October 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations for the Sunfish World Championship Regatta located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The event will run from October 1, 2006 through October 6, 2006. This Regulation is necessary to ensure safety and security during this international event, while also reducing the impact to commercial traffic in Charleston Harbor.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Carlton Bridge across the Kennebec River at mile 14.0, between Bath and Woolwich, Maine. Under this temporary deviation, the bridge may remain in the closed position from 7 a.m. on October 16, 2006 through 8 p.m., on October 17, 2006. This deviation is necessary to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend the anchorage regulations for the Sabine Pass Channel, Sabine Pass, TX anchorage in order to improve navigation safety for vessels entering and exiting Cheniere Energy's Liquefied Natural Gas terminal. This proposed rule would reduce the overall size of the existing anchorage.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulations (SLR's) in the navigable waters of San Francisco Bay for the annual U.S. Navy and City of San Francisco sponsored Fleet Week Parade of Navy Ships and Air Show Demonstration to be held October 5 thru October 8, 2006. This SLR will be used to keep spectator vessels out of the path of parading Navy ships and away from the area directly below participating aircraft during the air show in order to ensure the safety of event participants and spectators.

We are amending the bovine tuberculosis regulations regarding State and zone classifications by raising the designation of Texas from modified accredited advanced to accredited-free. We have determined that Texas meets the criteria for designation as an accredited-free State.

This rule amends part 16 of title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the applicability of Privacy Act Systems of Records Notices and any associated exemptions to the newly established National Security Division (NSD) at the Department of Justice. The National Security Division was created by section 506 of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, by consolidating the resources of the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR) and the Criminal Division's Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections. Therefore, Privacy Act Systems of Records Notices and any associated exemptions that applied to OIPR and the Criminal Division's Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections, are adopted by and applicable to the NSD until modified, superseded, or revoked in accordance with law.

We are amending the pine shoot beetle regulations by adding counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio to the list of quarantined areas. In addition, we are designating the States of Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, in their entirety, as quarantined areas based on their decision not to enforce intrastrate movement restrictions. Finally, we are adding the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island, in their entirety, to the list of quarantined areas based on projections of the natural spread of pine shoot beetle that make it reasonable to believe that the pest is present in those States. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of pine shoot beetle, a pest of pine trees, into noninfested areas of the United States.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the regulations governing the Venetian Causeway (West) drawbridge, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 1088.6, and Venetian Causeway (East) drawbridge, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida. This proposed rule will require these drawbridges to open on signal, except that from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays the drawbridges will open on the hour and half-hour. This proposed rule will change the individual Federal holiday dates and align it with all Federal holidays.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule changing the reporting and assessment requirements under the marketing order for Vidalia onions grown in Georgia (order). The order regulates the handling of Vidalia onions grown in Georgia and is administered locally by the Vidalia Onion Committee (Committee). This rule continues in effect the action that changed the reporting requirements for handlers from filing weekly shipment reports to monthly reporting. It also continues in effect a change in when assessments are due and how delinquent assessments are handled. These changes are expected to benefit handlers without negatively affecting program compliance.

This document contains a correction to final regulations (TD 9276), that were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 (71 FR 142). These regulations apply to all employers and others making supplemental wage payments to employees.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A310 airplanes. This proposed AD would require doing repetitive inspections for any missing, damaged, or incorrectly installed wiper rings in the splined couplings of the flap transmissions shafts; inspections for any missing, damaged, or incorrectly installed rubber gaiters and straps on the sliding bearing/ plunging joints of the flap transmission; and corrective action if necessary. This proposed AD results from reviews in which the manufacturer determined that the splined couplings and sliding bearings of the flap transmission system could be affected by corrosion and wear. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct damaged, missing, or incorrectly installed components of the flap transmission system, which could result in reduced functional integrity of the flap transmission system and consequent reduced control of the airplane.

The FAA is revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 777-200 and 777-300 series airplanes. The original NPRM would have required repetitive inspections for discrepancies of the splined components that support the inboard end of the inboard trailing edge flap; related investigative, corrective, and other specified actions if necessary; a one-time modification of the inboard support of the inboard trailing edge flap by installing a new isolation strap and attachment hardware; and repetitive replacement of the torque tube assembly. The original NPRM resulted from reports of corrosion on the torque tube and closeout rib fittings that support the inboard end of the inboard trailing edge flap, as well as a structural reassessment of the torque tube joint that revealed the potential for premature fatigue cracking of the torque tube that would not be detected using reasonable inspection methods. This action revises the original NPRM by providing the terminating action for the repetitive inspections of modifying the inboard main flap. This action also revises the original NPRM by specifying prior or concurrent accomplishment, for certain Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes, of one-time inspections of the flap seal panels for cracking and minimum clearances, and of the torque tubes for damage; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to detect and correct corrosion or cracking of the torque tube and closeout rib fittings that support the inboard end of the inboard trailing edge flap. Cracking in these components could lead to a fracture, which could result in loss of the inboard trailing edge flap and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

This amendment amends Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, addition of new obstacles, or changes in air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to revise its regulations to: Allow an annual certification for repeat requesters of Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII); allow an authorized representative to file an executed non-disclosure agreement; make the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552 (2000) fee schedule applicable to CEII requests; provide CEII appeal rights that are compatible with FOIA appeal rights; grant landowners the right to obtain alignment sheets directly from Commission staff; and abolish the non-Internet public category of information. This notice of proposed rulemaking also seeks comments on the CEII portions of various forms and reports submitted to the Commission. The proposed rule offers a more efficient process for handling CEII requests and provides submitters of CEII with guidance on what materials the Commission accepts as containing CEII.

NMFS has determined that the daily Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limits for the Atlantic tunas General category should be adjusted to allow for a reasonable opportunity to harvest the General category October through January time-period subquota. Therefore, NMFS increases the daily BFT retention limits for October to provide enhanced commercial General category fishing opportunities in all areas while minimizing the risk of an overharvest of the General category BFT quota.

This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule published in the Federal Register on August 18, 2006 entitled ``Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2007 Rates.''

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement recommendations to revise the regulations related to the administration of the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for Ceanothus ophiochilus (Vail Lake ceanothus) and Fremontodendron mexicanum (Mexican flannelbush) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 644 acres (ac) (262 hectares (ha)) are proposed for the designation of critical habitat for these two species. Approximately 283 ac (115 ha) of land in Riverside County, California, are being proposed as critical habitat for C. ophiochilus, and approximately 361 ac (147 ha) of land in San Diego County, California, are being proposed as critical habitat for F. mexicanum.