April 14, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed regulations to amend the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) regulations. The proposed regulations will make miscellaneous changes, corrections, and clarifications to the FLTCIP regulations.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense is amending a system of records notice in its existing inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended. The notice corrects a system of records published on February 22, 2006 (71 FR 9103). The words ``Social Security Number'' were omitted from the Categories of Records. The notice is being republished in its entirety.

The Willamette Province Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet in Salem, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues pertinent to the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan and to provide advice to federal land managers in the Province. The topics to be covered at the meeting include updates on off-highway vehicle planning, the Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, stewardship projects and planning. BLM Resource Management Plan revisions, and plans for Province monitoring in 2006.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the Horse Protection Program.

This notice informs the public of the interest rates and assumptions to be used under certain Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation regulations. These rates and assumptions are published elsewhere (or can be derived from rates published elsewhere), but are collected and published in this notice for the convenience of the public. Interest rates are also published on the PBGC's Web site (https://www.pbgc.gov).

EPA issued a final rule in the Federal Register of September 13, 2005, concerning the establishment of pesticide tolerances for residues of the insecticide cyfluthrin in/on several agricultural commodities. This document is being issued to correct omissions concerning the entry for wheat milled by products, except flour.

During a review of Washington's regulations, EPA identified a variety of State-initiated changes to Washington's hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, (RCRA), for which the State had not previously sought authorization. We have reviewed Washington's changes to its program and have determined that these changes are minor and satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, therefore we are authorizing the State-initiated changes through this immediate final action. EPA is publishing this rule to authorize the changes without a prior proposal because we believe this action is not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose it. Unless we receive written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, the decision to authorize Washington's changes to its hazardous waste program will take effect June 13, 2006. If we receive comments that oppose this action, EPA will publish a document in the Federal Register withdrawing this rule before it takes effect. EPA will then address public comments in a later final rule based on the proposed rule in today's Federal Register. If we receive comments that oppose only the authorization of a particular change to the State hazardous waste program, we will withdraw that part of today's rule. However, the authorization of program changes that are not opposed by any comments will become effective on the date specified above. A Federal Register withdrawal document will specify which part of the authorization will become effective and which part is being withdrawn. EPA may not provide further opportunity for comment. Any parties interested in commenting on this action must do so at this time. Today's document also makes corrections to the table included in the authorization Federal Register document for Washington published on October 12, 1999.

Because EPA received adverse comment, we are withdrawing the direct final rule amendments to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for Refractory Products Manufacturing, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2006. We stated in the direct final rule amendments that if we received adverse comment by March 15, 2006, we would publish a timely notice of withdrawal in the Federal Register. We subsequently received adverse comment on the direct final rule amendments. We will address those comments in a subsequent final action based on the parallel proposal also published on February 13, 2006. As stated in the parallel proposal, we will not institute a second comment period on this action.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, have determined that it is appropriate to remove the Arizona distinct population segment (DPS) of the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) (pygmy-owl) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and, accordingly, also remove designated critical habitat for this DPS found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.95. Additionally, we are withdrawing the proposed rule to designate new critical habitat for the Arizona DPS of the pygmy-owl (67 FR 7103, November 27, 2002). The Arizona DPS of the pygmy-owl was listed as endangered on March 10, 1997 (62 FR 10730), and critical habitat was designated on July 12, 1999 (64 FR 37419). On January 9, 2001, a coalition of plaintiffs filed a lawsuit with the District Court of Arizona challenging the validity of our listing of the pygmy-owl as a DPS and the designation of its critical habitat. After the District Court remanded the designation of critical habitat (National Association of Home Builders et al. v. Norton, Civ.-00-0903- PHX-SRB), we proposed a new critical habitat designation on November 27, 2002 (67 FR 7103). Ultimately, as a result of this lawsuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion on August 19, 2003, stating that ``the FWS acted arbitrarily and capriciously in designating the Arizona pygmy-owl population as a DPS under the DPS Policy'' (National Association of Homebuilders v. Norton, 340 F.3d 835, 852 (9th Cir. 2003)). In light of the Ninth Circuit's opinion, we have reassessed the application of the DPS significance criteria to the Arizona population of the pygmy-owl. Based on a review of the available information and science, the public comments received during the public comment period, and our DPS policy, we do not believe that the Arizona DPS of the pygmy-owl qualifies as an entity that can be listed under the Act.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.