January 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice proposes to modify the Class E airspace area at Palm Springs, CA. The establishment of an Area Navigation (RNAV) Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Y Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) to Runway (RWY) 13R and 31R at Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, CA has made this proposal necessary. Additional controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth is needed to contain aircraft executing the RNAV (RNP) YIAP to RWY 13R at Palm Springs International Airport. The intended effect to this proposal is to provide adequate controlled airspace for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, CA.

In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces a meeting of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group (the Working Group) mandated by section 1014 of the Medicare Modernization Act.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with requirements for recognizing the animal health status of foreign regions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the National Veterinary Accreditation Program.

Under Subtitle G (Market Transparency, Enforcement, and Consumer Protection), section 1289 (Merger Review Reform), of Title XII (Electricity Modernization Act of 2005), of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Public Law 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) amends 18 CFR 2.26 and 18 CFR part 33 to implement amended section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\

Section 17.101 of Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations sets forth the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations concerning ``reasonable charges'' for medical care or services provided or furnished by VA to a veteran:

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes. This AD requires operators to modify the hydraulic control block of the nose landing gear. This AD results from a report of an unexpected steering event (swerve) during the take-off roll of one affected airplane. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of airplane steering while on the ground, which could result in the airplane going off the side of the runway.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a notice in the Federal Register of December 14, 2005 (70 FR 74020) announcing the availability of a guidance document entitled, ``Requesting an Extension to Use Existing Label Stock After the Trans Fat Labeling Effective Date of January 1, 2006.'' The guidance document provided guidance to FDA and the food industry about when and how businesses may request the agency to consider enforcement discretion for the use, on products introduced into interstate commerce on or after the January 1, 2006, effective date for the trans fat labeling final rule, of some or all existing label stock that does not declare trans fat labeling in compliance with the final rule. This is to notify all interested persons of an addendum to that guidance.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is providing notice of an Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan) for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding the Sharing and Exchange of Information About Therapeutic Products Between the Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America and the Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada of Canada. The purpose of the Implementation Plan is to establish the following: A governance structure for directing and monitoring the implementation of the MOU; clear process by which each party will undertake the exchange of otherwise not public information; and the process for setting and monitoring mutually agreed upon annual priorities for cooperation.

On March 21, 2006, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will hold a public meeting to discuss raising the allowable operating pressure on certain natural gas transmission pipelines. Pipelines are the energy highways of the Nation that provide the most efficient means to transport vast volumes of natural gas on which we depend. Raising the maximum allowable operating pressures (MAOP) for natural gas pipelines would allow more gas to flow through these pipelines. This notice is designed to announce a public meeting and to invite papers on relevant technical subjects. Over the past 20 years, there has been a drastic improvement in technology pertaining to materials, metallurgy, controls, operations, and maintenance of the pipeline network. Based on these and other advances, PHMSA believes that certain pipelines in certain locations could be safely and reliably operated above the operating pressure established in current Federal pipeline safety regulation. There are three categories of pipelines that could realize an immediate benefit from such an increase in the MAOP: the proposed Alaska Natural Gas Transmission System; new natural gas pipelines that are being certificated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and pipelines constructed since 1980 with line pipe of known metallurgical and mechanical properties. This meeting provides the pipeline industry, Federal and State regulators, and interested members of the public an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience about the impact of increasing the MAOP to increase pipeline efficiency. Individuals that would like to make presentations should notify the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by February 7, 2006, and submit papers at this meeting.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6 and 404.7, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of the invention set forth in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/613,121 entitled ``Method of Prophylactically Treating Organophosphate Poisoning,'' filed September 24, 2004. Foreign rights are also available. The United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Army, has rights in this invention.

In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i), announcement is made of the intent to grant an exclusive, royalty- bearing, revocable license within the geographic area of the United States of America and its territories and possessions to U.S. Patent 6,669,481, issued December 30, 2003 entitled ``Neurocognitive Assessment Apparatus And Method;'' Continuation-in-part U.S. Patent Application 10/614,758, filed July 8, 2003 entitled ``Automated Neurological Assessment Metrics (Anam);'' U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/289,125, filed May 8, 2001 entitled ``Automated Neurological Assessment Metrics;'' U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/663,765, filed March 22, 2005 entitled ``System, Method, And Computer Program Product For An Automated Neuropsychological Test;'' U.S. Patent Application 10/340,473, filed December 27, 2002, to The University of Oklahoma with its principal place of business at 350 David L. Boren Boulevard, Suite 1510, Norman, Oklahoma 73072-7264.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of U.S. Patent No. US 6,981,339 entitled ``Article of Footwear with Temperature Regulation Means'' issued January 3, 2006. This patent has been assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) intend to prepare a joint project- level integrated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Feasibility Report, hereafter called the Report, to address the potential impacts of the first Interim Feasibility Study component of the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Study, San Francisco Bay, CA. This study is closely interrelated with the ongoing South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project, discussed in the Notice of Intent dated November 9, 2004. It will function as a project-level EIS/EIR tiered under that programmatic EIS/EIR and will be issued subsequently to the programmatic document. The California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) will be the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Federal Lead Agencies Proposed Actions and Related Programmatic EIS/EIR. The Corps, in cooperation with the USFWS, is proposing to study flood protection and ecosystem restoration for the Alviso portion of the South San Francisco Bay (South Bay) Salt Ponds and adjacent areas to determine whether there is a federal interest in constructing a project with flood protection and/or ecosystem restoration components in this area, and if so, to determine the optimum project to recommend to Congress for authorization. The Report will recommend a plan which will provide for long-term restoration for these salt ponds and adjacent areas as well as flood protection and recreation components, if these actions are justified under Federal criteria. The Report and its alternatives will be tiered to the programmatic EIS/EIR for the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project. One public scoping meeting will be held to solicit comments on the environmental effects of the range of potential projects and the appropriate scope of the Report. The public is invited to comment during this meeting on environmental issues to be addressed in the Report.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to full integrate the Overhills property into the Fort Bragg Training Program, Fort Bragg, Cumberland and Harnett Counties, NC. Presently, realistic training in Fort Bragg's Northern Training Area (NTA), one of Fort Bragg's largest training areas, is hampered by the two sets of training rules that govern training in the units. Though no physical barriers separate the Overhills training units, NTA V-VIII, from NTA units I-IV, the Overhills Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) limits the number of personnel and types of activities during training exercises, effectively creating a training barrier. Applying the same training regulation to the Overhills that governs training on the rest of the installation would allow Fort Bragg to full incorporate the Overhills into the installation's training program, and maximize training possibilities throughout the NTA.