2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve portions of two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the San Joaquin Valley, California, ozone nonattainment area. First, the EPA is proposing to approve the portion of the ``2016 Ozone Plan for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard'' (``2016 Ozone Plan'') that addresses the requirement for a base year emissions inventory. Second, the EPA is proposing to approve the portions of the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan'' (``2018 SIP Update'') that address the requirements for a reasonable further progress (RFP) demonstration and motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the San Joaquin Valley for the 2008 ozone standards. Lastly, the EPA is proposing to conditionally approve portions of the 2018 SIP Update that address the requirement for contingency measures for failure to meet RFP milestones or to attain the NAAQS by the applicable attainment date. The proposed approval is conditional because it relies on commitments by the State air agency and regional air district to supplement the contingency measure portion of the 2018 SIP Update with submission of an additional contingency measure within one year of the EPA's final conditional approval.

The Commission seeks comment on proposals to eliminate ex ante pricing regulation for price cap incumbent LECs' provision of TDM and other transport business data services. The Commission also seeks comment on the conditions under which ex ante pricing regulations should be eliminated for lower capacity TDM transport business data services offerings by rate-of-return carriers opting in to the Commission's new light-touch regulatory framework. With these steps, the Commission continues its ongoing efforts to modernize regulations for the dynamic and evolving business data services market.

This notice is to inform the public that the Export-Import Bank of the United States has received an application for a $5 billion direct loan to support the export of approximately $4.348 billion in U.S. equipment and services to establish an integrated liquefied natural gas, or LNG, project in Mozambique. The U.S. exports will enable the facility to produce approximately 12.8 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas. Available information indicates the Mozambique gas producer plans to sell the liquefied natural gas in the Asia-Pacific market (including India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand), as well as smaller quantities to markets in Europe.

Pursuant to ``An Act to amend section 203 of the Federal Power Act'' (Act), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to revise its regulations relating to mergers or consolidations by a public utility. Specifically, the Commission proposes to revise its regulations to establish that a public utility must seek authorization under amended section 203(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Power Act to merge or consolidate, directly or indirectly, its facilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, or any part thereof, with the facilities of any other person, or any part thereof, that are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and have a value in excess of $10 million, by any means whatsoever. In addition, as required by the Act, the Commission proposes to establish a notification requirement for mergers or consolidations by a public utility if the facilities to be acquired have a value in excess of $1 million and such public utility is not required to secure Commission authorization under amended section 203(a)(1)(B).

The Secretary of Education proposes to amend regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). The proposed regulations would clarify and modify Title IX regulatory requirements pertaining to the availability of remedies for violations, the effect of Constitutional protections, the designation of a coordinator to address sex discrimination issues, the dissemination of a nondiscrimination policy, the adoption of grievance procedures, and the process to claim a religious exemption. The proposed regulations would also specify how recipient schools and institutions covered by Title IX (hereinafter collectively referred to as recipients or schools) must respond to incidents of sexual harassment consistent with Title IX's prohibition against sex discrimination. The proposed regulations are intended to promote the purpose of Title IX by requiring recipients to address sexual harassment, assisting and protecting victims of sexual harassment and ensuring that due process protections are in place for individuals accused of sexual harassment.

On October 31, 2018, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approved the Quinault Indian Nation's (Tribe) leasing regulations under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2012 (HEARTH Act). With this approval, the Tribe is authorized to enter into residential and business leases without further BIA approval.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 10) of the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ''), granting complainant's motion for leave to amend the complaint and Notice of Investigation to correct the name and/or address of two existing respondents.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, Operators' Licenses.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the National Park Service is hereby giving notice that the National Park System Advisory Board (Board) will meet as noted below. This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting date due to unexpected administrative delays.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a request to amend licenses held by Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee) for the operation of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (Calvert Cliffs), Units 1 and 2; James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant (FitzPatrick); and Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (Nine Mile Point), Units 1 and 2 (the facilities). Amending these operating licenses would also affect the independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) at each facility. The proposed license amendments would revise the emergency response organization (ERO) positions identified in the emergency plan for each facility. The NRC is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license amendments.

It is the policy of the Commission to publish settlements which it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act in the Federal Register in accordance with the terms of the Consumer Product Safety Commission's regulations. Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with EKO Development, Ltd. and EKO USA, LLC, containing a civil penalty in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000), subject to the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement.\1\

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of several documents related to an incidental take permit (ITP) application under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have received an application from North Allegheny Wind, LLC (NAW) for a 25- year ITP for take of the federally endangered Indiana bat incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with operation of its North Allegheny Wind Facility, an existing 35-turbine wind farm in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania. NAW has proposed a conservation program to minimize and mitigate for the impacts of the incidental take as described in its Draft North Allegheny Wind Indiana Bat Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Pursuant to the ESA and the National Environmental Policy Act, we announce the availability of NAW's ITP application, including its HCP, and the Service's draft environmental assessment, for public review and comment. We provide this notice to seek comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) modernizes the Open Video System (OVS) filing procedures by specifying that OVS applications be required to send certification applications, including FCC Form 1275 and all attachments, as well as notices of intent, via electronic email (email) delivery to a designated Commission email address. The FCC also eliminates certain existing requirements associated with the rule. Parties wishing to respond to a FCC Form 1275 filing must submit comments or oppositions via electronic mail (email).

The Department of the Treasury will submit the following information collection requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. The public is invited to submit comments on these requests.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the royalty rates that commercial and noncommercial noninteractive webcasters pay for eligible transmissions pursuant to the statutory licenses for the public performance of and for the making of ephemeral reproductions of sound recordings.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to the royalty rate that noncommercial radio stations at certain colleges, universities, and other educational institutions that are not affiliated with National Public Radio must pay for the use in 2019 of published nondramatic musical compositions in the SESAC repertory pursuant to the statutory license under the Copyright Act for noncommercial broadcasting. Because the current rates did not become final until January 2018, the revised regulation includes the revised rate for 2018 that reflects the cost of living adjustment announced in 2017.

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR), Notice of Change in Student's Status, RI 25-15.

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on the revision of a currently approved information collection, RI 20-126Certification of Qualifying District of Columbia Service under Section 1905 of Public Law 111-84.