March 10, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is removing from the Code of Federal Regulations the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations as a result of the termination of the national emergency on which the regulations were based.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') is amending Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions) to revise the rate of interest paid on balances maintained to satisfy reserve balance requirements (``IORR'') and the rate of interest paid on excess balances (``IOER'') maintained at Federal Reserve Banks by or on behalf of eligible institutions. The final amendments specify that IORR is 1.10 percent and IOER is 1.10 percent, a 0.50 percentage point decrease from their prior levels. The amendments are intended to enhance the role of such rates of interest in maintaining the Federal funds rate in the target range established by the Federal Open Market Committee (``FOMC'' or ``Committee'').

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to remove Lepanthes eltoroensis (no common name), an orchid species from Puerto Rico, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List) (i.e., to ``delist'' the species), due to recovery. This proposed action is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicates that the threats to the species have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan. We seek information, data, and comments from the public regarding this proposal and the draft PDM plan.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within Cocos Lagoon. This safety zone will encompass the designated swim course for the Cocos Crossing swim event in the waters of Cocos Lagoon, Merizo, Guam. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce the California Half Ironman Triathlon special local regulation on the waters offshore Oceanside and within Oceanside Harbor, California on April 4, 2020. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, sponsor vessels of the triathlon, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

This action establishes two new low altitude RNAV routes, designated T-356, and T-358, in the northeastern United States. The new routes enhance the efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) by expanding the availability of RNAV routing and supporting the transition of the NAS from ground-based to satellite-based navigation. Originally, this docket action also proposed to establish routes T-303, T-307, T-320, T-324, and T-335. However, subsequent to the NPRM, the FAA determined that those routes require further development, so they will be addressed in separate docket actions at a later date.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving Alabama's August 20, 2018, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission pertaining to the ``good neighbor'' provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The good neighbor provision requires each state's implementation plan to address the interstate transport of air pollution in amounts that contribute significantly to nonattainment, or interfere with maintenance, of a NAAQS in any other state. In this action, EPA has determined that Alabama will not contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state. Therefore, EPA is approving the August 20, 2018, SIP revision as meeting the requirements of the good neighbor provision for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.

The Boulder Emergency Telephone Service Authority, on December 26, 2019, filed a Petition for Reconsideration in the Commission's Wireless E911 Location Accuracy rulemaking proceeding.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit (Texas and States other than Florida, California, and Arizona) and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges (Texas and States other than Florida, California, and Arizona). The revision would convert the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) tables from showing the acceptable number of allowable defective fruit in each grade to showing the percentage of defects permitted in each grade; revise the minimum sample size to 25 fruit; update size classifications; remove references to Temple oranges from the orange standards for grade; and more closely align terminology in both grade standards with Florida and California citrus standards.

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.