March 30, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is removing from the Code of Federal Regulations the Libyan Sanctions Regulations, the Angola (UNITA) Sanctions Regulations, and the Rough Diamonds (Liberia) Sanctions Regulations, as a result of the termination of the national emergencies, and revocation of the Executive orders, on which those regulations were based.

EPA is proposing to make minor amendments to the existing Tier 2 motor vehicle regulations (65 FR 6698, February 10, 2000, hereinafter referred to as the Tier 2 rule). These proposed minor amendments are consistent with our intention, under the original Tier 2 rule, to provide interim compliance flexibilities for clean diesels in the passenger car market. While the automotive industry has made rapid advancements in light-duty diesel emissions control technologies and will, as a result, be able to produce diesel vehicles that can comply with the primary regulatory requirements of the Tier 2 program, diesel vehicles still face some very limited technological challenges in meeting the full suite of Tier 2 requirements. This action would provide two voluntary, interim alternative compliance options for a very limited set of standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOX), including only high altitude and high speed/high acceleration conditions. These temporary alternative compliance options are designed to be environmentally neutral, as manufacturers choosing them would then be required to meet more stringent standards in other aspects of the Tier 2 program. The alternative compliance options would last for only three model years, during which time advancements in diesel emissions control technologies would be further developed. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are making these technical amendments as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view these technical amendments as noncontroversial revisions and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for these technical amendments in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we would not take further action on this proposed rule. If we receive adverse comment, we would withdraw the portions of the direct final rule receiving such comment and those portions would not take effect. We would address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We would not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing changes to the rules of practice relating to ex parte and inter partes reexamination. The Office is proposing to provide for a patent owner reply to a request for an ex parte reexamination or an inter partes reexamination prior to the examiner's decision on the request. The Office is also proposing to prohibit supplemental patent owner responses to an Office action in an inter partes reexamination without a showing of sufficient cause. The Office additionally proposes to designate the correspondence address for the patent as the correct address for all communications for patent owners in an ex parte reexamination or an inter partes reexamination, and to simplify the filing of reexamination papers by providing for the use of a single ``mail stop'' address for the filing of substantially all ex parte reexamination papers (such is already the case for inter partes reexamination papers). The Office is further proposing to make miscellaneous clarifying changes as to terminology and applicability of the reexamination rules. Comment Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, written comments must be received on or before May 30, 2006. No public hearing will be held.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-301, -311, and -315 airplanes. This AD requires replacing the pressure control valve of the Type 1 emergency door. This AD results from reports that the pressure control valve of the Type 1 emergency door is susceptible to freezing. We are issuing this AD to ensure that the pressure control valve does not freeze and prevent the door seal from deflating, which could result in the inability to open the door in an emergency.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900 series airplanes. This AD requires repetitive general visual inspections for dirt, debris, and drain blockage and cleaning of the aft fairing cavities of the engine struts; and modification of the aft fairings, which terminates the repetitive general visual inspections. This AD results from a report indicating that water had accumulated in the cavities of the engine strut aft fairings. We are issuing this AD to prevent drain blockage by debris that, when combined with leaking, flammable fluid lines passing through the engine strut aft fairing, could allow flammable fluids to build up in the cavity of the aft fairing, and consequently could be ignited by the engine exhaust nozzle located below the engine strut, resulting in an explosion or uncontrolled fire.