October 16, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The purpose of the proposed Federal action addressed in this DEIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2006-060) is to offer for lease areas in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that might contain economically recoverable oil and gas resources. This lease sale would provide qualified bidders the opportunity to bid on certain blocks in the Chukchi Sea OCS to gain conditional rights to explore, develop, and produce oil and natural gas. This DEIS is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to enable the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to make informed decisions on the configuration of the lease sale and the applicable mitigation measures. In the DEIS, the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of the sale, including estimated exploration and development and production activities related to the sale, on the physical, biological, and human environments in the Chukchi Sea area are analyzed. The DEIS also provides NEPA evaluation for exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea, including seismic survey geophysical permitting (30 CFR 251), ancillary activities (30 CFR 250.207), and exploration plans (30 CFR 250.214). In addition, the DEIS will provide NEPA documentation for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) possible issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations to the seismic-survey industry to take marine mammals by harassment, incidental to conducting prelease and ancillary on-lease oil and gas seismic surveys in the Chukchi Sea. To address its NEPA responsibilities, the NMFS agreed to become a cooperating agency (as that term is defined in 40 CFR 1501.6) and proposes to adopt the DEIS as authorized by 40 CFR 1506.3 as its own NEPA statement.

In accordance with section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and Sec. 351.216(b) of the Department of Commerce's (the Department's) regulations, TRW Fuji Valve, Inc. (TRW), a U.S. importer, filed a request for a changed-circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from Japan. The petitioners and domestic interested parties have affirmatively expressed a lack of interest in the continuation of the order with respect to 21-2N modified valve/stem stainless steel round bar.\1\ In response to this request, the Department is initiating a changed- circumstances review of the order on stainless steel bar from Japan with respect to this product as described below.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 [Public Law 104-13; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 3506(c)(2)(A)], this notice announces that the information collection activity titled, ``Surveys and Other Audience Research for Radio and TV Marti'' has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is requesting reinstatement of this collection for a three-year period and approval of a revision to the burden hours. The information collection activity involved with this program is conducted pursuant to the mandate given to the BBG (formerly the United States Information Agency) in accordance with Pub. L. 98-111, the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act, dated, October 4, 1983, to provide for the broadcasting of accurate information to the people of Cuba and for other purposes. This act was amended by Pub. L. 101-246, dated February 16, 1990, which established the authority for TV Marti.

This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the new Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. TSA published a Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following collection of information on August 9, 2006, 71 FR 45573.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), and implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), plans to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of four previously approved information collections consisting of complaint forms. These collections are listed below in the paragraph called ``Title of Collections.'' The current OMB approval for Form OSC-11 expires 11/06. We are submitting the other three forms for approval even though their expiration dates may or may not coincide with Form OSC-11. Current and former Federal employees, employee representatives, other Federal agencies, state and local government employees, and the general public are invited to comment on this information collection for a second time. The first notification, sent out on February 15\th\, 2006, received no replies. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of OSC functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of OSC's estimate of the burden of the proposed collections of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board. The notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend.

On October 6, 2006, the binational panel issued its decision in the full sunset review of the antidumping and countervailing duty determination made by the International Trade Commission, respecting Magnesium from Canada, Secretariat File No. USA-CDA-2000-1904-09. The binational panel affirmed the International Trade Commission determination with two dissenting opinions. Copies of the panel decision are available from the U.S. Section of the NAFTA Secretariat.

EPA is announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct a two-day external peer-review workshop to review the external review draft document titled, ``Approaches to Estimating the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Burden in the United States: Uses and Limitations of the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System'' (EPA/600/R-06/069). On September 15, 2006 (71 FR 54481), EPA announced a 30-day public comment period for the draft document. The public comment period ends October 16, 2006. The draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development. The public comment period and the external peer-review workshop are separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the document. In addition to consideration by EPA, all public comments submitted in accordance with this notice will also be forwarded to EPA's contractor for the external peer-review panel prior to the workshop. EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre- dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This draft document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. Versar, Inc., invites the public to register to attend this workshop as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc., invites the public to give oral and/or provide written comments at the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The draft document and EPA's peer-review charge are available primarily via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. In preparing a final report, EPA intends to consider Versar, Inc.'s report of the comments and recommendations from the external peer-review workshop and any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

TexMex Energy, LLC (TexMex) has applied to renew its authorization to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

The Department of Defense published a notice in the Federal Register on August 4, 2006, concerning a request for the Naval Research Advisory Committee (NRAC) to meet and discuss classified information from government organizations. All sessions of the meeting will be devoted to briefings, discussions, and technical examination of issues related to maritime strategy and Department of the Navy plans, programs, and objectives. It is envisioned that these discussions will enable the NRAC to identify technology gaps where additional science and technology investment may be needed to satisfy current and projected Navy and Marine Corps requirements. The meeting date has been changed to a new date and time.