October 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing and requesting comment on new pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella in raw ground beef and beef manufacturing trimmings. The Agency is also announcing how it plans to assess whether establishments producing raw ground beef and/or beef manufacturing trimmings are effectively addressing Salmonella, using a 52-week moving window of FSIS sampling results and other related verification activities. Approximately one year (52 weeks) after the new standards are made final, the Agency plans to post individual establishment performance as either ``meeting'' or ``not meeting'' the pathogen reduction performance standard on the FSIS website, based on the most recent 48 Salmonella sample results. Finally, FSIS is also announcing that it intends to increase Salmonella sampling to once per week in beef establishments that produce greater than 50,000 pounds of raw ground beef and beef manufacturing trimmings per day, so that a sufficient number of Salmonella samples (i.e., 48) are collected to assess these establishments' performance against the new Salmonella performance standards. Note that FSIS will continue to analyze these beef manufacturing trimmings samples for Escherichia coli O517:H7 and applicable non-O157 Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC); FSIS will continue to analyze these ground beef samples for E. coli O157:H7. Although unlikely with this change, if fewer than 48 samples are collected or analyzed in a 52-week window at an establishment, its status would be reported as ``N/A,'' provided the establishment has two or fewer Salmonella positives in that window. FSIS will consider comments received on this notice before announcing the final performance standards in the Federal Register and assessing whether establishments meet them.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve, to the initial total allowable catch (ITAC) of Bering Sea (BS) Pacific ocean perch, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Alaska plaice, and BSAI Kamchatka flounder; and to the to the total allowable catch (TAC) of BSAI arrowtooth flounder, BSAI northern rockfish, BSAI sharks, and Bering Sea and Eastern Aleutian Islands (BS/EAI) blackspotted/rougheye rockfish. This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering a request to amend the boundary of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Elkhorn Slough NERR or the Reserve) and is soliciting comments from the public on the proposed boundary expansion. The public is also invited to comment on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed boundary expansion. Any person wishing to comment on the proposed boundary expansion or the environmental assessment may submit comments as described under ADDRESSES below.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the self-fitting air-conduction hearing aid into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the self-fitting air-conduction hearing aid's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC).

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a meeting of the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC).

This Federal Register notice announces meetings of the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH) workgroups and full Committee on November 19 and 20, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsored information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, ``Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Implementation Study,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that a planning meeting of the New Jersey Advisory Committee to the Commission will convene by conference call, on Friday, November 15, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. (EST). The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and vote on the project proposal for the Committee's civil rights project on the collateral consequences of a criminal record on forfeiture of private property and access to professional licenses.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee and Bluefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Groundfish Plan Teams will meet November 12, 2019 through November 15, 2019.

The Department of State has submitted the information collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we are requesting comments on this collection from all interested individuals and organizations. The purpose of this Notice is to allow 30 days for public comment.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other federal agencies to comment on the proposed information collections listed below, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The National Labor Relations Board is issuing this notice that the individuals whose names and position titles appear below have been appointed to serve as members of performance review boards in the National Labor Relations Board for the rating year beginning October 1, 2018 and ending September 30, 2019.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that a meeting of the Maryland Advisory Committee to the Commission will convene by conference call at 1:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, November 13, 2019. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss possible post-report actions for release of the Committee's school discipline report.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Federal Advisory Committee Act that the South Carolina Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss civil right issues in the state and introduction of the newly appointed chair and members to the Committee.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319-111, - 112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, and -133 airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -216, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321-111, - 112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of cracking found on the frame of the right- hand side sliding window in the flight deck. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for cracking of the vertical stiffeners of the left- and right-hand sides of the window frames and corrective actions if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an indirect license transfer application filed by the El Paso Electric Company (EPE) on August 13, 2019. The application seeks NRC approval of the indirect transfer of possession- only non-operating interests in Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74 for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (Palo Verde), Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and the general license for the Palo Verde Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) from EPE to IIF US Holding 2 LP. EPE currently owns a 15.8 percent tenant-in-common interest in and holds possession-only rights in the NRC licenses. The proposed indirect license transfer would result from IIF US Holding 2 LP acquiring 100 percent of the shares in EPE.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing its June 2018 final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) concerning the license renewal request from Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC's (WEC) Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF). Because of its withdrawal, the NRC is issuing for public comment a new draft EA and draft FONSI concerning WEC's CFFF. The draft EA, ``Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of SNM-1107, Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Richland County, South Carolina,'' documents the NRC staff's new environmental review of the license renewal application. The NRC is announcing a public meeting and an open house. The public meeting will allow interested members of the public to submit their comments on the draft EA.