2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA proposes to amend its rulemaking procedures by revising the process for preparing and adopting rules, petitions, and direct final rules. Also, the Agency adds new definitions, and makes general administrative corrections throughout its rulemaking procedures. These proposed actions are authorized under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

This proposal would revise the FAA's requirements for application to operate in RVSM airspace. The proposal would eliminate the requirement for operators to apply for an RVSM authorization when their aircraft are equipped with qualified ADS-B Out systems and meet specific altitude keeping equipment requirements for operations in RVSM airspace. This proposal recognizes the enhancements in aircraft monitoring resulting from the use of ADS-B Out systems and responds to requests to eliminate the burden and expense of the current RVSM application process for operators of aircraft equipped with qualified ADS-B Out systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing a direct final rule published on June 5, 2017, because one adverse comment was received during the public comment period. The withdrawn rule pertained to the EPA's receipt and approval of 20 negative declaration letters from EPA Region 8 states. These letters of negative declaration are statements by the state certifying the absence of designated facilities of a certain solid waste incinerator category or class within its jurisdiction, which obviates the statutory requirement for the state to develop a Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d)/129 State plan for the regulation of designated facilities of that particular category or class.

NMFS issues regulations under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act) to modify a limit on the amount of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) that may be captured by U.S. longline vessels in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), to 3,138 metric tons (mt) for calendar year 2017. The limit does not apply to vessels in the longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Once the limit of 3,138 mt is reached in 2017, retaining, transshipping, or landing bigeye tuna caught in the area of application of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), which comprises the majority of the WCPO, will be prohibited for the remainder of the calendar year, with certain exceptions. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations under the Convention, to which it is a Contracting Party.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is initiating a data collection process through this request for information to consider whether to amend DOE's test procedure for room air conditioners (``room ACs''). 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 issues initially identified in an RFI issued in 2015 considering amendments to the current energy conservation standards and test procedure for room ACs; harmonization with the recently established portable air conditioner (``portable AC'') test procedure; clarification of the test setup and testing conditions; updated industry test procedures for room ACs; 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 Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Isthmus Slough Bridge, mile 1.0 across Isthmus Slough at Coos Bay, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate painting and preservation and upgrading electrical systems. The deviation allows the bridge to operate in single leaf mode or one half of the bascule span, and reduce the vertical clearance of the non-functional leaf.

These special conditions are issued for the Embraer S.A. (Embraer) Model ERJ 190-300 series airplanes. These airplanes 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 an electronic flight control system (EFCS) that provides control of the airplane through pilot inputs to the flight computer. 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 Embraer S.A. (Embraer) Model ERJ 190-300 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. These design features include systems that, directly or as a result of failure or malfunction, affect airplane structural performance. 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 Bombardier Inc. (Bombardier) Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. These airplanes 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 feature is an aluminum-lithium fuselage construction that may provide different levels of protection from post-crash fire threats than would similar airplanes constructed from traditional aluminum structure. 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.

This final rule will update the hospice wage index, payment rates, and cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2018. Additionally, this rule includes new quality measures and provides an update on the hospice quality reporting program.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the commercial sector for the Other Jacks Complex (lesser amberjack, almaco jack, and banded rudderfish) in the South Atlantic for the 2017 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS projects that commercial landings of the Other Jacks complex will reach their combined commercial annual catch limit (ACL) by August 4, 2017. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for this complex on August 4, 2017, through the remainder of the fishing year in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. This closure is necessary to protect the lesser amberjack, almaco jack, and banded rudderfish resources.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of cyclaniliprole in or on multiple commodities that are identified and discussed later in this document. ISK Biosciences Corporation requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Additionally, this regulation also establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for indirect or inadvertent residues of cyclaniliprole on multiple commodities identified and discussed later in this document.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter the Service or we) proposes to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2018-19 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits (frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council meetings, describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2018-19 duck hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian tribes that wish to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. Migratory bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.

This final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for federal fiscal year (FY) 2018 as required by the statute. As required by section 1886(j)(5) of the Social Security Act (the Act), this rule includes the classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's (IRF PPS) case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2018. This final rule also revises the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD- 10-CM) diagnosis codes that are used to determine presumptive compliance under the ``60 percent rule,'' removes the 25 percent payment penalty for inpatient rehabilitation facility patient assessment instrument (IRF-PAI) late transmissions, removes the voluntary swallowing status item (Item 27) from the IRF-PAI, summarizes comments regarding the criteria used to classify facilities for payment under the IRF PPS, provides for a subregulatory process for certain annual updates to the presumptive methodology diagnosis code lists, adopts the use of height/weight items on the IRF-PAI to determine patient body mass index (BMI) greater than 50 for cases of single-joint replacement under the presumptive methodology, and revises and updates measures and reporting requirements under the IRF quality reporting program (QRP).

This action modifies Class E airspace extending up to 700 feet above the surface at Central Wisconsin Airport, Mosinee, WI, to accommodate new standard instrument approach procedures for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action is necessary due to the decommissioning of the Mosinee outer marker (OM) and DANCI locator outer marker (LOM) and cancellation of the associated approaches, and enhances the safety and management of IFR operations at the airport. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the airport and the Wausau VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range and Collocated Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC). This proposal also updates the geographic coordinates in Class D and Class E surface area airspace, and makes an editorial change in the legal description by replacing Airport/Facility Directory with the term Chart Supplement.

This action establishes Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class E surface area, establishes Class E en route airspace, and modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at St. George Regional Airport (formerly St. George Municipal Airport), St. George, UT. After a review of the airspace, the FAA found redesign necessary to support new instrument flight rules (IFR) standard instrument approach procedures and en route operations where the Federal airway structure is inadequate, for the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. Also, this action updates the airport name from St. George Municipal Airport, to St. George Regional Airport, in the associated Class E airspace areas.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA'' or ``the Act''), as amended, requires that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (``NCP'') include a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List (``NPL'') constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'' or ``the agency'') in determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be appropriate. This rule proposes to add four sites to the General Superfund section of the NPL and withdraws a previous proposal to list one site on the NPL.

The Board updates for 2017 the fees that the public must pay to file certain cases and pleadings with the Board. Pursuant to this update, 83 of the Board's 133 fees will be increased, while 50 fees will be maintained at their current levels.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of California on November 10, 1993. This SIP revision concerns the establishment of a Photochemical Assessment Monitoring System (PAMS) network in six ozone nonattainment areas within California. The EPA is proposing this action under the Clean Air Act based on the conclusion that all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements related to PAMS SIP revisions have been met.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the South Branch of the Chicago River, Chicago, IL. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and after the filming of a scene for a television series, where objects will be thrown off a bridge. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan.

The FAA is withdrawing a previously published NPRM that proposed to revise the temporary flight restriction (TFR) provision for space flight operations to make the restrictions applicable to all aircraft including non-U.S. registered aircraft, instead of only U.S. registered aircraft or aircraft flown by pilots using a FAA pilot certificate. The NPRM also proposed to amend language for consistency with other TFR provisions and commercial space regulations and definitions by replacing ``space flight operations'' with ``launch, reentry, or amateur rocket operations.'' The intended effect of the proposed action was to further enhance the safety in the affected airspace and improve the readability of the TFR requirements. After further review of this action and the changing technology and scope of new flight operations, the FAA determined that a better assessment of TFRs in the National Air Space (NAS) is needed to address present day operations; therefore, it is withdrawing this NPRM.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod, including for the Community Development Quota program (CDQ), in the Western Aleutian Islands district of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the Western Aleutian Islands district Pacific cod harvest limit of the 2017 total allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI.

This action proposes to amend and remove multiple VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways in northcentral United States to reflect additional amendments to several Federal airways impacted by the decommissioning of the Tiverton, OH, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid. The route changes would be made as part of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) efforts to safely improve the overall efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Honeywell International Inc. AS907 series turbofan engines. This proposed AD was prompted by two loss-of-thrust-control events, and two in-flight shutdowns (IFSDs) of new production, low-time engines attributed to water intrusion of the engine electronic control unit (ECU). This proposed AD would require applying sealant to identified areas of the ECU and requires inserting a copy of certain airplane operating procedures into the applicable flight manuals. We are proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.