February 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) review of the Egg Research and Promotion Program (conducted under the Egg Research and Promotion Order), under the criteria contained in Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of fruits and vegetables in order to allow pink and red tomatoes grown in approved registered production sites in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to be imported into the United States without treatment. The conditions to which the proposed importation of tomatoes would be subject, including trapping, pre-harvest inspection, and shipping procedures, are designed to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States. This action would allow for the importation of pink and red tomatoes from those countries in Central America while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, A340-200 and - 300 series airplanes, and A340-541 and -642 airplanes. This AD requires repetitive borescope inspections of the left and right fuel tanks of the trimmable horizontal stabilizers (trim tanks) for detached or damaged float valves; related investigative/corrective actions if necessary; and the eventual replacement of all float valves in the left and right trim tanks with new, improved float valves, which terminates the need for the repetitive inspections. This AD also requires repetitive replacement of certain new, improved float valves. This AD results from reports of detached and damaged float valves in the trim tanks. We are issuing this AD to prevent, in the event of a lightning strike to the horizontal stabilizer, sparking of metal parts and debris from detached and damaged float valves, or a buildup of static electricity, which could result in ignition of fuel vapors and consequent fire or explosion.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendments 78 and 65 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), Amendments 73 and 65 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), Amendments 16 and 12 to the FMP for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, Amendments 7, 9, and 11 to the FMP for the Scallop Fishery Off Alaska, and Amendments 7 and 8 to the FMP for Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Off the Coast of Alaska. These amendments, if approved, would revise the FMPs by identifying and authorizing protection measures for essential fish habitat (EFH) and habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs) in all five FMPs and update the biological and management information in the scallop FMP. This action is necessary to revise the descriptions of EFH in the FMPs based on the best available scientific information and to protect areas that have important habitat features for the sustainability of managed fish stocks. This action also is necessary to provide an updated FMP for scallop fishery management. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the FMPs, and other applicable laws. Comments from the public are welcome.

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.

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 exempt methyl bromide production and import for 2006 critical uses. Specifically, EPA is authorizing uses that will qualify for the 2006 critical use exemption, and the amount of methyl bromide that may be produced, imported, or made available from inventory for those uses in 2006. EPA's action is taken under the authority of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and reflects recent consensus Decisions taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Protocol) at the 16th and 17th Meetings of the Parties (MOPs) and the 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties (ExMOP).