November 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) proposes to revise its regulations that sets out the testing, evaluation, and approval requirements for electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories intended for use in gassy mines. Under this proposal, MSHA will accept voluntary consensus standards (VCS) that are suitable for gassy mining environments and that provide protection against fire or explosion dangers, to replace approval requirements in its regulations. This proposal is intended to promote the use of innovative and advanced technologies that lead to improvements in mine safety and health and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of MSHA's approval process.

This rule finalizes amendments to the General Provisions that apply to National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). These amendments implement the plain language reading of the ``major source'' and ``area source'' definitions of section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and provide that a major source can be reclassified to area source status at any time upon reducing its potential to emit (PTE) hazardous air pollutants (HAP) to below the major source thresholds (MST) of 10 tons per year (tpy) of any single HAP and 25 tpy of any combination of HAP. This rule also finalizes amendments to clarify the compliance dates, notification, and recordkeeping requirements that apply to sources choosing to reclassify to area source status and to sources that revert back to major source status, including a requirement for electronic notification.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) published a request for comments in the Federal Register on October 20, 2020, seeking public comment on considerations for instituting trials before the Office under the Leahy Smith America Invents Act (AIA). Through this document, the USPTO is extending the period for public comment until December 3, 2020.

In accordance with the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces that the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC or Committee) has scheduled a public meeting to be held on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Information about the ACHDNC and the agenda for this meeting can be found on the ACHDNC website at https://www.hrsa.gov/ advisory-committees/heritable-disorders/.

The United States (U.S.) Coast Guard (Coast Guard), as the lead agency, announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (POEIS) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Program's Stage 2 acquisition of up to 21 OPCs and operation of up to 25 total OPCs. This acquisition is a continuation of the OPC Program of Record for acquiring up to 25 total cutters. Notice is hereby given that the public scoping process has begun for the preparation of a PEIS/POEIS that will address the reasonable alternatives and potential environmental impacts associated with implementing the Proposed Action. The scoping process solicits public comments regarding the range of issues, information and analyses relevant to the Proposed Action, including potential environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to address in the PEIS/POEIS. The Coast Guard has determined that a PEIS/POEIS is the most appropriate type of NEPA document for this action because of the scope and complexity of the proposed acquisition and operation of up to 25 OPCs.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is issuing an exemption in response to a request dated September 1, 2020, from the Southern California Edison (SCE), for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (SONGS), from the requirement to investigate and report to the NRC when SCE does not receive notification of receipt of a shipment, or part of a shipment, of low-level radioactive waste within 20 days after transfer from the SONGS facility. SCE requested the time period to receive acknowledgement that the shipment has been received by the intended recipient be extended from 20 to 45 days. SCE requested this change to avoid an excessive administrative burden, because its operational experience indicates that these shipments may take more than 20 days to reach their destination.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on a renewal of currently approved information collection, FERC-725S (Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards).

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning a negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 7, 2020, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the opportunity to consult with DOE on matters pertaining to the assessment and collection of a fee for providing long-term management and storage of elemental mercury under the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, as amended (MEBA). In accordance with MEBA, this consultation opportunity is intended for persons who are likely to deliver elemental mercury to a DOE-designated facility for long-term management and storage and other interested persons (Persons). DOE will conduct multiple, internet-based webinar (WebEx) meetings to facilitate consultation with Persons seeking to provide input on the assessment and collection of a fee for providing long-term management and storage of elemental mercury.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the ``Labor Market Information (LMI) Cooperative Agreement Application Package.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is correcting a notice that appeared in the Federal Register on January 8, 2020. The document announced the withdrawal of approval of 19 new drug applications (NDAs) from multiple applicants, withdrawn as of February 7, 2020. The document indicated that FDA was withdrawing approval of NDA 202342, Esomeprazole Strontium Delayed-Release Capsules, Equivalent to (EQ) 20 milligrams (mg) base and EQ 40 mg base, after receiving a withdrawal request from R2 Pharma, LLC, 11550 North Meridian St., Suite 290, Carmel, IN 46032-5505 (R2 Pharma). Because of clerical errors in the Agency's processing of communications regarding this application, FDA has determined that NDA 202342 remains approved. Accordingly, FDA's approval of NDA 202342 remains in effect. There are no changes with respect to the other 18 NDA withdrawals announced in the January 8, 2020 Federal Register notice.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice announces an online virtual meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this online virtual meeting be announced in the Federal Register.