August 4, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Illinois ( FEMA-1771-DR), dated 06/25/ 2008. Incident: Severe Storms, and Flooding. Incident Period: 06/01/2008 and continuing through 07/22/2008.

This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of Ohio dated 07/23/2008. Incident: Apartment Building Fire. Incident Period: 07/05/2008.

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Wisconsin (FEMA-1768-DR), dated 06/14/ 2008. Incident: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding. Incident Period: 06/05/2008 and continuing through 07/25/2008. Effective Date: 07/25/2008. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 08/13/2008. EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 03/13/2009.

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of MISSOURI (FEMA-1773-DR), dated 06/25/2008. Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding. Incident Period: 06/01/2008 through 07/18/2008.

On August 4, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Securities and Exchange Commission will hold a roundtable to discuss International Financial Reporting Standards (``IFRS'') and to update the Commission on IFRS developments, including the experience with use of IFRS during the recent period of market turmoil. The roundtable will be organized as two panels. The panels will include investors, issuers, auditors, and other parties with experience in IFRS reporting. Additionally, representatives from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board will be present as observers. The roundtable will be held in the auditorium of SEC headquarters at 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC. The roundtable will be open to the public with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. The roundtable discussions also will be available via webcast on the SEC's Web site at https://www.sec.gov. The roundtable agenda and other materials related to the roundtable, including a list of participants and moderators, will be accessible at https://www.sec.gov/spotlight/ ifrsroadmap.htm. The Commission welcomes feedback regarding any of the topics to be addressed at the roundtable.

The Coast Guard, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Minerals Management Service, in concert with representatives from various State governments, industry, environmental interest groups, and the general public, developed the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines to reflect the consensus agreement of the entire oil spill response community. This notice announces the PREP 5- year exercise cycle, 2009 through 2013, and requests comments from the public, and requests volunteers from industry to participate in the scheduled PREP Area exercises. The new schedule adjustment from 3 years to 5 years was created to align with the Department of Homeland Security's National Exercise 5-year Schedule.

Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez will lead a senior- level business development trade mission to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, September 28-October 4, 2008. The overall focus of the trip will be commercial opportunities for U.S. companies, including joint ventures and export opportunities. In each city (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Managua, Nicaragua and San Jose, Costa Rica) the participants will have a market briefing followed by two days of one-on-one appointments with potential buyers/partners and meetings with high-level government officials.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of three newly designated entities whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13464 of April 30, 2008, ``Blocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Burma.''

This notice announces changes in the interest rates to be paid on debentures issued with respect to a loan or mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration under the provisions of the National Housing Act (the Act). The interest rate for debentures issued under section 221(g)(4) of the Act during the 6-month period beginning July 1, 2008, is 3\7/8\ percent. The interest rate for debentures issued under any other provision of the Act is the rate in effect on the date that the commitment to insure the loan or mortgage was issued, or the date that the loan or mortgage was endorsed (or initially endorsed if there are two or more endorsements) for insurance, whichever rate is higher. The interest rate for debentures issued under these other provisions with respect to a loan or mortgage committed or endorsed during the 6-month period beginning July 1, 2008, is 4\5/8\ percent. However, as a result of an amendment to section 224 of the Act, if an insurance claim relating to a mortgage insured under sections 203 or 234 of the Act and endorsed for insurance after January 23, 2004, is paid in cash, the debenture interest rate for purposes of calculating a claim shall be the monthly average yield, for the month in which the default on the mortgage occurred, on United States Treasury Securities adjusted to a constant maturity of 10 years.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), after consultation with the General Services Administration, has reestablished the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Alternatives Workgroup (Workgroup) for 2 years. The Workgroup provides an opportunity for stakeholders to give policy and technical input on efforts to develop and implement sea lamprey control techniques alternative to lampricides in Lake Champlain.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Skate Committee in August, 2008 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Director (OD), Office of Extramural Research (OER), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2008, Volume 73, No. 49, page 13242 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Proposed Collection: Title: Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Applications and Related Forms; Type of Information Collection Request: Revision, OMB 0925-0002, Expiration Date 10/31/08. Form Numbers: PHS 416-1, 416-9, 416-5, 416-7, 6031, 6031-1. Need and Use of Information Collection: The 416-1 and 416-9 are used by individuals to apply for direct research training support. Awards are made to individual applicants for specified training proposals in biomedical and behavioral research, selected as a result of a national competition. The other related forms (PHS 416-5, 416-7, 6031, 6031-1) are used by these individuals to activate, terminate, and provide for payback of a National Research Service Award. Frequency of response: Applicants may submit applications for published receipt dates. If awarded, annual progress is reported and trainees may be appointed or reappointed. Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local or Tribal Government. Type of Respondents: Adult scientific trainees and professionals. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 34,454; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours per Response: 4.1; and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 142,301. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $4,980,535. 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) 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) 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) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to 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 sent via e-mail to 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 Ms. Mikia Currie, Project Clearance Branch, Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, NIH, Rockledge 1 Building, Suite 350, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, or call non-toll-free number (301) 435-0941, or e-mail your request, including your address to: curriem@od.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.

This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the new Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. TSA published a Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following collection of information on April 16, 2008, 73 FR 20700. This collection provides TSA critical facility and annual product through-put information from owners/operators of the nation's largest pipelines, and is necessitated by the requirements set forth in the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.

Mississippi has applied to EPA for Final authorization of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA proposes to grant final authorization to Mississippi. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, EPA is authorizing the changes by an immediate final rule. EPA did not make a proposal prior to the immediate final rule because we believe this action is not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose it. We have explained the reasons for this authorization in the preamble of the immediate final rule. Unless we get written comments which oppose this authorization during the comment period, the immediate final rule will become effective on the date it establishes, and we will not take further action on this proposal. If we receive comments that oppose this action, we will withdraw the immediate final rule and it will not take effect. We will respond to public comments in a later final rule based on this proposal. You may not have another opportunity for comment.

EPA is proposing to approve a request submitted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on May 22, 2008, to revise the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). The submission revises the Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) by amending and updating the definition of ``References to Code of Federal Regulations,'' to refer to the 2007 edition. In the final rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the SIP revision as a direct final rule without prior proposal, because EPA views this as a noncontroversial revision and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If we do not receive any adverse comments in response to these direct final and proposed rules, we do not contemplate taking any further action in relation to this proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse comments, we will withdraw the direct final rule and will respond to all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

On February 13, 2008, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) submitted a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision to request redesignation of the El Paso carbon monoxide (CO) nonattainment area to attainment for the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This submittal also included a CO maintenance plan for the El Paso area and associated Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs). The maintenance plan was developed to ensure continued attainment of the CO NAAQS for a period of 10 years from the effective date of EPA approval of redesignation to attainment. In this action, EPA is proposing to approve the El Paso CO redesignation request and the maintenance plan with its associated MVEBs as satisfying the requirements of the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) as amended in 1990.

EPA is approving a revision to the Illinois State Implementation Plan (SIP) for ozone. The state is incorporating revisions EPA made to its definition of volatile organic compound (VOC). This SIP revision adds one compound to the list of compounds that are exempt from being considered a VOC. This is because it was determined that the listed compound does not significantly contribute to ozone formation.

As part of its initiative to redesign Federal records management, NARA is revising and reorganizing the existing regulations on Federal records management to update records management strategies and techniques and to make the regulations easier to read, understand, and use. This proposed rule will affect Federal agencies.

We, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft revised recovery plan for the Mojave population of the desert tortoise for public review and comment.

This document moves the effective date of the revocation of certain inert ingredient tolerance exemptions with insufficient data for reassessment as set forth in the Federal Register on August 9, 2006 (71 FR 45415).