of its regulations under the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availably of a draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the issuance of a take permit for golden eagles pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act), in association with the operation of the Alta East Wind Project in Kern County, California. The DEA was prepared in response to an application from Alta Wind X, LLC (applicant), an affiliate of NRG Yield, Inc., for a 5-year programmatic take permit for golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) under the Eagle Act. The applicant would implement a conservation program to avoid, minimize, and compensate for the project's impacts to eagles, as described in the applicant's Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP). We invite public comment on the DEA, which evaluates alternatives for this permit decision.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-16-01 for certain The Boeing Company Model airplanes. AD 2015-16-01 required incorporating design changes to improve the reliability of the cabin altitude warning system by installing a redundant cabin altitude pressure switch, replacing the aural warning module (AWM) with a new or reworked AWM, and changing certain wire bundles or connecting certain previously capped and stowed wires as necessary. For certain airplanes, AD 2015-16-01 also required prior or concurrent incorporation of related design changes by modifying the instrument panels, installing light assemblies, modifying the wire bundles, and installing a new circuit breaker, as necessary. This AD retains all actions required by AD 2015-16-01. This AD was prompted by the discovery of a typographical error in AD 2015-16-01 that referred to a nonexistent paragraph. We are issuing this AD to prevent the loss of cabin altitude warning, which could delay flightcrew recognition of a lack of cabin pressurization, and could result in incapacitation of the flightcrew due to hypoxia (a lack of oxygen in the body), and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD requires repetitive eddy current inspections for any cracking in the inspar upper skin, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report that an operator discovered a crack in a certain section of the inspar upper skin, just forward of the rear spar on the right wing. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct any cracking in the inspar upper skin and rear spar upper chord, which could result in the inability of the structure to carry limit load, or result in a fuel leak, which could prevent continued safe flight and landing.