September 22, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a temporary modification of the currently-designated Massachusetts Bay Dredged Material Disposal Site (MBDS) pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, as amended (MPRSA). The purpose of this temporary site modification is to allow for the environmental restoration of a particular area adjacent to the currently-designated MBDS (Potential Restoration Area) by temporarily expanding the boundaries of the existing MBDS. The temporary expansion is a circular area that contains the Potential Restoration Area, which includes most of the historic Industrial Waste Site (IWS). Decades ago, the IWS was used for the disposal of barrels containing industrial, chemical and radioactive waste, as well as for the disposal of munitions, ordnance, construction equipment, and contaminated dredged material. The proposed modification of the disposal site boundary will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to place suitable dredged material from Boston Harbor generated during the Deep Draft Navigation Project at the Potential Restoration Area in order to cover the barrels and other wastes disposed there in the past. The Deep Draft Navigation Project includes maintenance dredging in the inner harbor, which includes the expansion of a confined aquatic disposal (CAD) cell and will generate approximately 1 million cubic yards (cy) of dredged material, as well as improvement dredging of the main ship channel, which will generate approximately 11 million cy of dredged material. The existing MBDS will continue to be used for disposal of other dredging projects as usual. The expansion area would be permanently closed upon completion of the Boston Harbor maintenance and improvement projects, while the existing MBDS will remain open for the disposal of suitable dredged material. Like the MBDS, however, the expansion would be subject to ongoing monitoring and management to ensure continued protection of the marine environment.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Indiana Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AML) Plan (Indiana Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Updates to the Indiana Plan were proposed to be consistent with changes required by the 2006 amendment to SMCRA.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is initiating a data collection process through this RFI to consider whether to amend DOE's test procedure for distribution transformers. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has gathered data, identifying several issues associated with the currently applicable test procedure on which DOE is interested in receiving comment. The issues outlined in this document mainly concern the degree to which the per-unit load (``PUL'') testing measurement accurately represents in- service distribution transformer performance, and provides test results that reflect energy efficiency, energy use, and estimated operating costs during a representative average use cycle of an in-service transformer; sampling; representations; alternative energy determination methods (``AEDMs''); and any additional topics that may inform DOE's decisions in a future test procedure rulemaking, including methods to reduce regulatory burden while ensuring the procedure's accuracy. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI).

The Copyright Royalty Judges solicit reply comments on the legal issue of the purported reach of the proposed rules relating to a cable system license royalty surcharge for retransmission of broadcasts of certain professional sports events.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conditionally approving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) addressing Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for the Martin Marietta (formerly, Texas Industries, Inc., or TXI) cement manufacturing plant in Ellis County. We are fully approving revisions to the Texas SIP addressing NOX RACT for all other affected sources in the ten county Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) 2008 8-Hour ozone nonattainment area. We are also approving NOX RACT negative declarations (a finding that there are no major sources of NOX emissions in certain categories) for the DFW 2008 8-Hour ozone nonattainment area. The DFW 2008 8-Hour ozone nonattainment area consists of Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise counties. The RACT requirements apply to major sources of NOX in these ten counties.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Models GIII (G-1159A), G-IV, and GIV-X airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that certain flap tracks were manufactured with the upper flange thickness less than design minimum. This proposed AD would require replacing any defective flap track. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. M601D-11, M601E-11, M601E-11A, M601E- 11AS, M601E-11S, and M601F turboprop engines. This proposed AD was prompted by a review that determined that certain power turbine (PT) rotors have less overspeed margin than originally declared during product certification. This proposed AD would require removal of the affected PT disks. We are proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain General Electric Company (GE) CT7-8A and CT7-9B model turboshaft engines. This AD was prompted by reports from the manufacturer that the high-pressure compressor (HPC) impeller installed on these engines may have suffered from material degradation during the manufacturing process. This AD requires removal of the affected HPC impellers. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to supersede airworthiness directive (AD) 2017-07- 02 for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model 269D and Model 269D Configuration A helicopters. AD 2017-07-02 currently requires reducing the life limit of and inspecting certain drive shafts. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2017-07-02 and propose repeating the inspections. The actions of this proposed AD are intended to detect and prevent an unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 757-200, -200PF, and -200CB series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an analysis of the cam support assemblies of the main cargo door (MCD) that indicated that the existing maintenance program for the cam support assemblies is not adequate to reliably detect cracks before two adjacent cam support assemblies could fail. This AD requires an inspection to determine part numbers, repetitive inspections to detect cracking of affected cam support assemblies of the MCD, and replacement if necessary. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601 Variant), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, and CL-604 Variants) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a new life limitation that has been introduced for the side brace fitting shaft and side brace-to-airplane fitting pin of the main landing gear (MLG). This AD requires revising the maintenance or inspection program. This AD also requires an inspection to identify the serial number, to serialize, and to record the accumulated life of the side brace fitting shaft of the MLG. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.