🌳EPA's Interim Final Determination Eases Sanctions for Sacramento Area
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination to stay and defer the imposition of sanctions under the Clean Air Act (CAA), based on a proposed determination that the Sacramento Metro area has attained the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by its December 31, 2024, attainment date. The proposed determination of attainment is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Learn More🌬️EPA Proposes Attainment Determination for Sacramento Ozone Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Sacramento Metro, California area attained the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by its December 31, 2024 attainment date. This proposed determination is based on quality-assured and certified ambient air quality monitoring data from 2022 through 2024. If we finalize this determination as proposed, the requirement for the State to have contingency measures for reasonable further progress (RFP) and attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS will no longer apply for this area. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action. Elsewhere in this Federal Register, we are making an interim final determination that will stay and defer the imposition of Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") sanctions associated with a disapproval action related to the contingency measures requirement for this area.
Learn More🔫Regulatory Changes in Firearms - Impacts on Businesses
This interim final rule ("IFR") amends the Department of Justice ("Department") regulations relating to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") by withdrawing effectively moribund regulations regarding how ATF will adjudicate applications for relief from the disabilities imposed by certain firearms laws and withdrawing a related delegation.
Learn More⚛️Amendment 15 to Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks Regulations
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc. MAGNASTOR[supreg] Storage System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Amendment No. 15 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1031. Amendment No. 15 revises the certificate of compliance to add a new variation of the Lightweight MAGNASTOR[supreg] Transfer Cask design, add a new concrete cask design, increase the maximum system head load capacity, add new loading patterns, add a thermal shunt for short loading patterns, remove the 5 percent burnup penalty, increase Passive MAGNASTOR[supreg] Transfer Cask heat load, add two new pressurized-water reactor fuel types to support future operations, modify the transportable storage canister lid to allow additional clearance near the top center of the basket, and correct and clarify principal design criteria, operating procedures, and the acceptance criteria and maintenance program. This amendment also makes corresponding revisions to previously approved drawings for the concrete cask, Technical Specifications Appendix A and Appendix B, specific chapters of the final safety analysis report, and several license drawings.
Learn More🌬️EPA Approves Air Quality Regulations for Feather River District
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a revision to the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD or "District") portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns recodification of certain rules to replace historical Sutter County Air Pollution Control District and Yuba County Air Pollution Control District rules with the corresponding FRAQMD rules. These rules regulate pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act").
Learn More🏥Proposed Rule for Marketplace Integrity Under the ACA
This proposed rule would revise standards relating to past-due premium payments; exclude Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients from the definition of "lawfully present"; the evidentiary standard HHS uses to assess an agent's, broker's, or web-broker's potential noncompliance; failure to file and reconcile; income eligibility verifications for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions; annual eligibility redetermination; the automatic reenrollment hierarchy; the annual open enrollment period; special enrollment periods; de minimis thresholds for the actuarial value for plans subject to essential health benefits (EHB) requirements and for income-based cost-sharing reduction plan variations; and the premium adjustment percentage methodology; and prohibit issuers of coverage subject to EHB requirements from providing coverage for sex-trait modification as an EHB.
Learn More🌫️EPA Finalizes Emissions Statement Requirements for California
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions, under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"), to portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) regarding emissions statements (ES) requirements for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). In addition, we are approving that the following California nonattainment areas meet the ES requirements for the 2015 ozone NAAQS: Tuscan Buttes, Kern County (Eastern Kern), and San Diego County.
Learn More⚛️NRC Updates Spent Fuel Storage Regulations for HI-STORM 100 Cask System
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI- STORM 100 Cask System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Renewed Amendment No. 19 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. Renewed Amendment No. 19 revises the certificate of compliance to update the acceptance criteria and method of evaluation (MOE) for the HI-STORM 100 system tipover accident for equipment combinations involving multi-purpose canisters (MPCs) with Metamic-HT baskets. This involves applying a new stress-based criteria and completing new evaluations consistent with the new tipover acceptance criteria and MOE and involves some adjustments of the existing deflection criteria.
Learn More🔥Proposed Withdrawal of Determination for Miscellaneous Gas Products
As part of its implementation of the Executive Order, "Unleashing American Energy" (Jan. 20, 2025), the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is reviewing existing agency actions to ensure, among other things, that all regulatory requirements related to energy are grounded in clearly applicable law and that the American people's freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances is not restricted. As a result of this review, DOE is proposing to withdraw its prior determination that miscellaneous gas products ("MGPs"), which are comprised of decorative hearths and outdoor heaters, qualify as covered products under Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended ("EPCA"). After further consideration of the relevant statutory authority and available information, DOE is proposing to withdraw its determination that MGPs are covered products under EPCA for which DOE is authorized to establish test procedures and energy conservation standards.
Learn More🌫️Approval of Updates to South Carolina's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving 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 (NO<INF>X</INF>) and sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) for large electric generating units (EGUs). EPA is approving South Carolina's September 26, 2023, SIP revision because it is consistent with EPA's good neighbor CSAPR trading programs and the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
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