December 21, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Park Service (NPS) amends its special regulation for off-road vehicle (ORV) use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, to revise the times that certain beaches open to ORV use in the morning, to extend the dates that certain seasonal ORV routes are open in the fall and spring, and to modify the size and location of certain vehicle-free areas. The NPS was required to consider these changes by section 3057 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. The NPS also amends this special regulation to allow the Superintendent to issue ORV permits for different lengths of time than are currently allowed, and to remove an ORV route designation on Ocracoke Island to allow vehicle access to a soundside area without the requirement of an ORV permit.

The Bureau is amending the official commentary that interprets the requirements of the Bureau's Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to reflect a change in the asset-size threshold for certain creditors to qualify for an exemption to the requirement to establish an escrow account for a higher-priced mortgage loan based on the annual percentage change in the average of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the 12-month period ending in November. The exemption threshold is adjusted to increase to $2.069 billion from $2.052 billion. The adjustment is based on the .8 percent increase in the average of the CPI-W for the 12-month period ending in November 2016. Therefore, creditors with assets of less than $2.069 billion (including assets of certain affiliates) as of December 31, 2016, are exempt, if other requirements of Regulation Z also are met, from establishing escrow accounts for higher-priced mortgage loans in 2017. This asset limit will also apply during a grace period, in certain circumstances, with respect to transactions with applications received before April 1 of 2018. The adjustment to the escrows exemption asset-size threshold will also increase a similar threshold for small-creditor portfolio and balloon-payment qualified mortgages. Balloon-payment qualified mortgages that satisfy all applicable criteria, including being made by creditors that have (together with certain affiliates) total assets below the threshold, are also excepted from the prohibition on balloon payments for high-cost mortgages.

As part of NCUA's Regulatory Modernization Initiative, the NCUA Board (Board) is finalizing amendments to its regulation governing federal credit union (FCU) occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises, and its regulation regarding incidental powers. To provide regulatory relief to FCUs, this final rule eliminates a requirement in the current occupancy rule (formerly known as the fixed assets rule) that an FCU must plan for, and eventually achieve, full occupancy of acquired premises. The final rule generally retains the current regulatory timeframes for partial occupancy. However, it modifies the definition of ``partially occupy'' to mean occupation and use, on a full-time basis, of at least fifty percent of the premises by the FCU, or by a combination of the FCU and a credit union service organization (CUSO) in which the FCU has a controlling interest in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The final rule also amends the excess capacity provision in NCUA's incidental powers rule to clarify that an FCU may lease or sell excess capacity in its facilities, but it need not anticipate that such excess capacity will be fully occupied by the FCU in the future. However, the sale or lease of excess capacity in equipment or services, including employee-sharing and data processing for third parties, continues to be limited to circumstances where an FCU reasonably anticipates that such excess capacity will be taken up by the future expansion of services to members.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising 18 U.S. grade standards for canned vegetables issued on or before August 3, 1998. AMS is replacing the two-term grading system (dual nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level for the grade standards identified in this document. Terms using the letter grade will be retained and the descriptive term will be eliminated. For example, grade standards using the term ``U.S. Grade A'' or ``U.S. Fancy'' will be revised to use only the term ``U.S. Grade A.'' Likewise, grade standards using the term ``U.S. Grade B'' or ``U.S. Extra Standard'' will be revised to use the single term ``U.S. Grade B.'' These changes will bring the grade standards in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and provide guidance in the effective use of these products. Editorial changes will also be made to the grade standards that conform to recent changes made in other grade standards.

This rule proposes an amendment to Marketing Order No. 929 (order), which regulates the handling of cranberries grown in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York. The amendment is based on a proposal made by the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee), which is responsible for the local administration of the order. The amendment would authorize the Committee to receive and expend voluntary contributions from domestic sources. Contributed funds would be used solely for research and development activities authorized under the order and would be free from any encumbrances as to their usage by the donor.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 26, 2016 (81 FR 4469). The rule increased small business size standards for a number of industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 31-33, Manufacturing. The rule also stated that SBA was amending Footnote 5 to the table of size standards relating to NAICS 326211, Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading), to reflect the current Census Product Classification Codes 3262111 and 3262113. However, SBA inadvertently omitted code 3262111 from the revised text in Footnote 5. This action corrects the omission. This correction does not affect the 1,500-employee small business size standard for NAICS 326211.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), are amending the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) by removing the current species-level listing of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and in its place listing the Cape Verde Islands/Northwest Africa, Western North Pacific, Central America, and Arabian Sea distinct population segments (DPSs) as endangered and the Mexico DPS as threatened. Humpback whales in the remaining DPSs will no longer be protected under the Act. This amendment is based on a previously published determination by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for this species.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing our determination that the San Luis Obispo (Eastern San Luis Obispo) ozone nonattainment area (NAA) in California has attained the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') by the applicable attainment date of July 20, 2016. This determination is based on complete, quality-assured and certified data for the 3-year period preceding that attainment date. Based on this determination, the Eastern San Luis Obispo NAA will not be reclassified to a higher ozone classification.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finding that the Columbus, Ohio area is attaining the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) and redesignating the area to attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS because the area meets the statutory requirements for redesignation under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). The Columbus area includes Delaware, Fairfield, Knox, Licking, and Mason Counties. EPA is also approving, as a revision to the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP), the state's plan for maintaining the 2008 ozone standard through 2030 in the Columbus area. Finally, EPA finds adequate and is approving the state's 2020 and 2030 volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the Columbus area. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) submitted the SIP revision and redesignation request on June 16, 2016.

On October 12, 2016, the Postal Service filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective January 22, 2017. This final rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) that we will adopt to implement the changes coincident with the price adjustments.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on April 19, 2013. Tennessee's April 19, 2013, SIP revision (Progress Report) addresses requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's rules that require each state to submit periodic reports describing progress towards reasonable progress goals (RPGs) established for regional haze and a determination of the adequacy of the State's existing SIP addressing regional haze (regional haze plan). EPA is approving Tennessee's Progress Report on the basis that it addresses the progress report and adequacy determination requirements for the first implementation period for regional haze.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Embraer S.A. Model EMB-120, -120ER, -120FC, -120QC, and -120RT airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by changes to the airworthiness limitations, which add life-limited landing gear parts not previously identified. This proposed AD would require revising the maintenance or inspection program to incorporate new airworthiness limitations that add life limits for previously unidentified landing gear parts. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) is issuing this final rule as part of its implementation of changes to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP or Program) required by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (2015 Reauthorization Act), as published in proposed form on April 1, 2016, for public comment. Treasury previously issued an interim final rule addressing the process for certification of an act of terrorism, as published in proposed form on April 1, 2016. This final rule addresses the balance of the other proposed rules published on April 1, 2016, and adopts the general renumbering of sections as proposed on April 1, 2016. Some clarifying changes have been made in this final rule in response to comments, and certain other wording changes have also been added which do not change the meaning of the rule as originally proposed.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of two cases where the main landing gear (MLG) failed to fully extend; it was determined that interference between the MLG door and the MLG fairing seal prevented the MLG door from opening fully. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the MLG fairing, fairing seal, door, and adjacent structures; and replacement or repair of affected parts and fasteners, or removal of the MLG door, if necessary. This AD also requires installation of a safety guide in the MLG fairing and an increase of the spacing between the MLG door and the fairing, which would terminate the repetitive inspections. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747- 200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking found in the splice plates, hinge fittings, terminal fittings, the upper skin of the outboard and center sections, upper chord, and rear spar webs before reaching the inspection interval specified in AD 2006-10-16. Cracked and fractured Maraging steel fasteners were also found. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking, an inspection to determine whether fasteners are magnetic, repetitive ultrasonic inspections for cracking and fractures of affected fasteners, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) amends its regulations to implement provisions of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act that pertain to the designation, protection and sharing of Critical Electric Infrastructure Information. Additionally, the Commission amends its regulations addressing Critical Energy Infrastructure Information.