February 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

With this final rule, EPA bans research for pesticides involving intentional exposure of human subjects, when the subjects are pregnant women or children. The rule further strengthens existing protections for subjects in research conducted or supported by EPA, by prohibiting such research if it would involve intentional exposure of human subjects who are pregnant women or children. The rule also extends new protections to adult subjects in research for pesticides conducted by others who intend to submit the research to EPA, when it involves intentional exposure of human subjects who are non-pregnant adults, and creates a new, independent Human Studies Review Board to advise the Agency on the ethical and scientific issues arising in such research. This final rule focuses on third-party intentional dosing human studies for pesticides and sets the stage for further Agency actions. In addition, in order to display the OMB control number for the information collection requirements contained in this final rule, EPA is amending the table of OMB approval numbers for EPA regulations that appears in 40 CFR part 9.

On January 30, 2006, Mittal Canada Inc. (formerly Ispat Sidbec Inc.) filed a First Request for Panel Review with the United States Section of the NAFTA Secretariat pursuant to Article 1904 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Panel review was requested of the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review made by the United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, respecting Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Canada. This determination was published in the Federal Register, (71 FR 3822) on January 24, 2006. The NAFTA Secretariat has assigned Case Number USA-CDA-2006-1904-04 to this request.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations to reflect a change in the address for the Departmental Appeals Board (DAB). This action is editorial in nature and is intended to improve the accuracy of the agency's regulations.

EPA is taking final action to approve revisions to the Wisconsin State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Wisconsin on July 28, 2005. These revisions include General and Registration permit programs that provide for the issuance of general and registration permits as part of the State's construction permit and operation permit programs. In addition, these permit programs may include the regulation of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) which may be regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (the Act). Thus, EPA is also approving Wisconsin's general and registration permit program under section 112(l) of the Act. These SIP revisions also contain changes to definitions related to Wisconsin's air permit program, as well as a minor technical change to provide correct references to the updated chapter NR 445, which was inadvertently omitted in the processing of that rule package. Additionally, these revisions clarify an existing construction permit exemption and operation permit exemption for certain grain storage and drying operations. This clarification is necessary to ensure that column dryers and rack dryers are included in the exemption criteria.