2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action amends Class E airspace designated as an extension at Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station, (formerly Otis ANGB), Falmouth, MA, as the Otis TACAN has been decommissioned, requiring airspace reconfiguration. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the airport in the existing Class D and E airspace areas, as well as Falmouth Airpark, Barnstable Municipal Airport-Boardman/Polando Field, Chatham Municipal Airport, Martha's Vineyard Airport, (formerly Martha's Vineyard Municipal Airport), and the BOGEY LOM.

This action amends Class E Airspace Designated as an Extension to a Class D Surface Area by eliminating the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) part time status for Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A. Henson Field, Hagerstown, MD, for the safety and management of IFR operations. Also, this action recognizes the name change to Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A. Henson Field, (formerly Washington County Regional Airport), Hagerstown, MD, and updates the geographic coordinates of the airport listed in Class D and E airspace.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that provides amendments to the DoD Pilot Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program.

DoD is making technical amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to provide needed editorial changes.

DoD is issuing a final rule to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that addresses rights in technical data relating to major weapon systems, expanding application of the presumption that a commercial item has been developed entirely at private expense.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including residential furnaces. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to periodically determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. On March 12, 2015, DOE published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR), in which DOE proposed amendments to the energy conservation standards for residential non-weatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces. In response to the NOPR, DOE received comment expressing concern regarding DOE's proposed approach and encouraging the Department to examine establishing a separate product class for small furnaces. In response, DOE published a notice of data availability (NODA) in the Federal Register on September 14, 2015 that contained an analysis of a potential product class for small non-weatherized gas furnaces. In this supplemental notice of rulemaking (SNOPR), DOE responds to comments received on the NOPR and NODA and is making a modified proposal regarding amended energy conservation standards for the subject residential furnaces (including a separate small furnaces product class), which supersedes DOE's earlier proposal, as set forth in the March 12, 2015 NOPR. The notice also requests comment on the SNOPR's proposed standards and associated analyses and results. The SNOPR also proposes clarifications to the certification and reporting requirements of standby mode and off mode values for non-weatherized oil furnaces (including mobile home oil furnaces) and electric furnaces, to provide direction on the rounding of standby mode and off mode values, generally, and to clarify the level of precision for the furnace and boiler standards.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 727 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. This proposed AD would require modifying the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) to prevent development of an ignition source inside the body-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks due to electrical fault conditions. As an alternative to the modification, this proposed AD would allow deactivating the body-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks. We are proposing this AD to prevent ignition sources inside the body-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

NMFS announces its approval of a transfer of a portion of the 2016 commercial bluefish quota from the State of New Jersey to the State of New York. This approval of the transfer complies with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement also informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for New Jersey and New York.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of shortraker rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2016 total allowable catch of shortraker rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached. This closure does not apply to vessels participating in the catcher/ processor cooperative fishery in the Rockfish Program.

We are extending the comment period for our proposed rule to amend the horse protection regulations to provide that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will train and license inspectors to inspect horses at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions for compliance with the Horse Protection Act. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We are also making a clarification to the proposed regulations pertaining to specific prohibitions concerning exhibitors.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is withdrawing VA's proposed rulemaking, published on July 11, 2016, to amend its regulation giving the Under Secretary of Memorial Affairs (USMA), or his designee, authority to solicit gifts and donations. VA received two supportive comments and no adverse comments concerning the proposed rule and its companion substantially identical direct final rule published in the Federal Register on the same date. Accordingly, this document withdraws as unnecessary the proposed rule.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters of the Columbia River within a 500-yard radius of the small boat ``Nessy,'' while in the area of Sand Island, near Chinook, WA, and all involved associated vessels in support of the Double-Crested Cormorant removal operations conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services. This regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Columbia River, or a designated representative.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, as amended (Act). After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the rusty patched bumble bee is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the rusty patched bumble bee, a species that occurs in the eastern and midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), on January 11, 2016. The proposed revision was submitted by TDEC on behalf of the Knox County Department of Air Quality Management, which has jurisdiction over Knox County, Tennessee. The revision that EPA is proposing for approval amends the Knox County Air Quality Management Department's regulations, which are part of the Tennessee SIP, to address EPA's startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) SIP call for Knox County. EPA is proposing approval of the January 11, 2016, SIP revision because the Agency has determined that it is in accordance with the requirements for SIP provisions under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

This action amends Class E airspace Designated as an Extension at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, Ithaca, NY, by updating the geographic coordinates of the Ithaca VHF omnidirectional range/distance measuring equipment, (VOR/DME), and the airport, as well as changing the airport name. This is an administrative change and does not affect the boundaries or operating requirements of the airspace.

This action removes Class E surface area airspace at Alliance Municipal Airport, Alliance, NE; and modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Albion Municipal Airport, Albion, NE; Alliance Municipal Airport, Alliance, NE; Quinn Field, Gothenburg, NE; Brewster Field Airport, Holdrege, NE; Imperial Municipal Airport, Imperial, NE; Jim Kelly Field, Lexington, NE; and Millard Airport, Omaha, NE. Decommissioning of non-directional radio beacons (NDB), cancellation of NDB approaches, and implementation of area navigation (RNAV) procedures have made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the above airports. This action also updates the geographic coordinates for Quinn Field, Imperial Municipal Airport, and Jim Kelly Field to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

This action establishes Class E surface area airspace and modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, CA, to increase safety and enhance existing instrument flight rules (IFR) operations in the immediate vicinity of the airport.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain International Aero Engines AG (IAE) V2500-A1 turbofan engines. This AD was prompted by a report of an uncontainment caused by a high-pressure turbine (HPT) seal release. This AD requires removing the HPT No. 4 bearing front seal seat, part numbers (P/Ns) 2A0066, 2A1998, and 2A3432, and the HPT No. 4 bearing rear seal seat, P/Ns 2A0067, 2A1999, and 2A3433, and replacing them with parts eligible for installation. This AD also requires inspecting the HPT rotor and stator assembly, and, if necessary, their replacement with parts that are eligible for installation. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the HPT stage 2 seals, uncontained HPT seal release, damage to the engine, and damage to the airplane.

Congress recently passed the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA), which requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish and publish in the Federal Register minimum qualifications for individuals to prepare appraisals and valuations of Indian trust property. This proposed rule would establish the minimum qualifications and would also implement provisions of ITARA that require the Secretary to accept appraisals and valuations without additional review or approval under certain circumstances.

This final rule amends the regulations used to administer the Facility Guarantee Program (FGP). Under the FGP, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) may issue payment guarantees in connection with sales of goods or U.S. services to establish or improve agricultural-related facilities in emerging markets to expand exports of U.S. agricultural commodities or products. This final rule incorporates statutory changes from the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and modifications intended to reduce the burden on participants and improve program efficiency and effectiveness. Certain revisions will ensure the FGP is operated in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits. Additionally, this final rule incorporates significant changes previously made to the regulations for the Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) that are also applicable to the FGP.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of thiabendazole in or on the legume vegetable group 6 and foliage of legume vegetable group 7. Syngenta Crop Protection requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). This regulation also assigns an expiration date to existing tolerances for bean, dry, seed at 0.1 part per million (ppm) and soybean at 0.1 ppm as well as removes a threshold of regulation determination for seed treatment use of thiabendazole on dry pea (including field pea, pigeon pea, chickpea or lentil). Lastly, this regulation establishes a time- limited tolerance on sweet potato. The time-limited tolerance is in response to EPA's granting of an emergency exemption under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The time-limited tolerance will expire and be revoked on December 31, 2019.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Pearl darter (Percina aurora), a fish from Mississippi, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. The effect of this proposed regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2016-2017 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.15 to $0.25 per ton of Washington cherries handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of growers and handlers of cherries operating within the production area. Assessments upon cherry handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the marketing order. The fiscal period begins April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended or terminated.

In this document the Commission opens a new proceeding relating to the National Public Safety Broadband Network being implemented by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). The proceeding seeks comment on proposed procedures for administering the Commission's role in the State opt-out process from the FirstNet radio access network as provided under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, as well as on the Commission's implementation of the specific statutory standards by which it is obligated to evaluate State opt-out applications.