March 13, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On January 22, 2018, the State of South Carolina, through the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), submitted a request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redesignate the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina fine particulate matter (PM2.5) unclassifiable area (hereinafter referred to as the ``Greenville Area'' or ``Area'') to unclassifiable/attainment for the 1997 primary and secondary annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The Greenville Area is comprised of Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg Counties in South Carolina. EPA now has sufficient data to determine that the Greenville Area is in attainment of the 1997 primary and secondary annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Therefore, EPA is proposing to approve the State's request and redesignate the Area to unclassifiable/attainment for the 1997 primary and secondary annual PM2.5 NAAQS based upon valid, quality- assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data showing that the PM2.5 monitors in the Area are in compliance with the 1997 primary and secondary annual PM2.5 NAAQS.

NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for blacktip sharks, aggregated large coastal sharks (LCS), and hammerhead shark management groups in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region. This action is necessary because the commercial landings of sharks in the aggregated LCS management group in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region for the 2018 fishing season has reached 80 percent of the available commercial quota as of March 8, 2018, and the aggregated LCS and hammerhead shark management groups are quota-linked under the regulations. The blacktip shark fishery in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region will be closed to help minimize regulatory discards of sharks in the aggregated LCS management group in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region, since LCS are often caught in conjunction with blacktip sharks in the commercial shark fisheries. This closure will affect anyone commercially fishing for sharks in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region.

On February 23, 2018, the NCUA Board (Board) issued a final rule adopting amendments to its share insurance requirements rule to provide stakeholders with greater transparency regarding the calculation of each eligible financial institution's pro rata share of a declared equity distribution from the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). A clerical error appeared which confuses what CFR unit is being amended. This document corrects that error.

This final rule withdraws the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2017, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service. The existing organic livestock and poultry regulations remain effective.

This document contains corrections to final regulations (TD 9588) that were published in the Federal Register on Monday, May 7, 2012. The final regulations are related to allocate prepaid qualified mortgage insurance premiums to determine the amount of the prepaid premium that is treated as qualified residence interest each taxable year.

This final rule implements the management measures contained in Framework Adjustment 2 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan and adjusts the 2018 specifications for this fishery. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council developed Framework Adjustment 2 to improve and simplify the administration of the golden tilefish fishery. These changes include removing an outdated reporting requirement, proscribing allowed gear for the recreational fishery, modifying the commercial incidental possession limit, requiring commercial golden tilefish be landed with the head and fins attached, and revising how assumed discards are accounted for when setting harvest limits. Based on new regulations implemented by this rule, this action updates previously published specifications for the commercial golden tilefish fishery for 2018 and projected specifications for 2019 and 2020.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) published a document in the Federal Register of February 28, 2018, concerning revisions to Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) rules to improve utility of WEA as a life-saving tool. The document contained an incorrect compliance date.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the South Park highway bridge, across the Duwamish Waterway mile 3.8, at Seattle, WA. This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule, to determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is appropriate. This deviation will allow the bridge to open during nighttime hours after receiving a 12 hour advance notice.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions (Revision C16 and Revision I16) formally submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia). The revisions pertain to amendments made to the definition of ``volatile organic compound'' (VOC) in the Virginia Administrative Code to conform with EPA's regulatory definition of VOC. Specifically, these amendments remove the record keeping and reporting requirements for t-butyl acetate (also known as tertiary butyl acetate or TBAC); Chemical Abstracts Service [CAS] number: 540-88-5) and add 1,1,2,2,-Tetrafluoro- 1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy) ethane (also known as HFE-347pcf2; CAS number: 406-78-0) as a compound excluded from the regulatory definition of VOC, which match actions EPA has taken. EPA is approving these revisions to update the definition of VOC in the Virginia SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a portion of a revision to the Hamilton County portion of the Tennessee State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation from Chattanooga/Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau on June 25, 2008. The revision amends the definition of ``volatile organic compounds'' (VOC) to be consistent with state and federal regulations. This action is being taken pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue regulations and subsequent Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to the Navy to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS will consider public comments prior to issuing any final rule and making final decisions on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorizations. Agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).