🐬NOAA Issues Regulations for Incidental Taking of Marine Mammals
NMFS, upon request from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to rocky intertidal monitoring surveys along the Oregon and California coasts over the course of 5 years (2025-2030). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.
Learn More🎣2025 Management Measures for Pacific Halibut Commercial Fishery
NMFS is implementing annual management measures for the 2025 non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery that operates south of Point Chehalis, WA, (lat. 46[deg]53.30' N) in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Annual management measures include fishing periods and fishing period limits. NMFS is also implementing modified permit deadlines for all Area 2A non-Tribal commercial fisheries and is modifying inseason action announcement procedures for the Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial fishery. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide fishing opportunity where available.
Learn More📦FMCSA Notice on Household Goods Transportation Regulations
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. FMCSA requests OMB's renewed approval of the ICR titled "Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection," which applies to household goods motor carriers who are procured by the public (household goods shippers) to transport their household goods. This renewal revises the previous information collection's number of respondents, total respondent hours, and cost burden. No comments were received in response to the 60-day Federal Register notice.
Learn More📄Notice of Information Collection for Transportation Customer Experience
The United States Department of Transportation, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, is announcing an opportunity for public comment on a proposed extension of a collection of information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, and to allow 30 days for public comment in response to the notice after a 60-day public comment period. This notice solicits comments on an extension of an existing collection proposed by the Agency.
Learn More⚖️NTSB Guidance on Criminal Enforcement for Businesses
This notice describes the NTSB's plans to address criminally liable regulatory offenses under the recent executive order on Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations. The NTSB is "an independent establishment of the United States Government." 49 U.S.C. 1111(a). It is not a regulatory agency.
Learn More🦦New Regulations for Sea Otter Protection in Marine Construction
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the U.S. Coast Guard, propose to issue regulations for the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of Southcentral Alaska, Southeast Alaska, and Southwest Alaska stocks of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) during pile driving and marine construction activities in Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska. Incidental take of northern sea otters may result from in-water noise generated during pile driving and marine construction activities occurring for a period up to 5 years. This proposed rule would authorize take by harassment only, and no lethal take would be authorized. If this rule is finalized, we will issue letters of authorization for the incidental take of northern sea otters, upon request, for specific activities in accordance with the final rule for a period up to 5 years. We request comments on these proposed regulations.
Learn More🚂Regulatory Changes on LNG Transportation - Business Implications
PHMSA, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration, is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations in response to the recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Sierra Club, et al. v. DOT, et al., No. 20-1317 (Jan. 17, 2025).
Learn More🎆Temporary Safety Zone Established on Monongahela River
The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Monongahela River from mile marker 68 to mile marker 68.5 in Rices Landing, PA. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters from potential hazards during the Rices Landing Fireworks Display, for the activities planned on July 4, 2025. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the half-mile regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative.
Learn More✈️Proposed Airworthiness Directive for De Havilland Aircraft Compliance
The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2019-16-09, which applies to certain De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes. AD 2019-16-09 requires one- time inspections for cracks and damage of the elevator power control unit (PCU) brackets and surrounding area, horizontal stabilizer rear spar, and elevator front spar, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. Since the FAA issued AD 2019-16-09, new findings have been reported as a result of maintenance activities and/or inspections. This proposed AD would continue to require certain actions in AD 2019-16-09, and would also require repeating the inspections one time and performing applicable on-condition actions, remove an airplane from the applicability, and provide optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Learn More🚧Final Nonavailability Waiver
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is issuing a waiver of its Buy America requirements to the Alabama State Port Authority (ASPA) for two rubber-tired gantry cranes for use in the Rail Expansion, Rehabilitation, and Modernization Project--Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (Project). The Project received funds under the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program; therefore, FRA's Buy America requirements apply to the Project. The final waiver will apply to two rubber-tired gantry cranes based on the domestic nonavailability of the cranes. The final waiver will not apply to any construction materials, and therefore, FRA is not waiving any applicable requirements under the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). A substantively identical Notice was placed on public inspection on January 21, 2025, but withdrawn before publication.
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