2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to establish Class E en route domestic airspace in the International Falls, MN area, to facilitate vectoring of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and efficiency of aircraft operations within the National Airspace System (NAS).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new subpart that updates the Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (Emission Guidelines). The EPA determined that it was appropriate to review the landfills Emission Guidelines based on changes in the landfills industry since the Emission Guidelines were promulgated in 1996. The EPA's review of the Emission Guidelines for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills applies to landfills that accepted waste after November 8, 1987, and commenced construction, reconstruction, or modification on or before July 17, 2014. Based on its initial review, the EPA has determined that it is appropriate to propose revisions to the Emission Guidelines that reflect changes to the population of landfills and the results of an analysis of the timing and methods for reducing emissions. This action proposes to achieve additional reductions of landfill gas (LFG) and its components, including methane, by lowering the emissions threshold at which a landfill must install controls. This action also incorporates new data and information received in response to an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking and addresses other regulatory issues including surface emissions monitoring, wellhead monitoring, and the definition of landfill gas treatment system. In addition to considering information received in response to this proposed rule in evaluating potential changes to the Emission Guidelines, the EPA intends to consider the information in evaluating whether changes to the requirements for new sources beyond those in the July 17, 2014, proposed rule for new sources are warranted. The proposed revisions to the Emission Guidelines, once implemented through revised state plans or a revised federal plan, would reduce emissions of LFG, which contains both nonmethane organic compounds and methane. Landfills are a significant source of methane which is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutant. These avoided emissions will improve air quality and reduce public health and welfare effects associated with exposure to landfill gas emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this supplemental proposal for the Standards of Performance for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills to address the nonmethane organic compound (NMOC) emission rate threshold at which an affected MSW landfill must install controls. The EPA is in the process of reviewing the Standards of Performance for MSW Landfills based on changes in the landfills industry since the standards were promulgated in 1996 and issued a proposed rulemaking on July 17, 2014. The EPA's review of the Standards of Performance for MSW Landfills (also referred to as the New Source Performance Standards or NSPS for MSW Landfills) applies to landfills that commenced construction, reconstruction, or modification after July 17, 2014. This document proposes to achieve additional reductions of landfill gas (LFG) and its components, including methane, through a lower emission threshold at which MSW landfills must install and operate a gas collection and control system (GCCS). This document supplements the proposed July 17, 2014, rulemaking by further lowering, from 40 megagrams per year (Mg/yr) to 34 Mg/yr, the proposed NMOC emissions threshold at which controls would be required. This change to the 2014 proposed threshold is based on additional data we have reviewed that indicate greater potential for reductions in methane emissions from these sources than we originally estimated that can be achieved at reasonable cost. Accordingly, the EPA is proposing to establish the NMOC emission rate threshold for installing a GCCS at 34 Mg/yr and is requesting comment specifically on whether this is appropriate. The EPA is also soliciting comment on the number of facilities that might ultimately become subject to proposed new subpart XXX. The EPA intends to consider the information received in response to this supplemental proposal prior to finalizing revised Standards of Performance for MSW Landfills. The EPA is seeking comment only on the two issues addressed by this supplemental proposal and the supplemental proposal does not otherwise reopen the comment period for the July 17, 2014, proposed rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve an element of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Kansas addressing the applicable requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110 for the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone (O3), which requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP to support implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each new or revised NAAQS promulgated by EPA. These SIPs are commonly referred to as ``infrastructure'' SIPs. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.

This document contains final and temporary regulations relating to the allocation of W-2 wages for purposes of the W-2 wage limitation on the amount of a taxpayer's deduction related to domestic production activities. Specifically, the temporary regulations provide guidance on: the allocation of W-2 wages paid by two or more taxpayers that are employers of the same employees during a calendar year; and the determination of W-2 wages if the taxpayer has a short taxable year. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations set forth in the notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-136459-09) on this subject in the Proposed Rules section in this issue of the Federal Register.

This document announces EPA's receipt of several initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

On March 23, 2015, NMFS and USFWS (or the Services) published a proposed rule to revise the listings of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas; hereafter referred to as the green turtle) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We opened a public comment period that lasted through June 22, 2015. On June 17, 2015, we published a document extending the public comment period through July 27, 2015. On July 27, 2015, we published a document again extending the public comment period to August 26, 2015. Having received a request to further extend the comment period, with this document we further extend the comment period to September 25, 2015.

This final rule announces the approval of the Omnibus Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans of the Northeastern United States and implements the amendment's approved management measures to simplify vessel baselines. The Baseline Amendment eliminates the one- time limit on vessel upgrades and removes gross and net tonnages from the vessel baseline specifications that NMFS considers when determining a vessel's baseline for replacement purposes. Implementing these measures reduces the administrative burden to permit holders and NMFS and has little effect on fleet capacity. This rule also removes the requirement for vessels to send in negative fishing reports (i.e., ``did not fish'' reports) during months or weeks when vessels were inactive. NMFS no longer needs these reports due to improved trip-level matching. Therefore, NMFS removes this requirement to simplify the regulations and reduce reporting burdens for the industry.

These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier Inc. Model BD-100-1A10 airplane. This airplane, as modified by S4A, Solutions for Aviation, S.L., will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of an Aspire 200 satellite communications (satcom) system with wireless handsets that use rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems. Rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems have certain failure, operational, and maintenance characteristics that differ significantly from those of the nickel- cadmium and lead-acid rechargeable batteries currently approved for installation on transport category airplanes. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is disapproving an element of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from Illinois regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2006 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the requirements of the CAA. This action pertains specifically to infrastructure requirements concerning state board requirements.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to correct the prescription for a clause.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement sections of the Department of Defense Appropriations Acts for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 that prohibit use of funds made available under these acts for the purchase or manufacture of a flag of the United States, unless such flag is manufactured in the United States.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to remove duplicative text relating to contracts or delivery orders issued by a non-DoD Agency and relocate remaining text to conform to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) adds 1 national wildlife refuge (NWR or refuge) to the list of areas open for hunting, adds 4 NWRs to the list of areas open for fishing, increases the hunting activities available at 16 other NWRs, increases fishing opportunities at 1 NWR, and adds pertinent refuge-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2015-2016 season.

This final rule implements OMB's guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, published on December 26, 2013. NARA published an interim final rule proposing its implementation of OMB's new requirements on December 19, 2014 (79 FR 75871), along with other Federal awarding agencies. NARA received no comments on the interim final rule and by this action adopts the rule as final.

This rule adopts as final the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2014. Specifically, the rule implemented changes to the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (``Schedule'') for a number of different fees. This rulemaking addresses public comments and adopts as final the changes to these fees.

NMFS announces six inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian salmon fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border.

This document corrects technical and typographical errors that appeared in the proposed rule published in the July 14, 2015 Federal Register entitled ``Medicare Program; Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Payment Model for Acute Care Hospitals Furnishing Lower Extremity Joint Replacement Services.''

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is giving notice of a public meeting and that DOE intends to establish a negotiated rulemaking working group under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act (NRA) to negotiate the proposal of new energy conservation standards for dedicated purpose pool pumps standards and to discuss certain aspects of the proposed Federal test procedure for pumps that would apply to dedicated purpose pool pumps. The purpose of the working group will be to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on a proposal to establish energy conservation standards and a test procedure for dedicated purpose pool pumps, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, as amended. (With respect to the test procedure, DOE is seeking to establish a consensus on specific aspects that would play a role in the manner in which this equipment would be tested.) The working group will consist of representatives of parties having a defined stake in the outcome of the proposed standards and amended test procedure, and will consult, as appropriate, with a range of experts on technical issues. The working group is expected to develop the necessary data, test procedure, and definitions for dedicated purpose pool pumps and provide a report back to ASRAC no later than December 29, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) withdraws its August 13, 2013, notice of proposed determination that natural draft commercial packaged boilers meet the criteria for covered equipment under Part A-1 of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended. 78 FR 49202. DOE is taking this action after consideration of comments received in response to the notice of proposed determination and other relevant rulemakings that indicate a common and long-standing understanding from interested parties that natural draft commercial packaged boilers are and have been covered equipment under part A-1 of Title III of EPCA.

NMFS proposes to allow large federally permitted U.S. longline vessels to fish in certain areas of the Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA) around Swains Island, Tutuila, and the Manua Islands. NMFS would continue to prohibit fishing in the LVPA by large purse seine vessels. The fishing requirements for the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument would remain unchanged. The intent of the proposed rule is to improve the viability of the American Samoa longline fishery and achieve optimum yield from the fishery while preventing overfishing, in accordance with National Standard 1.

This interim rule amends the regulations to remove the restriction that prohibits U.S. purse seine vessels from conducting bunkering (refueling) activities in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the high seas between the latitudes of 20[deg] N. and 20[deg] S. in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), also known as the Effort Limit Area for Purse Seine or ELAPS, when this area is closed to U.S. purse seine fishing. This action would relieve U.S. purse seine vessels from the burden of the prohibition while continuing to satisfy U.S. obligations pursuant to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act.

This rule identifies communities where the sale of flood insurance has been authorized under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that are scheduled for suspension on the effective dates listed within this rule because of noncompliance with the floodplain management requirements of the program. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) receives documentation that the community has adopted the required floodplain management measures prior to the effective suspension date given in this rule, the suspension will not occur and a notice of this will be provided by publication in the Federal Register on a subsequent date. Also, information identifying the current participation status of a community can be obtained from FEMA's Community Status Book (CSB). The CSB is available at https:// www.fema.gov/fema/csb.shtm.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the S. R. 74 Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 283.1, at Wrightsville Beach, NC. This deviation is necessary to facilitate the annual Beach2Battleship Iron and Half-Iron Distance Triathlons. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.