October 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, a Rural Development agency of USDA, hereinafter referred to as ``RBCS'' or ``the Agency,'' published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2021, a final rule with request for comments. This document presents the opportunity for the Agency to provide its responses to the public comments received on the final rule and to confirm the final rule as published.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-07-17, which applies to all Saab AB, Support and Services Model SAAB 2000 airplanes. AD 2020-07-17 requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. Since the FAA issued AD 2020-07-17, the FAA has determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require 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 proposed for incorporation by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

To better protect migratory bird populations and provide more certainty for the regulated public, the Service seeks to address human- caused migratory bird mortality by codifying our interpretation that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) prohibits incidental take of migratory birds and developing regulations that authorize incidental take under prescribed conditions. This document advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) intends to gather information necessary to develop a proposed rule to authorize the incidental taking or killing of migratory birds, including determining when, to what extent, and by what means it is consistent with the MBTA and compatible with the terms of the four migratory bird conventions. This information will be used to develop proposed regulations to authorize the incidental take of migratory birds under prescribed conditions and prepare a draft environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. We are furnishing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking and notice of intent to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, obtain suggestions and information to include in the proposed rulemaking and environmental review, and announce public scoping webinars.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures 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 for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

GSA is amending the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to remove and reserve the regulations implementing the Administrator of General Services' authority to authorize agencies to conduct telework travel expenses test programs. The Administrator's authority to authorize agencies to conduct such test programs expired in accordance with the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. GSA is also removing and reserving regulations, that contain suggested guidance for conference planning.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department's (MCAQD) Rule 510 as part of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). These rule revisions concern updates to the maximum levels of ambient air pollution for the protection of public health and welfare. We are finalizing our proposed approval of this rule to regulate ambient air emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission amends its regulations to provide that Office of Management and Budget control numbers for Commission information collection requirements will be available on the Commission's website.

This action corrects codification errors in the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP) regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for certain navigable waters of the Columbia River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near Knapp, WA, at Columbia River Mile 95.8. This regulation prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STAR 100 Cask System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to renew, for an additional 40 years, the initial certificate and Amendment Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of Certificate of Compliance No. 1008. The renewal of the initial certificate and Amendment Nos. 1, 2, and 3 revises the certificate of compliance's conditions and technical specifications to address aging management activities related to the structures, systems, and components of the dry storage system to ensure that these will maintain their intended functions during the period of extended storage operations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is making conforming changes to regulations related to twelve hazardous waste import-export recovery and disposal operations used in hazardous waste export and import notices submitted to EPA by U.S. exporters and importers, and in movement documents that accompany export and import shipments. The changes to regulations related to these twelve recovery and disposal operations are needed to reflect changes to regulations related to Canadian import-export recovery and disposal operations that Canada promulgated in the Canada Gazette Part II on March 17, 2021 and that become effective in Canada on October 31, 2021. Additionally, as the changes in today's rule are being made solely to conform to Canada's regulatory changes to Canada-specific operation codes and descriptions, this is a final rulemaking and no public comment is being solicited.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is undertaking the preliminary stages of a rulemaking to consider potential test procedures for fans and blowers, including air circulating fan heads. Through this request for information (``RFI''), DOE seeks data and information regarding issues pertinent to whether new test procedures would accurately and fully comply with the requirement that a test procedure measures energy use during a representative average use cycle for the equipment without being unduly burdensome to conduct. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI), as well as the submission of data and other relevant information.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning process operations. The effect of this revision is to streamline and update provisions, align those provisions with permitting regulations, and provide regulatory certainty for the regulated community.

This action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface in Bangor, ME by establishing airspace for Eastern Maine Medical Center Heliport, to accommodate new area navigation (RNAV) global positioning system (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures (SIAPs) serving this heliport. Also, this action amends the existing Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Bangor International Airport by omitting the Bangor VORTAC from the airport description.

This final rule removes DoD's regulation concerning the Defense Logistics Agency Privacy Program. On April 11, 2019, the Department of Defense published a revised DoD-level Privacy Program rule, which contains the necessary information for an agency-wide privacy program regulation under the Privacy Act and now serves as the single Privacy Program rule for the Department. That revised Privacy Program rule also includes all DoD component exemption rules. Therefore, this part is now unnecessary and may be removed from the CFR.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KNOE (CBS), channel 8, Monroe, Louisiana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 24 for channel 8 at in the DTV Table of Allotments.

The FAA published the same final action twice, on August 31, 2021, and again on September 8, 2021. The FAA is withdrawing the first publication.

The FAA published the same final action twice, on August 31, 2021, and again on September 7, 2021. The FAA is withdrawing the first publication.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations (Treasury Decision 9922) that were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 12, 2020. Treasury Decision 9922 provided guidance relating to the allocation and apportionment of deductions and creditable foreign taxes, the definition of financial services income, foreign tax redeterminations, availability of foreign tax credits under the transition tax, the application of the foreign tax credit limitation to consolidated groups, adjustments to hybrid deduction accounts to take into account certain inclusions in income by a United States shareholder, conduit financing arrangements involving hybrid instruments, and the treatment of certain payments under the global intangible low-taxed income provisions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving changes to the Kentucky State Implementation Plan (SIP) and the Kentucky Title V Operating Permit Program (Title V) submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Energy and Environment Cabinet (Cabinet) on August 12, 2020, and March 29, 2021. These revisions address the public notice rule provisions for the New Source Review (NSR), Federally Enforceable State Operating Permits (FESOP), and Title V programs of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) by providing for electronic notice (``e- notice'') and removing the mandatory requirement to provide public notice of a draft air permit in a newspaper. EPA is approving these changes as they are consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and implementing Federal regulations.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending and updating its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove procedural guidance internal to VA into the VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. This rulemaking revises VAAR coverage concerning Loan Guaranty and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Programs, as well as an affected part concerning Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses.

This rule transfers regulations pertaining to the Economic Adjustment Assistance for Textile Manufacturers program from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to reflect changes in the organizational structure and delegated authorities within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This action is necessary to enable the AMS Administrator to issue, maintain, and revise as necessary regulations related to programs under the AMS Administrator's delegated authority.

This final rule amends the procedural rules governing FAA investigations and enforcement actions. The revisions include updates to statutory and regulatory references, updates to agency organizational structure, elimination of inconsistencies, clarification of ambiguity, increases in efficiency, and improved readability.