2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to change the definition of ``payment in kind.'' As proposed, the new definition would provide that a full or partial waiver of registration fees by an organizing entity of a meeting or similar function is not considered a payment in kind to the agency when employees speak, participate in a panel, or present at the meeting or similar function in their official capacities, and registration fees are waived for all speakers, panelists, or presenters. This proposed amendment would also make miscellaneous related corrections.

In this action, the Administrator finds that elevated concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations within the meaning of section 231(a)(2)(A) of the Clean Air Act (CAA, or Act). She makes this finding specifically with respect to the same six well-mixed greenhouse gasescarbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride that together were defined as the air pollution in the 2009 Endangerment Finding under section 202(a) of the CAA and that together constitute the primary cause of the climate change problem. The Administrator also finds that emissions of those six well-mixed greenhouse gases from certain classes of engines used in certain aircraft are contributing to the air pollutionthe aggregate group of the same six greenhouse gasesthat endangers public health and welfare under CAA section 231(a)(2)(A).

We are amending the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), its auxiliary provisions, and the indemnity regulations for the control of H5 and H7 low pathogenic avian influenza. Specifically, we are clarifying who may participate in the NPIP, amending participation requirements, amending definitions for poultry and breeding stock, amending the approval process for new diagnostic tests, and amending slaughter plant inspection and laboratory inspection and testing requirements. These changes will align the regulations with international standards and make them more transparent to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service stakeholders and the general public. The changes in this final rule were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the Plan's 2014 National Plan Conference.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is proposing to amend certain provisions of its regulations concerning Chief Compliance Officers (``Proposal''). The regulation that is the subject of the Proposal addresses chief compliance officers (``CCOs'') of futures commission merchants (``FCMs''), swap dealers (``SDs''), and major swap participants (``MSPs'') (collectively, ``Registrants''). The proposed amendments would: Codify existing no- action relief regarding the timing of when a Registrant must furnish its CCO annual report to the Commission; clarify filing requirements for Registrants located in a jurisdiction for which the Commission has issued a comparability determination; and delegate to the Director of the Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (``DSIO'') authority to grant extensions to the CCO annual report filing deadline.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), proposed in an earlier document this year to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2017-18 hunting season. This supplement to that proposed rule provides the regulatory alternatives for the 2017-18 duck hunting seasons, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council meetings, and provides Flyway Council recommendations resulting from their March meetings.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Marine Parkway Bridge across the Rockaway Inlet, mile 3.0, at Queens, New York. This deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to replace span guide rollers, counterweight guide shoes and trunnion journal at the bridge.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is disapproving the portion of a Louisiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal pertaining to interstate transport of air pollution which will significantly contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in other states. Disapproval will establish a 2-year deadline, under Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 110(c), for the EPA to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for Louisiana to address the CAA interstate transport requirements pertaining to significant contribution to nonattainment and interference with maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in other states, unless the EPA approves a SIP that meets these requirements. Disapproval does not start a mandatory sanctions clock for Louisiana.

This final rule amends the Dairy Promotion and Research Order (Dairy Order). The amendment modifies the number of National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Dairy Board) importer members. The total number of importer members would be reduced from 2 members to 1 member, and the domestic Dairy Board members would remain the same at 36. The Dairy Order requires that at least once every three years, after the initial appointment of importer members on the Dairy Board, the Secretary shall review the average volume of domestic production of dairy products compared to the average volume of imports of dairy products into the United States during the previous three years, and, on the basis of that review, if warranted, reapportion the importer representation on the Dairy Board to reflect the proportional shares of the United States market served by domestic production and imported dairy products.

The Jackson Steel Superfund site (Site), located in the Village of Mineola, Nassau County, New York, contains a building formerly used as a metal-forming facility. The Site is bordered to the north by commercial spaces and single-family dwellings, to the east by a two-story apartment complex, to the south by a daycare center and to the west by an office building and restaurant. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 is publishing this direct final Notice of Deletion (NOD) of the Site from the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL, promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). This direct final deletion is being published by EPA with the concurrence of the State of New York, through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), because EPA has determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed at the Site and that the soil on the Site and the groundwater beneath the Site no longer pose a threat to public health or the environment. Because elevated concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present under the slab of the vacant Jackson Steel building and the occupied daycare center, operation and maintenance of the subslab vapor intrusion mitigation systems under the daycare center, periodic vapor intrusion monitoring, and five-year reviews will continue. The deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to amend its Procedural Rules for DOE Nuclear Activities to clarify that the Department may assess civil penalties against certain contractors and subcontractors for violations of the prohibition against retaliating against an employee who reports violations of law, mismanagement, waste, abuse, or dangerous/unsafe workplace conditions, among other protected activities, concerning nuclear safety (referred to as ``whistleblowers''). Specifically, this proposed rule would clarify that the prohibition against whistleblower retaliation is a DOE Nuclear Safety Requirement to the extent that it concerns nuclear safety. The proposed rule would also explain the circumstances under which DOE would investigate alleged violations of this prohibition. The proposed rule would also delineate which DOE regulations are DOE Nuclear Safety Requirements.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to amend the regulations requiring lessees and owners of operating rights to submit summaries of actual decommissioning expenditures incurred for certain decommissioning activities related to oil and gas and sulfur operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The proposed rule would expand the scope of the current regulations to require lessees, owners of operating rights, and right-of-way (ROW) holders to submit summaries of actual expenditures incurred for pipeline decommissioning activities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve State Implementation Plan revisions submitted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on July 11, 2016. The revisions update the incorporation by reference of Federal provisions cited in Ecology's general air quality regulations. The revisions also reflect changes to the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, promulgated since Ecology's last update. Ecology also made minor corrections to typographical errors and non-substantive edits for clarity, such as standardizing the citation format.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is partially approving and partially disapproving elements of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from Wisconsin regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 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 state's responsibilities under the CAA. This action pertains specifically to infrastructure requirements concerning interstate transport provisions for which Wisconsin made a SIP submission that, among other things, certified that the existing SIP was sufficient to meet the interstate transport requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.

This action establishes Class E en route domestic airspace in the Harvey, ND, area for Harvey Municipal Airport. Controlled airspace is necessary to facilitate vectoring of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). This action enhances the safety and efficiency of aircraft operations within the National Airspace System.

This action removes Class D Airspace at North, SC, as the North Air Force Auxiliary Field Air Traffic Control Tower is no longer staffed, and the controlled Class D airspace area is no longer required.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) implements section 340B of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), which is referred to as the ``340B Drug Pricing Program'' or the ``340B Program.'' This proposed rule will apply to all drug manufacturers and covered entities that participate in the 340B Program. The proposed rule sets forth the requirements and procedures for the 340B Program's administrative dispute resolution process.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a limited approval and limited disapproval of a demonstration of creditable emission reductions submitted by California for approval into the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This SIP submittal demonstrates that certain state incentive funding programs have achieved specified amounts of reductions in emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the SJV area by 2014. The effect of this action would be to approve specific amounts of emission reductions for credit toward an emission reduction commitment in the California SIP. We are approving these emission reductions under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve and conditionally approve revisions to the State of California's State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) area. The revisions consist of an update to the Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (``budgets'') for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or ``standard'') for the SJV ozone nonattainment area and for NOX and coarse particulate matter (PM10) for the 1987 24-hour PM10 standard for the SJV PM10 maintenance area. The EPA is approving the SJV ozone revised budgets and conditionally approving the PM10 budgets in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act'') and the EPA's regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Wyoming on May 28, 2015 and November 6, 2015. The amendments update the version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) incorporated by reference into the rules of the State of Wyoming for Chapter 2, Section 12; Chapter 3, General Emission Standards, Section 9; and Chapter 6, Prevention of Significant Deterioration, Section 4. The May 28, 2015 submittal updates a citation to a Federal Register article (i.e., Federal Register notice) under the definition of ``tpy CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2e),'' and lists a new minor source baseline date for fine particulate. The State also proposes to update the primary air quality standards for particulate matter (PM2.5) to reflect federal updates that went into effect in January 2013. The updated primary PM2.5 standard is 12 micrograms per cubic meter ([micro]g/m\3\) annual arithmetic mean concentration, which is lowered from its previous level of 15 [micro]g/ m\3\. The EPA is also proposing approval of portions of the State's February 6, 2014 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) infrastructure certification regarding prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) and the good neighbor provision. The EPA is not taking action on the Chapter 6, Permitting Requirements, Section 14 portion of the May 24, 2012 submittal because it has been superseded by a November 6, 2015 submittal (81 FR 35271). The EPA is not taking action on a May 24, 2012 submittal or a March 8, 2013 submittal because they have been superseded by the May 28, 2015 submittal.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the San Miguel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis littoralis), Santa Rosa Island fox (U. l. santarosae), and Santa Cruz Island fox (U. l. santacruzae) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and are reclassifying the Santa Catalina Island fox (U. l. catalinae) from an endangered species to a threatened species. This action is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to the San Miguel Island fox, Santa Rosa Island fox, and Santa Cruz Island fox have been eliminated or reduced to the point that each of the subspecies no longer meets the definition of an endangered species or a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and that the threats to the Santa Catalina Island fox have been reduced to the point that the subspecies can be reclassified as a threatened species. We also announce the availability of a final post- delisting monitoring plan for the San Miguel Island fox, Santa Rosa Island fox, and Santa Cruz Island fox.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend the portion of the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD or Rating Schedule) that addresses skin conditions. The purpose of these changes is to incorporate medical advances that have occurred since the last review, update current medical terminology, and provide clear evaluation criteria. The proposed rule reflects advances in medical knowledge, recommendations from the Skin Disorders Work Group, which is comprised of subject matter experts from both the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration, and comments from experts and the public gathered as part of a public forum. The public forum, focusing on revisions to the skin conditions section of the VASRD, was held in January 2012.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of premature aging of certain passenger chemical oxygen generators that resulted in the generators failing to activate. This AD requires an inspection to determine if certain passenger chemical oxygen generators are installed and replacement of affected passenger chemical oxygen generators. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the passenger chemical oxygen generator to activate and consequently not deliver oxygen during an emergency, possibly resulting in injury to the airplane occupants.

To facilitate research involving marijuana and its chemical constituents, DEA is adopting a new policy that is designed to increase the number of entities registered under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to grow (manufacture) marijuana to supply legitimate researchers in the United States. This policy statement explains how DEA will evaluate applications for such registration consistent with the CSA and the obligations of the United States under the applicable international drug control treaty.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') is adopting certain amendments to Regulation SBSR Reporting and Dissemination of Security-Based Swap Information (``Regulation SBSR''). Specifically, new Rule 901(a)(1) of Regulation SBSR requires a platform (i.e., a national securities exchange or security-based swap execution facility (``SB SEF'') that is registered with the Commission or exempt from registration) to report a security- based swap executed on such platform that will be submitted to clearing. New Rule 901(a)(2)(i) of Regulation SBSR requires a registered clearing agency to report any security-based swap to which it is a counterparty. The Commission is adopting certain conforming amendments to other provisions of Regulation SBSR in light of the newly adopted amendments to Rule 901(a), and an amendment that would require registered security-based swap data repositories (``SDRs'') to provide the security-based swap transaction data that they are required to publicly disseminate to the users of the information on a non-fee basis. The Commission also is adopting amendments to Rule 908(a) to extend Regulation SBSR's regulatory reporting and public dissemination requirements to additional types of cross-border security-based swaps. The Commission is offering guidance regarding the application of Regulation SBSR to prime brokerage transactions and to the allocation of cleared security-based swaps. Finally, the Commission is adopting a new compliance schedule for the portions of Regulation SBSR for which the Commission has not previously specified compliance dates.