2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency) issues a final rule amending its regulations on the FCA's organization and functions to reflect the Agency's organization, update the statutory citation for the Farm Credit Act, and identify those FCA employees responsible for various functions named in parts 602, 603, 604, and 606 to conform to organizational changes.

In this action, we are amending the existing United States regulations governing the exhaust emissions from new commercial aircraft gas turbine engines. Under the authority of section 231 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7571, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing new emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOX) for newly certified commercial aircraft gas turbine engines with rated thrust greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN). This action adopts standards equivalent to the NOX standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and thereby brings the United States emission standards into alignment with the internationally adopted standards (ICAO standards for newly certified engines were effective beginning in 2004). In addition, today's action amends the test procedures for gaseous exhaust emissions to correspond to recent amendments to the ICAO test procedures for these emissions. On December 19, 2005, the new NOX standards will apply to newly certified gas turbine enginesthose engines designed and certified after the effective date of the regulations (for purposes of this action, the date of manufacture of the first individual production model means the date of type certification). Newly manufactured engines of already certified models (i.e., those individual engines that are part of an already certified engine model, but are built after the effective date of the regulations for such engines and have never been in service) will not have to meet these standards. Today's amendments to the emission test procedures are those recommended by ICAO and are widely used by the aircraft engine industry. Thus, today's action will help establish consistency between U.S. and international standards, requirements, and test procedures. Since aircraft and aircraft engines are international commodities, there is commercial benefit to consistency between U.S. and international emission standards and control program requirements. In addition, today's action ensures that domestic commercial aircraft meet the current international standards, and thus, the public can be assured they are receiving the air quality benefits of the international standards.

In response to a request made on July 29, 2005, by Pastificio Antonio Pallante, S.r.L., the Department of Commerce initiated an administrative review of the countervailing duty order on certain pasta from Italy, covering the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Requests for Revocation in Part, 70 FR 51009 (August 29, 2005). As a result of a timely withdrawal of the request for review by Pastificio Antonio Pallante, S.r.L., we are rescinding this review, in part.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a meeting of the Legislative Committee (Committee), which is open to the public. The primary purpose of the meeting is to review Federal legislation regarding the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The Committee may also review Federal and state legislative matters relative to individual quota programs, aquaculture, and other Council interests.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel, a joint meeting of its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and Snapper Grouper Committee, and a joint meeting of its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel, Snapper Grouper Committee, and Controlled Access Committee. The Council will also hold a meeting of its Snapper Grouper Committee, Controlled Access Committee, Scientific and Statistical Selection Committee, Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Committee, Joint Executive and Finance Committees, Personnel Committee (CLOSED SESSION) and a meeting of the full Council. In addition, the Council will hold a public hearing and public comment periods as part of the meeting.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a public meeting of its Texas Habitat Protection Advisory Panel (AP).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings December 5 through 13, 2005, at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 West 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK.

An open meeting of the Wage & Investment Reducing Taxpayer Burden (Notices) Issue Committee of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted (via teleconference). The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published in the Federal Register of October 27, 2005, a document proposing to add a part 47 and part 159 to Title 18 of the CFR. Two clauses in the proposed regulatory language for parts 47 and 159 were inadvertently incorporated into subparagraph text, but were intended to start a new line in the text since they are to modify all three subparagraphs. As such formatting is inconsistent with Federal Register requirements, these modifying clauses will be moved to the beginning of the paragraph.

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 requirements for filing objections and requests for a hearing on a regulation or order.

PHMSA is considering requirements to address the current safety and security risks associated with the storage of explosives during transportation. In this notice, we are soliciting comments concerning measures to reduce the risks posed by the storage of explosives while they are in transportation and whether regulatory action is warranted. We also invite comments as to whether enhanced requirements for storage incidental to movement should apply to other hazardous materials (e.g., materials toxic by inhalation).

Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (``section 1377''), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is reviewing and requests comments on: The operation, effectiveness, and implementation of and compliance with WTO agreements affecting market opportunities for telecommunications products and services of the United States; the telecommunications provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''), the Chile, Singapore, and Australia Free Trade Agreements (``FTA'') and any other FTA coming into force on or before January 1, 2006; and other telecommunications trade agreements. The USTR will conclude the review by March 31, 2006.