🚧Temporary Safety Zones for Houston Ship Channel Bridge Construction
The Coast Guard is establishing two temporary safety zones for navigable waters within a 120-yard radius of points on the north and south shore of the Houston Ship Channel under the Beltway 8 Bridge (Sam Houston Tollway Ship Channel Bridge) overhead construction. The safety zones are needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by constructing a new bridge. Entry of vessels or persons into these zones are prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Houston-Galveston.
Learn More🚗Rhode Island's Motor Vehicle Inspection Program Amendments Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Office of Air Resources on December 20, 2023, that includes an amended regulation for the Enhanced Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program in Rhode Island. Overall, the submittal removes obsolete references, adds definitions, and clarifies the Rhode Island I/M program requirements, which consist primarily of conducting Onboard Diagnostics (OBD) testing. The intended effect of this action is to propose approval of the State's amended I/M program regulation into the Rhode Island SIP. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA has evaluated the SIP revision and has preliminarily determined the changes will not impact emissions under the Rhode Island I/M program. EPA is proposing to conclude that approval of the SIP revision will not interfere with attainment or maintenance of any National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) or with any other applicable requirement of the CAA. Therefore, EPA is proposing to determine that Rhode Island's December 20, 2023, SIP revision is consistent with the applicable provisions of the CAA.
Learn More📈FDIC Proposes Rule for Regulatory Threshold Adjustments
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is inviting comment on a proposed rule that would amend certain regulatory thresholds in the FDIC's regulations to reflect inflation. Specifically, the proposal would generally update such thresholds to reflect inflation from the date of initial implementation or the most recent adjustment, and provide for future adjustments pursuant to an indexing methodology. The changes set forth in this proposal would provide a more durable regulatory framework by helping to preserve, in real terms, the level of certain thresholds set forth in the FDIC's regulations, thereby avoiding the undesirable and unintended outcome where the scope of applicability for a regulatory requirement changes due solely to inflation rather than actual changes in an institution's size, risk profile or level of complexity.
Learn More⚖️Proposed Rule for Scheduling Designer Benzodiazepines as Controlled Substances
The Drug Enforcement Administration proposes placing clonazolam, diclazepam, etizolam, flualprazolam, and flubromazolam and their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, whenever the existence of such salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation, as identified in this proposed rule, in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. These five substances were temporarily scheduled in an order dated July 26, 2023, and subsequently extended until July 26, 2026, pursuant to an extension published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. This action will also enable the United States to meet its obligations under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. If finalized, this action would make permanent the existing regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis, or possess), or propose to handle these five specific controlled substances.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Approval for Washington's Regional Haze Compliance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by Washington on January 28, 2022, to address applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the regional haze program's second implementation period. The EPA is proposing this action pursuant to the CAA.
Learn More🐋Proposed Regulations on Marine Mammals Impacting Hilcorp Alaska Activities
NMFS has received a request from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC (Hilcorp) for regulations allowing for the take of marine mammals incidental to activities conducted in support of oil and gas exploration, development, production, and decommissioning in Cook Inlet, Alaska, over the course of 5 years (2025-2030). As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern the requested take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the requested MMPA regulations. Agency responses to received comments will be summarized in the final rule, if issued.
Learn More🌍EPA's Interim Decision on Air Quality Regulations in California
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has submitted a Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") state implementation plan (SIP) revision on behalf of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD or "District") that corrects deficiencies concerning the District's New Source Review (NSR) stationary source permitting program. This determination is based on a proposed conditional approval, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, of MDAQMD Rules. The effect of this interim final determination is to stay the application of the offset sanction and to defer or stay the action of the highway sanction that were triggered by the EPA's limited disapproval of MDAQMD Rules on June 30, 2023.
Learn More🌍EPA Proposes Conditional Approval for Mojave Desert Air Permits
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing conditional approval of five permitting rules as a revision to the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These are revisions to the District's New Source Review (NSR) air permitting program rules for new and modified sources of air pollution under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"). The submitted rules address deficiencies identified in a previous limited disapproval action and incorporate other revisions related to the NSR permitting requirements. If finalized, this action will update the MDAQMD's current SIP with the revised rules. As a separate action in this Federal Register, we are making an interim final determination that will stay or defer the imposition of CAA sanctions associated with our previous limited disapproval action.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Air Quality Redesignation for Liberty-Clairton Area
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's request to redesignate to attainment the Liberty-Clairton, Pennsylvania nonattainment area (Liberty-Clairton Area) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard). The EPA has determined that the Liberty-Clairton Area attained both the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS and has met the statutory requirements for redesignation. The EPA is approving, as a revision to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP), the Commonwealth's plan for maintaining the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through 2035 for the Liberty-Clairton Area. Additionally, the EPA is approving the maintenance plan for the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania nonattainment area (Allegheny County Area) for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through 2035. The maintenance plan includes 2017, 2026, and 2035 mobile vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for mobile sources of PM<INF>2.5</INF> and nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) for the Allegheny County Area for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS, which the EPA is approving for transportation conformity purposes. This action does not redesignate the Allegheny County Area to attainment for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS. Both the redesignation request and maintenance plan were submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP or Pennsylvania) on behalf of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). This action is being taken under the CAA.
Learn More🌬️EPA Approves Maryland's NOx Ozone Emission Caps Compliance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. This revision (Maryland Submittal #24-01) pertains to the re-allocation of nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) ozone season emission caps for large non-electric generating units (non-EGUs, affected units). The amendment also updates a cross reference to the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
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