March 21, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, as Joint Leads, will prepare an Environmental Assessment of the impacts associated with implementation of a Conjunctive Use Water Efficiency project in East Juab County, Utah. This project anticipates the rehabilitation of several existing wells, as well as the potential development of additional groundwater wells, in order to more efficiently utilize existing ground-water supplies in conjunction with existing surface water supplies. The project further anticipates implementation of additional centralized or distributed booster pump capability, extension of associated distribution system pipelines and overhead power lines, and development and implementation of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Also anticipated is the construction of a bypass pipeline along a segment of existing irrigation canal to reduce loss of water during the late irrigation season period of water shortage and perforated infiltration pipelines to recharge water to the groundwater basin at other times.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix as amended), the Sunshine in the Government Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.150, and in accordance with section 10(a)(2) of Public Law, the following meeting is announced: Name of Committee: Defense Health Board (DHB). Dates: April 23 and 24, 2008. Times: April 23, 2008: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (Open Session). 1 p.m.-4:15 p.m. (Open Session). April 24, 2008: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (Open Session). Place of Meeting: Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, Washington 98402. Purpose of the Meeting: The purpose of the meeting is to address and deliberate pending and new Board issues and provide briefings for Board members on topics related to ongoing Board business. Agenda: The Board will receive an update on the Department's efforts to reengineer the Disability Evaluation Program. The Board will receive reports from the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence and the Traumatic Brain Injury External Advisory Subcommittees. The Board will also deliberate recommendations regarding the DoD Pandemic Inflluenza Preparedness Update and Influenza Update. On April 24, 2008, the Board will receive a Military Vaccine Agency Update of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers and the Biowarfare Countermeasures Subcommittee Report will also be discussed. A question to the Board will be presented on the Joint Pathology Center. A presentation on the DoD Biological Specimen Repositories and Health Risk Assessment, Burn Pit Exposures Balad Air Base. Recommendations on Convalescent Plasma and DHB Chlamydia Recommendations to ASD (HA) will be presented. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended, and 41 CFR 102-3.140 through 102-3.165 and subject availability of space, the Defense Health Board meeting from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on April 23, 2008 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 24, 2008 is open to the public. Any member of the public wishing to provide input to the Defense Health Board should submit a written statement in accordance with 41 CFR 102-3.140(C) and section 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the procedures described in this notice. Written statement should be not longer than two type-written pages and must address the following detail: The issue, discussion, and a recommended course of action. Supporting documentation may also be included as needed to establish the appropriate historical context and to provide any necessary background information. Individuals desiring to submit a written statement may do so through the Board's Designated Federal Officer at the address detailed below at any point. However, if the written statement is not received at least 10 calendar days prior to the meeting, which is subject to this notice, then it may not be provided to or considered by the Defense Health Board until the next open meeting. The Designated Federal Officer will review all timely submissions with the Defense Health Board Chairperson, and ensure they are provided to members of the Defense Health Board before the meeting that is subject to this notice. After reviewing the written comments, the Chairperson and the Designated Federal Officer may choose to invite the submitter of the comments to orally present their issue during an open portion of this meeting or at a future meeting. The Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the Defense Health Board Chairperson, may, if desired, allot a specific amount of time for members of the public to present their issues for review and discussion by the Defense Health Board.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is granting a waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (Indoor and Outdoor Electrical Lighting Fixtures). The basis for waiver is that no small business manufacturers are supplying this class of product to the Federal government. The effect of a waiver would be to allow otherwise qualified regular dealers to supply the products of any domestic manufacturer on a Federal contract set aside for small businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses or SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Koyuk Native Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Koyuk, Alaska, and are located in:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Maritime Administration's (MARAD's) intentions to request extension of approval for three years of a currently approved information collection.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Sitnasuak Native Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Nome, Alaska, and are located in:

The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuges and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District in Morehouse, Union, Richland, East Carroll, West Carroll, Natchitoches, and Grant Parishes, Louisiana, is available for distribution. This Draft CCP/EA was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Draft CCP/EA describes the Service's proposal for management of these refuges and the wetlands management district over the next 15 years.

Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for renewal of an information collection request. The original information collection request was approved (OMB Clearance 0925-0543) following publication in the Federal Register on January 9, 2004, page 1589 and December 2, 2004, page 70153. The proposed collection extension was previously published in the Federal Register on January 16, 2008, page 2925 and allowed 60 days for public comment. Only one public comment was received during the previous comment period. It was received via e-mail from a concerned citizen who stated that she felt that the study should no longer continue because it is not a good use of tax dollars. 5 CFR 1320.5 (General Requirements) Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements: Final Rule requires that the agency inform the potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. This information is required to be stated in the 30-day Federal Register Notice. Proposed Collection: Title: Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE Study). Type of Information Collection Request: EXTENSION (OMB control number 0925-0543, expiration date, March 30, 2008). Need and Use of Information Collection: The purpose of the LIFE Study is to assess the impact of environmental factors, broadly defined to include lifestyle factors, on human reproduction and development. The LIFE Study is consistent with the mission of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that includes conducting basic, clinical and epidemiologic research focusing on factors and processes associated with human reproduction and development thereby, ensuring the birth of healthy infants capable of reaching full adult potential unimpaired by physical or mental disabilities. This study will assess the relation between select environmental factors and human reproduction and development. This research originally proposed to recruit 960 couples who are interested in becoming pregnant and willing to participate in a longitudinal study. Fewer than expected couples were enrolled during the first three years of the project (n = 350), predominantly due to the fact that more couples were ineligible for participation than had been originally estimated. In light of this fact, the revised study plan is to enroll a total of 500 couples (i.e., 150 additional couples), a sample size that will not compromise the main study objectives. Couples will be selected from geographic regions that were chosen from peer reviewed competitive proposals. Fecundity will be measured by the time required for the couples to achieve pregnancy, while fertility will be measured by the ability of couples to have a live born infant. Infertility will be recognized for couples unable to conceive within 12 months of trying. The study's primary environmental exposures include: Organochlorine pesticides; polychlorinated biphenyls; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; metals; perfluorinated compounds; cotinine; and phytoestrogens. A growing body of literature suggests these compounds may exert adverse effects on human reproduction and development; however, definitive data are lacking especially for sensitive endpoints. Couples will participate in a 25- minute baseline interview and be instructed in the use of home fertility monitors and pregnancy kits for counting the time required for pregnancy and detecting pregnancy. Blood and urine samples will be collected at baseline from both partners of the couple for measurement of the environmental exposures. Two semen samples from male partners and two saliva samples from female partners also will be requested. Semen samples will be used to globally assess male fecundity as measured primarily by sperm concentration and morphology. Saliva samples will be used for the measurement of cortisol levels as a marker of stress among female partners so that the relation between environmental factors, stress and human reproduction can be assessed. The findings will provide valuable information regarding the effect of environmental contaminants on sensitive markers of human reproduction and development, filling critical data gaps. Moreover, these environmental exposures will be analyzed in the context of other lifestyle exposures such as use of cigarettes and alcohol, consistent with the manner in which human beings are exposed. Frequency of Response: Following the baseline interview (25 minutes), couples will each complete a 2-minute daily diary on select lifestyle factors. Women will perform daily fertility testing (7 minutes) approximately 11 days per cycle and pregnancy testing (4 minutes) at day of expected menses using a dipstick test in urine. Approximately 60% of women will become pregnant after 2 to 3 months, at which point they will switch to the less intensive portion of the protocol. Men will provide two semen samples, a month apart, requiring approximately 20 minutes for each collection, and women will collect two saliva samples, a month apart, requiring approximately 6 minutes each. Participating couples will be given a choice to submit their information by mail or to send it electronically to the Data Coordinating Center. This option will be available throughout data collection in the event couples change their minds about how they would like to submit information. Study participants will collect semen and saliva samples and forward them in prepaid delivery packages to the study's laboratories. Research nurses will collect blood and urine samples and return them to the study's laboratories. Affected Public: Individuals from participating communities. Type of Respondents: Men aged 18+ years and women aged 18-40 years. Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 500 couples enrolling (minimum of 400 completing the study). Estimated Number of Response Sets Per Respondent: 7 per woman and 4 per man over approximately two years. Average Burden Hours Per Response: (1) 0.17 hours for completing the screening instrument; (2) 0.42 hours for baseline interviews with men and women; (3) 2.5 hours for daily journal while attempting pregnancy for men and women; (4) 0.38 and 0.7 hours for biospecimen collection for women and men, respectively; (5) 2.6 hours for fertility monitors; (6) 0.27 hours for pregnancy testing for women; and (7) 0.29 hours for pregnancy journals for women. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 1,640 to 4,950 hours for female participants and 1,050 to 2,740 hours for male participants depending upon the length of time required for pregnancy. There is no cost to respondents. There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs, and/or Maintenance Costs to report. Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov, or by fax to 202-395-6974, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact: Dr. Germaine M. Buck Louis, Epidemiology Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics & Prevention Research, NICHD, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 7B03, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-496-6155. You may also e-mail your request to louisg@mail.nih.gov. Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of the date of this publication.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS and the Treasury Department are issuing temporary and final regulations relating to certain business entities included on the list of foreign business entities that are always classified as corporations for Federal tax purposes. The regulations are needed to make the Federal tax classification of Bulgarian public limited liability companies consistent with the Federal tax classification of public limited liability companies organized in other countries of the European Economic Area. They will affect persons owning an interest in a Bulgarian aktsionerno druzhestvo on or after January 1, 2007. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

This document contains corrections to final and temporary regulations (TD 9368) that were published in the Federal Register on Friday, December 21, 2007 (72 FR 72582) regarding the reduction of the number of separate foreign tax credit limitation categories under section 904(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. These regulations affect taxpayers claiming foreign tax credits and provide guidance needed to comply with the statutory changes made by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 13929, Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)Paper Check Request, Form 13562, Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)General Registration Information Form, and Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)Administrative Change Form.