December 22, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or we) issues a final rule amending the disclosure requirements governing what initial and subsequent disclosures a Farm Credit System (FCS or System) qualified lender must make to a borrower when the borrower's adjustable rate loan's interest rate is directly tied to a widely publicized external index. The final rule requires qualified lenders to include, in the initial disclosure to borrowers (at loan closing), how and where to obtain information on changes to the external index. The final rule also requires qualified lenders to make the disclosures to ``existing'' borrowers with adjustable rate loans directly tied to a widely publicized external index who had not previously been given the ``new'' initial disclosures. In addition, the final rule allows qualified lenders to send written notices of subsequent rate changes to borrowers within 45 days after the effective date of the change or as part of the borrower's first regularly scheduled billing statement affected by the rate change.

The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) 95th Interim Meeting will be held January 24 to 27, 2010. Publication of this notice on the NCWM's behalf is undertaken as a public service; NIST does not endorse, approve, or recommend any of the proposals contained in this notice or in the publications of the NCWM mentioned below. The meetings are open to the public but a paid registration is required. Please see registration information in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') has preliminarily determined that the respondents in this review, for the period December 1, 2007, through November 30, 2008, have made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value. If these preliminary results are adopted in the final results of this review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries.

This notice announces that, on October 2, 2009, pursuant to Title V of the Clean Air Act, EPA issued a Title V Permit to Operate (Title V permit) to Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership (Great Lakes Gas). This permit authorizes Great Lakes Gas to operate two natural gas-fired turbine/compressors and one natural gas-fired standby electrical generator at Compressor Station 4 (CS4) near Deer River, Minnesota. CS4, which is located on privately-owned fee land within the exterior boundaries of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation, adds pressure to natural gas in Great Lakes' pipeline, causing the natural gas to flow to the next compressor station.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is considering modifications to rules governing practice before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) in ex parte patent appeals. Previously submitted comments with regard to an earlier published final rule, particularly those submitted in response to a proposed collection of information, raised some public concerns which have been reconsidered by the Office. After further consideration of these concerns, the Office is issuing this notice seeking further public comment on possible revisions to portions of the final rule. In order to facilitate a full exchange of views, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is also conducting a public session and roundtable in connection with this request for comments. Following the public comment period, if the Office determines further action is necessary, a subsequent notice of proposed rule making would be issued to solicit additional comments on specific proposals before any modified final rule would be issued.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will meet on the dates and times described below. All meetings are open to the public. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the specific issues being considered by the NEJAC. For additional information about registering for public comment, please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Due to limited space, seating at the NEJAC meeting will be on a first-come basis.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Cancer Institute, the National Cancer Institute (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collected below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2009 (74 FR 27552), and allowed 60-days for public comment. One public comment was received regarding pharmaceutical testing. The submitter responded to the e-mail. 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 valid OMB control number.

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2010 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. This final rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries, including commercial scup possession limits. This action prohibits Federally permitted commercial vessels from landing summer flounder in Delaware in 2010 due to continued quota repayment from previous years' overages.

Amendment 13 to the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) established a process for the formation of sectors and for annual NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator approval of proposed sector operations. Proposed Amendment 16, currently under NMFS review, with an expected implementation date of May 1, 2010, if approved, would significantly revise sector allocation management measures and expand sector management by authorizing up to 19 sectors for fishing year (FY) 2010.

On behalf of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), the Department of Commerce, 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.

The NRC is issuing its Final Guidance on NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants,'' Section 9.5.1.2 on staff guidance on Risk- Informed (RI), Performance-Based (PB) Fire Protection Program (FPP) for Operating Nuclear Power Plants (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML092590527). This guidance is being issued as an alternate to the existing guidance currently provided under Standard Review Plan (SRP) Section 9.5.1.1. This is stand alone guidance and is provided for the benefit of licensees of existing plants who choose to adopt RI/PB FPP that meets the requirements of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 805.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vale District Office, Vale, Oregon intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed actions pertaining to livestock grazing systems and rangeland developments that will affect 10 livestock grazing permit terms and conditions in the Trout Creek Geographic Management Area (TCGMA) Vale District. Actions may include, for example, installation and/or removal of fences and water developments, changes to duration or season of use of grazing, and other changes to the terms and conditions of affected grazing permits. By this notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process and soliciting input on the identification of issues.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (``Commission'' or ``CPSC'') is announcing a two day staff-conducted public workshop to receive views from all interested parties on establishing a public consumer product safety incident database. The workshop, to be held on January 11 and 12, 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland, seeks input from stakeholders on five aspects of the public database: Data analysis and reporting; reports of harm; manufacturer notification and response; additional database content, and materially inaccurate information. Participation by members of the public is invited.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.