April 11, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Publication of the inflation adjustment factor, nonconventional source fuel credit, and reference price for calendar year 2005 as required by section 29 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 29). The inflation adjustment factor, nonconventional source fuel credit, and reference price are used in determining the tax credit allowable on the sale of fuel from nonconventional sources under section 29 during calendar year 2005.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection (OMB No. 0524-0026) for Form CSREES-665, ``Assurance of Compliance with the Department of Agriculture Regulations Assuring Civil Rights Compliance,'' and Form CSREES-666, ``Organizational Information.''

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Peanut Standards Board (Board) for the purpose of advising the Secretary on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. The initial Board was appointed by the Secretary and announced on December 5, 2002. USDA seeks nominations for individuals to be considered for selection as Board members for terms of office ending June 30, 2009. Selected nominees sought by this action would replace those six producer and industry representatives who are currently serving for the initial term of office that ends June 30, 2006. The Board consists of 18 members representing producers and industry representatives.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on Form FDA 3038, Interstate Shellfish Dealers Certificate.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the withdrawal of a draft guidance that was issued on July 11, 2001.

The NTP continuously solicits and accepts nominations for toxicological studies to be undertaken by the program. Nominations of substances of potential human health concern are received from federal agencies, the public, and other interested parties. These nominations are subject to several levels of review before selections for testing are made and toxicological studies are designed and implemented. This notice (1) provides brief background information and study recommendations regarding 10 nominations for study by the NTP (Table 1), (2) solicits public comment on the nominations and study recommendations, and (3) requests the submission of additional relevant information for consideration by the NTP in its continued review of these nominations. An electronic copy of this announcement, supporting documents for each nomination, and further information on the NTP and the NTP Study Nomination and Review Process can be accessed through the NTP Web site (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/; select ``Nominations to the Testing Program'').

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA issued a notice of receipt of request by registrants to voluntarily cancel certain pesticide registrations in the Federal Register of February 22, 2006. The notice announced that 90 pesticide registrations would be canceled unless a cancellation request was withdrawn by August 21, 2006. The 90 registrations were listed in Table 1. This notice corrects information in Table 1 for one of the registrations. EPA Registration Number 000100-01074 (Cyclone Concentrate Herbicide) was erroneously included in the February 22, 2006 Notice, therefore with this technical correction EPA is removing EPA Registration Number 000100-01074 (Cyclone Concentrate Herbicide) from Table 1 of the February 22, 2006 Federal Register Notice. A request to voluntarily cancel EPA Registration Number 000100-01074 (Cyclone Concentrate Herbicide) was previously published in the Federal Register of October 28, 2005. The terms of the October 28, 2005 Notice take precedent over the erroneous inclusion of this registration in the February 22, 2006 Federal Register Notice.

This proposed rule would revise the regulations governing the sampling, inspection, weighing, and certification for rice by increasing certain fees charged for the services by approximately 18 percent. Further, the rice fees would be increased an additional 3 percent each year through fiscal year 2010 and establish a stowage examination fee. These revisions are necessary in order to recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing these services under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA).

On March 15, 2006, a letter was mailed to Tribal Leaders to provide consultation with tribal governments on the development of proposed regulations which will establish standards for implementing Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

This action amends the airworthiness standards for new designs and significant product changes for transport category airplanes concerning flight guidance systems. The standards address the performance, safety, failure protection, alerting, and basic annunciation of these systems. This rule is necessary to address flight guidance system vulnerabilities and to consolidate and standardize regulations for functions within those systems. In addition, this rule updates the current regulations regarding the latest technology and functionality. Adopting this rule eliminates significant regulatory differences between the U.S. and European airworthiness standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to exempt entities that import aircraft fire extinguishing spherical pressure vessels containing halon-1301 (``aircraft halon bottles'') for hydrostatic testing from the import petitioning requirements for used controlled substances. The petitioning requirements compel importers to submit detailed information to the Administrator concerning the origin of the substance at least forty working days before a shipment is to leave a foreign port of export. This action proposes to reduce the administrative burden on entities that are importing aircraft halon- 1301 bottles for the purpose of maintaining these bottles to commercial safety specifications and standards set forth in Federal Aviation Authority airworthiness directives. This action does not propose to exempt entities importing bulk quantities of halon-1301 in containers that are not being imported for purposes of hydrostatic testing. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of today's Federal Register, we are creating this exemption as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view this as a noncontroversial action and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for this exemption 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 rule 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 persons interested in commenting must do so at this time.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Public Law 102-484 section 2834, as amended by Public Law 104-106 section 2867, the Department of the Army and the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) hereby give notice of intent to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the San Francisquito Creek Project in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, CA to consider opportunities to reduce both fluvial and tidal flooding, to reduce the threat to public safety due to flooding and to restore ecosystem quality and function, where possible. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is the lead agency for this project under NEPA. The SFCJPA is the lead agency for this project under CEQA. A public scoping meeting will be held to solicit comments on the environmental scope of the project and the appropriate scope of the joint EIS/EIR.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated 21 July 1996.

The Defense Science Board 2006 Summer Study on Information Management for Net-Centric Operations will meet in closed session on April 20-21, 2006, May 18-19, 2006, and July 18-19, 2006; at Systems Planning Corporation; and on June 15, 2006, at Strategic Analysis Inc. The address for both locations is 3601 Wilson Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Arlington, VA. These meetings continue the task force's work and will consist of classified and proprietary briefings on current technologies and programs. The mission of the Defense Science Board is to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on scientific and technical matters as they affect the perceived needs of the Department of Defense. At these meetings, the Defense Science Board Task Force will: Assess the features and capabilities VTOL/STOL aircraft should have in order to support the nation's defense needs through at least the first half of the 21st century. In accordance with Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. II), it has been determined that these Defense Science Board Task Force meetings concern matters listed in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and that, accordingly, the meetings will be closed to the public.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing Model 737-600, -700, - 700C, and -800 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires replacing the point ``D'' splice fitting between windows number 1 and 2 with a new splice fitting; performing an eddy current inspection for cracking of the holes in the structure common to the new splice fitting, including doing any related investigative actions; and performing corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would add repetitive inspections for cracking of the skin just below each splice fitting, and related corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD results from full-scale fuselage fatigue testing on the splice fitting that failed prior to the design objective on Boeing Model 737-800 series airplanes, and a report of a cracked splice fitting on an operational airplane. We are proposing this AD to prevent cracking of the existing fitting, which may result in cracking through the skin and consequent decompression of the flight cabin.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain EMBRAER Model EMB-135BJ airplanes. This proposed AD would require inspecting for missing fire blocking material on the left- and right-hand partitions of the forward baggage compartment door; replacing the seal on both partitions; and performing corrective action if necessary. This proposed AD results from a report indicating that certain airplanes were delivered with the fire blocking material missing and the seal improperly installed on the partitions of the forward baggage compartment door. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct such discrepancies on the partitions of the forward baggage compartment door, which, in the event of a fire in the baggage compartment, could result in smoke propagating into the main cabin.

This notice is published in accordance with Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-463). Following consultation with the General Services Administration, notice is hereby given that the Secretary of the Interior is renewing the charter for the Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group (CAG). The purpose of the CAG is to provide recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior and the State of Washington on the structure and implementation of the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program. In consultation with the State, the Yakama Nation, Yakima River basin irrigators, and other interested and related parties, six members and a facilitator are appointed to serve on the CAG. The basin conservation program is structured to provide economic incentives with cooperative Federal, State, and local funding to stimulate the identification and implementation of structural and nonstructural cost-effective water conservation measures in the Yakima River basin. Improvements in the efficiency of water delivery and use will result in improved streamflows for fish and wildlife and improve the reliability of water supplies for irrigation.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, - 311, -314, and -315 airplanes. This proposed AD would require modifying the hinge attachment for the cockpit door from a single-point attachment to a two-point attachment. This proposed AD results from a report that, during structural testing of the cockpit door, the lower hinge block rotated and caused the mating hinge pin to disengage, and caused excessive door deflection. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of a door attachment, which could result in uncontrolled release of the cockpit door under certain fuselage decompression conditions, and possible damage to the airplane structure.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 747 airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for cracking of the web of the station (STA) 2360 aft pressure bulkhead around the fastener heads in the critical fastener rows in the web lap joints, from the Y-chord to the inner ring; and repair if necessary. This proposed AD also would require a modification, which would terminate the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD results from analysis by the manufacturer that the radial lap splices of the STA 2360 aft pressure bulkhead are subject to widespread fatigue damage. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the bulkhead web at multiple sites along the radial lap splice, which could join together to form cracks of critical length, and result in rapid decompression and loss of control of the airplane.