February 7, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect the imposition of emergency import restrictions on certain archaeological and ethnological material from the Republic of Yemen (Yemen). The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has determined that conditions warrant the imposition of emergency restrictions on categories of archaeological material and ethnological material of the Islamic cultural heritage of Yemen. This document contains the Designated List of Archaeological and Ethnological Material of Yemen that describes the types of objects or categories of archaeological and ethnological material to which the import restrictions apply. The emergency import restrictions imposed on certain archaeological and ethnological material from Yemen will be in effect for a five-year period from the date on which Yemen requested that such restrictions be imposed, until September 11, 2024, unless renewed. These restrictions are being imposed pursuant to determinations of the United States Department of State made under the terms of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act.

NMFS is publishing regulations under the authority of Section 303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to implement an immediate closure of the California/Oregon drift gillnet (DGN) fishery for swordfish and thresher shark (14 inch (36 cm) minimum mesh size) if a hard cap (i.e., limit) on mortality/injury is met or exceeded for certain protected species during a rolling 2-year period. The length of the closure will be dependent on when the hard cap is reached. The implementation of hard caps is intended to manage the fishery under the MSA to protect certain non-target species. The publication of this final rule is necessary to comply with a court order issued January 8, 2020, as further described in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-70, S-70A, S- 70C, S-70C(M), and S-70C(M1) helicopters. This AD was prompted by four incidents of disbonding between the tail rotor (T/R) blade pitch horn and the torque tube. This AD requires recurring visual and tap inspections of the T/R blade, and depending on the outcome, replacing the T/R blade. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This document announces a modification to the January 31, 2020 decision of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to direct all flights to the United States carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the People's Republic of China to arrive at one of the United States airports where the United States Government is focusing public health resources. This document adds four additional airports to the list of airports where flights can land and describes when the arrival restrictions will include those airports.

This action amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Neillsville Municipal Airport, Neillsville, WI. This action is due to an airspace review due to the decommissioning of the Neillsville non-directional radio beacon (NDB).

This final rule implements the 2020 inflation adjustments to the maximum daily civil monetary penalties contained in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regulations for violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (FCPIA Improvements Act) and relevant Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. The 2020 adjustment multiplier of 1.01764 accounts for one year of inflation from October 2018 through October 2019.

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.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) publishes this final rule to increase our maximum civil monetary penalty (CMP) rates for inflation occurring between October 2018 and October 2019.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requests comments on proposed revisions to regulations updating policy guidance on Federal agency use of conformity assessment that reflects advancement in conformity assessment concepts, and the evolution in Federal agency strategies and coordination in using and relying on conformity assessment. The provisions are solely intended to be used as guidance for agencies in their use and reliance on conformity assessment to meet agency requirements and do not preempt the agency authority and responsibility to make decisions authorized by statute or required in establishing regulatory, procurement, or programmatic activities.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 Regional Administrator finds that the affirmative defense provisions in the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the State of Texas applicable to excess emissions that occur during certain upset events and unplanned maintenance, startup, and shutdown activities are consistent with CAA requirements. Accordingly, EPA Region 6 is withdrawing the SIP call issued to Texas that was published on June 12, 2015. This action is limited to the SIP call issued to Texas and does not otherwise change or alter the EPA's June 12, 2015 action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve a revision to the Oregon State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on September 5, 2019. The submission revises the SIP to incorporate by reference a more recent update to the emission standards for specific industries by defining the specific Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) edition referenced throughout the revised rule. The EPA is also proposing to make non-substantive revisions to the SIP to correct typographical errors. The EPA reviewed the submitted revision and proposes to find it consistent with Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements.