Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules 5699 

PART 238—SAVINGS AND LOAN 

HOLDING COMPANIES (REGULATION 

LL) 

■ 10. The authority citation for part 238 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552, 559; 12 U.S.C. 

1462, 1462a, 1463, 1464, 1467, 1467a, 1468, 

1813, 1817, 1829e, 1831i, 1972; 15 U.S.C. 78l. 

■ 11. In subpart A, add new § 238.9 to 

read as follows: 

§ 238.9 Small Bank Holding Company 

Policy Statement. 

(a) The Board’s Small Bank Holding 

Company Policy Statement (12 CFR part 

225, appendix C) (Policy Statement) 

applies to savings and loan holding 

companies as if they were bank holding 

companies. To qualify or rely on the 

Policy Statement, savings and loan 

holding companies must meet all 

qualifying requirements in the Policy 

Statement as if they were a bank holding 

company. For purposes of applying the 

Policy Statement, the term ‘‘nonbank 

subsidiary’’ as used in the Policy 

Statement refers to a subsidiary of a 

savings and loan holding company other 

than a savings association or a 

subsidiary of a savings association. 

(b) The Board may exclude any 

savings and loan holding company, 

regardless of asset size, from the Policy 

Statement under paragraph (a) of this 

section if the Board determines that 

such action is warranted for supervisory 

purposes. 

By order of the Board of Governors of the 

Federal Reserve System, January 29, 2015. 

Michael Lewandowski, 

Associate Secretary of the Board. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02040 Filed 1–30–15; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

15 CFR Part 922 

Revisions of Boundaries for Flower 

Garden Banks National Marine 

Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Department of Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice of intent to revise 

boundaries; intent to prepare 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with section 

304(e) of the National Marine 

Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA), 

the Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) is initiating a 

review of Flower Garden Banks National 

Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS or 

Sanctuary) boundaries, based on the 

recommendation contained within the 

Sanctuary Expansion Action Plan of the 

FGBNMS Management Plan (April 

2012). The review process, as required 

by the NMSA, will be conducted 

concurrently with a public process 

under the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA). This document also 

informs the public that NOAA will 

coordinate its responsibilities under 

section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA) with its 

ongoing NEPA process, including the 

use of NEPA documents and public and 

stakeholder meetings to also meet the 

requirements of section 106. The public 

scoping process is intended to solicit 

information and comments on the range 

and significance of issues related to the 

expansion of the FGBNMS boundaries. 

The results of this scoping process will 

assist NOAA in formulating alternatives 

for the draft environmental impact 

statement for the proposed revised 

sanctuary boundaries. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

April 6, 2015. Public hearings will be 

held as detailed below: 

(1) New Orleans, LA 

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 

Location: Hilton New Orleans Airport, 

Cocodrie Room 

Address: 901 Airline Drive, Kenner, LA 

70062 

Time: 6:00–8:00 p.m. 

(2) Houston, TX 

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2015 

Location: Bayland Community Center 

Address: 6400 Bissonnet Street, 

Houston, TX 77074 

Time: 6:00–8:00 p.m. 

(3) Galveston, TX 

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 

Location: Flower Garden Banks NMS 

Office, NOAA Galveston Laboratory 

Address: 4700 Avenue U, Building 216, 

Galveston, TX 77551 

Time: 6:00–8:00 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by any one of the following 

methods: 

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2014- 

0154, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: George Schmahl, Sanctuary 

Superintendent, Flower Garden Banks 

National Marine Sanctuary, 4700 

Avenue U, Bldg. 216, Galveston, TX 

77551. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NOAA. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. ONMS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). Attachments to 

electronic comments will be accepted in 

Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF 

file formats only. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kelly Drinnen, 409–621–5151 Ext. 105, 

fgbexpansion@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background Information 

I. Background 

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act 

(NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) 

authorizes the Secretary of Commerce 

(Secretary) to designate and protect as a 

national marine sanctuaries areas of the 

marine environment that are of special 

national significance due to their 

conservation, recreational, ecological, 

historical, scientific, cultural, 

archeological, educational, or esthetic 

qualities. Day-to-day management of 

national marine sanctuaries has been 

delegated by the Secretary to the ONMS. 

The primary objective of the NMSA is 

to protect the biological and cultural 

resources of the sanctuary system, such 

as coral reefs, marine animals, historical 

shipwrecks, historic structures, and 

archaeological sites. 

Flower Garden Banks National Marine 

Sanctuary was designated on January 

17, 1992 (Pub. L. 102–251, Title I, Sec. 

101). At that time, the sanctuary 

consisted of two areas known as East 

and West Flower Garden Banks (56 FR 

63634). In 1996, Congress added Stetson 

Bank to the sanctuary (Pub. L. 104–283). 

FGBNMS regulations were first 

published on December 5, 1991 (56 FR 

63634) and became effective on January 

18, 1994 (58 FR 65664). Current 

FGBNMS regulations can be found at 15 

CFR part 922, subpart L. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
5700 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

FGBNMS is located in the 

northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The 

banks’salt domes range in depth from 55 

feet to over 500 feet, providing 

conditions supporting several distinct 

habitats (including the northern-most 

coral reefs in the continental United 

States) and essential habitat for a variety 

of marine species. The combination of 

location and geology makes the 

sanctuary an extremely productive and 

nationally significant ecosystem. 

II. Need for Action 

NOAA published a revised FGBNMS 

Management Plan in April 2012, which 

described the need to protect additional 

sensitive biological resources and 

geological features associated with reefs 

and banks in the northwestern Gulf of 

Mexico. The expansion of sanctuary 

protection for certain critical areas 

would address concerns about impacts 

of anchoring, safe access by fishers and 

divers, damage as a result of 

unregulated activities, and the need to 

protect unique features in these areas. 

Based on six years of input from the 

public and the FGBNMS Advisory 

Council, NOAA developed a Sanctuary 

Expansion Action Plan as part of the 

2012 management plan revision. The 

action plan’s primary purpose was to 

’’evaluate and expand, as appropriate, 

the network of protected areas within 

the sanctuary to include five to twelve 

additional reefs and banks, and modify 

the boundary of East and West Flower 

Garden and Stetson Banks to include 

critical adjacent habitats.’’ This proposal 

was developed in particular by the 

Sanctuary Advisory Council’s (SAC) 

boundary expansion working group, 

which was comprised of researchers, oil 

and gas production representatives, 

recreational divers, Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management (BOEM) 

representatives, and ONMS staff. The 

working group met initially in February 

2007, and then periodically over the 

course of 10 months, to discuss the 

concept in detail. The working group 

employed a consensus driven, 

constituent-based process to address the 

concept of boundary expansion. All 

participants discussed a variety of 

issues, considerations, priorities and 

concerns for each step of the process. 

The following recommendation was 

developed by the working group and 

adopted as a recommendation to NOAA 

by the SAC: 

Expand the sanctuary, with boundaries 

based on a critical habitat area and a 500- 

meter buffer zone, by modifying the existing 

boundaries of East and West Flower Garden 

Banks and Stetson Bank, and adding 

Horseshoe Bank, McGrail Bank, Geyer Bank, 

Bright Bank, Sonnier Bank, Alderdice Bank, 

MacNeil Bank, Rankin Bank, and 28 Fathom 

Bank. 

It is important to note that certain 

activities related to oil and gas 

exploration and development are 

already prohibited within a significant 

portion of each of the banks 

recommended for expansion, as these 

areas have been designated ‘‘no activity 

zones’’ by BOEM under lease 

stipulations that have been in place 

since 1973. (These restrictions are 

contained within ‘‘Notice to Lessees’’ 

(NTL) No. 2009–G39 for ‘‘BiologicallySensitive Underwater Features and 

Areas’’, for the Central and Western 

planning areas of the OCS in the Gulf of 

Mexico region.) NOAA has now decided 

that the SAC’s recommendation should 

be further explored through a public 

review process. Additional information 

on the SAC recommendation can be 

found in the FGBNMS Sanctuary 

Expansion Action Plan at the following 

link: http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/

document_library/mgmtdocs/fmp2012/

fmpexpansionactionplan.pdfith. 

In accordance Section 304(e) of the 

National Marine Sanctuaries Act, as 

amended (NMSA), 16 U.S.C. 1431 et 

seq., NOAA is initiating a review of the 

FGBNMS boundaries to ‘‘evaluate and 

expand, as appropriate’’ the network of 

protected areas within the sanctuary. 

The action under consideration will 

evaluate options for the expansion of 

the sanctuary by incorporating selected 

reefs and banks in the northwestern 

Gulf of Mexico for their long-term 

protection and management. An 

environmental impact statement will 

describe the various reefs and banks to 

be considered, alternative scenarios for 

incorporating additional areas, and 

NOAA’s preferred alternative. In 

addition, NOAA will analyze various 

regulatory scenarios for any new 

potential sanctuary areas, as well as for 

the existing sanctuary as described in 

the 2012 final management plan. 

III. Process 

The process for considering the 

expansion of FGBNMS is composed of 

four primary stages: 

1. Information collection and 

characterization, including the 

consideration of public comment; 

2. Preparation and release of a draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS) 

that identifies boundary expansion 

alternatives, as well as a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 

the sanctuary regulations to reflect any 

new boundary if proposed; 

3. Public review and comment on the 

DEIS and NPRM; 

4. Preparation and release of a final 

environmental impact statement, 

including a response to public 

comments, with a final rule if 

appropriate. 

With this document, NOAA is 

opening a public comment period to: 

1. Gather information and public 

comments from individuals, 

organizations, and government agencies 

on whether FGBNMS should expand its 

boundary, suggestions for the extent of 

an expanded boundary, and the 

potential effects of a boundary 

expansion; and 

2. Help determine the scope of issues 

to be addressed in the preparation of an 

environmental analysis under NEPA. 

[INFORMATION ON DATES AND 

LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS 

WILL BE ADDED LATER]. 

IV. Consultation Under Section 106 of 

the National Historic Preservation Act 

This document confirms that NOAA 

will fulfill its responsibility under 

section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA, 16 U.S.C. 470) 

through the ongoing NEPA process, 

pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(a) including 

the use of NEPA documents and public 

and stakeholder meetings to meet the 

section 106 requirements. The NHPA 

specifically applies to any agency 

undertaking that may affect historic 

properties. Pursuant to 36 CFR 

800.16(1)(1), historic properties 

includes any prehistoric or historic 

district, site, building, structure or 

object included in, or eligible for 

inclusion in, the National Register of 

Historic Places maintained by the 

Secretary of the Interior. The term 

includes artifacts, records, and remains 

that are related to and located within 

such properties. The term includes 

properties of traditional religious and 

cultural importance to an Indian tribe or 

Native Hawaiian organization and that 

meet the National Register criteria. In 

fulfilling its responsibility under the 

NHPA and NEPA, NOAA intends to 

identify consulting parties; identify 

historic properties and assess the effects 

of the undertaking on such properties; 

initiate formal consultation with the 

State Historic Preservation Officer, the 

Advisory Council of Historic 

Preservation, and other consulting 

parties; involve the public in 

accordance with NOAA’s NEPA 

procedures, and develop in consultation 

with identified consulting parties 

alternatives and proposed measures that 

might avoid, minimize or mitigate any 

adverse effects on historic properties 

and describe them in any environmental 

assessment or draft environmental 

impact statement. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 22 / Tuesday, February 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules 5701 

1The UL mark and logo are trademarks of UL, 

LLC (formerly known as Underwriters Laboratories, 

Inc.). 

V. Consultation Under Section 304(a)(5) 

of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 

This document confirms that NOAA 

will fulfill its responsibility under 

section 304(a)(5) of the National Marine 

Sanctuaries Act (NMSA, 16 U.S.C. 1431 

et seq.), which states that the Gulf of 

Mexico Fishery Management Council 

(GMFMC) should be provided with the 

opportunity to prepare draft regulations 

for fishing within Federal waters, if 

NOAA pursues the addition of areas 

within the Gulf of Mexico to the 

sanctuary and if regulations regarding 

fishing are needed. The NMSA further 

declares that draft regulations prepared 

by the GMFMC, or a GMFMC 

determination that regulations are not 

necessary, shall be accepted and issued 

as proposed regulations unless the 

GMFMC’s action fails to fulfill the 

purposes and policies of the Act and the 

goals and objectives of the proposed 

designation. If the GMFMC declines to 

make a determination with respect to 

the need for regulations, makes a 

determination that is rejected by the 

Secretary of Commerce, or fails to 

prepare draft regulations in a timely 

manner, then NOAA shall prepare 

fishing regulations. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. 

Dated: January 15, 2015. 

Daniel J. Basta, 

Director for the Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01949 Filed 2–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

16 CFR Part 1120 

[CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2015–0003] 

Substantial Product Hazard List: 

Extension Cords 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (CPSC or Commission) is 

proposing a rule to specify that 

extension cords (both indoor and 

outdoor use extension cords) that do not 

contain one or more readily observable 

characteristics set forth in the proposed 

rule constitute a substantial product 

hazard under the Consumer Product 

Safety Act (CPSA). The rule would 

amend 16 CFR part 1120, which lists 

products that the Commission has 

determined present a substantial 

product hazard if the products have or 

lack specified characteristics that are 

readily observable, have been addressed 

by a voluntary standard, such standard 

has been effective in reducing the risk 

of injury associated with the product, 

and there is substantial compliance with 

the standard. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received by April 20, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CPSC–2015– 

0003, by any of the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit 

electronic comments to the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal at: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

The Commission does not accept 

comments submitted by electronic mail 

(email), except through 

www.regulations.gov. The Commission 

encourages you to submit electronic 

comments by using the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal, as described above. 

Written Submissions: Submit written 

submissions by mail/hand delivery/

courier to: Office of the Secretary, 

Consumer Product Safety Commission, 

Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 

504–7923. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket number for this notice. All 

comments received may be posted 

without change, including any personal 

identifiers, contact information, or other 

personal information provided, to: http: 

//www.regulations.gov. Do not submit 

confidential business information, trade 

secret information, or other sensitive or 

protected information that you do not 

want to be available to the public. If 

furnished at all, such information 

should be submitted in writing. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to: http://

www.regulations.gov, and insert the 

docket number CPSC–2015–0003, into 

the ‘‘Search’’ box, and follow the 

prompts. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Arthur Lee, Office of Hazard 

Identification and Reduction, Consumer 

Product Safety Commission, National 

Product Testing and Evaluation Center, 

5 Research Place, Rockville, MD 20850; 

telephone: 301–987–2008; alee@

cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction 

The Commission proposes to issue a 

rule under section 15(j) of the CPSA, 15 

U.S.C. 2064(j), which would amend the 

substantial product hazard list in 16 

CFR part 1120 (part 1120). The 

substantial product hazard list in part 

1120 would be amended to add 

extension cords that lack certain readily 

observable characteristics. Four 

characteristics apply to all general-use 

extension cords (indoor and outdoor 

extension cords including indoor 

seasonal extension cords): 

(1) Minimum wire size; 

(2) sufficient strain relief; 

(3) proper polarity; and 

(4) proper continuity. 

In addition, one characteristic (outlet 

covers) applies to certain 2-wire indoor 

extension covers and one characteristic 

(jacketed insulated cord) applies to 

outdoor extension cords. Under the 

proposed amendment to part 1120, 

extension cords that do not contain one 

or more of the specified readily 

observable characteristics would be 

deemed to create a substantial product 

hazard under section 15(a)(2) of the 

CPSA because such products pose a risk 

of electrical shock or fire. These 

identified, readily observable 

characteristics for extension cords have 

been addressed in a voluntary standard, 

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), 

Standard for Cord Sets and PowerSupply Cords, UL 817, 11th Edition, 

dated March 16, 2001, revised February 

3, 2014 (UL 817).1

As detailed in this notice, the 

Commission determines preliminarily 

that: 

• Minimum wire size; sufficient 

strain relief; polarization; continuity; 

outlet covers (for indoor cords); and 

flexible jacketed insulation (for outdoor 

cords) are all readily observable 

characteristics of extension cords; 

• the identified readily observable 

characteristics are addressed by a 

voluntary standard, UL 817; 

• conformance to UL 817 has been 

effective in reducing the risk of injury 

from shock and fire associated with 

indoor and outdoor extension cords; 

and 

• extension cords sold in the United 

States substantially comply with UL 

817. 

A. Background and Statutory Authority 

Section 223 of the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act of 2008 

(CPSIA), amended section 15 of the 

CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064, to add a new 

subsection (j). Section 15(j) of the CPSA 

provides the Commission with the 

authority to specify, by rule, for any 

consumer product or class of consumer 

products, characteristics whose 

existence or absence are deemed a 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS