43704 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 144 / Monday, July 28, 2014 / Proposed Rules 

notification of pending service, when 

applicable. 

(G) Proof that the Service member’s 

entitlement to reemployment benefits 

has not been terminated because of the 

character of service as provided in 

section 4304 of USERRA. 

(H) A statement that sufficient 

documentation verifying a particular 

period of service, does not exist, when 

appropriate. 

(x) Establish a central point of contact 

(POC) at each Reserve Component 

headquarters or Reserve regional 

command and each National Guard 

State headquarters who can render 

assistance to: 

(A) Members of the National Guard or 

Reserve about employment and 

reemployment rights, benefits, and 

obligations. 

(B) Employers of National Guard and 

Reserve members about duty or training 

requirements arising from a member’s 

uniformed service or service obligation. 

(xi) Inform Reserve Component 

Service members of services provided 

by ESGR. ESGR’s subject-matter expert 

POCs can render assistance with issues 

regarding employment and 

reemployment rights, benefits, and 

obligations under USERRA. More 

information about ESGR is contained in 

paragraph (c) of this section. 

(b) Employer information and 

assistance. The Military Departments 

will: 

(1) Provide verification of absence due 

to uniformed service to civilian 

employers upon request regardless of 

the duration of service-related absence. 

(2) Provide verification of discharge 

status upon employer request. 

(3) Designate Reserve Component 

representatives who must consider, and 

accommodate, requests from civilian 

employers of National Guard and 

Reserve members by adjusting Service 

member absences from civilian 

employment due to uniformed service, 

when such service has an adverse 

impact on the employer and does not 

conflict with military requirements. The 

designated representatives may make 

arrangements other than adjusting the 

period of absence to accommodate such 

requests when it serves the best interest 

of the military and is reasonable to do 

so. 

(c) Agencies providing USERRA 

assistance—(1) ESGR. ESGR is a 

component of the DoDHRA, a DoD Field 

Activity under the authority, direction, 

and control of the USD(P&R). 

(i) ESGR is the primary DoD office for 

all matters concerning employer support 

of the National Guard and Reserve, and 

serves as the lead proponent for 

USERRA matters within DoD. 

(ii) ESGR informs Service members 

and their civilian employers regarding 

their rights and responsibilities 

governed by USERRA. 

(iii) ESGR does not have enforcement 

authority for USERRA, but serves as a 

free resource for Service members and 

employers. 

(iv) ESGR’s trained ombudsmen 

provide neutral, informal alternative 

dispute mediation services between 

Service members and employers for 

issues relating to compliance with 

USERRA. Headquarters ESGR 

Ombudsman Services representatives 

can be contacted by calling 1–800–336– 

4590. 

(v) ESGR’s Web site (available at 

http://www.esgr.mil) provides local and 

State contact information. Additionally, 

the Web site provides links to multiple 

resources for both Service members and 

employers. 

(2) DOL–VETS. (i) A person may file 

a complaint with the DOL–VETS or 

initiate private legal action, if alleging 

that an employer, including any Federal 

Executive Agency or the OPM, has 

failed or refused, or is about to fail or 

refuse, to comply with employment or 

reemployment rights and benefits under 

USERRA. 

(ii) Using ESGR’s mediation services 

is not a prerequisite for filing a 

complaint with DOL–VETS. The 

complaint may be filed in writing, or 

electronically. Instructions and the 

forms can be accessed at the DOL–VETS 

Web site (available at http://

www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/userra/

1010.asp). 

(iii) The DOL–VETS investigates each 

complaint and, if it is determined that 

the allegation(s) occurred, makes 

reasonable efforts to ensure compliance. 

If these efforts are unsuccessful, DOL– 

VETS then will notify the complainant 

of the results and advise the 

complainant of his or her entitlement to 

pursue enforcement by requesting the 

complaint be referred to the Department 

of Justice (DOJ), if the complaint 

involves a state or private employer, or 

to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), 

for complaints involving Federal 

Executive Agencies. 

(3) DOJ. (i) DOJ is the agency under 

the Attorney General that enforces 

USERRA matters involving State and 

local government employers and 

private-sector employers. DOJ receives 

USERRA cases referred by DOL–VETS. 

(ii) DOJ reviews USERRA cases to 

determine if representation is 

appropriate. In cases found to have 

merit, the Attorney General will 

commence court action on behalf of the 

Service member, to be prosecuted by 

DOJ attorneys. 

(4) OSC. (i) OSC is an independent, 

Federal, investigative and prosecutorial 

agency. OSC’s enforcement 

responsibilities apply in Federal sector 

USERRA cases. OSC receives USERRA 

Federal cases referred by DOL–VETS. 

(ii) If, after reviewing the complaint 

and investigative file, OSC is reasonably 

satisfied that the claimant is entitled to 

relief under USERRA, OSC may act as 

attorney for the claimant and initiate an 

action before the Merit Systems 

Protection Board (MSPB), also an 

independent, Federal agency, serving as 

the guardian of Federal merit systems. If 

OSC declines representation, the 

claimant may still file an appeal with 

the MSPB. 

Dated: July 22, 2014. 

Aaron Siegel, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, Department of Defense. 

[FR Doc. 2014–17635 Filed 7–25–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 

[EPA–R05–OAR–2013–0791; FRL–9914–23– 

Region–5] 

Approval and Promulgation of Air 

Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; 

Redesignation of the Bellefontaine 

Area to Attainment of the 2008 Lead 

Standard 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: On October 29, 2013, the 

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 

(OEPA) submitted a request for the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

to redesignate the Bellefontaine 

nonattainment area to attainment for the 

2008 national ambient air quality 

standards (NAAQS) for lead. EPA is 

proposing to determine that the 

Bellefontaine area meets the 

requirements for redesignation and is 

also proposing to approve several 

additional related actions. EPA is 

proposing to approve, as revisions to the 

Ohio state implementation plan, the 

state’s plan for maintaining the 2008 

lead NAAQS through 2025 for the area. 

EPA is proposing to approve the 2010 

emissions inventory for the 

Bellefontaine area, which meet the 

comprehensive emissions inventory 

requirement of the Act. EPA is 

proposing to approve these actions in 

accordance with the Clean Air Act and 

EPA’s implementation regulations 

regarding the 2008 lead NAAQS. 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 144 / Monday, July 28, 2014 / Proposed Rules 43705 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before August 27, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R05– 

OAR–2013–0791, by one of the 

following methods: 

1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments. 

2. Email: aburano.douglas@epa.gov. 

3. Fax: (312) 408–2279. 

4. Mail: Douglas Aburano, Chief, 

Attainment Planning and Maintenance 

Section, Air Programs Branch (AR–18J), 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 

Illinois 60604. 

5. Hand Delivery: Douglas Aburano, 

Chief, Attainment Planning and 

Maintenance Section, Air Programs 

Branch (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson 

Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. 

Such deliveries are only accepted 

during the Regional Office normal hours 

of operation, and special arrangements 

should be made for deliveries of boxed 

information. The Regional Office official 

hours of business are Monday through 

Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding 

Federal holidays. 

Please see the direct final rule which 

is located in the Rules section of this 

Federal Register for detailed 

instructions on how to submit 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Arra, Environmental Scientist, 

Attainment Planning and Maintenance 

Section, Air Programs Branch (AR–18J), 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 

Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–9401, 

arra.sarah@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the 

Final Rules section of this Federal 

Register, EPA is approving the State’s 

SIP submittal as a direct final rule 

without prior proposal because the 

Agency views this as a noncontroversial 

submittal and anticipates no adverse 

comments. A detailed rationale for the 

approval is set forth in the direct final 

rule. If no adverse comments are 

received in response to this rule, no 

further activity is contemplated. If EPA 

receives adverse comments, the direct 

final rule will be withdrawn and all 

public comments received will be 

addressed in a subsequent final rule 

based on this proposed rule. EPA will 

not institute a second comment period. 

Any parties interested in commenting 

on this action should do so at this time. 

Please note that if EPA receives adverse 

comment on an amendment, paragraph, 

or section of this rule and if that 

provision may be severed from the 

remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt 

as final those provisions of the rule that 

are not the subject of an adverse 

comment. For additional information, 

see the direct final rule which is located 

in the Rules section of this Federal 

Register. 

Dated: July 11, 2014. 

Susan Hedman, 

Regional Administrator, Region 5. 

[FR Doc. 2014–17610 Filed 7–25–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS