Department of Energy December 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is extending the public comment period for the request of public comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater from the Savannah River Site (DOE/EA-2115) (Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA). DOE published a notice in the Federal Register on December 10, 2019, establishing a 30- day public comment period ending on January 9, 2020. DOE is extending the public comment period for 32 days, ending on February 10, 2020.

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 the requirements and burden of the information collection described below.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collection FERC-515 (Declaration of Intention) and submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (``EPCA''), directs DOE to initiate a rulemaking for general service lamps (``GSLs'') that, among other requirements, determines whether standards in effect for general service incandescent lamps (``GSILs,'' a subset of GSLs) should be amended. On September 5, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') published a notice of proposed determination (``NOPD'') in which DOE initially determined that energy conservation standards for GSILs do not need to be amended. In this final determination, DOE responds to comments received on the September 2019 GSIL NOPD and does not adopt amended energy conservation standards for GSILs. DOE has determined that amended energy conservation standards for GSILs would not be economically justified.

This notice announces an open teleconference call of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The Department of Energy publishes a final rule to establish a fee for long-term management and storage of elemental mercury in accordance with the Mercury Export Ban Act.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') proposes to amend the test procedures for consumer refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, and miscellaneous refrigeration products (collectively ``consumer refrigeration products''). The proposed test procedure amendments would, among other things, define the term ``compartment,'' and revise the method for including the energy use of automatic icemakers and certain other energy-using functions. DOE is also proposing to adjust the standards for these products to ensure that this change in test methodology does not require manufacturers to increase the efficiency of already compliant products or allow previously non-compliant products to meet the current energy conservation standard. DOE is announcing a public meeting and comment period to collect comments and data on its proposal, and methods to reduce regulatory burden while ensuring the test procedures' representativeness of energy use during an average use cycle or period of use.