2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) on September 26, 2023, regarding updates to the State's Cross- State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) emissions trading programs. The SIP revision incorporates by reference (IBRs) certain amendments EPA has made to the regulations for the Federal CSAPR trading programs for annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for large electric generating units (EGUs). EPA created these Federal trading programs in 2011 as market-based mechanisms for South Carolina and certain other States to address their obligations to downwind States under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act)'s good neighbor provision with respect to the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). EPA is proposing to approve South Carolina's September 26, 2023, SIP revision because it is consistent with EPA's good neighbor CSAPR trading programs and the CAA.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Stanford/Biggerstaff Field, Stanford, MT. This action would support the airport's transition from visual flight rules (VFR) to instrument flight rules (IFR) operations.

NMFS announces 2025 specifications for the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries. The implementing regulations for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan require us to publish specifications for the upcoming fishing year for each of these species. The specifications for these species are intended to establish allowable harvest levels that will prevent overfishing, consistent with the most recent scientific information, for the 2025 fishing year.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions to the Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) air quality regulations submitted by the State of Washington, through the Department of Ecology (Ecology) on June 22, 2023. The revisions were submitted in part to respond to the EPA's June 12, 2015 "SIP call" in which the EPA found a provision in the Washington SIP applicable in the area regulated by SWCAA to be substantially inadequate, providing affirmative defenses that operate to limit the jurisdiction of the Federal court in an enforcement action related to excess emissions during startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) events. The EPA is proposing approval of the SIP revisions and proposing to determine that the submitted revisions to the substantially inadequate provision corrects the deficiency identified in the 2015 SSM SIP call and the EPA's January 2022 finding of failure to submit. Washington withdrew some portions of the revisions submitted that were not identified in the 2015 SSM SIP call and therefore the EPA is not proposing action on those withdrawn portions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is addressing certain comments that were submitted on the proposed Good Neighbor Plan that the Supreme Court of the United States concluded the EPA had likely not sufficiently addressed in the final Good Neighbor Plan. The EPA is providing a fuller explanation of its reasoning at the time of its action in response to these comments. The Good Neighbor Plan addressed 23 states' obligations to eliminate significant contribution to nonattainment or interference with maintenance of the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), pursuant to the "good neighbor" provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). On September 12, 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the record of the Good Neighbor Plan to the EPA to permit the Agency to further respond to comments related to the Good Neighbor Plan's operation if one or more upwind States were no longer participating. In this document, the EPA responds to the comments by more fully explaining why the Good Neighbor Plan appropriately defines each state's obligations, regardless of the status of the rule in other states, and can be implemented without modification in any individual state or combination of states covered by the rule.

The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC" or "Commission") adopts amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR" or "Rule") that extend the Rule's applicability to inbound telemarketing calls in response to an advertisement through any medium or direct mail solicitation in which technical support products or services are offered for sale.

This rule establishes procedures for conducting a referendum to determine whether issuance of the proposed Natural Grass Sod Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) is favored by natural grass sod producers. The procedures will also be used for any subsequent referenda under the Order. The proposed Order is published separately in this issue of the Federal Register.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), list the Pe[ntilde]asco least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus atristriatus), a mammal from New Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. We also designate critical habitat. In total, approximately 1,774 hectares (4,386 acres) in Lincoln County, New Mexico, fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. This rule extends the protections of the Act to this species and its designated critical habitat.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is revising its regulations that set out the testing, evaluation, and approval requirements for electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories intended for use in gassy mines. Under this final rule, MSHA incorporates by reference eight ANSI-approved voluntary consensus standards that are suitable for gassy mining environments to protect against fire or explosion hazards, and accepts them as alternatives to the existing testing, evaluation, and approval requirements for electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories. This final rule offers more flexibility in the testing, evaluation, and approval requirements that product designers and manufacturers must meet in seeking MSHA approvals. This final rule will promote the use of innovative and advanced technologies that lead to improvements in mine safety and health.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issues this rule to define larger participants of a market for general-use digital consumer payment applications. Larger participants of this market will be subject to the CFPB's supervisory authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). A nonbank covered person qualifies as a larger participant if it facilitates an annual covered consumer payment transaction volume of at least 50 million transactions as defined in the rule, and it is not a small business concern.

The Coast Guard will enforce safety zones for the Los Angeles County Holiday Fireworks on December 14, 2024, and the Los Angeles County New Years Eve Fireworks on December 31, 2024 through January 1, 2025. These safety zones are to provide for the safety of life and property on the navigable waterways during these events. Our regulation for firework events within the Los Angeles Long Beach Captain of the Port Zone identifies the regulated areas for these firework events in Marina del Rey, CA. During the enforcement periods, the operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander or any Official Patrol displaying a Coast Guard ensign.

The Coast Guard will enforce multiple special local regulations codified in federal regulations for recurring marine events taking place in December 2024 located in the Los Angeles Long Beach Captain of the Port Area. This action is necessary and intended to provide for the safety of life and property on navigable waterways during these events. During the enforcement periods, the operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander or any official patrol vessel displaying a Coast Guard ensign.

This action proposes to amend Jet Route J-538 and Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-129; establish Canadian Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-828, Q-945, Q-971, and T-797 within United States (U.S.) airspace; and revoke Jet Routes J-483 and J-562. The FAA is proposing this action due to NAV CANADA's decommissioning of the Sioux Narrows (VBI), Ontario (ON), Canada, Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR)/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID) and the planned decommissioning of the Lumsden (VLN), Saskatchewan (SK), Canada, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and Brandon (YBR), Manitoba (MB), Canada, VORTAC NAVAIDs. This action is proposed in support of NAV CANADA's NAVAID Modernization Program within Canada.

This action proposes to amend Jet Routes J-26, J-64, and J- 181, and Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-10 and V-156; and to revoke VOR Federal Airway V-262. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Bradford, IL (BDF), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Bradford VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A321-251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, and -272NX airplanes. This AD was prompted by the discovery during a quality review performed during manufacturing, that a torque strip indicator (material "Dykem") had been applied on the orifice fitting on certain slides' inflation reservoirs' venting holes. This AD requires an inspection for discrepancies of affected parts (certain reservoirs having certain orifices) and replacement of discrepant affected parts, and prohibits installing affected parts, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model 330-200, A330-200 Freighter, and A330-300 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of contamination of the advanced pneumatic detector pressure switch of engine pylon fire detectors. This proposed AD would require replacement of the affected parts and would prohibit installation of affected parts, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters of Queensway Bay. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Los Angeles-Long Beach.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain ATRGIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional Model ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that for airplanes converted from passenger to cargo configuration using certain supplemental type certificates, no height limitation for the cargo, when loaded in the cargo compartment, is defined, and that as a consequence, cargo might be loaded up to the ceiling of the cargo compartment. This AD requires modification of the cargo compartment and implementation of updated cargo loading procedures. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-18- 09, which applied to all Airbus Defense and Space S.A. Model CN-235, CN-235-100, CN-235-200, and CN-235-300 airplanes; and certain Model C- 295 airplanes. AD 2018-18-09 required a detailed inspection of the upper and lower lugs of each horizontal stabilizer-to-fuselage rear attachment fitting, repair if necessary, and a report of findings. This AD was prompted by reports of new occurrences of cracking. This AD requires repetitive inspections, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also revises the applicability. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500- 1A11 airplanes. This AD was prompted by multiple occurrences of pilot and co-pilot seats locking in a fore-aft position due to the seat fore- aft adjustment mechanism disconnecting, caused by a broken cotter pin in the seat base egress linkage. This AD requires modifying the pilot and co-pilot seats by replacing the hardware of the seat base egress linkage, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767-300F series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that certain cargo compartment insulation blankets do not adequately fit some locations and allow smoke to migrate past the cargo compartment sidewall liners and upward into the main cabin. This AD requires replacing cargo compartment insulation blankets. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposes to revise its drug testing procedures rule, which became effective on June 1, 2023, to provide interim provisions to require the conduct of directly observed urine tests in situations where oral fluid tests are currently required, but oral fluid testing is not yet available.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is amending its regulation governing clinical trials registration and results information submission to update throughout the regulation the internet web address or uniform resource locator (URL) of the site that provides information about formatting of information for submission, procedures, and tools as specified in the regulation.

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.

Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State of Nebraska's Underground Storage Tank (UST) program submitted by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal (NSFM). This action is based on the EPA's determination that these revisions satisfy all requirements needed for program approval. This action also proposes to codify EPA's approval of Nebraska's State program and incorporate by reference those provisions of the State regulations that we have determined meet the requirements for approval. The provisions will be subject to EPA's inspection and enforcement authorities under the RCRA and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.