February 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The staff grants a rulemaking petition filed by Isabel Sepulveda, Inc. but allots alternate Channel 233A in lieu of Channel 277A at Water Mill, New York, as the community's first local aural service. The reference coordinates for Channel 233A at Water Mill are 40-54-39 NL and 72-20-29 WL. See 68 FR 10682 (March 6, 2003). With this action, the proceeding is terminated.

To address the problem of rear underride crashes, Federal safety standards require heavy trailers and semitrailers to be equipped with underride guards. Compliance with these requirements is not practicable for vehicles featuring work-performing equipment mounted in the area where an underride guard would normally be located. These trailers and semitrailers are designated as ``special purpose vehicles'' and are excluded from the standard. On November 5, 2004, we published a final rule amending the definition of ``special purpose vehicles'' in order to clarify the exclusion by specifying the dimensions of the area where the work-performing equipment must reside or pass through in order for the exclusion to apply. On December 14, 2004, we were petitioned by the National Truck Equipment Association to reconsider the final rule because the amendment has had an unintended effect of narrowing the exclusion applicable to ``special purpose vehicles.'' In response to that petition for reconsideration, this document further amends the definition of a ``special purpose vehicle'' to exclude a specific group of vehicles that cannot comply with the underride guard requirements in a practicable manner.

This notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposes to amend a previously published proposed rule that implements the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), to provide for additional accommodations for air travelers who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. This proposed rule applies to U.S. air carriers, to foreign air carriers for their flights into and out of the United States, to airport facilities located in the U.S. that are owned, controlled or leased by carriers, and to aircraft that serve a U.S. airport. It proposes to require U.S. and certain foreign air carriers to provide prompt access for individuals who identify themselves as requiring hearing or visual assistance to the same information provided to other passengers in the terminal and on the aircraft; caption safety and informational videos, DVDs and other audio-visual displays shown on new and existing aircraft; caption entertainment videos, DVDs and other audio-visual displays on new aircraft; ensure that individuals calling a carrier's TTY line for information or reservations receive equal response time and level of service (including queuing or other automated response service) as that provided to individuals calling a non-TTY information or reservation line; enable captioning on televisions and audio-visual equipment located in those portions of U.S. airports that are owned, leased or controlled by carriers and open to public access to the extent that such equipment has captioning capability on the effective date of this rule; replace non-caption capable televisions and audio- visual displays with captioning capable technology in the normal course of operations or when relevant airport facilities undergo substantial renovation or expansion; and train carrier personnel to proficiency on recognizing requests for communication accommodations and communicating with individuals who have visual or hearing impairments.

This document confirms the effective date of the direct final rule which revises Class E airspace at Beatrice, NE.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update text pertaining to small business programs. This proposed rule is a result of a transformation initiative undertaken by DoD to dramatically change the purpose and content of the DFARS.

DoD has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update text addressing administrative matters related to contract placement. This rule is a result of a transformation initiative undertaken by DoD to dramatically change the purpose and content of the DFARS.

DoD has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update text pertaining to Government review of contractor insurance programs, pension plans, and other deferred compensation plans. This rule is a result of a transformation initiative undertaken by DoD to dramatically change the purpose and content of the DFARS.

DoD has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update text addressing uniform line item numbering in DoD contracts. This rule is a result of a transformation initiative undertaken by DoD to dramatically change the purpose and content of the DFARS.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company (GE) CF34-3A1 and -3B1 series turbofan engines. That AD requires initial and repetitive visual inspections and eddy current inspections (ECIs) of certain stage 5 low pressure turbine (LPT) disks and stage 6 LPT disks, installed in GE CF34-3A1 and -3B1 series turbofan engines. Those engines are installed in certain Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (RJ) airplanes. This AD requires the same initial and repetitive visual inspections and ECIs, but adds SNs to the affected disk population for RJ airplanes. This AD also adds GE CF34-1 and -3 series turbofan engines with certain stage 5 and stage 6 LPT disks, to the applicability section. Those engines are installed in certain Bombardier Canadair Business Jet (BJ) airplanes. Also, this AD requires eventual replacement of the affected disks as terminating action to the repetitive inspections. This AD results from the discovery of an additional population of suspect stage 5 LPT disks and stage 6 LPT disks that could fail due to low-cycle fatigue cracking that may start at the site of an electrical arc-out on the disk. We are issuing this AD to prevent low-cycle-fatigue (LCF) failure of stage 5 LPT disks and stage 6 LPT disks, which could lead to uncontained engine failure.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce Corporation (formerly Allison Engine Company) (RRC) 501-D series turboprop engines. That AD currently requires removal from service of certain turbine rotor components at reduced life limits. This proposed AD would require the same actions but adds two new life limits. This proposed AD results from RRC reevaluating and revising component life limits for 501-D22 series turboprop engines. We are proposing this AD to prevent uncontained turbine rotor failure resulting in an in-flight engine shutdown and possible damage to the airplane.

This proposed rule invites comments on removing the exception for yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes from the minimum quantity exemption paragraph of the handling regulations issued under the Idaho- Eastern Oregon potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, and is administered locally by the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Potato Committee (Committee). A minimum quantity shipment exemption of up to 200 hundredweight is provided for yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes. Because yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes are no longer produced in the production area covered under the marketing order, the exemption is no longer necessary.

The Federal Election Commission (``Commission'') is revising its rules defining ``Federal election activity'' (``FEA'') under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (``FECA''). These final rules modify the definitions of ``get-out-the-vote activity'' and ``voter identification'' consistent with the ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Shays v. FEC. The final rules retain the definition of ``voter registration activity'' that the Commission promulgated in 2002, and provide a fuller explanation of what this term encompasses in response to the district court's decision. The Commission is also revising the definition of ``in connection with an election in which a candidate for Federal office appears on the ballot'' for FEA purposes. Further information is provided in the supplementary information that follows.

This document withdraws the proposed rule, Administration of VA Educational BenefitsCentralized Certification, published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2003 and promulgates a new proposed rule on the same subject. The new proposed rule would amend Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rules governing certification of enrollment in approved courses for the training of veterans and other eligible persons under education benefit programs VA administers. Under this new proposed rule, VA would permit educational institutions with multi- state campuses to submit certifications to VA from a centralized location. VA considered comments received on the previous proposed rule when drafting this new proposed rule.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) published a final rule under parts 600, 602, 603, 604, and 606 on November 17, 2005 (70 FR 69644). This final rule amends our 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 accordance with 12 U.S.C. 2252, the effective date of the final rule is 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register during which either or both Houses of Congress are in session. Based on the records of the sessions of Congress, the effective date of the regulation is February 15, 2006.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is amending Commission rules to require that commodity pool annual financial reports submitted by commodity pool operators (``CPOs'') to the National Futures Association (``NFA'') be filed and affirmed electronically, in compliance with NFA's electronic filing procedures. NFA petitioned the Commission to adopt this amendment after its implementation of a pilot program for electronic filing of commodity pool annual reports in 2005. The amendment necessarily eliminates the requirement that the commodity pool annual report filed with NFA be manually signed, and replaces it with a requirement that CPOs maintain for five years in their own business records a manually signed oath or affirmation with respect to each annual report along with documentation supporting the compilation of certain key financial balances required to be submitted to NFA. In addition to mandating electronic filing, the Commission is also amending other provisions of its rules applicable to CPOs with respect to financial reporting to: (i) Explicitly state that commodity pool monthly and/or quarterly account statements distributed to participants must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; (ii) clarify that CPOs must file a notification of a change in a public accountant for a commodity pool with NFA; (iii) clarify that a reference to ``segregation'' with respect to a statement required to be made in an accountant's letter refers to the prohibition on commingling of funds of a commodity pool with the assets of any other person; and (iv) require that notifications concerning CPOs' election of fiscal years for commodity pools other than the calendar year or changes in fiscal year be filed solely with NFA and not the Commission. These amendments with respect to commodity pool financial reporting do not impact the distribution of annual reports to pool participants, which may continue to be provided through hard-copy distribution via postal mail or electronically if the pool participant consents thereto. Also, these amendments do not change the requirements or process for CPOs to request that the Commission provide confidential treatment to commodity pool annual reports submitted to NFA, in response to requests from the public made under the Freedom of Information Act.

In the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Energy Act), Congress removed the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline (RFG) in Section 211(k) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Energy Act specified that this change was to be immediately effective in California, and that it would be effective 270 days after enactment for the rest of the country. This direct final rule amends the fuels regulations to remove the oxygen content requirement for RFG for gasoline produced and sold for use in California, thereby making the fuels regulations consistent with amended Section 211(k). In addition, for gasoline produced and sold for use in California, this rule extends the current prohibition against combining VOC-controlled RFG blended with ethanol with VOC-controlled RFG blended with any other type of oxygenate from January 1 through September 15, to also prohibit combining VOC-controlled RFG blended with ethanol with non-oxygenated VOC-controlled RFG during that time period, except in limited circumstances authorized by the Act. The removal of the RFG oxygen content requirement and revision of the commingling prohibition for gasoline produced and sold for use in all areas of the country is being published in a separate direct final rule that will have a later effective date than this California specific rulemaking.

In the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Energy Act), Congress removed the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline (RFG) in section 211(k) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). To be consistent with the current CAA Section 211(k), this rule would amend the fuels regulations at 40 CFR Part 80 to remove the oxygen content requirement for RFG. This rule also would remove requirements which were included in the regulations to implement and ensure compliance with the oxygen content requirement. In addition, this rule would extend the current prohibition against combining VOC-controlled RFG blended with ethanol with VOC-controlled RFG blended with any other type of oxygenate from January 1 through September 15, to also prohibit combining VOC- controlled RFG blended with ethanol with non-oxygenated VOC-controlled RFG during that time period, except in limited circumstances authorized by the Act. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of the Federal Register, we are issuing these amendments to the RFG regulations as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view them as noncontroversial amendments and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for these amendments in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule. If we receive adverse comment, we will withdraw the direct final fuel and it will not take effect. We will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time.

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to implement a statutory change that requires the use of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit standard for concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers for an environmental differential pay category that covers Federal prevailing rate (wage) employees.

This decision recommends adoption of a proposal that would amend certain features of the Mideast Federal milk marketing order to deter the de-pooling of milk.

This decision recommends adoption of proposals that would amend certain features of the Central Federal milk marketing order. Specifically, this decision recommends adoption of proposals that would increase supply plant performance standards, amend features of the ``touch-base'' provision, amend certain features of the ``split plant'' provision and decrease the diversion limit standards of the order. This decision also recommends adoption of a proposal that would limit the volume of milk a handler can pool in a month to 125 percent of the total volume of milk pooled in the previous month.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2005-06 and subsequent crop years from $11.00 to $7.50 per ton of free tonnage raisins acquired by handlers, and reserve tonnage raisins released or sold to handlers for use in free tonnage outlets. The Committee locally administers the Federal marketing order which regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California (order). Assessments upon raisin handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year runs from August 1 through July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule adopts as final, with a minor editorial change, the proposed rule published in the Federal Register (70 FR 33726-33727) on June 9, 2005. This final rule amends the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to add Alternate I to the ``Major Breach of Safety or Security'' clause. Alternate I deletes references to termination for default and makes other changes to be consistent with the FAR termination clauses prescribed for use with educational or nonprofit institutions performing research and development work on a nonprofit or no-fee basis, and in contracts for commercial items.

EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Colorado. The revision establishes affirmative defense provisions for source owners and operators for excess emissions during periods of startup and shutdown. The affirmative defense provisions are contained in the State of Colorado's Common Provisions regulation. The intended effect of this action is to approve those portions of the rule that are approvable and to disapprove those portions of the rule that are inconsistent with the Clean Air Act. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act. In addition, EPA is announcing that it no longer considers the State of Colorado's May 27, 1998 submittal of revisions to Regulation No. 1 to be an active SIP submittal. Those revisions, which we proposed to disapprove on September 2, 1999 and October 7, 1999, would have provided exemptions from existing limitations on opacity and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions for coal-fired electric utility boilers during periods of startup, shutdown, and upset. Since our proposed disapproval, the State of Colorado has removed or replaced the provisions in Regulation No. 1 that we proposed to disapprove, and has instead pursued adoption of the affirmative defense provisions in the State of Colorado's Common Provisions regulation that we are approving today.

The EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) Post-1996 Rate of Progress (ROP) Plan, the 1990 Base Year Inventory, and the Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEB) established by the ROP Plan, for the Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA) ozone nonattainment area submitted November 16, 2004. The intended effect of this action is to approve revisions submitted by the State of Texas to satisfy the reasonable further progress requirements for 1- hour ozone nonattainment areas classified as serious and demonstrate further progress in reducing ozone precursors. We are approving these revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act).