November 9, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces EPA's approval of the State of Alabama's request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting.

This notice announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) has suspended certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (hereinafter ``Nepal'') and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the earthquake in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on April 25, 2015. The Secretary is taking action to provide relief to these Nepali citizens who are F-1 students so they may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain their F-1 student status. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will deem an F-1 student who receives employment authorization by means of this notice to be engaged in a ``full course of study'' for the duration of the employment authorization, if the student satisfies the minimum course load requirement described in this notice.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to reclassify to Serious the Franklin County, Idaho portion of the multi- state Logan, Utah/Franklin county, Idaho nonattainment area (Logan UT/ ID area) for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Our proposal is based on the EPA's determination that the Logan, UT/ID area cannot practicably attain the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable Moderate area attainment date of December 31, 2015. Should the EPA finalize reclassification of the area to Serious, Idaho will be required to submit an updated emissions inventory, Best Available Control Measures (BACM)/Best Available Control Technology (BACT), and revisions to its Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) program within 18 months. The attainment demonstration and the remaining Serious area nonattainment plan elements will be due no later than three years after the effective date of the final action or December 31, 2018, whichever is earlier. Upon reclassification as Serious, the Logan, UT/ID PM2.5 nonattainment area will be required to attain the standard as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than December 31, 2019.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB412 helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the filters installed on the pressure lines of utility hydraulic systems for metal particles. This AD is prompted by a report of a pump failure on the hydraulic external hoist caused by metal particles. These actions are intended to detect metal particles in the filter of the pressure line and prevent the pumps' failure, which could lead to a hoisting accident and injury to persons.

This document provides the final text of regulations governing the employee protection provisions of the National Transit Systems Security Act (NTSSA), enacted as Section 1413 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (9/11 Commission Act), and the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA), as amended by Section 1521 of the 9/11 Commission Act. The 9/11 Commission Act was enacted into law on August 3, 2007. FRSA was amended further in 2008. An interim final rule establishing procedures for these provisions and a request for public comment was published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2010. Ten comments were received. This rule responds to those comments and establishes the final procedures and time frames for the handling of retaliation complaints under NTSSA and FRSA, including procedures and time frames for employee complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), investigations by OSHA, appeals of OSHA determinations to an administrative law judge (ALJ) for a hearing de novo, hearings by ALJs, review of ALJ decisions by the Administrative Review Board (ARB) (acting on behalf of the Secretary of Labor), and judicial review of the Secretary of Labor's final decision.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for central air conditioners and heat pumps established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. DOE proposed amendments to the test procedure in a June 2010 notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR), an April 2011 supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR), and an October 2011 SNOPR. DOE provided additional time for stakeholder comment in a December 2011 extension of the comment period for the October 2011 SNOPR. DOE received further public comment for revising the test procedure in a November 2014 Request for Information for energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps. DOE proposes in this SNOPR: A new basic model definition as it pertains to central air conditioners and heat pumps and revised rating requirements; revised alternative efficiency determination methods; termination of active waivers and interim waivers; revised procedures to determine off mode power consumption; changes to the test procedure that would improve test repeatability and reduce test burden; clarifications to ambiguous sections of the test procedure intended also to improve test repeatability; inclusion of, amendments to, and withdrawals of test procedure revisions proposed in published test procedure notices in the rulemaking effort leading to this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking; and changes to the test procedure that would improve field representativeness. Some of these proposals also include incorporation by reference of updated industry standards. DOE welcomes comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this test procedure rulemaking.