December 18, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice provides the time and location of public meetings that will be held by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled ``Large Aircraft Security Program, Other Aircraft Operator Security Program, and Airport Operator Security Program'' (LASP NPRM), which was published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2008 (73 FR 64790).

The Department of the Navy hereby gives notice of its intent to grant to Vytral Systems Co. Ltd, LLC a revocable, nonassignable, partially exclusive license to practice throughout the United States the Government-owned inventions described in U.S. Patent App. No. 11/ 086,737 (Navy Case Number 95819): Wireless Serial Data Transmission Method and Apparatus and all patents or patent applications: (i) To which any of the above mentioned patents directly claims priority, (ii) for which any of the above mentioned patents directly forms a basis for priority, (iii) that were co-owned applications that directly incorporate by reference, or are incorporated by reference into, any of the above mentioned patents; (iv) reissues, reexaminations, extensions, continuations, continuing prosecution applications, requests for continuing examinations, divisions, and registrations of any of the above mentioned patents; and (v) foreign patents, patent applications and counterparts relating to any of the above mentioned Patents, including, without limitation, certificates of invention, utility models, industrial design protection, design patent protection, and other governmental grants or issuances.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above that would supersede an existing AD. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Medford, WI. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Taylor County Airport, Medford, WI. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Taylor County Airport.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 222: Inmarsat Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Services.

This final rule adopts, in part, the proposed changes to the rules and procedures concerning the standards of representation and professional conduct for practitioners who appear before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which includes the immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board). It also clarifies who is authorized to represent and appear on behalf of individuals in proceedings before the Board and the immigration judges. Current regulations set forth who may represent individuals in proceedings before EOIR and also set forth the rules and procedures for imposing disciplinary sanctions against practitioners who engage in criminal, unethical, or unprofessional conduct, or in frivolous behavior before EOIR. The final rule increases the number of grounds for discipline, improves the clarity and uniformity of the existing rules, and incorporates miscellaneous technical and procedural changes. The changes herein are based upon the Attorney General's initiative for improving the adjudicatory processes for the immigration judges and the Board, as well as EOIR's operational experience in administering the disciplinary program since the current process was established in 2000.

The Department of Justice is publishing this final rule to amend the regulations regarding voluntary departure. This rule adopts, without substantial change, the proposed rule under which a grant of voluntary departure is automatically withdrawn upon the filing of a motion to reopen or reconsider with the immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) or a petition for review in a federal court of appeals. This final rule adopts, with some modification, the proposed rule under which an immigration judge will set a presumptive civil monetary penalty of $3,000 if the alien fails to depart within the time allowed. However, this rule adopts only in part the proposals to amend the provisions relating to the voluntary departure bond. Finally, this rule adopts the notice advisals in the proposed rule and incorporates additional notice requirements in light of public comments.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for the Milwaukee, WI, area. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Waukesha County Airport, Waukesha, WI. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Waukesha County Airport. Also, a technical amendment is being made changing the name of John H. Batten Field to John H. Batten Airport.

The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is amending its regulations to incorporate technical and conforming amendments. They include clarifications and corrections of typographical errors.

This action proposes to modify the existing Class E airspace at Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Reno, NV. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using the Localizer (LOC) Z Runway 16R approach at Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Reno, NV. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Reno, NV.

On December 2, 2008, the Department of Education, the Department of the Treasury, and the Office of Management and Budget (collectively, ``Secretaries and Director'') jointly published a notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 73263) announcing the terms and conditions under which the Department will purchase loans pursuant to section 459A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), enacted by the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-227) and amended by Public Law 110-315 and Public Law 110- 350 (December 2 Notice). The terms and conditions announced in the December 2 Notice apply to the purchase of Federal Family Education Loan Program (``FFELP'') loans made for the 2007-2008 academic year (the ``Short-term Purchase Program''). Included as an appendix to the December 2 Notice was the Master Loan Sale Agreement under which these purchases will be made. This notice makes three corrections to the December 2 Notice.

The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as required by the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, established the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG) in March 2001. The NPOAG was formed to provide continuing advice and counsel with respect to commercial air tour operations over and near national parks and adjacent tribal lands. This notice informs the public of a vacancy (due to completion of membership on April 2, 2009) on the NPOAG (now the NPOAG Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) for a representative of Native American tribal concerns and invites interested persons to apply to fill the vacancy. A previous notice was published in the Federal Register on October 16, 2008. but did not draw adequate response from any interested individuals. This notice is being re-published to identify qualified candidates to fill the position.

This final rule provides an administrative reporting exemption from particular notification requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended. In addition, this final rule provides a limited administrative reporting exemption in certain cases from requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, also known as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. Specifically, the administrative reporting exemption applies to releases of hazardous substances to the air that meet or exceed their reportable quantity where the source of those hazardous substances is animal waste at farms. Nothing in this final rule changes the notification requirements if hazardous substances are released to the air from any source other than animal waste at farms (e.g., ammonia tanks), or if any hazardous substances from animal waste are released to any other environmental media, (e.g., soil, ground water, or surface water) when the release of those hazardous substances is at or above its reportable quantity. Also, the administrative reporting exemption under section 103 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, does not limit any of the Agency's other authorities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act sections 104 (response authorities), 106 (abatement actions), 107 (liability), or any other provisions of the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Accordingly, EPA believes this administrative reporting exemption not only leaves in place important Agency response authorities that can be used to protect human health and the environment if needed, but also is consistent with the Agency's goal to reduce reporting burden, particularly considering that Federal, State or local response officials are unlikely to respond to notifications of air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms.

DoD has issued an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a determination made by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics with regard to the acquisition of items containing para- aramid fibers and yarns manufactured in a foreign country. The determination authorizes DoD to acquire articles containing para-aramid fibers and yarns manufactured in foreign countries that have entered into a defense memorandum of understanding with the United States.

DoD is making technical amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update contact information in a contract clause and to make minor editorial corrections.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collection of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice or by accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/ OMBControlNumber.cfm.

This notice announces a cancelation of NHTSA's December 17, 2008, public meeting regarding its Initial Decision that model year (MY) 2007 and certain MY 2008 BMW Mini Cooper S vehicles (subject vehicles) contain a defect related to motor vehicle safety in the vehicle's exhaust pipe tips.