June 15, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Treasury decision expands the existing 96,000-acre Livermore Valley viticultural area into northern Alameda County and southern Contra Costa County, California. The expansion adds 163,000 acres to the Livermore Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

This Treasury decision expands by approximately 20,000 acres the San Francisco Bay viticultural area and the Central Coast viticultural area in California to conform to the expanded boundary of the Livermore Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

An estimated amount of $3,000,000 for ten to fifty cooperative agreements may be awarded under this announcement to eligible applicants for projects that improve the health of the Gulf of Mexico by addressing improved water quality and public health, priority coastal habitat protection/recovery, more effective coastal environmental education, improved habitat identification/ characterization data and decision support systems, and strategic nutrient reductions. Projects must involve stakeholders and focus on support and implementation of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors' Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), notice is hereby given that the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) is publishing an amended system notice pertaining to personnel security files. The system notice provides information on the existence and character of the system of records. This amended system notice reflects minor changes in the Agency's organization and filing, and clearly identifies the record sources for this system of records.

On April 27, 2006, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published a direct final rule. (See 71 FR 24806-24808.) The direct final rule notified the public of our intention to amend the animal importation regulations by adding Indiana to the lists of States approved to receive certain stallions and mares imported into the United States from regions affected with contagious equine metritis. We did not receive any written adverse comments regarding the addition of Indiana to those lists or written notice of intent to submit adverse comments in response to the direct final rule.

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).

On May 1, 2006 SBA published a notice seeking comments on its proposed Lender Risk Rating System and notifying SBA Lenders (including 7(a) Lenders and Certified Development Companies) of the availability of risk rating information through SBA's Lender Portal. SBA is extending the comment period an additional 30 days to July 15, 2006. Given the significant level of interest the Notice has generated, SBA believes the affected parties would find it beneficial to have more time to review the proposal and prepare their comments.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Airbus Model A300-600 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive eddy current inspections to detect cracks of the outer skin of the fuselage at certain frames, and repair or reinforcement of the structure at the frames, if necessary. The existing AD also requires eventual reinforcement of the structure at certain frames, which, when accomplished, terminates the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD would add, for airplanes that were previously reinforced but not repaired in accordance with the existing AD, a one-time inspection for cracking of the fuselage outer skin at frames 28A and 30A above stringer 30, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD results from a report that the previously required actions were not sufficient to correct cracking before the structural reinforcement was installed. We are proposing this AD to prevent such fatigue cracking, which could result in reduced structural integrity, and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Commerce has determined that the Government of Bolivia has discontinued allowing substantially reciprocal tax exemptions to aircraft of U.S. registry in connection with international commercial operations similar to those exemptions currently granted to aircraft of Bolivian registry by the United States. The Department reached this determination after a review conducted pursuant to Section 4221 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (26 U.S.C. 4221). The above-cited statute provides exceptions for aircraft of foreign registry from payment of certain internal revenue taxes on the purchase of supplies in the United States for such aircraft in connection with their international commercial operations. These exemptions apply upon a finding by the Secretary of Commerce, or his designee, and communicated to the Department of the Treasury, that such country allows, or will allow, ``substantially reciprocal privileges'' to aircraft of U.S. registry with respect to purchases of such supplies in that country. If a foreign country discontinues the allowance of such substantially reciprocal exemption, the exemption allowed by the United States will not apply after the Secretary of the Treasury is notified by the Secretary of Commerce, or his designee, of the discontinuance. Interested parties were invited in a Federal Register Notice dated June 30, 2005, to submit their views, comments and supporting documentation in writing concerning this matter to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Department then conducted its review. Those desiring additional information contact Mr. Eugene Alford, Office of Service Industries, Room 1104, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, or telephone 202-482-5071.

An open meeting of the Area 4 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comment, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Assistance Center Committee of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted (via teleconference). The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance document for industry (176) entitled ``Specifications: Test Procedures and Acceptance Criteria for New Veterinary Drug Substances and New Medicinal Products: Chemical Substances'' (VICH GL-39). This guidance has been developed for veterinary use by the International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH). This VICH guidance document is intended to assist to the extent possible, in the establishment of a single set of recommended global specifications for new veterinary drug substances and medicinal products. It provides guidance through recommendations on the setting and justification of acceptance criteria and the selection of test procedures for new veterinary drug substances of synthetic chemical origin, and new medicinal products produced from them, which have not been registered previously in the United States, the European Union, or Japan.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information collection request as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the U.S. Secret Service, within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is soliciting comments concerning the SSF 3237, Contractor Personnel Access Application Form.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period on the proposal to designate critical habitat for the Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi, Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii (Kincaid's lupine), and Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens (Willamette daisy) and the availability of the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat. The draft economic analysis has been completed and we are publishing a notice of availability in the Federal Register and requesting comments. The economic analysis for the prairie species concluded that the potential future costs associated with conservation activities for the species are estimated to range from $25.3 to $52.7 million over 20 years in undiscounted 2006 dollars. Costs are estimated to range from $19.1 to $40.3 million over 20 years, or $1.3 to 2.7 million annually using a three percent discount rate. Costs are estimated to range from $15.3 to $32.6 million over 20 years, or $1.4 to $3.1 annually using a seven percent discount rate. The activities affected by species conservation efforts may include development, management of public and conservancy lands (``conservation''), transportation operations, and the Benton County Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic analysis. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated into the public record as part of this comment period, and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is correcting a document amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of an original new animal drug application (NADA) that appeared in the Federal Register of April 27, 2006 (71 FR 24814). FDA is correcting a paragraph designation in the table for lasalocid cattle feeds which was drafted in error. This correction is being made to improve the accuracy of the animal drug regulations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc., has filed a petition proposing that the food additive regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of glycerol ester of tall oil rosin to adjust the density of citrus oils used in the preparation of beverages and to provide for the use of steam stripping as a purification method for producing glycerol ester of wood rosin, gum rosin, or tall oil rosin.