March 1, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announces its spring meeting with its Species Working Group Technical Advisors on March 7-8, 2005. The Committee will meet to discuss matters relating to ICCAT, including, the results from the 2004 ICCAT meeting; the U.S. implementation of ICCAT decisions; the 2005 ICCAT and NMFS research and monitoring activities; the 2005 ICCAT activities; the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act required consultation on the identification of countries that are diminishing the effectiveness of ICCAT; the NMFS Recreational Fishery Landings Estimates Review; the results of the meetings of the Committee's Species Working Groups; and other matters relating to the international management of ICCAT species

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), this notice advises interested persons of the fourth meeting of the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (Council) under its charter renewed as of December 29, 2003. The meeting will be held at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by specified sectors in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2005 A season allowances of the Pacific code total allowable catch (TAC) specified for Pacific cod in the GOA.

This document contains a correction to the final regulation (FR Doc. 04-28173) which was published in the Federal Register of Monday, January 3, 2005 (70 FR 25). The regulation section 73.673 relates to the obligation of television broadcasters to protect and serve children in their audience.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), CEQ NEPA Regulations (40 CFR 1502.9[c][1]), and Public Resources Code, sections 21000-21177 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15088.5 of the CEQA Guidelines, the Bureau of Reclamation the lead Federal agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a cooperating Federal agency, and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the lead State agency, have made available for public review and comment a Draft SEIS/REIR for the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project (Restoration Project). The notice of availability of the original joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report) (Draft EIS/ EIR) and notice of public workshop and notice of public hearing was published in the Federal Register on Friday July 18, 2003 (68 FR 42758). Numerous comments addressing a wide range of issues were received on the Draft EIS/EIR, with some warranting circulation of supplemental/revised information to the original joint environmental document. The Draft SEIS/REIR will disclose a new environmental analysis and propose mitigation regarding the increased risk of fish disease infection at private aquaculture facilities through the increase of naturally-spawning Battle Creek salmon and steelhead species under the Restoration Project. In addition, the Draft SEIS/REIR will disclose the potentially significant environmental effects of spreading certain harmful fish diseases from Battle Creek via private trout aquaculture operations that transfer trout from facilities in the Project Area to other State waters. The Draft SEIS/REIR will also disclose information regarding the 8 Dam Removal alternative and its dismissal from further consideration.

This rule establishes a continuing assessment rate for the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee) for the 2004-05 and subsequent fiscal periods of $0.0014 per pound of pistachios received for processing and establishes assessment reporting requirements under the California pistachio marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of pistachios grown in California and is administered by the Committee. Authorization to assess pistachio handlers enables the Committee to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The fiscal period began September 1 and ends August 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated. Requiring handlers to file annual reports with the Committee will facilitate the Committee's collection of handler assessments.

This notice announces a meeting of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC). Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulation governing the operation of the State Highway 188 vertical lift span bridge, across Bayou La Batre, mile 2.3, at Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The proposed rule would allow the draw of the bridge to remain closed to navigation at specific vehicular peak rush hour time periods due to an increase in commuter traffic, Monday through Friday. This rule will allow for better coordination and facilitate movement of both vehicular and marine traffic at the bridge site.

The Coast Guard gives notice of the assessment, by consent order, of a Class II administrative penalty against Union Oil Company of California (UNOCAL) for an unlawful oil discharge at UNOCAL's King Salmon oil production platform, in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The consent order was issued without prior public hearing. Interested persons may petition the Coast Guard to set aside the consent order and provide a hearing.

Minerals Management Service (MMS), in accordance with Federal Regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the availability of NEPA-related Site-Specific Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI), prepared by MMS for the following oil and gas activities proposed on the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) provides the Attorney General with the authority to specify, by regulation, additional chemicals as ``List II'' chemicals if they are used in the manufacture of a controlled substance in violation of the CSA. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing the addition of sodium permanganate as a List II chemical because of its direct substitutability for potassium permanganate (a List II chemical) in the illicit production of cocaine. As a List II chemical, handlers of sodium permanganate would be subject to CSA chemical regulatory controls including recordkeeping, reporting, and import/export requirements. DEA has determined that these controls are necessary to prevent the diversion of this chemical to cocaine laboratories. DEA is also proposing that a cumulative threshold of 55 kilograms and 500 kilograms be established (respectively) for domestic and international transactions. As such, all transactions which meet or exceed these quantities (in a calendar month) shall be considered regulated transactions, subject to recordkeeping, reporting and/or import/export notification requirements. Additionally DEA is proposing that sodium permanganate chemical mixtures having less than or equal to 15 percent sodium permanganate shall qualify for automatic exemption from CSA chemical regulatory controls pursuant to 21 CFR part 1310. All handlers of the List II chemical sodium permanganate would also be subject to the applicable civil and criminal penalty provisions found in 21 U.S.C. 841, 842, 843, 959 and 960.

The EPA is proposing to approve a revision to Maine's plan for controlling air pollution according to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (i.e., a ``111(d) plan''). This revision changes state regulations controlling the emission of total reduced sulfur (``TRS'') from existing kraft paper mills by making April 17, 2007 the compliance date for brownstock washers. This action is being taken in accordance with section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (``CAA'').

The purpose of this notice is to announce that between March 1, 1999, and November 30, 2004, the Region 2 Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued 9 final determinations, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued 12 final determinations and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) issued 13 final determinations pursuant to the Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality (PSD) regulations codified at 40 CFR 52.21.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (ID) of the presiding administrative law judge (ALJ) in the above-captioned investigation finding two respondents, Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and Shandong Worldbest Shantou Co., Ltd., in default, and to have waived their respective rights to appear, to be served with documents, and to contest the allegations at issue in the investigation.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6 and 404.7, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of U.S. Patent No. 6,672,323 entitled ``Multi-Purpose Self-Erecting Structure Having Advanced Insect Protection and Storage Characteristics,'' issued January 6, 2004. The United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Army, has rights in this invention.

The Tehama County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public Comment, (4) Project Proposals, (6) Reno Trip Agenda, (7) General Discussion, (8) County Update, (9) Next Agenda.

The Bugtown Gulch Mountain Pine Beetle and Fuels project area is approximately 16,000 acres in size, with 13,500 acres of National Forest lands and 2,500 acres of private land. The project proposes prevention, suppression and salvage strategies to reduce the beetle infestation and minimize adverse effects to resources and includes fuel treatments to lessen the potential for widespread high intensity wildfire. There are approximately 49 structures on private land within the project area and another 35 within 1 mile of the project boundary. Between 1999 and 2004, Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) mortality in the project areas has increased 14-fold. The beetle population, based on the number of dead trees, continues to increase an average of 2-3 times per year in the project area and is spreading. Some pine stands have already suffered 50-75% mortality. The Acting Black Hills National Forest, Forest Supervisor, Brad Exton, has determined that a mountain pine beetle epidemic is occurring in the project area and that the epidemic could pose significant threats to forest resources in the project area, including wildlife habitat, forest products and watershed health. Currently, approximately 85% of the project area is ponderosa pine stands in a high risk condition for mountain pine beetles susceptibility. This includes approximately 718 acres within the Wabash timber sale which is under contract, but not yet harvested. This project is an ``authorized project'' under Title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HERA). We will be utilizing expedited procedures authorized by this act to complete project planning and decisionmaking.

The meeting of the Central California Advisory Council scheduled for March 11 and 12, 2005, as announced in the Federal Register on February 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 30, Page 7757) is cancelled for logistical reasons, and will be rescheduled for July.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), two meetings of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC), Nevada, will be held as indicated below. Topics for discussion at the meetings will include, but are not limited to: Manager's reports of current field office activities; RAC subcommittee reports on guidelines for wild horse management; Carson City Field Office Energy RMP Amendment/DEIS; Churchill County RMP Amendment/EA; Pine Nut Mountain RMP Amendment/DEIS; Granite-Fox Power Plant Project; Coer-Rochester Mine Plan/DEIS; BLM-Nevada Draft OHV Route Inventory & Designation Strategy; Winnemucca RMP/DEIS; Winnemucca Field Office Wildfire Support Group; Sierra Front Recreation Coalition Map; and additional topics the council may raise during the meetings.

This order amends the Producer milk provision of the Arizona- Las Vegas milk marketing order to eliminate the ability to simultaneously pool the same milk on the order and on a State-operated order that provides for marketwide pooling. More than the required number of producers on the Arizona-Las Vegas order have approved the issuance of the interim order as amended.