January 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the intent to revise the BLM policies and procedures for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended, Executive Order 11514, as amended, Executive Order 12114, and the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulations. When adopted, these procedures will be published in Part 516, Chapter 11, of the Departmental Manual (DM) and will be added to the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Electronic Library of Interior Policies (ELIPS). ELIPS is located at: https://elips.doi.gov. The public can review the proposed Categorical Exclusion (CX) Analysis Reports on the Department of the Interior's Web site at https://www.doi.gov/oepcc or at the Bureau of Land Management's Web site at https://www.blm.gov/ planning. The BLM procedures were last updated May 19, 1992. The proposed revisions are necessary to update these procedures. BLM's current procedures can be found at: https://elips.doi.gov/appDM/act getfiles.cfm?nelnum=3621. The public is asked to review and comment on the proposed changes in Chapter 11 of the manual, including the newly proposed categorical exclusions (CXs).

The Audio Division, at the request of Linda Crawford, allots Channel 294A at Eden, Texas, as the community's second local FM service. Channel 294A can be allotted to Eden, Texas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 11.4 kilometers (7.1 miles) southwest of Eden. The coordinates for Channel 294A at Eden, Texas, are 31-10-00 North Latitude and 99-57-01 West Longitude. Although Mexican concurrence has been requested, notification has not been received. If a construction permit for Channel 294A at Eden, Texas, is granted prior to receipt of formal concurrence by the Mexican government, the authorization will include the following condition: ``Operation with the facilities specified herein for Eden, Texas, is subject to modification, suspension, or termination without right to hearing, if found by the Commission to be necessary in order to conform to the Mexico-United States FM Broadcast Agreement, or if specifically objected to by the Government of Mexico.''

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is requesting data, comments, and other information on issues relevant to underground mine rescue equipment and technology. Over the last several years, improvements have been made to communication devices, sensors and other forms of technology in general industry. As such, continuous development and deployment of mine rescue equipment and technology are crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of mine rescue operations and improving miners' survivability in the event of a mine emergency. Responses to this request for information will assist the Agency in determining an appropriate course of action as necessary to improve mine rescue capabilities.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS), as co-leads in the environmental process, intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. The EIS will address environmental and related impacts that may result from actions to be proposed and alternatives to be developed to achieve the statutory mandate of Public Law 100-91 (``commonly know as the Overflights Act''); to provide for the substantial restoration of the natural quiet and experience of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). The Presidential Memorandum dated April 22, 1996, Earth Day Initiative, Parks for Tomorrow calls for substantial restoration of natural quiet in the GCNP to be achieved by 2008. ``Substantial restoration of natural quiet'' has been defined by the NPS to mean that 50 percent or more of the park will achieve natural quiet (i.e., no aircraft audible) for 75 to 100 percent of the day. This undertaking is a follow-on to previous actions taken by the FAA, in cooperation with the NPS, since December 1996. The FAA and NPS are inviting the public, agencies, and other interested parties to provide comments, suggestions, and input regarding: (1) The scope, issues, and concerns related to the development of proposed and alternative actions at Grand Canyon National Park that provide for the substantial restoration of the natural quiet and experience of the park and protection of public health and safety from significant adverse effects associated with all aircraft overflights; (2) past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions which, when considered with any alternatives, may result in significant cumulative impacts; and, (3) potential alternatives. The scoping process for this EIS will include three public meetings and a ninety-day comment period for interested agencies and parties to submit oral and/or written comments representing the concerns and issues they believe should be addressed. Please submit any written comments within ninety-days from the date of this Notice, or no later than April 27, 2006. Address your comments to: Docket Management System, Doc No. FAA-2005-23402, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. The purpose of this Notice is to inform Federal, State, local government agencies, and the public of the intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and to conduct a public and agency scoping process. Information, data, opinions, and comments obtained throughout the scoping process will be considered in preparing the Draft EIS. To maximize the opportunities for public participation in this environmental process, the FAA and NPS will also publish notices in the major local newspapers in the vicinity of the study area.

This document grants a Counterproposal filed by Cumulus Licensing LLC in response to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding. See 70 FR 8558, February 22, 2005. Specifically, the license of Station KBED, Channel 300C2, Oil City, Louisiana, is modified to specify operation on Channel 247C2 at Waskom, Texas. To accommodate this reallotment, this document makes four related channel substitutions. Channel 300C2 is substituted for vacant Channel 247C2 at Longview, Texas. The license of Station KTBQ, Channel 299C2, Nacogdoches, Texas, is modified to specify operation on Channel 299C3. The license of Station KDBH, Channel 247C3, Natchitoches, Louisiana, is modified to specify operation on Channel 248A. The license of Station KPCH, Channel 249C1, Dubach, Louisiana, is modified to specify operation on Channel 249C2. To replace the loss of the sole local service at Oil City, this document modifies the license of Station KRMD, Channel 266C, Shreveport, Louisiana, to specify Oil City as the community of license. The reference coordinates for the Channel 247C2 allotment at Waskom, Texas, are 32-29-36 and 93-45-55. The reference coordinates for the Channel 266C allotment at Oil City, Louisiana, are 32-40-08 and 93-52-45. The reference coordinates for the Channel 300C2 allotment at Longview, Texas, are 32-42-01 and 94-40-47. The reference coordinates for the Channel 299C3 allotment at Nacogdoches, Texas, are 31-38-09 and 94-38-50. The reference coordinates for the Channel 248A allotment at Natchitoches, Louisiana, are 31-46-09 and 93-01-38. The reference coordinates for the Channel 249C2 allotment at Dubach, Louisiana, are 32-40-09 and 92-37-58. With this action, the proceeding is terminated.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the New Jersey State Implementation Plan (SIP) for ozone concerning the control of volatile organic compounds. The SIP revision consists of amendments to Subchapter 24 ``Prevention of Air Pollution From Consumer Products'' of 7:27 of the New Jersey Administrative Codes, which are needed to meet the shortfall in emissions reduction identified by EPA in New Jersey's 1-hour ozone attainment demonstration SIP. The intended effect of this action is to approve a control strategy required by the Clean Air Act, which will result in emission reductions that will help achieve attainment of the national ambient air quality standard for ozone.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazards Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application''portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning progress payments. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 70 FR 59727, October 13, 2005. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

NCUA is amending its rule concerning financial and statistical reports to require all federally insured credit unions to file the same quarterly Financial and Statistical Report with NCUA. The amendment requires all federally insured credit unions to file Form NCUA 5300 quarterly and, beginning with the third quarter 2006 cycle, eliminates the alternate Form NCUA 5300SF for credit unions with assets of less than ten million dollars. In conjunction with the change in the reporting requirement for small credit unions, NCUA is issuing a number of revisions to Form 5300. All credit unions must use the revised form beginning with the second quarter 2006 reports, due July 20, 2006.

This document corrects temporary regulations (TD 9232) that were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, December 8, 2005 (70 FR 72908) that provide certain elections for taxpayers that continue to be subject to the PFIC excess distribution regime of section 1291 even though the foreign corporation in which they own stock is no longer treated as a PFIC under section 1297(a) or (e).

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is implementing the revisions to the Guidelines for State Plans of Work for the Agricultural Research and Extension Formula Funds [64 FR 19242-19248]. These guidelines prescribe the procedures to be followed by the eligible institutions receiving Federal agricultural research and extension formula funds under the Hatch Act of 1887, as amended (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.); sections 3(b)(1) and (c) of the Smith- Lever Act of 1914, as amended (7 U.S.C. 343 (b)(1) and (c)); and sections 1444 and 1445 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended (7 U.S.C. 3221 and 3222). The recipients of these funds are commonly referred to as the 1862 land-grant institutions and 1890 land-grant institutions, including Tuskegee University and West Virginia State University. CSREES also is revising and reinstating a previously approved information collection (OMB No. 0524-0036) associated with these Guidelines.

The Peace Corps Fellows/USA program is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., the Peace Corps is required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of revision of a collection of information and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the Fellows/USA Program Improvement Survey.

This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition proposing the establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of C9 rich aromatic hydrocarbon fluid (Aromatic 100 Fluid) in or on food commodities when used as an inert ingredient in pesticide products.