Federal Register - April 2016

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BLM - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) extended the public comment period for a proposed rule that would reduce waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and natural gas production activities on onshore Federal and Indian leases. The new deadline for public comment is April 22, 2016. [Monday, April 4, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 64)]

DOE - The Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing a consent-based siting process to establish an integrated waste management system to transport, store, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. As part of this process, DOE will host a series of public meetings to engage communities in discussion on the development of managing our nation’s nuclear waste. A public meeting will be held on July 21, 2016. [Tuesday, April 5, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 65)]

BOEM - The Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) announced the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for the proposed Western Planning Area (WPA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 248 (WPA Sale 248) in the Gulf of Mexico. Affected States may comment on the size, timing, and location of WPA Sale 248 within 60 days of the NOS. The Final NOS will be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days prior to the date of bid opening, which is scheduled for August 24, 2016. [Wednesday, April 6, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 66)]

NRC - The public comment period for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published draft, ‘‘Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors’’, has been extended to May 6. [Wednesday, April 6, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 66)]

EPA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the final rule to correct and clarify certain text of the EPA’s regulations regarding ‘‘National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units’’. [Wednesday, April 6, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 66)]

NOAA - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the NOAA Commercial Space Policy on January 8, 2016. Consistent with this policy, the Draft National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), seeks comments on the Draft NESDIS Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process. Public comments can be submitted here until May 9. [Friday, April 8, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 68)]

NSF - The National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) of the National Science Foundation (NSF), will hold a workshop on wireless spectrum sharing enforcement issues on May 5. More information on the event can be found here. [Monday, April 11, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 69)]

NASA - NASA announced a meeting of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Advisory Board on May 18-19, 2016. The meeting will focus on U.S. Space-Based PNT Policy, and Global Positioning System (GPS) modernization. [Monday, April 11, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 69)]

NOAA - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), has received an application from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment only, incidental to conducting three marine geophysical (seismic) surveys in the southeast Pacific Ocean, between June 2016 and June 2017. NMFS must receive comments and information by May 19. [Tuesday, April 19, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 75)]

NRC - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) will hold a meeting of the Subcommittee on Reliability and PRA on May 4. [Thursday, April 21, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 77)]

EPA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a public teleconference of the Science and Information Subcommittee (SIS) to the Great Lakes Advisory Board on May 11. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for Fiscal Years 2015-2019. [Friday, April 22, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 78)]

BLM - On February 25, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a proposed rule to amend existing regulations within the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The proposed rule would enable the BLM to readily address landscape-scale resource issues, such as wildfire, habitat connectivity, or the demand for renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, and to respond more effectively to environmental and social changes. This notice extends the public comment period for 30 days, to May 25. [Friday, April 22, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 78)]

BOEM -  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for Gulf of Mexico OCS oil and gas lease sales tentatively scheduled from 2017–2022. BOEM proposes to conduct 10 region-wide Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sales during this five-year period that are tentatively scheduled in the Proposed 2017–2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (Five-Year Program). Comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted by June 6. [Friday, April 22, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 78)]

DOE - The Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB) will hold a public meeting on May 11. [Monday, April 25, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 79)]

DOE - The Department of Energy (DOE) State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB) will hold a public meeting on May 19. [Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 81)]

Forest Service - The Forest Service is issuing a permanent Ecosystem Restoration policy that replaces the Interim Directive, ‘‘Ecological Restoration and Resilience Policy”. The policy provides broad guidance for restoring ecosystems on National Forest System lands. The policy will take effect on May 27, 2016. [Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 81)]

NASA - The NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel will hold a public hearing on May 12 to provide updates on Exploration Systems Development, the Commercial Crew Program, and the International Space Station. [Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 81)]

BSEE - The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is finalizing new regulations pertaining to offshore oil and gas drilling, completions, workovers, and decommissioning. This final rule focuses on blowout preventer and well-control requirements, including incorporation of industry standards and revision of existing regulations, and adopts reforms in the areas of well design, well control, casing, cementing, real-time well monitoring, and subsea containment. The rule comes into effect on July 28, 2016. [Friday, April 29, 2016 (Volume 81, Number 83)]