March 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local regulations for certain waters of the Corsica River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters located in Queen Anne's County, MD during a rowing event on April 22, 2017. If necessary, due to inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled to April 23, 2017. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from entering the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Maryland-National Capital Region or the Coast Guard Patrol Commander. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for northern rockfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2016 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish in the BSAI.

In accordance with the Presidential directive as expressed in the memorandum of January 20, 2017, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' this action temporarily delays, until May 22, 2017, the effective date of the final rule titled ``Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators,'' initially effective on February 6, 2017.

On November 1, 2016, the FAA Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA), which is now part of the FAA Office of Adjudication, relocated to a new address different from the one listed in its Procedural Regulations. This rule updates the address for ODRA filings by hand delivery, courier or other form of in-person delivery and the address for ODRA filings by U.S. Mail. The telephone and facsimile numbers are unchanged.

On August 12, 2016, FRA published a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement a system safety program (SSP) to improve the safety of their operations. On February 10, 2017, FRA stayed the SSP final rule's requirements until March 21, 2017. This document extends that stay until May 22, 2017.

This document further temporarily postpones the effective date of a recently published final rule amending the baseline Federal building standards.

This document further temporarily postpones the effective date of a recently published final rule establishing test procedures for certain walk-in cooler and freezer components.

This document further temporarily postpones the effective date of a recently published final rule establishing test procedures for certain varieties of central air conditioners and heat pumps.

This document further temporarily postpones the effective date of a recently published final rule establishing test procedures for certain varieties of compressors.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) takes another step towards implementing the Connect America Phase II auction in which service providers will compete to receive support of up to $1.98 billion to offer voice and broadband service in unserved high-cost areas.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve the required second carbon monoxide (CO) maintenance plan as a revision to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP). The El Paso, Texas CO maintenance area (El Paso Area) has been demonstrating consistent air quality monitoring at or below 85% of the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard). Because of this, the State of Texas, through its designee, submitted the required second maintenance plan for the El Paso Area as a Limited Maintenance Plan (LMP).

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve an error correction to a previously approved diesel inspection and maintenance (I/M) program provision in Albuquerque/Bernalillo County's State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action is based on our determination that at the time EPA approved the diesel I/M Program the State did not have the legal authority to expand its program to require the testing of 1998 and newer diesel motor vehicles greater than 1,000 and less than 10,001 pounds.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating the materials that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the District of Columbia state implementation plan (SIP). The regulations affected by this update have been previously submitted by the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DoEE) and approved by EPA. This update affects the SIP materials that are available for public inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the EPA Regional Office.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD. Model PC-12/47E airplanes. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as an error within the flight management system caused by installing Primus APEX software Build 10 or 10.9, which could cause deviation from the correctly calculated barometric vertical navigation nominal glide path. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) consisting of California Air Resources Board regulations establishing standards and other requirements relating to the control of emissions from new on-road and new and in-use off-road vehicles and engines. The EPA is proposing to approve these regulations because the regulations meet the applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act. Approval of the regulations as part of the California SIP would make them federally enforceable.

The Department of Transportation is amending its regulations by extending the compliance date of its final rule on reporting of data for mishandled baggage and wheelchairs in aircraft cargo compartments from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2019. Under that final rule, the mishandled-baggage data that air carriers are required to report changed, from the number of Mishandled Baggage Reports and the number of domestic passenger enplanements to the number of mishandled bags and the number of enplaned bags. The rule also requires separate statistics for mishandled wheelchairs and scooters used by passengers with disabilities and transported in aircraft cargo compartments. This extension is in response to a request by Airlines for America (A4A) and Delta.

DHS is extending the comment periods for the following three notices of proposed rulemaking (proposed rules) published on January 19, 2017: ``Safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information,'' ``Information Technology Security Awareness Training,'' and ``Privacy Training.'' DHS is extending the comment period by 30 days to ensure the public has sufficient time to review and provide comment on these proposed rules.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to make a technical correction to equation 2 in appendix N to part 50, section 4.4(b) of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter. Equation 2 in appendix N describes an intermediate step in the calculation of the design value for the annual PM2.5 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 micrometers) NAAQS. This action corrects Equation 2 to properly account for cases where a site has quarters without daily values and passes the minimum quarterly value data substitution test. This change accurately reflects the intended calculation of the annual PM2.5 design value and is consistent with the text of section 4.1 in appendix N to part 50.

Alabama has applied to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, and is authorizing the State's changes through this direct final rule. In the ``Proposed Rules'' section of today's Federal Register, EPA is also publishing a separate document that serves as the proposal to authorize these changes. EPA believes this action is not controversial and does not expect comments that oppose it. Unless EPA receives written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, the decision to authorize Alabama's changes to its hazardous waste program will take effect. If EPA receives comments that oppose this action, EPA will publish a document in the Federal Register withdrawing today's direct final rule before it takes effect, and the separate document published in today's ``Proposed Rules'' section of this Federal Register will serve as the proposal to authorize the changes.

Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and modified BFEs are made final for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that each community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This document corrects errors in the supplementary information and final rules portions of a Federal Register document adopting significant reforms to place the universal service program on solid footing for the next decade to ``preserve and advance'' voice and broadband service in areas served by rate-of-return carriers. The summary was published in the Federal Register on April 25, 2016.

NMFS closes the southern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'' (i.e., measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). This action is being taken to prevent overharvest of the Angling category southern area trophy BFT subquota.

These special conditions are issued for the Textron Model 550/ S550/560/560XL airplanes. These airplanes, as modified by Avionics Design Services Ltd., 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 rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems installed in the airplanes. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

These special conditions are issued for the Textron Aviation Inc. (Textron) Model 700 airplane. This airplane 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 airplane electronic systems and networks that allow access from external sources (e.g., wireless devices, Internet connectivity) to the airplane's internal electronic components. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane. This airplane, as modified by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems (L-3 Communications), 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 large, non-structural glass panels in the cabin area of an executive interior occupied by passengers and crew. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.