March 10, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is issuing a final rule to add Trichoderma reesei (T. reesei) strain QM6a and its derivatives and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. amyloliquefaciens) subspecies (subsp.) amyloliquefaciens to the list of recipient microorganisms that may be used to qualify for the Tier I and Tier II exemptions from full notification and reporting procedures under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for new microorganisms that are being manufactured for introduction into commerce. EPA received petitions to add T. reesei and B. amyloliquefaciens to the list of microorganisms eligible for the exemption from full notification and reporting procedures under the TSCA for new microorganisms. Based on EPA's evaluation of these petitions, EPA has made the determination that certain strains of both microorganisms will not present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment when used as a recipient microorganism provided that certain criteria for the introduced genetic material and the physical containment conditions are met.

We are amending the definition of the term ``venture capital fund'' and the private fund adviser exemption under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers Act'') to reflect in our rules exemptions from registration for investment advisers who advise rural business investment companies (``RBICs''). These exemptions were enacted as part of the RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018 (the ``RBIC Advisers Relief Act''), which amended Advisers Act sections 203(l) and 203(m), among other provisions. Specifically, the RBIC Advisers Relief Act amended Advisers Act section 203(l), which exempts from investment adviser registration any adviser who solely advises venture capital funds, by stating that RBICs are venture capital funds for purposes of the exemption. Accordingly, we are amending the definition of the term ``venture capital fund'' to include RBICs. The RBIC Advisers Relief Act also amended Advisers Act section 203(m), which exempts from investment adviser registration any adviser who solely advises private funds and has assets under management in the United States of less than $150 million, by excluding RBIC assets from counting towards the $150 million threshold. Accordingly, we are amending the definition of the term ``assets under management'' in the private fund adviser exemption to exclude the assets of RBICs.

This action modifies VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway V-18, in the vicinity of Talladega, AL. This action is necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the Talladega, AL, VOR/DME navigation aid which provides navigation guidance for segments of the route. Additionally, this action removes the compulsory reporting point requirement for the HEFIN, AL, navigation fix.

Pursuant to section 189.a.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this regular biweekly notice. The Act requires the Commission to publish notice of any amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, and grants the Commission the authority to issue and make immediately effective any amendment to an operating license or combined license, as applicable, upon a determination by the Commission that such amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person. This biweekly notice includes all amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, from February 11, 2020, to February 24, 2020. The last biweekly notice was published on February 25, 2020.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make regulatory determinations every five years on at least five unregulated contaminants. A regulatory determination is a decision about whether or not to begin the process to propose and promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR) for an unregulated contaminant. A preliminary regulatory determination lays out and takes comment on EPA's view about whether certain unregulated contaminants meet three statutory criteria. After EPA considers public comment, EPA makes a final determination. The unregulated contaminants included in a regulatory determination are chosen from the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), which the SDWA requires the EPA to publish every five years. The EPA published the fourth CCL (CCL 4) in the Federal Register on November 17, 2016. This document presents the preliminary regulatory determinations and supporting rationale for the following eight of the 109 contaminants listed on CCL 4: Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), 1,1-dichloroethane, acetochlor, methyl bromide (bromomethane), metolachlor, nitrobenzene, and Royal Demolition eXplosive (RDX). The Agency is making preliminary determinations to regulate two contaminants (i.e., PFOS and PFOA) and to not regulate six contaminants (i.e., 1,1-dichloroethane, acetochlor, methyl bromide, metolachlor, nitrobenzene, and RDX). The EPA seeks comment on these preliminary determinations. The EPA is also presenting an update on three other CCL 4 contaminants (strontium, 1,4-dioxane, and 1,2,3- trichloropropane).

FRA is proposing a rule of particular applicability (RPA) to establish safety standards for the Texas Central Railroad (TCRR or the railroad) high speed rail system. The proposed standards are not intended for general application in the railroad industry, but would apply only to the TCRR system planned for development in the State of Texas. The proposed RPA takes a systemsapproach to safety, and so includes standards that address all aspects of the TCRR high-speed system, including signal and trainset control, track, rolling stock, operating practices, system qualifications, and maintenance. The TCRR system is planned to operate from Houston to Dallas, on dedicated track, with no grade crossings, at speeds not to exceed 330 km/h (205 mph). The TCRR rolling stock, track, and core systems will replicate the Central Japan Railway Company (JRC), Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed rail system, and will be used exclusively for revenue passenger service.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts the framework for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund builds on the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction, which allocated funds to deploy networks serving more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and businesses across 45 states. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund represents the Commission's single biggest step to close the digital divide and connect millions more rural homes and small businesses to high-speed broadband networks.