2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition submitted by Mr. Ronald Strickland to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), received on June 24, 2005, under 49 U.S.C. 30162, requesting that the agency commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect related to motor vehicle safety with respect to the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (MY) 2000-2003 Volkswagen (VW) Jetta, Golf and Passat sedans with 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engines. After a review of the petition and other information, NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources on the issues raised by the petition does not appear to be warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition. The petition is hereinafter identified as DP05-004.

The Department of the Army is proposing to amend a system of records notice in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

This action proposes to revoke colored Federal Airway B-12, modify three colored Federal Airways B-4, R-50 and G-7, and establish colored Federal Airway R-4 in Alaska. These amendments would remove all airways and routes off the Bishop, AK, Nondirectional Radio Beacon (NDB) in preparation for the NDB's eventual decommissioning from the National Airspace System (NAS).

This action proposes to amend the Gulf of Alaska Low and Control 1487L Offshore airspace areas in Alaska. Specifically, this action proposes to modify the Gulf of Alaska Low and Control 1487L airspace areas in the vicinity of the Yakutat Airport, Yakutat, AK, by lowering the affected controlled airspace floor to 700 feet mean sea level (MSL) for the Gulf of Alaska Low, and 1,200 feet MSL for Control 1487L. The FAA is proposing this action to provide additional controlled airspace for the safety of aircraft executing instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the Yakutat Airport.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary special local regulation during the ``Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006'', sailboat races to be held on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity east of Gibson Island, Maryland and near the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Chesapeake Bay) Bridge near Annapolis, Maryland. 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 segments of the Chesapeake Bay during the sailboat races.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the procedures used for submitting a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice stating that a particular use of a substance is not subject to the premarket approval requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of n-octanol (n-octyl alcohol) produced by a new manufacturing process, the hydrodimerization of 1,3-butadiene. This action is in response to a petition filed by Kuraray International Corp.

In accordance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. 703-712, the trapping and marking of wild migratory birds by persons holding Federal permits must be monitored. Formerly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the bird banding program is now the responsibility of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL). This bird banding monitoring program involves information collections on three forms: (1) The Application for Federal Bird Marking and Salvage Permit; (2) The Bird Banding Recovery Report; and (3) The Bird Banding Schedule. The information on the Recovery Report may also be submitted electronically at the BBL Web site or via a toll-free telephone number. This program also assists the Fish and Wildlife Service in fulfillment of its responsibilities designated by International Migratory Bird Treaties with Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes for Permit Application form; 3 minutes for Recovery Report form; and 12 minutes for Banding Schedule form. Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 131,550. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 13,725 hours.

FRA is proposing to clarify and amend its existing regulations in an effort to address various mechanical issues relevant to the manufacture, efficient utilization, and safe operation of passenger equipment and trains that have arisen since FRA's original issuance of the Passenger Equipment Safety Standards. FRA proposes miscellaneous amendments to its existing regulations in five areas by: Clarifying the terminology related to piston travel indicators; providing alternative design and additional inspection criteria for new passenger equipment not designed to allow inspection of the application and release of the brakes from outside the equipment; permitting some latitude in the use of passenger equipment with redundant air compressors when a limited number of the compressors become inoperative; recognizing current locomotive manufacturing techniques by permitting an alternative pneumatic pressure test for main reservoirs; and adding provisions to ensure the proper securement of unattended equipment. FRA is also clarifying the existing regulatory requirements related to the attachment of safety appliances and is proposing an identification and inspection protocol to address passenger equipment containing welded safety appliances or welded safety appliance brackets or supports. Finally, FRA is proposing to permit railroads the ability to apply out- of-service credit to certain periodic maintenance requirements.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all EMBRAER Model EMB-135BJ, -135ER, -135KE, -135KL, -135LR, -145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes. This AD requires reviewing the airplane maintenance records for recent reports of vibration from the tail section or rudder pedals. This AD also requires repetitively inspecting the skin, attachment fittings, and control rods of rudder II to detect cracking, loose parts, wear, or damage; and related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of rudder vibration due to wear. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of multiple hinge fittings, which could result in severe vibration, and to prevent failure of the rudder control rods, which could result in jamming of the rudder II; and possible structural failure and reduced controllability of the airplane.

This document contains final regulations that provide specific elections that give relief to certain United States persons that continue to be subject to the PFIC excess distribution regime of section 1291 even though the foreign corporation in which they hold stock no longer satisfies the definition of a PFIC under section 1297(a). The final regulations affect U.S. persons owning stock in a PFIC.

The 9/11 Heroes Stamp Act of 2001 directed the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal stamp and distribute the proceeds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the families of emergency relief personnel killed or permanently disabled while serving in the line of duty in connection with the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. This notice announces the application period for the Assistance Program Under the 9/11 Heroes Stamp Act of 2001.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(C)(2)(A)).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, gives notice of a proposed new system of records entitled ``Treasury/IRS 50.222Tax Exempt/Government Entities (TE/GE) Case Management Records.''