April 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

An open meeting of the Area 4 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted (via teleconference). The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comment, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted 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 and includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to determine to claimants training program attendance.

The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Media Bureau set forth a revised list of construction permits for certain low power television (``LPTV''), television translator and Class A television broadcast stations available for auction in Auction No. 81.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), and implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), plans to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of a previously approved information collection consisting of a customer survey form. OSC is required by law to conduct an annual survey of those who seek its assistance. The information collection is used to carry out that mandate. The current OMB approval for this collection of information expires on July 31, 2005. Current and former Federal employees, employee representatives, other Federal agencies, state and local government employees, and the general public are invited to comment on this information collection. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection ofinformation is necessary for the proper performance of OSC functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of OSC's estimate of the burden of the proposed collections of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity ofthe information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This regulation establishes an extension of the temporary exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Bacillus thuringiensis VIP3A protein and the genetic material necessary for its production on cotton when applied/used as a plant-incorporated protectant. Syngenta Seeds submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting this extension. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Bacillus thuringiensis VIP3A protein and the genetic material necessary for its production on cotton. The temporary tolerance exemption will expire on May 1, 2006.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maine on February 25, 2004 and December 9, 2004 which includes the Maine Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program. It was proposed for approval on January 24, 2005 (70 FR 3335). EPA received an adverse comment on the proposal, which is addressed in this action. The regulations adopted by Maine include the California LEV I light-duty motor vehicle emission standards beginning with model year 2001, the California LEV II light-duty motor vehicle emission standards effective in model year 2004, the California LEV I medium-duty standards effective in model year 2003, and the smog index label specification effective model year 2002. The Maine LEV regulation submitted does not include any zero emission vehicle (ZEV) requirements. Maine has adopted these revisions to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). In addition, they have worked to ensure that their program is identical to California's, as required by section 177 of the CAA. The intended effect of this action is to approve the Maine LEV program. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is amending a portion of the Lower St. Johns River Manatee Refuge area in Duval County, Florida, to provide for both improved public safety and increased manatee protection through improved marking and enforcement of the manatee protection area. Specifically, that portion of this manatee protection area which lies downstream of the Hart Bridge to Reddie Point will be modified to allow watercraft to travel up to 25 miles per hour (mph) in a broader portion of the St. Johns River to include areas adjacent to but outside of the navigation channel. Watercraft traveling near the banks of the river will be required to travel at slow speed much as they do now. The primary exception will be around Exchange Island where the coverage of the existing State and local slow-speed zones will be expanded. However, in the main portion of the river, watercraft will be allowed to travel at speeds up to 25 mph. The manatee protection area will also be expanded approximately one mile further downstream, to the extent it was originally proposed (68 FR 16602; April 4, 2003), in order to be consistent with existing State and local governmental manatee protection measures and thereby facilitate compliance. This modification is supported by State and local government and parties to the March 18, 2003, Stipulated Order which resulted in the initial rulemaking for this manatee protection area. The current configuration of the manatee protection area is not supported by the State of Florida or Duval County. While the Service is committed to enforcing these current protection measures, State and local government would normally provide a substantial portion of the enforcement effort. This rulemaking, through a minor modification in a small portion of the manatee protection area, resolves State and local objections and gains their support through education and enforcement throughout the extent of the manatee protection area. The modification will provide a substantial benefit to manatee conservation. Establishment of manatee protection areas is authorized under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), to further recovery of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) by preventing the taking of one or more manatees. We also announce the availability of a final environmental assessment for this action. Under authority of 5 U.S.C. 553, we find good cause to make this rule final without prior opportunity for public comment because public notice and comment on the rule is contrary to the public interest. However, the public may provide comments on this final rule at any time to the address in the ADDRESSES caption below.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT) will hold a work session, which is open to the public. The CPSMT will meet Wednesday, May 18, 2005 from 8 a.m. until business for the day is completed.

NMFS issues this final rule to amend the electronic reporting and recordkeeping regulations for federally permitted seafood dealers participating in the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic sea scallop, Northeast (NE) multispecies, monkfish, Atlantic mackerel, squid, butterfish, Atlantic surfclam, ocean quahog, Atlantic herring, Atlantic deep-sea red crab, tilefish, Atlantic bluefish, skate, and/or spiny dogfish fisheries in the NE Region. This action reduces the submission schedule for dealer reports from daily to weekly, eliminates duplicate reporting of certain species, and clarifies existing reporting requirements. This action will also allow vessel operator permits issued by the Southeast Region to satisfy NE vessel operator permitting requirements. The purpose of this action is to reduce the reporting burden on seafood dealers, improve data quality, simplify compliance, and clarify existing requirements.

The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is amending regulations under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) to waive the mandatory inspection and weighing requirements of the Act for high quality specialty grains exported in containers. GIPSA is establishing this waiver to facilitate the marketing of high quality specialty grains exported in containers. This action is consistent with the objectives of the USGSA. This action will facilitate the continuing development of the high quality specialty export market. This waiver will be in effect for a maximum of 5 years, and if after this time period GIPSA determines that this waiver continues to advance the objectives of the USGSA, GIPSA will consider making this waiver permanent.

We are proposing to amend the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act regulations to require licensees and permittees to confirm the proposed expiration dating period of products by potency testing serials on multiple occasions throughout the proposed dating period, rather than only at release and at the approximate expiration date as is currently required. We would require that those stability test data be submitted to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for review and filing, and that the approval date be specified in a filed Outline of Production. In addition, after a product is licensed and its dating period confirmed, the licensee or permittee would have to submit a plan to monitor the stability of the product and the suitability of its dating period; that plan would have to include regular testing of serials for potency during and at the end of dating. The proposed changes would help clarify the distinction between specifying an expiration date for an individual serial of a product and establishing the appropriate expiration dating period for the product. The effect of these proposed changes would be to establish a single uniform standard for determining expiration dates for veterinary biological products.

An influenza pandemic has greater potential than any other naturally occurring infectious disease event to cause large and rapid global and domestic increases in deaths and serious illnesses. Preparedness is the key to substantially reducing the health, social, and economic impacts of an influenza pandemic and other public health emergencies. One component of preparedness involves understanding the impact that annual epidemics of influenza have on the population. These data regarding impact are critical to the development of prevention and control measures such as vaccination policies. Vaccination efforts are the cornerstone of influenza prevention and will be the primary means of mitigating the impact of an influenza pandemic. The systematic collection of influenza surveillance data over time is necessary to monitor and track influenza virus and disease activity and is essential to understanding the impact influenza has on a country's population. Improving surveillance systems by developing influenza surveillance networks is critical for the rapid detection of new variants, including those with pandemic potential, to contribute to the global surveillance system. Global collaboration, under the coordination of the World Health Organization (WHO), is a key feature of influenza surveillance. WHO established an international laboratory- based surveillance network for influenza in 1948. The network currently consists of 112 National Influenza Center (NIC) laboratories in 83 countries, and four WHO Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research of Influenza (including one located at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The primary purposes of the WHO network are to detect the emergence and spread of new antigenic variants of influenza, to use this information to update the formulation of influenza vaccine, and to provide as much warning as possible about the next pandemic. This system provides the foundation of worldwide influenza prevention and control. Monitoring of influenza viruses and providing contributions to the global surveillance system will assure that data used in annual WHO vaccine recommendations are relevant to each country that participates. Increased participation in the global surveillance system for influenza viruses will enhance each country's ability to monitor severe respiratory illness, to develop vaccine policy, and to help build global and regional strategies for the prevention and control of influenza. Monitoring influenza disease activity is important to facilitate resource planning, communication, intervention, and investigation. This announcement seeks to support foreign governments through their Ministries of Health or other responsible Ministries for human health in the development or improvement of epidemiologic and virologic influenza surveillance networks. These networks will focus on the systematic collection of virological and epidemiological information for influenza. This support is meant to enhance, and not to supplant, current influenza surveillance activities. Proposals should build upon infrastructure already in place. Preference will be given to countries where resources are currently limited and influenza surveillance is not well established due to lack of resources.

The USDA, Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest, published a Notice of Intent to conduct an analysis and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for oil and gas leasing in the Federal Register on September 15, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 179, pages 47929-47930). A revised notice of Intent is being issued because of the delay in filing the Final EIS. The original Notice of Intent of September 15, 1995 stated that the Final EIS was scheduled to be completed by April of 1997. The estimated date for completing the Final EIS is now June of 2005.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Lassen National Forest's Lassen County Resource Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, May 12, 2005, at the Lassen National Forest Supervisor's Office, 2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, California for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces that the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is available for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The CCP was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Goals and objectives in the CCP describe how the agency intends to manage the refuge over the next 15 years.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations Sec. 111.51(a), the following individual Customs broker licenses and any and all permits have been cancelled due to the death of the broker:

Pursuant to section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (19 U.S.C. 1641) and the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 111.51), the following Customs broker licenses are cancelled without prejudice.