2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Powered Industrial Trucks Standard. The information collection requirements address truck design, construction and modification, as well as certification of training and evaluation for truck operators.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-22- 08, which applied to all Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319-111, -112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, and -133 airplanes; and Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes. The FAA is also superseding AD 2018-17-19, which applied to 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, -233, -251N, and -271N airplanes; and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, -232, -251N, -253N, and -271N airplanes. The FAA is also superseding AD 2019-19-15, which applied to 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, -233, -251N, and -271N airplanes; and Model A321 series airplanes. AD 2019-19-15 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has prepared the Osage County Oil and Gas Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and, by this notice, is announcing its publication. The FEIS is a programmatic analysis of the potential impacts that future oil and gas development may have on the surface estate and subsurface mineral estate (Osage Mineral Estate) in Osage County, Oklahoma.

DoD is correcting interim regulations that published in the Federal Register on September 29, 2020. The document heading carried an incorrect Regulation Identifier Number (RIN). This document reflects the correct RIN.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified in the ICR.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the Standards of Performance for Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels (Including Petroleum Liquid Storage Vessels) for Which Construction, Reconstruction, or Modification Commenced After July 23, 1984. We are proposing specific amendments that would allow owners or operators of storage vessels subject to the Standards of Performance for Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels and equipped with either an external floating roof (EFR) or internal floating roof (IFR) to voluntarily elect to comply with the requirements specified in the National Emission Standards for Storage Vessels (Tanks)Control Level 2 as an alternative standard, in lieu of the requirements specified in the Standards of Performance for Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels, subject to certain caveats and exceptions for monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove the state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of California pursuant to the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act'') for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the 2015 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') for ozone. As part of this action, we are proposing to reclassify certain regions of the State for emergency episode planning purposes with respect to ozone. We are also proposing to approve into the SIP an updated state provision addressing CAA conflict of interest requirements, and emergency episode planning rules for Amador County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), Calaveras County APCD, Mariposa County APCD, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (AQMD), and Tuolumne County APCD. Finally, we are proposing to approve an exemption from emergency episode planning requirements for ozone for Lake County AQMD. We are taking comments on this proposal and, after considering any comments submitted, plan to take final action.

The OCC, Board, and FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are adopting as final the interim final rule published by the agencies on April 17, 2020, making temporary amendments to the agencies' regulations requiring appraisals for certain real estate-related transactions. The final rule adopts the deferral of the requirement to obtain an appraisal or evaluation for up to 120 days following the closing of certain residential and commercial real estate transactions, excluding transactions for acquisition, development, and construction of real estate. Regulated institutions should make best efforts to obtain a credible estimate of the value of real property collateral before closing the loan and otherwise underwrite loans consistent with the principles in the agencies' Standards for Safety and Soundness and Real Estate Lending Standards. The agencies' final rule allows regulated institutions to expeditiously extend liquidity to creditworthy households and businesses in light of recent strains on the U.S. economy as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID event). The final rule adopts the interim final rule with one revision in response to comments received by the agencies on the interim final rule.

This rule codifies the Office of Personnel Management's policies and procedures for reviewing and clearing administrative guidance documents.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (the Department) is removing the regulations which implement and govern the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) programs conducted at the state and local area levels and provide program requirements applicable to all WtW formula and competitive funds under the Social Security Act (SSA). Congressional authorization for this program has expired, and all remaining grant funding was rescinded by the Department in 2004. Accordingly, these regulations are no longer necessary. This technical amendment is a ministerial action to remove obsolete regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This revision pertains to the Commonwealth's plan, submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), for maintaining the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) (referred to as the ``1997 ozone NAAQS'') in the Franklin County, Pennsylvania area (Franklin County Area). EPA is approving these revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to make miscellaneous corrections. These changes include redesignating footnotes, correcting references, typographical errors, nomenclature, titles, email addresses, and contact information. This document is necessary to inform the public of these non-substantive amendments to the NRC's regulations.

The Department of the Interior (the Department), acting through BOEM and BSEE, proposes to streamline its evaluation criteria for determining whether oil, gas and sulfur lessees, right-of-use and easement (RUE) grant holders, and pipeline right-of-way grant holders may be required to provide bonds or other security above the prescribed amounts for base bonds to ensure compliance with their Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) obligations. BOEM's portion of the proposed rule would also remove restrictive provisions for third-party guarantees and decommissioning accounts, and would add new criteria under which additional bonds and third-party guarantees may be cancelled. Based on the proposed framework, BOEM estimates its amount of financial assurance would decrease from $3.3 billion to $3.1 billion, although it would provide greater protection as the financial assurance would be focused on the riskiest properties. BSEE's portion of this proposed rule would establish the order in which BSEE could order predecessor lessees, owners of operating rights, or grant holders, who have accrued decommissioning obligations, to perform those obligations when the current owners of a lease or grant fail to do so. BSEE's proposed provisions would also clarify decommissioning responsibilities for RUE grant holders and require that any party appealing any final decommissioning order provide a surety bond to ensure that funding for decommissioning is available if the order is affirmed on appeal and the liable party subsequently defaults.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations governing probation on initial appointment to a competitive position, performance-based reduction in grade and removal actions, and adverse actions. The final rule will effect a revision of OPM's regulations to make procedures relating to these subjects more efficient and effective. The final rule also amends the regulations to incorporate statutory changes and technical revisions.

EPA is proposing significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances which are the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). This action would require persons to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or processing of any of these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule. This action would further require that persons not commence manufacture or processing for the significant new use until they have submitted a Significant New Use Notice (SNUN), and EPA has conducted a review of the notice, made an appropriate determination on the notice, and has taken any risk management actions as are required as a result of that determination.

In response to President Trump's government-wide regulatory reform initiative, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) initiated a review of its regulations to determine which might be revised or eliminated. As a result, this rule merges the 8(a) Business Development (BD) Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program and the All Small Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program to eliminate confusion and remove unnecessary duplication of functions within SBA. This rule also eliminates the requirement that 8(a) Participants seeking to be awarded an 8(a) contract as a joint venture submit the joint venture agreement to SBA for review and approval prior to contract award, revises several 8(a) BD program regulations to reduce unnecessary or excessive burdens on 8(a) Participants, and clarifies other related regulatory provisions to eliminate confusion among small businesses and procuring activities. In addition, in response to public comment, the rule requires a business concern to recertify its size and/or socioeconomic status for all set-aside orders under unrestricted multiple award contracts, unless the contract authorized limited pools of concerns for which size and/or status was required.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing amendments to the national market system plan governing the consolidated audit trail. The proposed amendments are designed to enhance the security of the consolidated audit trail.

This Public Land Order (PLO) extends for an additional 20-year term the withdrawal originally created by PLO No. 7467, published October 16, 2000. This extension is necessary to protect the capital investments, scenic values, and dispersed recreation in the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) San Francisco Peaks/Mount Elden Recreation area, encompassing 74,689 acres. PLO No. 7467 withdrew these National Forest System Lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws for a 20-year period.

The United States Copyright Office is conducting the eighth triennial rulemaking proceeding under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (``DMCA''), concerning possible temporary exemptions to the DMCA's prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. In this proceeding, the Copyright Office is considering petitions for the renewal of exemptions that were granted during the seventh triennial rulemaking along with petitions for new exemptions to engage in activities not currently permitted by existing exemptions. On June 22, 2020, the Office published a notification of inquiry requesting petitions to renew existing exemptions and comments in response to those petitions, as well as petitions for new exemptions. Having carefully considered the comments received in response to that notification, in this notice of proposed rulemaking (``NPRM''), the Office announces its intention to recommend each of the existing exemptions for readoption. This NPRM also initiates three rounds of public comment on the newly-proposed exemptions. Interested parties are invited to make full legal and evidentiary submissions in support of or in opposition to the proposed exemptions, in accordance with the requirements set forth below.

The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]), to reflect changes coincident with the recently announced mailing services price adjustments.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.