May 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2006. 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 CNO Executive Panel will report on the findings and recommendations of the China Subcommittee to the Chief of Naval Operations. The meeting will consist of discussions of the U.S. Navy's maritime strategy for China.

This notice announces a meeting of the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Alternatives Workgroup. The purpose of the Workgroup is to provide, in an advisory capacity, recommendations and advice on research and implementation of sea lamprey control techniques alternative to lampricide, if they are found to be technically feasible, cost effective, and environmentally safe. Primary objectives of the meeting will include a review of Federal Advisory Committee Act requirements, discussion of the Workgroup's mission, discussion of workgroup operating procedures, and an overview of recent developments in alternative sea lamprey control technology. The meeting is open to the public.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to the control of Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum. The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the release of a nonindigenous gall mite, Floracarus perrepae, for the biological control of Old World climbing fern in Florida. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.

We are advising the public that an environmental assessment has been prepared for a proposed field trial using two transgenic grass lines. The trial consists of Argentine bahiagrass plants that are genetically engineered to express resistance to the herbicide glufosinate and resistance to the antibiotic kanamycin. Each of 4 sets of 12 genetically engineered bahiagrass plants will be encircled with a ring of several untransformed cultivars of bahiagrass. The purpose of the field trial is to study the likelihood of hybrid formation as a result of pollen movement from the transgenic plants to the nontransgenic plants. Data gained from this field experiment also will be used to evaluate current confinement practices for this species of transgenic grass. After assessment of the application and review of the relevant scientific information, we have concluded that this field test will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant pest. We have completed an environmental assessment and have concluded that this field test will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on its finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for this field test.

This notice announces an open meeting of the Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee (FEMAC). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that these meetings be announced in the Federal Register to allow for public participation. This notice announces the eleventh FEMAC public meeting, an advisory committee established under Executive Order 13123``Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management.''

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Texas (FEMA-1624-DR), dated January 11, 2006. Incident: Extreme Wildfire Threat. Incident Period: 11/27/2005 and continuing through 5/14/2006.

This notice announces the extension of SBA's CommunityExpress Pilot Program until December 31, 2006. This extension will allow time for SBA to complete its decision making regarding potential modifications and enhancements to the Program.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (the Committee). The meeting is open to the public and the site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft compliance policy guide (CPG) entitled ``Sec. 500.500 Guidance Levels for 3-MCPD (3-chloro-1,2-propanediol) in Acid- Hydrolyzed Protein and Asian-Style Sauces.'' The draft CPG establishes regulatory action guidance for FDA personnel for 3-MCPD in acid- hydrolyzed protein (acid-HP) and Asian-style sauces.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing regulations to implement certain provisions of the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002, which set forth new OPM and agency responsibilities and requirements to enhance and improve the strategic management of the Federal Government's civilian workforce, as well as the planning and evaluation of agency efforts in that regard. Further, we are proposing a plain language rewrite of the subpart titled ``Authority for Personnel Actions in Agencies.''

In the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law No. 109-59, Sec. 4215, 119 Stat. 1144 (2005), Congress directed the Surface Transportation Board (Board) to review the current Federal regulations regarding the level of liability protection provided by motor carriers that provide transportation of household goods (HHG) and revise the regulations, if necessary, to provide enhanced protection in the case of loss or damage. The Board seeks public comment on the issue.

Under the provisions of section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2006, pages 5344-5355 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No comments were received in response to this notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a current valid OMB control number. Proposed Collection: Title: The Leukocyte Antibodies Prevalence (LAP) Study. Type of Information Collection Request: NEW. Need and Use of Information Collection: The two current hypotheses for pathogenesis of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) include the development of acute pulmonary insufficiency from immune and non-immune causes. The immune mediated mechanism postulates that passively transferred anti-leukocyte antibodies from blood donors are responsible for TRALI. The donor antibodies implicated in TRALI include antibodies directed towards HLA class I and class II antigens, and anti-neutrophil antibodies. The LAP Study is a cross-sectional multi-center study to measure the prevalence of HLA and neutrophil antibodies in blood donors with or without a history of blood transfusion or pregnancy, and the development of a repository of blood samples obtained from these donors. Specifically, 7,900 adult blood donors across six blood centers participating in the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study II (REDS-II) will be enrolled in the study. Eligible donors will be asked to complete a short questionnaire on their transfusion history (ever, and date of last transfusion) and, for female donors, questions on pregnancy history (ever, number and outcome of pregnancies, last pregnancy). Each donor will also be asked to provide a sample of blood which will be tested for the presence of HLA class I and Class II antibodies. This data will help us evaluate variations in HLA antibody prevalence based on blood transfusion and pregnancy history and time since the last immunizing event. Further, neutrophil specific antibodies will be measured in those blood donors who have HLA antibodies. Also, donors with neutrophil antibodies will be tested to determine their neutrophil phenotype using routine serologic and DNA methods, since individuals homozygous for certain neutrophil antigens are more prone to develop certain neutrophil antibodies. The results from testing HLA positive donors for neutrophil antibodies in this primary study could be used to develop an optimal testing strategy for large number of donors using the stored repository samples. These dat will provide the basis for calculating donor loss in the event that a TRALI prevention strategy is implemented that includes deferring donors with a history of transfusion or pregnancy or those with HLA or neutrophil antibodies. The second major goal of this study is to develop a repository of blood samples from well characterized blood donors whose detailed transfusion and pregnancy histories are known. Repository samples will be stored indefinitely. Although future research on repository samples is yet to be determined, they may be tested for studies designed to help transfusion safety and transfusion biology. Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: Adult Blood Donors. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,900; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden of Hours per Response: 0.17; and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 1343. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $24,174 (based on $18 per hour). There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.