2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is amending its benefit valuation regulation by adopting more current mortality assumptions. The mortality assumptions prescribed under PBGC's regulations to be used to value benefits for non-disabled (``healthy'') participants are taken from the 1983 Group Annuity Mortality (GAM-83) Tables. The PBGC published a final rule adopting these tables in 1993, noting that many private-sector insurers used the GAM-83 Tables when setting group annuity prices. At that time, the PBGC also said that it intended to keep each of its individual valuation assumptions in line with those of private-sector insurers, and to modify its mortality assumptions whenever it is necessary to do so to achieve consistency with the private insurer assumptions. This rule updates those assumptions by replacing a version of the GAM-83 Tables with a version of the GAM-94 Tables. The updated mortality assumptions will better conform to those used by private-sector insurers in pricing group annuities.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is removing the regulation applicable to the status of specific products; Group A streptococcus. FDA is removing the regulation because the existing requirement for Group A streptococcus organisms and derivatives is both obsolete and a perceived impediment to the development of Group A streptococcus vaccines. The regulation was written to apply to a group of products that are no longer on the market. We are taking this action as part of our continuing effort to reduce the burden of unnecessary regulations on industry and to revise outdated regulations without diminishing public health protection. We are issuing the removal directly as a final rule because it is noncontroversial, and there is little likelihood that we will receive any significant adverse comments. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, we are publishing a companion proposed rule under our usual procedures for notice and comment in the event that we receive any significant adverse comments on the direct final rule. If we receive any significant adverse comments that warrant terminating the direct final rule, we will consider such comments on the proposed rule in developing the final rule.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its adjudication regulations concerning payment of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) for certain non- service-connected deaths and the rate of DIC payable to a surviving spouse for either service-connected or non-service-connected deaths. The purpose of this final rule is to clarify VA's interpretation of two similar statutes that provide for payments to the survivors of veterans who were, at the time of death, in receipt of or entitled to receive disability compensation for service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a specified period prior to death. This rule also reorganizes and revises the regulations governing surviving spouses' DIC rates and revises the Board of Veterans' Appeals rule concerning the effect of unfavorable decisions during a veteran's lifetime on claims for death benefits by the veteran's survivors.

On May 12, 2005, EPA published in the Federal Register the final ``Rule to Reduce Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone'' (Clean Air Interstate Rule or CAIR). The CAIR requires certain upwind States to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and/or sulfur dioxide (SO2) that significantly contribute to nonattainment of, or interfere with maintenance by, downwind States with respect to the fine particle and/or 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). Subsequently, EPA received 11 petitions for reconsideration of the final rule. In this notice, EPA is announcing its decision to reconsider four specific issues in the CAIR and is requesting comment on those issues. The EPA is seeking comment only on the aspects of the CAIR specifically identified in this notice. We will not respond to comments addressing other provisions of the CAIR or any related rulemakings.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the CAAAC on November 19, 1990, to provide independent advice and counsel to EPA on policy issues associated with implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1990. The Committee advises on economic, environmental, technical, scientific, and enforcement policy issues. Open Meeting Notice: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App. 2 Section 10(a)(2), notice is hereby given that the Air Quality Management subcommittee to the CAAAC will hold its next open meeting on Monday, December 12, 2005, from approximately 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. via telephone conferencing. Any member of the public who wishes to submit written comments, or who wants further information concerning this meeting, should follow the procedures outlined in the section below titled ``Providing Written Comments at this Meeting''. Participation in the teleconference will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of the limitations of the teleconferencing system, members of the public wishing to attend this meeting must contact Ms. Debbie Stackhouse, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA (919) 541-5354, or by mail at U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C 404-04), 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, or by email at: stackhouse.debbie@epa.gov by noon Eastern Time on December 7, 2005, to obtain the conference phone number. Inspection of Committee Documents: The subcommittee agenda and any documents prepared for the meeting will be sent to participants via e- mail prior to the start of the meeting. Thereafter, these documents, together with the meeting minutes, will be available by contacting the Office of Air and Radiation Docket and requesting information under docket OAR-2004-0075. The Docket office can be reached by telephoning (202) 260-7548; FAX (202) 260-4400.

EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10 today are proposing EPA's NPDES general permit for stormwater discharges from industrial activity, also referred to as the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). Today's proposed permit will replace the existing permit covering industrial sites in EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 that expired on October 30, 2005. Today's proposed permit is similar to the existing permit and will authorize the discharge of stormwater associated with industrial activities in accordance with the terms and conditions described therein. EPA seeks comment on the proposed permit and on the accompanying fact sheet.

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval form the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with October anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews. The Department also received requests to defer the initiation of an administrative review for one antidumping duty order and one countervailing duty order.

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end in June 2006. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is asking persons interested in providing official services in the areas served by these agencies to submit an application for designation. GIPSA is also asking for comments on the quality of services provided by these currently designated agencies: Kansas Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Kansas); Minot Grain Inspection, Inc. (Minot); Schneider Inspection Service, Inc. (Schneider); and Tri- State Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Tri-State).

GIPSA announces the designation of Columbus Grain Inspection, Inc. (Columbus), to provide Class X or Class Y weighing services under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is canceling a public teleconference meeting of the SAB's Arsenic Review Panel announced earlier (70 FR 69340, November 15, 2005).