March 16, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce publishes this notice to invite applications to participate in a business investment mission to the Gulf Coast Region. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez in coordination with Federal Coordinator Donald E. Powell, Gulf Coast Rebuilding, Department of Homeland Security, will lead a senior-level business delegation to the Gulf Coast, with stops in Louisiana and Mississippi, on May 4-5, 2006. The focus of the trip will be to highlight opportunities for investment in the Gulf Coast, including the incentives in the recently-enacted Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005. During this trip, business delegation members will be briefed by ranking federal, state, and local officials on the opportunities available for investment in the Gulf Coast, including the advantages of using the region as a platform for export production or shipping. This mission is geared specifically to businesses with a strong interest in, and capable of, making capital investments (of at minimum $5 Million) in the Gulf Coast region and companies which already have significant (at least $5 Million) investments in the region.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is issuing this Notice to announce: the 2006 AEWRS for employers seeking to employ temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant alien workers to perform agricultural labor or services (H-2A workers) or logging (H-2 logging workers); the allowable charges for 2006, that employers seeking H-2A workers and H-2 logging workers may levy upon their workers when three meals a day are provided by the employer; and the maximum travel subsistence reimbursement which a worker with receipts may claim in 2006. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and paid to U.S. and alien workers by employers of H-2A workers or H-2 logging workers. AEWRs are established to prevent the employment of these aliens from adversely affecting wages of similarly employed U.S. workers. The Department announces the AEWRs for 2006. The Department also announces the new rates for 2006, which covered agricultural and logging employers may charge their workers for three daily meals. Under specified conditions, workers are entitled to reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses. The minimum reimbursement is the charge for three daily meals as noted above. The Department also announces the current maximum reimbursement that may be claimed in 2006, by workers with receipts.

In December 2002, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) began a review of the performance management system for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. The review addressed the following topics: (a) The performance measures; (b) the criteria used to gauge success against the measures; and (c) the administration of UI Performs. ETA conducted the review in significant consultation with State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) and indirectly through the National Association of State Workforce Agencies' Subcommittee for UI Performs. ETA contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. to assist with the data analyses. The review resulted in a recommendation that ETA publish a guidance to streamline the UI performance management system (UI Performs) in the following three significant ways: (1) Reduce the number of performance goals to a few ``core'' measures; (2) utilize the data of the remaining measures for program management with no performance goals; and (3) streamline the State Quality Service Plan narrative. In response, on June 16, 2004, ETA published UIPL No. 21-04, which outlined the proposed changes to UI Perform and invited public comments. (69 FR 33669 (2004)).

The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), has submitted a public information collection request (ICR) entitled Collection of State Service Plans from State Commissions, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). A copy of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps, Amy Borgstrom, Associate Director of Policy, (202) 606-6930, or by e-mail at ABorstrom@cns.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-TDD) may call (202) 606-3472 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Application for Farm Labor Contractor and Farm Labor Contractor Employee Certificate of Registration (WH-530). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Chaluka Corporation. The lands are located in T. 81 S., R. 133 W.; T. 82 S., Rgs. 133, 134, 135, and 136 W.; T. 83 S., Rgs. 134, 135, and 136 W.; T. 84 S., Rgs. 136 and 137 W.; and T. 85 S., R. 139 W., Seward Meridian, in the vicinity of Nikolski, Alaska, and contain approximately 14,141 acres. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in The Anchorage Daily News.

Benchmarking/verification: The free trade agreement between the United States and the CAFTA-DR countries establishes a commitment to effectively enforce domestic labor laws. This program will measure and evaluate progress by the CAFTA-DR countries as they strive to improve implementation of their labor laws consistent with international standards. Specifically, the program will create a series of benchmarks and measurements related to compliance with internationally recognized labor rights. These tools will be used to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations established in the ``White Paper'' (developed by the Trade and Labor Ministry officials of the countries), as well as improvements to institutional capacities of government mechanisms for the sustainable implementation of labor law. A verification report will be produced and made publicly available on a semi-annual basis. Labor Justice Training: Increasing knowledge throughout the judicial system of core labor standards and the laws and regulations in place to support them is critical to success. An efficient and effective labor justice system is also of great importance. Training needed to assure these outcomes may include: Training in internationally recognized labor standards of the International Labor Organization, as well as training on the ILO's system for overseeing labor rights; Training in the national level obligations entailed in country ratification of ILO conventions. Training in the application of ILO core labor standards through domestic legislation and regulation. This includes relevant (a) Training in oral litigation procedures, legal writing and proper jurisprudence procedures; (b) Training and technical assistance to support linkages between the formal court system, alternative dispute resolution systems, and the enforcement process taking place within labor ministries to ensure consistency with international standards; and (c) Training and technical assistance to strengthen alternative dispute systems, or other arbitration and mediation mechanisms dealing with labor issues that are specifically associated with the judicial system.

EPA is requesting information concerning the development of test kits or similar technologies for testing lead in paint that could be used by renovators, repair persons, and painters complying with a future EPA regulation for renovation, repair, and painting activities. This information will be considered in formulating EPA's policy and research decisions regarding the development of lead paint test kits. The lead paint test kits will allow renovators, repair persons, and painters to focus resources and identify locations where lead-based paint is present and reliably determine situations where appropriate preventive actions should be undertaken.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is soliciting public comment on the Office of Systems Engineering and Development SAFECOM Interoperability Baseline Survey. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2005 and allowed 60 days for public comment. One public comment was received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge Reservation. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking qualified candidates for appointment to its Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).

The Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'' or ``we'') is announcing the availability of, and soliciting public comments for 45 days on, the proposed approval of the waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (``CCP'') to characterize transuranic (``TRU'') radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) proposed for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (``WIPP''). In accordance with the WIPP Compliance Criteria, EPA evaluated the CCP's characterization of TRU debris waste and soils/ gravel from SRS during an inspection conducted October 31-November 3, 2005. Using the systems and processes developed as part of the Department of Energy's (``DOE's'') Carlsbad Field Office (``CBFO'') CCP, EPA verified whether DOE could adequately characterize TRU waste consistent with the Compliance Criteria. The results of EPA's evaluation of the SRS CCP program and the proposed approval are described in EPA's inspection report, which is available for review in the public dockets listed in ADDRESSES. We will consider public comments received on or before the due date mentioned in DATES. This notice summarizes the waste characterization processes EPA evaluated, the ``tier'' EPA assigned to each waste characterization process component, and the TRU waste categories proposed for approval. As required by the 40 CFR 194.8 changes promulgated in July 2004, at the end of a 45-day comment period EPA will evaluate public comments received, finalize the report responding to the relevant public comments, and issue the final report and an approval letter to DOE's Carlsbad Field Office. Waste that is characterized by the SRS CCP is not eligible for disposal at WIPP until EPA formally grants its approval.

The Denali Commission withdraws a Proposed Rule to add regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The Proposed Rule was published in the Federal Register on August 10, 2004.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a meeting of the Klamath Fishery Management Council. The meeting is open to the public. The Klamath Fishery Management Council makes recommendations to agencies that regulate harvest of anadromous fish in the Klamath River Basin. The objectives of this meeting is to hear technical reports, to discuss and develop Klamath fall Chinook salmon harvest management options for the 2006 season, and to make recommendations to the Pacific Fishery Management Council and other Fishery Management agencies.