July 16, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2009 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in October 2008. The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces it is inviting proposals for the 2009 Quality Samples Program (QSP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in October 2008. QSP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing supplemental identification information for the names of two entities whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, ``Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism.''

This document contains final and temporary regulations under section 901 of the Internal Revenue Code providing guidance relating to the determination of the amount of taxes paid for purposes of the foreign tax credit. The regulations affect taxpayers that claim direct and indirect foreign tax credits. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations (REG-156779-06) published in the Proposed Rules section in this issue of the Federal Register .

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty order on silicon metal from the Russian Federation (Russia), would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing a notice of continuation for this antidumping duty order.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has determined that certain polyester/nylon corduroy fabrics, as specified below, are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The product will be added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities.

This document contains a correction to a notice of proposed rulemaking by cross-reference to temporary regulations (REG-121698-08) that was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 (73 FR 37910) providing updated guidance affecting tax return preparers regarding the disclosure of a taxpayer's social security number to a tax return preparer located outside of the United States in order to provide an exception allowing such disclosure with the taxpayer's consent in limited circumstances.

This document contains a correction to final and temporary regulations (TD 9409) that was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 (73 FR 37804) providing rules relating to the disclosure and use of tax return information by tax return preparers. These regulations provide updated guidance regarding the disclosure of a taxpayer's social security number to a tax return preparer located outside of the United States.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus thuringiensis modified Cry1Ab protein as identified under OECD Unique Identifier SYN-IR67B-1 when used as a plant-incorporated protectant in the food and feed commodities of cotton; cotton, undelinted seed; cotton, refined oil; cotton, meal; cotton, hay; cotton, hulls; cotton, forage; and cotton, gin byproducts. Syngenta Seeds, Inc. submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Bacillus thuringiensis modified Cry1Ab protein as identified under OECD Unique Identifier SYN-IR67B-1 when used as a plant-incorporated protectant in cotton.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the soil fumigant pesticides chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/potassium, and methyl bromide, and opens a public comment period on these documents. The Agency's risk assessments and other related documents also are available in the Dockets for these pesticides, listed in the Table in Unit II. Soil fumigants are used to kill soil-borne pests in producing many crops, including primarily potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries carrots, and peppers. EPA has reviewed chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/ potassium, and methyl bromide through the public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.

The Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Calypso LNG L.L.C., Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port license application. The application describes a project that would be located in the Federal waters of the Outer Continental Shelf in the OCS NG 17-06 (Bahamas) lease area, approximately 8 to 10 miles off the east coast of Florida to the northeast of Port Everglades, in a water depth of 800 to 950 feet. The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration request public comments on the FEIS. Publication of this notice begins a 45 day comment period and provides information on how to participate in the process. An announcement of the public hearing for matters relevant to the approval, denial, or approval with conditions of the license application will be published in the future and will include another opportunity to provide comments.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish energy conservation standards for certain commercial and industrial equipment, including commercial heating, air-conditioning, and water- heating products. Of particular relevance here, the statute also requires that each time the corresponding consensus standardthe American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE)/ Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1is amended, DOE must assess whether there is a need to update the uniform national energy conservation standards for the same equipment covered under EPCA. ASHRAE officially released an amended version of this industry standard (ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007) on January 10, 2008, thereby triggering DOE's related obligations under EPCA. As a first step in meeting these statutory requirements, today's notice of data availability (NODA) discusses the results of DOE's analysis of the energy savings potential of amended energy conservation standards for certain types of commercial equipment covered by ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Potential energy savings are based upon either the efficiency levels specified in the amended industry standard (i.e., ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007) or more stringent levels that would result in significant additional conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified. DOE is publishing this NODA to: (1) Announce the results and preliminary conclusions of DOE's analysis of potential energy savings associated with amended standards for this equipment, and (2) request public comment on this analysis, as well as the submission of data and other relevant information.

The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation will meet in the Department of State, 2201 ``C'' Street, NW., Washington, DC, September 8-9, 2008, in Conference Room 1498. Prior notification and a valid government-issued photo ID (such as driver's license, passport, U.S. government or military ID) are required for entrance into the building. Members of the public planning to attend must notify Nathaniel Smith, Office of the Historian (202-663-3268) no later than September 4, 2008, to provide date of birth, valid government-issued photo identification number and type (such as driver's license number/state, passport number/country, or U.S. government ID number/agency or military ID number/branch), and relevant telephone numbers. If you cannot provide one of the enumerated forms of ID, please consult with Nathaniel Smith for acceptable alternative forms of picture identification. The Committee will meet in open session from 1:30 p.m. through 3 p.m. on Monday, September 8, 2008, in the Department of State, 2201 ``C'' Street, NW., Washington, DC, in Conference Room 1498, to discuss declassification and transfer of Department of State records to the National Archives and Records Administration and the status of the Foreign Relations series. The remainder of the Committee's sessions from 3:15 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, September 8, 2008, and 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2008, will be closed in accordance with Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463). The agenda calls for discussions of agency declassification decisions concerning the Foreign Relations series and other declassification issues. These are matters not subject to public disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and the public interest requires that such activities be withheld from disclosure. Questions concerning the meeting should be directed to Marc J. Susser, Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, Department of State, Office of the Historian, Washington, DC 20520, telephone (202) 663-1123, (e-mail history@state.gov).

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as amended, and Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960'', imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, from on or about September 13, 2008, until on or about January 18, 2009, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. Public Notice of these Determinations is ordered to be published in the Federal Register.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comment on information needed to determine the correct rate of subsistence allowance and wages payable to a trainee in an approved on-the-job training or apprenticeship program.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations to adjust the time period for filing a response to a Supplemental Statement of the Case in appeals to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from 60 days to 30 days. The purpose of this adjustment is to improve efficiency in the appeals process and reduce the time that it takes to resolve appeals while still providing appellants with a reasonable period to respond to a Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will consider the issues raised in a petition for rulemaking submitted by Christine O. Gregoire, Governor of the State of Washington, in the NRC's rulemaking process. Further information on this rulemaking may be tracked through https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2008-0120. The petition was docketed by the NRC on March 15, 2007, and was assigned Docket No. PRM-71-13 [NRC-2007-0022]. The petitioner requested that the NRC amend its regulations to require the use of global positioning satellite (GPS) for tracking vehicles transporting highly radioactive mobile or portable radioactive devices. The petitioner also stated that another alternative was for the Commission to grant states the flexibility to impose more stringent requirements than those required under NRC's current increased controls. The NRC has determined that this petition will be considered through NRC's rulemaking process.