October 31, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) published a final rule under part 615 on August 31, 2005 (70 FR 51586). This final rule amends our liquidity reserve requirements for the banks of the Farm Credit System to ensure the banks have adequate liquidity. The final rule increases the minimum liquidity reserve requirement to 90 days, increases the eligible investment limit to 35 percent of total outstanding loans and requires Farm Credit banks to develop and maintain liquidity contingency plans. These amended requirements will improve the ability of Farm Credit banks to supply agricultural credit in all economic situations. In accordance with 12 U.S.C. 2252, the effective date of the final rule is 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register during which either or both Houses of Congress are in session. Based on the records of the sessions of Congress, the effective date of the regulation is October 24, 2005.

DOT tentatively proposes to relocate the time zone boundary in Indiana to move St. Joseph, Starke, Knox, Pike, and Perry Counties from the eastern time zone to the central time zone at the request of the County Commissioners. We are tentatively not proposing to change the time zone boundary to move Marshall, Pulaski, Fulton, Benton, White, Carroll, Cass, Vermillion, Sullivan, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, and Lawrence Counties from the eastern time zone to the central time zone based on the petitions from the commissioners in these counties. If additional information is provided that indicates that the time zone boundary should be drawn differently, either to include counties currently excluded or to exclude counties that are currently included in this proposal, we will make the change at the final rule stage of this proceeding.

This document proposes to establish Class D airspace at Camp Ripley, MN, and establish Class E airspace at Camp Ripley, MN. This action would establish a radius of Class D airspace, and establish a radius of Class E airspace for Ray S. Miller Army Airfield.

An examination of controlled airspace for Rapid City Regional Airport, SD, and Rapid City Ellsworth AFB, SD, revealed discrepancies in the legal descriptions for both airports as contained in FAA order 7400.9M. This action corrects those discrepancies by modifying the legal descriptions.

The Coast Guard has temporarily changed the drawbridge operation regulations that govern the operation of the General Edwards SR1A Bridge, at mile 1.7, across the Saugus River between Lynn and Revere, Massachusetts. This temporary change to the drawbridge operation regulations allows the bridge to remain in the closed position from November 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006. This action is necessary to facilitate structural maintenance at the bridge.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is issuing a temporary rule amending the TTB regulations relating to special (occupational) tax, to reflect a 3-year tax suspension effected by section 246 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Section 246 amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that, during the period from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2008, the rate of special (occupational) tax on certain occupations will be zero. The occupations affected by the 3-year tax suspension are: Manufacturers of nonbeverage products who claim tax drawback; proprietors of distilled spirits plants, alcohol fuel plants, bonded and taxpaid wine premises, and breweries; and wholesale and retail dealers in distilled spirits, wine, and beer. The requirements to register annually and keep prescribed records remain in effect. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, we are soliciting comments from all interested parties on these regulatory amendments. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

This notice announces the availability of correspondence and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) response to inquiries regarding the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) regulations. EPA received inquiries on the permit application date in the CAFOs regulation and whether, in response to the February 28, 2005, decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued in Waterkeeper v. EPA, 399 F.3d 486 (2nd Cir. 2005), the permit application date may be extended. The 2003 CAFO rule (68 FR 7176) (``National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Regulation and Effluent Limitation Guidelines for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations''), hereafter known as the ``2003 CAFO rule,'' contains the requirement that by February 13, 2006, all newly defined CAFOs must apply for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The 2003 CAFO rule also requires that all CAFOs develop and implement a Nutrient Management Plan by December 31, 2006. EPA is in the process of developing options for revising the 2003 CAFO rule to comply with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals' decision. The schedule for final action provides for a full and ample opportunity for public notice and comment, but it is not consistent with completion by February 13, 2006. As a result, EPA will propose to extend the permit application date of February 13, 2006, and the Nutrient Management Plan due date of December 31, 2006, in a separate NPRM. This second action will be proposed and finalized by February 13, 2006. The correspondence and the EPA's response have been added to the rulemaking docket and are available to the public.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Airbus Model A320-111 airplanes, and Model A320- 200 series airplanes, that requires a detailed inspection of the tail cone triangle to determine its position, and corrective actions if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent excessive vibrations of the elevators, which could result in reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.