2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule revises the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) by amending the anticipated value at which public announcements are required from $25M million or greater to $5 million or greater.

This document contains a notice of public hearing on proposed regulations relating to employee stock ownership plans.

NMFS received a petition dated May 19, 2005 co-signed by Defenders of Wildlife, International Fund for Animal Welfare, International Wildlife Coalition, National Environmental Trust, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, The Humane Society of the United States, The Ocean Conservancy, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, requesting that NMFS ``promulgate emergency regulations, within sixty days, to slow and/or re-route vessels within right whale habitat, as a means of protecting the species until such time as permanent measures can be enacted. Such emergency regulations should require all ships entering and leaving all major East Coast ports to travel at speeds of 12 knots or less within 25 nautical miles of port entrances during expected right whale high-use periods.'' NMFS has determined that the petition is not warranted at this time.

EPA proposes to approve the Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d)/129 State Plan submitted by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (North Carolina DENR) for the State of North Carolina on August 7, 2002, and subsequently revised on December 14, 2004, for implementing and enforcing the Emissions Guidelines applicable to existing Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators. The State Plan was submitted by North Carolina DENR to satisfy CAA requirements. In the final rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the North Carolina State Plan as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial plan 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 the direct final rule, no further activity is contemplated in relation to this proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. The EPA will not institute a second comment period on this rule. Any parties interested in commenting on this rule should do so at this time.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain EMBRAER airplanes listed above. This proposed AD would require modifying the drain system of the auxiliary power unit (APU) by installing a scavenge pump and, for certain airplanes, replacing the APU exhaust assembly. This proposed AD results from a report of fuel leaking from the APU feeding line and accumulating inside the APU compartment because the drain system is inadequate when the APU is running. We are proposing this AD to prevent fuel accumulation and subsequent flammable fuel vapors in the APU cowling, which, combined with an ignition source, could result in a fire or explosion.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus transport category airplanes, identified above. This AD requires an inspection to determine if a certain lower pin (p-pin) of the retraction actuator of the main landing gear (MLG) is installed. If the affected p-pin is installed, this AD requires a one-time inspection of the p-pin for correct grease hole position and cracking; repetitive daily inspections for pin migration; and eventual replacement of all p- pins with new p-pins. For any p-pin that is cracked or shows pin migration, this AD requires immediate replacement with a new p-pin. Replacing the p-pin with one that is correctly manufactured (i.e., that has the correct grease hole position) is terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD results from a report that a cracked p- pin was found when the MLG was removed for overhaul. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the p-pin, which could result in degradation of the MLG structural integrity and possible hazardous landing.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for the Pacific coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 12,145 acres (ac) (4,921 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. The critical habitat is located within 3 states, and a total of 20 counties. The county breakdown by State is as follows: CaliforniaSan Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte; OregonCurry, Coos, Douglas, Lane, Tillamook; and WashingtonPacific, Grays Harbor.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Notice 2002-69, Interest Rates and Appropriate Foreign Loss Payment Patterns For Determining the Qualified Insurance Income of Certain Controlled Corporations under Section 954(j).

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Global Trade Programs is organizing a microelectronics trade mission to China, March 20-23, 2006. This trade mission will take place during the highly acclaimed annual Shanghai exhibition Electronica and Productronica China 2006co-located with SEMICON China. Participating firms will not only have pre-arranged one-on-one meetings scheduled for them by the U.S. Commercial Service in Shanghai, but will also have the opportunity to make additional business contacts at the exhibition. A similar microelectronics trade mission took place in March 2005. Contact: Office of Global Trade Programs; Room 2012; Department of Commerce; Washington, DC 20230; Tel: (202) 482-4457; Fax: (202) 482- 0178.