Department of Homeland Security August 27, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) plan to conduct a test concerning the manifesting and entry of residual cargo found in containers arriving as Instruments of International Traffic (IIT). The document also announces that CBP will begin enforcement of HQ Ruling H026715, dated June 19, 2009, when the test announced in this document begins. In HQ Ruling H026715, CBP held that in order to ensure the safety and security of the transportation of IIT containers and the CBP Officers who may examine or work in close proximity to them, IIT containers with residual cargo should not be manifested as empty consistent with the advance cargo information reporting requirements authorized pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 2071 note. The modified ruling, HQ H026715, requires that residue within containers be ``classified, entered, and manifested.'' CBP recognizes that the trade community believes that the requirement to manifest and enter for residual cargo in accordance with the current regulations would be overly burdensome. As a result, CBP, with input from the trade, has developed a test in order to determine a less burdensome way for the trade to manifest and enter residual cargo in IITs while also ensuring the safety and security of CBP Officers and the transportation of such IITs. Accordingly, this test will allow for a new type of entry designed to capture residue in containers that will be cleaned or re-filled that can be made off the manifest through an indicator that identifies it as a Residue Entry. Parties not wishing to participate in the test, however, will be required to ``classify, enter, and manifest'' (formal or informal entry) the residual cargo in accordance with the underlying statutes and their implementing regulations when the test begins.

On June 17, 2013, FEMA published in the Federal Register (78 FR 36220-36222) a proposed flood hazard determination notice that contained an erroneous table. This notice provides corrections to that table, to be used in lieu of the information published at 78 FR 36220. The table provided here represents the proposed flood hazard determinations and communities affected for Orange County, Texas, and Incorporated Areas.

This notice lists communities where the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway (hereinafter referred to as flood hazard determinations), as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for each community, is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. The FIRM, and where applicable, portions of the FIS report, have been revised to reflect these flood hazard determinations through issuance of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), in accordance with FEMA regulations. The LOMR will be used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and the contents of those buildings. For rating purposes, the currently effective community number is shown in the table below and must be used for all new policies and renewals.

This notice lists communities where the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway (hereinafter referred to as flood hazard determinations), as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for each community, is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. The FIRM, and where applicable, portions of the FIS report, have been revised to reflect these flood hazard determinations through issuance of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The LOMR will be used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and the contents of those buildings. For rating purposes, the currently effective community number is shown in the table below and must be used for all new policies and renewals.

The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate, in an operational setting, at least one promising technology approach to the ``Next Generation Arctic Maritime Navigational Safety Information System,'' which provides important, time-critical, information to mariners, in order that they may better assess and manage their voyage risks, as they transit the remote and hostile waters of the U.S. Arctic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with MXAK, it is soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential non-Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Inspectorate America Corporation, has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of March 6, 2013.