Federal Register Rundown, 10/27

The Department of Commerce has requested clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act for continued collection of logbooks from fishing vessels in the Northeast region. The PRA is intended to decrease the burden of government paperwork on citizens and streamline the government's use of collected information. (44 U.S.C. 3501). NOAA is required to periodically collect and review logbooks under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801-1882) in order to properly manage the fisheries. 74 FR 55183.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the Department of Health and Human Services has announced the final data priority needs for six toxic substances: the listed chemicals include guthion, a pesticide used primarily on fruit; dichloropropenes, a type of insecticide used primarily on nematodes; and diazinon, a widely used insecticide. Cresols are also mentioned (m-Cresol is used in certain herbicides). The announcement prioritizes "[s]tudies of developmental toxicity via oral exposure, with emphasis on neurodevelopmental toxicity" for guthion, and "[d]ose response data for acute-duration oral exposure" along with "[i]mmunotoxicity battery via inhalation exposure" for dichloropropenes. Diazinon research related to "[d]evelopmental toxicity data for oral exposure" is prioritized. This call for research is mandated by the Substance-Specific Applied Research Program (SSARP) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA - 42 U.S.C. 9604(i)). The statute requires that ATSDR, along with the EPA create a list of hazardous pollutants, prepare toxological profiles, and ensure continued research programs on their effects. 74 FR 55240-42.

The USDA has amended the regulations for government procurement of certain products, including food-cleaning products. Anti-microbial cleansers for fruits, vegetables, and meats must now contain at least 53% "biobased" products under 7 C.F.R. 2902.45. "Biobased" products are defined by the USDA as those "determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials." (Departmental Regulation 5023-002) 74 FR 55089-94.

In climate change news, the EPA has proposed to tailor the major source applicability thresholds for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA). 74 FR 55292.

Finally, the National Marine Fisheries Service has shut down fishing of Atka mackeral in the Western Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) (74 FR 55159) and fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts (74 FR 55160-1). These restrictions are seasonally put in place to prevent the fisheries from exceeding their total allowable catches under Amendment 80 of the BSAI Fishery Management Plan.