September 13, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule establishes provisions for providing agricultural disaster assistance as authorized by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (Disaster Relief Act). The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) will provide payments to eligible producers who suffered eligible crop, tree, bush, and vine losses resulting from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. The On-Farm Storage Loss Program will provide payments to eligible producers who suffered uncompensated losses of harvested commodities stored in farm structures as a result of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP) Milk Loss Program will provide payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and payment calculations for WHIP+, On-Farm Storage Loss Program, and WHIP Milk Loss Program. As required by the Disaster Relief Act, this rule also expands eligibility for 2017 WHIP to include losses incurred from Tropical Storm Cindy, losses of peach and blueberry crops in calendar year 2017 due to extreme cold, and blueberry productivity losses in calendar year 2018 due to extreme cold and hurricane damage in calendar year 2017. This rule updates the regulations for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to provide assistance for eligible orchardists or nursery tree growers of pecan trees with a tree mortality rate that exceeds 7.5 percent (adjusted for normal mortality) and is less than 15 percent (adjusted for normal mortality) for losses incurred in calendar year 2018. Prevented planting supplemental disaster payments will provide support to producers who were prevented from planting eligible crops for the 2019 crop year due to excess precipitation, flood, storm surge, tornado, volcanic activity, tropical depressions, hurricanes, and cyclones in the 2019 calendar year. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculations for prevented planting supplemental disaster payments.

This final rule removes the regulation concerning the DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP). TAP provides information and training to ensure Service members and eligible spouses transitioning from active-duty are prepared for their next step in life, whether it is to pursue additional education, find a job in the public or private sector, or start their own business. This part summarizes the benefits in statute and internal policy. Therefore, this part is duplicative and unnecessary and should be removed from the CFR.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), are removing the Foskett speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus ssp.), a fish native to Oregon, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife on the basis of recovery. This determination is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to the Foskett speckled dace have been eliminated or reduced to the point where it no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation on the Tennessee River from mile 255 to 257 on September 14, 2019. This special local regulation is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created during the Shoals Dragon Boat Festival. Entry into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is amending and updating its table of annual and recurring safety zones that take place within the Eighth Coast Guard District listed in section 165.801 Table 2 of the Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed its reconsideration of the nonattainment designation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the Williamson County, Illinois area for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) primary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). On June 30, 2016, the EPA Administrator signed a final action that designated the Williamson County, Illinois area as nonattainment based on a review of available information. On September 12, 2016, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), the owner of the largest source of SO2 emissions in the area (the Marion Power Station), submitted to the EPA an updated modeling analysis that characterized SO2 air quality in the area at the time of the final designation action. The EPA has reviewed that modeling and concludes the available information demonstrates that, as of the date of the Administrator's signature on the final action, the Williamson County, Illinois area was not violating the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS and was not contributing to a NAAQS violation in a nearby area. Therefore, the EPA is changing the initial designation of Williamson County, Illinois, from nonattainment to attainment/unclassifiable.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2017-19-14 and AD 2014-16-27, which apply to certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 900EX airplanes. Those ADs require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance requirements and/or airworthiness limitations. Since the FAA issued AD 2017-19-14 and AD 2014-16-27, the FAA determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing its final Policy on the Compliance Assistance Sandbox (Policy), which is intended to carry out certain of the Bureau's authorities under Federal consumer financial law.

On July 22, 2019, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) solicited comments on a draft regulatory basis to support the development of a rulemaking for the disposal of certain types of greater-than-Class-C waste in a low-level radioactive waste land disposal facility. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on September 20, 2019. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period by an additional 60 days to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to modify the text of an existing DFARS clause to include the text of another DFARS clause on the same subject, in an effort to streamline contract terms and conditions for contractors, pursuant to action taken by the DoD Regulatory Reform Task Force.

DoD is issuing the updated Charter of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA), dated May 23, 2019. The ASBCA is chartered to serve as the authorized representative of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force in hearing, considering, and determining appeals by contractors from decisions of contracting officers or their authorized representatives or other authorities regarding claims on contracts under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 or other remedy-granting provisions.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to remove a clause that is no longer necessary.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update an existing DFARS clause to clarify instructions to contracting officers when completing the clause, pursuant to action taken by the Regulatory Reform Task Force.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update a paragraph citation in DFARS clause 252.225-7021, Trade Agreements.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to modify the text of an existing DFARS clause to include the text of another DFARS clause on the same subject in an effort to streamline contract terms and conditions for contractors, pursuant to action taken by the Regulatory Reform Task Force.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) to extend the time period from December 2023 to December 2025 for Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to Navy training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area. In August 2018, the MMPA was amended by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 to allow for 7- year authorizations for military readiness activities, as compared to the previously allowed five years. The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA as amended by the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2004. In making the request to extend the time period covered by the MMPA HSTT regulations from five to seven years, the Navy proposes no changes to their specified activities, the geographical region in which those activities would be conducted, mitigation measures, monitoring, or reporting over the longer seven- year period. Pursuant to the MMPA, NMFS is requesting comments on the proposed seven-year rule and associated Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to cover the same activities covered by the existing 2018 HSTT regulations. NMFS will consider all public comments prior to issuing any final rule and making final decisions on the issuance of the requested LOAs, and agency responses will be summarized in the notice of the final decision.