Federal Register Summary: May 2018

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Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf-Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Revisions

May 11, 2018 – BSEE is proposing to revise existing regulations for well control and blowout preventer systems. These revisions modify regulations pertaining to offshore oil and gas drilling, completions, workovers, and decommissioning in accordance with Executive and Secretary of the Interior's Orders to ensure safety and environmental protection, while correcting errors and reducing certain unnecessary regulatory burdens imposed under the existing regulations. The deadline for public comment to BSEE is July 10, 2018. [83 FR 22128]

 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Beaufort Sea, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale for 2019

May 10, 2018 – BOEM in reopening the comment period for a Call for Information and Nominations that was issued in the Federal Register on March 30, 2018, covering a proposed sale in the Beaufort Sea Planning Area in late 2019, as included in the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program. All nominations and comments must be received by BOEM no later than 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 30, 2018. [83 FR 21791]

Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales

May 15, 2018 – BOEM is publishing a List of Restricted Joint Bidders. Each entity within one of the listed groups is restricted from bidding with any entity in any of the other listed groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period May 1, 2018, through October 31, 2018. This List of Restricted Joint Bidders will replace the prior list published on November 14, 2017, which covered the period of November 1, 2017, through April 30, 2018. [82 FR 22513]

 

Department of Energy (DOE)

Electricity Advisory Committee

May 29, 2018 – DOE published a notice announcing a meeting of the Electricity Advisory Committee, as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The meeting will be held at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on Monday, July 9, 2018, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Tuesday, July 10, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EST). [83 FR 24462]

Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee

May 29, 2018 – DOE is soliciting nominations for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2018. [83 FR 24464]

 

Department of the Interior

Final List of Critical Minerals 2018

May 19, 2018 – Pursuant to Executive Order 13817, the Secretary of the Interior on February 16, 2018, presented a draft list of 35 critical mineral commodities. After considering the 453 public comments received, the Department of the Interior believes that the methodology used to draft the list remains valid and hereby finalizes the draft list of 35 critical minerals. The final list includes: Aluminum (bauxite), antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, bismuth, cesium, chromium, cobalt, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite (natural), hafnium, helium, indium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, niobium, platinum group metals, potash, the rare earth elements group, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium. This list of critical minerals, while “final,” is not a permanent list, but will be dynamic and updated periodically to reflect current data on supply, demand, and concentration of production, as well as current policy priorities. [83 FR 23295]

 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Response to Vacatur of Certain Provisions of the Definition of Solid Waste Rule

May 30, 2018 – The EPA is revising regulations associated with the definition of solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This final rule applies to facilities that generate or recycle hazardous secondary materials. The rule implements orders by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Court issued on July 7, 2017, and amended on March 6, 2018, to vacate certain regulatory provisions and reinstate the prior versions. [83 FR 24664]

 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Facilities

May 30, 2018 – FERC is extending the comment period for the Notice of Inquiry published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, seeking information and stakeholder perspectives to help the Commission explore whether, and if so how, it should revise its current approach on the certification of new natural gas transportation facilities to determine whether a proposed natural gas project is or will be required by the public convenience and necessity, as that standard is established in section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. [83 FR 24780]

 

National Park Service (NPS)

National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

May 30, 2018 – NPS is soliciting comments on the significance of properties nominated before May 12, 2018, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments should be submitted by June 14, 2018. [83 FR 24817]

 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Public Meeting of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee

May 16, 2018 – USGS published a notice to announce that a Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will take place on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EST). [83 FR 22702]