March 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2005 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock specified for the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

EPA Region 6 is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants interested in applying for Federal assistance for Water Quality Cooperative Agreements (WQCA) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 104(b)(3). Funding is for projects conducted within the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Region 6 EPA intends to award an estimated $700,000 to eligible applicants through assistance agreements ranging in size, on average, from $40,000 up to $200,000 (Federal) for innovative projects/demonstrations/studies relating to the prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. From the proposals received, EPA estimates up to 4 to 7 projects may be selected to submit full applications. The Agency reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no awards.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District's portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern particulate matter emissions from agricultural operations. We are proposing to approve a local rule to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

EPA is seeking public comment on a January 10, 2005, petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), available in docket number OPP-2005-0077, requesting that the Agency revoke, or in the alternative, modify all tolerances for the pesticide carbaryl. The petitioner, NRDC, requests this action to obtain what they believe would be proper application of the safety standards of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), section 408, as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. NRDC is filing this petition in response to a Notice of Availability for the Carbaryl Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED), published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2004. The carbaryl IRED is available on the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/edocket under docket number OPP- 2003-0376 and on the Agency's pesticide web page, https://www.epa.gov/ pesticides/reregistration/status.htm.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2005. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

EPA proposes to approve a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the state of Iowa. The purpose of this revision is to approve the 2004 update to the Polk County Board of Health Rules and Regulations, Chapter V, Air Pollution. These revisions will help to ensure consistency between the applicable local agency rules and Federally-approved rules, and ensure Federal enforceability of the applicable parts of the local agency air programs.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions were submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to establish and require reasonably available control technology (RACT) for four major sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). These sources are located in Pennsylvania. EPA is approving these revisions to establish RACT requirements in the SIP in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is taking direct final action on revisions to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE). The revisions update the SIP's reference to the EPA definition of volatile organic compounds (VOC). EPA is approving these revisions to the State of Maryland's SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the purpose of establishing and requiring reasonably available control technology (RACT) for ten major sources of nitrogen oxides (NOX). In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions were submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to establish and require reasonably available control technology (RACT) for five major sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). These sources are located in Pennsylvania. EPA is approving these revisions to establish RACT requirements in the SIP in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the chemical and biological weapons end-user/end- use controls in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Specifically, this final rule expands the country scope of the EAR restrictions on certain chemical and biological weapons end-uses to apply to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to any destination, worldwide. Prior to the publication of this rule, such restrictions applied only to exports and reexports of items subject to the EAR to certain countries of concern for chemical and/or biological reasons. The amendments are consistent with the ``catch-all'' provisions in the Australia Group's (AG) ``Guidelines for Transfers of Sensitive Chemical or Biological Items.''

The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement announces a priority, requirements, and definitions under the Professional Development for Arts Educators program. We may use this priority and these requirements and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified national need for professional development for arts educators and other instructional staff that focuses on the development, enhancement, and expansion of standards-based arts instruction or that integrates arts instruction with other subject area content, and to improve student achievement of low-income students in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12). We intend the priority, requirements, and definitions to enable the Department to award grants that improve the performance of needy children and that increase the amount of information on effective professional development for arts educators that is available nationally.

The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement announces a priority, requirements, and definitions under the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination program. We may use this priority, and these requirements and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified national need for the enhancement, expansion, documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that are based on research and have demonstrated that they effectively: (1) Integrate standards-based arts education into the core elementary and middle school curricula; (2) strengthen standards-based arts instruction in these grades; and (3) improve students' academic performance, including their skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts. We intend the priority, requirements, and definitions to enable the Department to award grants that increase the amount of information on effective models for arts education that is available nationally and that integrate the arts with standards-based education programs.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) has adopted final amendments to its Regulation A to reflect the Board's approval of an increase in the primary credit rate at each Federal Reserve Bank. The secondary credit rate at each Reserve Bank automatically increased by formula as a result of the Board's primary credit rate action.

This notice announces that a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge are available for review and comment. The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires the Service to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in developing a comprehensive conservation plan is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, the plan identifies wildlife- dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, - 311 and -315 airplanes. This proposed AD would require installation of check valves in Numbers 1 and 2 hydraulic systems, removal of the filters from the brake shuttle valves, and removal of the internal garter spring from the brake shuttle valves. This proposed AD results from two instances of brake failure due to the loss of hydraulic fluid from both Numbers 1 and 2 hydraulic systems and one incident of brake failure due to filter blockage in the shuttle valve. We are proposing this AD to prevent the loss of hydraulic power from both hydraulic systems which could lead to reduced controllability of the airplane; and to prevent brake failure which could result in the loss of directional control on the ground and consequent departure from the runway during landing.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 707-300B, -300C, and -400 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections to detect cracked or broken hinge fitting assemblies of the inboard leading edge slats, and corrective action if necessary. This proposed AD would provide as an option a preventive modification, which would defer the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD also would provide an option of replacing all hinge fitting assemblies with new, improved parts, which would terminate the repetitive inspection requirements. This proposed AD is prompted by results of a review to identify and implement procedures to ensure the continued structural airworthiness of aging transport category airplanes. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the hinge fitting assembly of the inboard leading edge slats, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the slat system. This condition could result in loss of the inboard leading edge slat and could cause the flightcrew to lose control of the airplane.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for cracks of the fuselage pressure skin above the left and right main landing gear (MLG) bay. This proposed AD also would require corrective action, including related investigative actions, if leaks are found. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of cracks in the fuselage pressure skin above the left and right MLG bay. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking in the fuselage pressure skin above the left and right MLG bay; such fatigue cracking could adversely affect the structural integrity of the fuselage and its ability to maintain pressure differential.