May 6, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for species that comprise the deep-water species fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the second seasonal apportionment of the 2005 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance specified for the deep-water species fishery in the GOA has been reached.

Notice is hereby given that a program expansion supplement in the amount of $99,227 is being award to the Community Services for Children, Incorporated CSC) by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). CSC has requested additional funds and a one-year extension to build on the success of its program by offering the Family Formation and Development Project (FFDP) to 40 additional unwed, low-income couples. The current project has shown promising results. During the past two years CSC has administered a successful Special Improvement Project (SIP) project. It has served 40 couples, meeting all stated objectives. The project serves only unwed couples with children. The majority of these families are Hispanic and are enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure comprehensive family services. CSC's objectives are: To improve family formation and development including marriage as a choice. CSC will provide an 8-week family formation and development course called ``Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education'' to 40 low-income, unwed couples with children in Head Start or Early Head Start programs. To promote stable families. CSC will present through course materials, other resources and home visits, information on the long-term benefits of two-parent families on the health and success of their children. To increase awareness of the importance of providing financial and medical support of children. CSC will collaborate with the Office of Child Support Enforcement to provide training and referral on the benefits of paternity establishment and child support services. Section 452(j) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 652(j), provides Federal funds for information dissemination and technical assistance to States, training of Federal and State staff to improve child support programs, and research, demonstration, and special projects of regional or national significance relating to the operation of State child support enforcement programs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on June 16, 2004 at Vol. 69, No. 115, p. 33693-94.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), with the assistance of other interested parties, continues to develop standards, both national and international, in several areas. This notice lists the standardization efforts currently being conducted by API committees. The publication of this notice by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of API is being undertaken as a public service. NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend the standards referenced.

This notice advises the public that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is distributing a proposed revision of Voluntary Product Standard (PS) 20-99, ``American Softwood Lumber Standard.'' This standard, prepared by the American Lumber Standard Committee, serves the procurement and regulatory needs of numerous federal, state, and local government agencies by providing for uniform, industry-wide grade-marking and inspection requirements for softwood lumber. The implementation of the standard also allows for uniform labeling and auditing of treated wood and, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, labeling and auditing of wood packaging materials for international trade. As part of a five-year review process, NIST is seeking public comment and invites interested parties to review the revised standard and submit comments.

We are advising the public that a Draft Strategic Plan and a Draft Program Standards document for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) are being made available for public review and comment. The Draft Strategic Plan describes the process of developing the NAIS, in particular the timeline for full implementation, while the Draft Program Standards document presents our current view of how the system would work when fully implemented.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule reducing the minimum maturity requirements for fresh grapefruit under the marketing order for Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, and Tangelos Grown in Florida (order). The Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee), which locally administers the order, recommended this change. This rule continues in effect the action that reduced the minimum maturity requirement for soluble solids (sugars) from 8.0 percent to 7.5 percent until July 31, 2005. This action makes additional quantities of grapefruit available for the fresh market and will help reduce the losses sustained by the grapefruit industry during the recent hurricanes in Florida.

The Committee is proposing to add to the Procurement List products and services to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. Comments Must Be Received on or Before: June 5, 2005.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the General Services Administration has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a renewal of a currently approved information collection requirement regarding the GSAR Price Reductions Clause. A request for public comments was published at 70 FR 10404, March 3, 2005. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the General Services Administration will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a renewal of a currently approved information collection requirement regarding preparation, submission, and negotiation of subcontracting plans. The clearance currently expires on August 31, 2005. This information collection will ensure that small and small disadvantaged business concerns are afforded the maximum practicable opportunity to participate as subcontractors in construction, repair, and alteration or lease contracts. Preparation, submission, and negotiation of subcontracting plans requires all negotiated solicitations having an anticipated award value over $500,000 ($1,000,000 for construction), submission of a subcontracting plan with other than small business concerns when a negotiated acquisition meets all four of the following conditions. 1. When the contracting officer anticipates receiving individual subcontracting plans (not commercial plans). 2. When the award is based on trade-offs among cost or price and technical and/or management factors under FAR 15.101-1. 3. The acquisition is not a commercial item acquisition. 4. The acquisition offers more than minimal subcontracting opportunities. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Olsonville, Incorporated. The lands are located in T. 19 S., R. 57 W., Seward Meridian, Alaska, in the vicinity of Olsonville, Alaska, and contain 1,206.44 acres. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Bristol Bay Times.

All public use, visitation and activity on affected lands in part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA), and other land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the area, are limited to daylight hours. Activity during the hours of darkness, which is described as official sunset to official sunrise, is prohibited year round. Other existing limitations established in the Safford District Resource Management Plan and applicable regulations remain unchanged except as modified by this notice. This notice is issued under the authority of 43 CFR 8364.1. This restriction is necessary for public health and safety, and to facilitate law enforcement efforts.

The Secretary of Agriculture has filed a withdrawal application asking the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw from mining 5,170.20 acres of public land, the surface of which is reserved as part of the Black Hills National Forest, Custer County, South Dakota.

This final rule adds the following transportation-related PM2.5 precursors to the transportation conformity regulations: nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur oxides (SOX), and ammonia (NH3). The final rule specifies when each of these precursors must be considered in conformity determinations in PM2.5 nonattainment and maintenance areas before and after PM2.5 state air quality implementation plans (SIPs) are submitted. Today's action also makes a technical correction to a cross- reference of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) planning regulations in the public consultation procedures of the conformity rule. The Clean Air Act requires federally supported highway and transit projects to be consistent with (``conform to'') the purpose of a SIP. EPA has consulted with DOT on the development of this final rule and DOT concurs with its content.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2005. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

EPA is announcing a 60-day public comment period for the external review draft document titled, The Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the U.S.: the Year 2000 Update, March 2005 (EPA/600/P-03/002A) (Draft Dioxin Inventory Update). The document was prepared by the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment within the Office of Research and Development. EPA will consider the public comment submissions in revising the document. An independent, external, peer-review panel will review the document at a workshop in the future. That workshop will be announced in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the permanent special local regulations for the Suncoast Offshore Challenge and the Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix in the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, Florida. By existing permanent special local regulations, these two race events have nearly identical course and time characteristics, however one event is held annually on the first Saturday of July and the other event is held annually on the first Sunday of July. The sponsor has decided to combine the events into a single day, reduced the length of the racecourse, and modified the times of the event which would take place annually on the first Sunday of July between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). These amended regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life for the participating vessels, spectators, and mariners on the navigable waters of the United States during the event.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary security zone on the waters of the upper Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the security of a large number of visitors to the annual July 4th celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The security zone will allow for control of a designated area of the river and safeguard spectators and high-ranking officials.

Funds are provided for Head Start-University Partnership Research Grants: Curriculum Development and Enhancement for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs, for research activities to develop and test curricular approaches, adaptations or targeted curriculum enhancements for use by Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This grant program is part of a larger Head Start research effort. Three other grant funding mechanisms are being offered concurrently with the one described in this announcement. They include: (1) American Indian-Alaska Native Head Start Research Center, (2) Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants, and (3) Head Start Graduate Student Research Partnership Development Grants. For more information, please see these other Head Start Research announcements listed in the Federal Register or listed on https://www.Grants.Gov, or send an e-mail inquiry to opre@xtria.com. Priority Area: Head Start-University Partnership Research Grants: Curriculum Development and Enhancement for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is establishing August 1, 2005 as the deadline for comments on the regulatory text changes to accommodate electronic filing proposed in the Commission's July 8, 2004 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (69 FR 43929) (NOPR). The Commission also is holding a technical conference on May 24, 2005 to discuss the computer software to be used in compliance with the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The date for comments on the software and other related aspects of the NOPR's proposal will be established in a subsequent notice. Additionally, the Commission is making available on its Web-site a draft electronic format manual for electronic tariff and rate filings to be made in conformance with the NOPR.