August 18, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final revision to two sections in Chapter 3, ``Design of Structures, Components, Equipment, and Systems,'' of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition.'' The revisions to these Standard Review Plan (SRP) sections reflect no changes in staff position; rather they clarify the original intent of these SRP sections using plain language throughout in accordance with the NRC's Plain Writing Action Plan. Additionally, these revisions reflect operating experience, lessons learned, and updated guidance since the last revision, and address the applicability of regulatory treatment of non-safety systems where appropriate.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) make a determination on the impact, if any, on the lessening of competition likely to result from a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed rule for energy conservation standards and that DOE publish the determination in the Federal Register. DOE published its final rule for energy conservation standards for dehumidifiers on June 13, 2016, and is publishing DOJ's August 5, 2015 determination on the proposed rule.

The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRegion 1 (EPA), is providing a notice of availability of draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for discharges from sites engaged in certain remediation activities to certain waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. The draft NPDES general permits establish Notice of Intent (NOI), Notice of Change (NOC), and Notice of Termination (NOT) requirements, effluent limitations and requirements, standard and special conditions and best management practice (BMP) requirements for sites that discharge 1.0 million gallons per day or less in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. These general permits replace the Remediation General Permit (RGP) that expired on September 9, 2015.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Office of Extramural Research (OER), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will continue the use of the electronic application form for the submission of requests to the NIH for Certificates of Confidentiality (CoCs), which was launched in 2015.

This document contains final regulations under section 5000C of the Internal Revenue Code relating to the 2 percent tax on payments made by the U.S. government to foreign persons pursuant to certain contracts. The regulations affect U.S. government acquiring agencies and foreign persons providing certain goods or services to the U.S. government pursuant to a contract. This document also contains final regulations under section 6114, with respect to foreign persons claiming an exemption from the 2 percent tax under an income tax treaty.

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the unsolicited proposal submitted to BOEM by Trident Winds, LLC (Trident Winds) to acquire an OCS commercial wind lease; (2) solicit submissions of indications of interest in acquiring a commercial lease for wind energy development on the OCS offshore California in the area described in this notice; and (3) solicit public input regarding the area described in this notice, the potential environmental consequences associated with wind energy development in the area, and existing and planned multiple uses of the area. On January 14, 2016, BOEM received an unsolicited request from Trident Winds for a commercial wind lease on the OCS. Trident Winds' proposed project would consist of a utility-scale floating wind energy facility offshore Morro Bay, California that would interconnect with the California electrical grid at the existing Morro Bay Power Plant. The project would be located, at its closest point, approximately 15 nautical miles (nmi) offshore Point Piedras Blancas in water depths of approximately 2,900 feet. Additional information on Trident Winds' unsolicited lease request can be viewed at https://www.boem.gov/ California/. This RFI is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), and BOEM's implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 585. Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary [of the Interior] determines after public notice of a proposed lease, easement, or right- of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This RFI provides public notice for the area requested by Trident Winds (the Proposed Lease Area) that is described below in the section ``Description of the Proposed Lease Area,'' and invites the submission of indications of interest in acquiring a commercial wind lease within the Proposed Lease Area. Parties wishing to indicate competitive interest in the Proposed Lease Area should submit detailed and specific information as described in the section entitled ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' BOEM will consider the responses to this public notice to determine whether competitive interest exists in the Proposed Lease Area. This announcement also requests that interested and affected parties comment and provide information about site conditions and any existing or planned multiple uses within the Proposed Lease Area that may be relevant to the proposed project or its potential impacts.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Echinomastus erectocentrus var. acunensis (acu[ntilde]a cactus) and the Pediocactus peeblesianus var. fickeiseniae (Fickeisen plains cactus) under the Endangered Species Act. Critical habitat for the acu[ntilde]a cactus is located in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Counties, Arizona, and critical habitat for the Fickeisen plains cactus is located in Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona. The effect of this regulation is to designate critical habitat for the acu[ntilde]a cactus and the Fickeisen plains cactus under the Endangered Species Act.

The FAA is amending its commercial space regulations governing reciprocal waivers of claims to require that customers waive claims against all the customers involved in a launch or reentry, including those signing a different set of reciprocal waivers. Also, customers of a customer contracting directly with a licensee or permittee will not have to sign a waiver directly with the licensee or permittee, other customers, or the FAA. The FAA is also adding an appendix to provide permittees with an example of a Waiver of Claims and Assumption of Responsibility for Permitted Activities with No Customer.