March 15, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of two individual grants: one single $495,000 grant from the passenger transportation funds appropriated for the RBS Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program and another single $247,500 grant from the Federally Recognized Native American Tribes' (FRNAT) funds appropriated for RBS under the RBEG program for fiscal year (FY) 2006. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to a qualified national organization. These grants are to provide technical assistance for rural transportation.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management policies, the BLM announces approval of the West Mojave (WEMO) Plan and Record of Decision (ROD). The approved WEMO Plan/ROD amends the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan by providing management direction for approximately 3.3 million acres of public lands administered by the BLM's California Desert District, located in Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties in southern California. Approval of the WEMO Plan/ROD terminates all interim measures identified in the Consent Decree in Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v. BLM (C-00-0927 WHA (JCS)) with regard to the West Mojave Planning area.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the institution of an investigation and commencement of preliminary phase antidumping investigation No. 731-TA-1103 (Preliminary) under section 733(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673b(a)) (the Act) to determine whether there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports from China of certain activated carbon,\1\ provided for in subheading 3802.10.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, that are alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value. Unless the Department of Commerce extends the time for initiation pursuant to section 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673a(c)(1)(B)), the Commission must reach a preliminary determination in antidumping investigations in 45 days, or in this case by April 24, 2006. The Commission's views are due at Commerce within five business days thereafter, or by May 1, 2006.

NMFS issues this notice to notify the public that the United States has accepted conservation and management measures pertaining to fishing in Antarctic waters managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Commission or CCAMLR). The Commission adopted these measures at its twenty-forth meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, October 24 to November 4, 2005. The measures have been agreed upon by the Member countries of CCAMLR, including the United States, in accordance with Article IX of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (the Convention). The conservation and management measures accepted: restrict overall catches, research catch and bycatch of certain species of fish, krill and crab; limit participation in several exploratory fisheries; restrict fishing in certain areas and to certain gear types; set fishing seasons; clarify seabird mitigation measures; clarify Member data reporting timelines and vessel monitoring reporting; adopt definitions for use in operating the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS). The Commission adopted a list of vessels suspected to be engaged in illegal, unregulated or unreported fishing (IUU vessel list) in the Convention Area. The Commission also adopted a resolution urging Member participation in a non-Contracting Party Cooperation Enhancement Program.

On August 30, 2005, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published a notice of initiation of an antidumping duty changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on certain cased pencils (pencils) from the People's Republic of China (PRC). See Notice of Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: Certain Cased Pencils from the People's Republic of China, 70 FR 51336 (August 30, 2005) (Initiation). The Department published the preliminary results of this review on January 3, 2006. See Notice of Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review and Intent to Revoke Order in Part: Certain Cased Pencils from the People's Republic of China, 71 FR 92 (January 3, 2006) (Preliminary Results). We are now revoking this order, in part, with respect to pencils meeting the specifications described below, based on the fact that domestic interested parties \1\ have expressed no objection to exclusion of these pencils from the order.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by MissAla RF requesting the allotment of Channel 280A at Flora, Mississippi, as that community's second local aural transmission service. Channel 280A can be allotted with a site restriction of 6.1 kilometers (3.8 miles) southwest of Flora at reference coordinates 32- 29-46 NL and 90-20-36 WL.

This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition proposing the establishment of an exemption from the requirement of regulations for residues of Quillaja Saponaria extract in or on all food commodities.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations(14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

The Audio Division, at the request of Charles Crawford, the proponent of a petition for rule making to allot Channel 290A at Stringtown, Oklahoma, 70 FR 17,381, dismisses the petition for rule making and terminates the proceeding.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

The EPA is convening two public workshops to explain the provisions of its recently proposed rule updating and revising the data requirements for registration of biochemical and microbial pesticides in 40 CFR part 158. These workshops are open to the public.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives notice of a public meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) Spray Drift Work Group on March 29 and 30, 2006. An agenda for this meeting is being developed and will be posted on EPA's Web site. The work group is developing input and advice concerning spray drift for EPA's Offices of Water and Pesticide Programs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the Department of the Interior (DOI), as a natural resource trustee, announces the release for public review of the Draft Study Plan for an avian egg injection study for the Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). The Draft Study Plan describes the Trustees' proposed approach to conducting this investigation and seeks public feedback on the proposed approach.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following: Availability of opportunity for the public to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to reduce noise emissions from powered hand tools. Notice: This notice invites manufacturers of electric and pneumatic-powered hand tools to enter into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with NIOSH and some of the leading technical experts on noise control engineering in the United States to reduce noise emissions from powered hand tools. By reducing the noise emissions of electric and pneumatic powered hand tools, the risk of noise-induced hearing loss among construction workers may be lowered. Additional efficiency in tool performance may also be realized as tool designs are optimized to reduce vibration and noise emissions. This effort will identify sources of noise emissions in powered hand tools and will investigate ways to reduce the noise emissions through engineering noise control. NIOSH has successfully worked with university partners to analyze several classes of tools (e.g. table saws, pneumatic nail guns, and air compressors) and demonstrated that significant reductions in noise levels can be achieved through application of noise control engineering. Furthermore, NIOSH expects to partner with academic programs that have advanced technical expertise, acoustic test facilities and specialized equipment, software and data analysis necessary for such an effort. NIOSH is seeking an industrial partner in a CRADA so that particular problems of interest can be targeted for investigation. The industry partners will provide power tools for investigation of noise source identification, product life cycle testing of new designs, and nominal funding of $50,000 to defray expenses in the effort. NIOSH expects to provide up to $50,000 per year over a three-year CRADA agreement. The CRADA defines the role of the various partners regarding intellectual rights, publications, and the material and financial resources that are exchanged during the period of the agreement. At this time, this announcement seeks to identify potential partners in the effort. Detailed development of the CRADA will occur over the next eight months, with the partnership beginning in October 2006. This announcement does not obligate NIOSH to enter into an agreement with any respondent. NIOSH reserves the right to establish a partnership based on engineering analysis and capabilities found by way of this announcement or other searches, if determined to be in the best interest of the government.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is advertising for nominations for the position of radiation oncology physician, specialized in gamma steriotactic radiosurgery on the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI).