June 28, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document affirms as final, without change, an interim final rule that established presumptions of service connection for atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertensive vascular disease, and stroke in former prisoners of war; set forth guidelines to govern future actions by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish presumptions of service connection for other diseases associated with service involving detention or internment as a prisoner of war; and revised VA's regulations to conform to statutory changes made by the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003.

NMFS announces that the percentage of the tilefish annual total allowable landings (TAL) available to the Full-time Tier 2 permit category for the 2005 fishing year has been harvested. In response, commercial vessels fishing under the Full-time Tier 2 tilefish category may not harvest tilefish from within the Golden Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2005 fishing year (through October 31, 2005). Regulations governing the tilefish fishery require publication of this notification to advise the public of this closure.

This interim final rule extends the due date for NIH employees to file a report of prohibited financial interests held on or acquired after February 3, 2005. The reports are now due no earlier than October 3, 2005.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for the OPA Atlantic City Grand Prix, a marine event to be held on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Atlantic City, New Jersey. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Atlantic City, New Jersey during the event.

This rule will establish Class D airspace at Front Range Airport, Denver, CO. An Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) is being constructed at Front Range Airport, Denver, CO, which will meet criteria for Class D airspace. Class D airspace is required when the ATCT is open, and to contain and protect Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and other Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action would establish Class D airspace extending upward from the surface to 8,000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) within a 5.1 nautical mile radius of the airport.

This action amends Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 71 (14 CFR 71) by revising Class E airspace areas at Mc Cook, NE. A review of the Class E airspace surface area and the Class E airspace area extending upward from 700 feet above ground level (AGL) at Mc Cook, NE reveals neither area complies with criteria in FAA Orders nor reflects the current airport name. These airspace areas and their legal descriptions are modified to conform to the criteria in FAA Orders.

This notice proposes to establish Class E5 airspace at Gardner, KS.

We are soliciting comment on modeling information relevant to our May 12, 2005, proposal to include the States of Delaware and New Jersey within the scope of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) for purposes of assessing significance of contribution to downwind States' attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (70 FR 25408). Note that we are soliciting comment only on this modeling information, and are not reopening, reconsidering, or otherwise seeking comment on any aspect of the CAIR. This information is summarized in a table listing the combined contributions of emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) from Delaware and New Jersey, to annual average PM2.5 concentrations in projected 2010 nonattainment counties in other States within the Eastern United States. This table is included in Section III below. Detailed background information describing the rulemaking may be found in two previously published actions: 1. Rule to Reduce Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone (Clean Air Interstate Rule); Final Rule, 70 FR 25162, May 12, 2005; and, 2. Inclusion of Delaware and New Jersey in the Clean Air Interstate Rule; Proposed Rule, 70 FR 25408, May 12, 2005. These actions and the table listed above are available in the public docket (Docket Number OAR-2003-0053) and are also available for public review on the Web site for this rulemaking at https://www.epa.gov/cleanairinterstaterule. We have chosen to include material for this rulemaking as part of the CAIR docket. However, this is a separate rulemaking, and we are not soliciting comment on any aspect of the CAIR rule. We may place additional documents in the docket, and if we do so, we will announce their availability by posting a notice on the CAIR Web site shown above. In addition, we are reopening the comment period for the Proposed Rule to Include Delaware and New Jersey in the Clean Air Interstate Rule so it coincides with the comment period for this NODA.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) model helicopters. This proposal would require, before the first flight of each day, checking the tail rotor blade (blade) root doublers (doublers) for an edge void or de-bond on both sides of each blade, and if an edge void or de-bond is found, replacing the unairworthy blade with an airworthy blade. This proposal would also require replacing any affected serial-numbered blade with an airworthy blade. This proposal is prompted by reports of de-bond of the doublers due to inadequate surface preparation resulting in poor adherence of the doublers. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of a blade, loss of tail rotor control, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations and modified Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are made final for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that each community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This interim rule lists communities where modification of the Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. New flood insurance premium rates will be calculated from the modified BFEs for new buildings and their contents.

This rule identifies communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and suspended from the NFIP. These communities have applied to the program and have agreed to enact certain floodplain management measures. The communities' participation in the program authorizes the sale of flood insurance to owners of property located in the communities listed.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing an interim final general statement of policy and interim final financial assistance and procurement requirements to implement the government-wide Federal Policy on Research Misconduct. These interim final rules are designed to protect the integrity of research and development funded by DOE.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Boeing Model 777-200 and -300 series airplanes, that requires replacing existing ceiling and sidewall light connectors in the passenger cabin with new connectors, and follow-on actions. This action is necessary to prevent overheating of the light connectors, which could result in smoke and a possible fire in the passenger cabin. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

HUD charges an up-front mortgage insurance premium (MIP) for loans that are obligations of its Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, and of its general insurance fund only for insurance in connection with Section 8 homeownership. However, to date there has been no provision for up-front MIPs for loans such as home rehabilitation loans under section 203(k) of the National Housing Act (NHA) and condominium unit loans under section 234(c) which are obligations of the general insurance fund. Recent statutory changes now provide for an up-front MIP for those programs. This rule amends HUD's regulations related to mortgage insurance to conform the regulations to the recent statutory changes. This rule implements the October 7, 2003, proposed rule, with the only change made by this final rule being the proposed effective date.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to all Short Brothers Model SD3-60 airplanes, that requires performing repetitive inspections of the shear attachment fittings of the vertical stabilizer for corrosion, and performing corrective actions if necessary. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect and correct corrosion in the area of the main spar web fittings of the vertical stabilizer, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the vertical stabilizer. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

In June 2004, we (NMFS) proposed that the Oregon Coast coho Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) (Oncorhynchus kisutch) be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In March 2005, the State of Oregon released a draft Oregon Coastal Coho Assessment (draft assessment) of the viability of the Oregon Coast coho ESU and the contributions of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds (OPSW) to conserving the Oregon Coast coho ESU. The draft assessment concluded that the Oregon Coast coho ESU is viable. On February 9, 2005, we announced in a Federal Register notice that we would consider the information presented by Oregon in determining the final listing status for the ESU, and we solicited public comment on the draft assessment. The comments received by NMFS and Oregon raised a number of concerns regarding the sufficiency and adequacy of the data and analyses used in the draft assessment. On May 6, 2005, Oregon released a final Oregon Coastal Coho Assessment (final assessment) that incorporates and responds to the comments received and includes several substantive changes in response, regarding the sufficiency and adequacy of the draft assessment. We are extending the deadline for the final listing determination for the Oregon Coast coho ESU by 6 months to analyze Oregon's final assessment in light of the comments received on the draft assessment. This extension will enable NMFS to make a final listing determination based upon the best available scientific information. Additionally, we are soliciting additional information regarding the sufficiency and adequacy of the final assessment.

In June 2004, we (NMFS) proposed that ten Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of West Coast Oncorhynchus mykiss (O. mykiss, which includes anadromous steelhead and resident rainbow trout) be listed as endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In April-May 2005, we received three independent scientific reports containing information on the relationship of anadromous and resident O. mykiss and on the viability of ESUs containing a diversity of types of populations. In June 2005, we received a letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), stating its concerns about the basis for final listing determinations for the ten O. mykiss ESUs and specifying three issues regarding the relationship between anadromous and resident O. mykiss, over which there is substantial disagreement about the underlying data. We are extending the deadline for final listing determinations for the ten O. mykiss ESUs for 6 months to analyze the three reports, to work with FWS to resolve the disagreements about the data relevant to its issues of concern, and to solicit additional information from scientific studies and other newly available data. Additionally, we are soliciting comments and information from the public regarding the reports, the issues raised by FWS, and about resident and anadromous O. mykiss generally. This extension will enable us to make a final listing determination based upon the best available scientific information.