2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. The Office of Thrift Supervision within the Department of the Treasury will submit the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. Today, OTS is soliciting public comments on its proposal to extend this information collection.

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve of groundfish to the initial total allowable catch (ITAC) for arrowtooth flounder and flathead sole in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the fishery to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI.

Pursuant to section 2(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by section 4 of the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, 90 Stat. 1083, 30 U.S.C. 201 (b), and to the regulations adopted as 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3410, all interested parties are hereby invited to participate with Ark Land Company on a pro rata cost sharing basis in its program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America in the following-described lands in Campbell County, WY:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees at the Oak Ridge Thermal Diffusion Plant (S-50), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as an addition to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. On November 9, 2006, as provided for under 42 U.S.C. 7384q(b), the Secretary of HHS designated the following class of employees as an addition to the SEC:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives notice concerning the final effect of the HHS decision to designate a class of employees at the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies Cancer Research Hospital, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as an addition to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. On November 9, 2006, as provided for under 42 U.S.C. 7384q(b), the Secretary of HHS designated the following class of employees as an addition to the SEC:

This Final Policy Statement describes the terms and conditions on which the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will classify High- Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes that are converted to High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes as ``fixed guideway miles'' for purposes of the transit funding formulas administered by FTA. The Final Policy Statement also describes when HOT lanes shall not be classfied as fixed guideway miles in FTA's funding formulas.

The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge are available for distribution. The plan was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and describes how the refuge will be managed for the next 15 years. The compatibility determinations for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation, all-terrain vehicle use, cooperative farming, and resource research studies, are also available within the plan.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``the Commission'' is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, and to allow 60 days for comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on requirements relating to information collected to assist the Commission in the prevention of market manipulation.

On September 11, 2006, the FAA issued a proposed order, which requested written views on the FAA's tentative determination to place temporary limitations on flight operations at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LaGuardia). The temporary limits are intended to prevent the congestion-related delays that would otherwise occur during the interval between the expiration of the High Density Rule and the effective date of a long-term regulation. In response to comments, the FAA is issuing a final order (the Order) that adopts the proposed limitations with some modifications. The limitations will permit 75 scheduled and six unscheduled operations per hour between 6 a.m. through 9:59 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday and from 12 noon through 9:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on Sundays.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 159: Global Positioning System.

The Financial Management Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection. By this notice, the Financial Management Service solicits comments concerning the Form 1199A ``Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form'' and Form 1200 ``Go Direct Sign Up Form for Direct Deposit of Federal Benefit Payments.''

The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest timber and to develop a road management plan for the Central Kupreanof Timber Harvest on the northwest and central part of Kupreanof Island, on the Petersburg Ranger Districts, Tongass National Forest. The proposed action provides for multiple timber sale opportunities and will result in the production of approximately 40 million board feet (mmbf) of timber from approximately 2,025 acres of forested land. Up to 11.1 miles of new forest system road and up to 7.0 miles of temporary road may be necessary for timber harvest. A range of alternatives, responsive to significant issues, will be developed and will include a no action alternative. The existing log transfer facility (LTF) at Little Hamilton in Hamilton Bay would be used. This project is within the Mitkof/Kupreanof biogeographic province. The Record of Decision will disclose whether and where the Forest Supervisor has decided to provide timber harvest units, roads and associated timber harvesting facilities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing changes to the methods used to calculate the fuel economy estimates that are posted on window stickers of all new cars and light trucks sold in the United States. This final rule will greatly improve the EPA fuel economy estimates to more accurately inform consumers about the fuel economy they can expect to achieve in the real world. The new test methods take into account several important factors that affect fuel economy in the real world, but are missing from the existing fuel economy tests. Key among these factors are high speeds, aggressive accelerations and decelerations, the use of air conditioning, and operation in cold temperatures. Under the new methods, the city miles per gallon (mpg) estimates for the manufacturers of most vehicles will drop by about 12 percent on average relative to today's estimates, and city mpg estimates for some vehicles will drop by as much as 30 percent. The highway mpg estimates for most vehicles will drop on average by about 8 percent, with some estimates dropping by as much as 25 percent relative to today's estimates. These changes will take effect starting with 2008 model year vehicles, available at dealers in 2007. We also are adopting a new fuel economy label design with a new look and updated information that should be more useful to prospective car buyers. The new label features more prominent fuel cost information, an easy-to-use graphic for comparing the fuel economy of different vehicles, clearer text, and a Web site address for more information. Manufacturers will be phasing in the new design during the 2008 model year. Finally, for the first time we are requiring fuel economy labeling of certain passenger vehicles between 8,500 and 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating. Because of the Department of Transportation's recent regulation that brings medium-duty passenger vehicles into the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program starting in 2011, EPA is now statutorily obligated to include these vehicles in the fuel economy labeling program. Medium-duty passenger vehicles are a subset of vehicles between 8,500 and 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight that includes large sport utility vehicles and vans, but not pickup trucks. Vehicle manufacturers are required to post fuel economy labels on medium-duty passenger vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has completed a Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan (VSP) and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National Memorial/Midway Atoll Special Management Area (Refuge). The Draft VSP/EA is available for public review and comments. This remote Pacific island Refuge is a U.S. territory located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and part of the newly established Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument (Monument). The VSP is intended to guide visitor activities on the Refuge for an interim period of time until a broader Monument management plan is completed that meets the applicable requirements of a refuge comprehensive conservation plan.

On June 1, 2006, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published in the Federal Register the notice of initiation of the second five-year sunset review of the countervailing duty order on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Italy, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). See Initiation of Five- year (``Sunset'') Reviews, 71 FR 31153 (June 1, 2006) (Second Sunset Review). The Department has conducted an expedited sunset review as provided for in section 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(C). As a result of this sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the countervailing duty order would not be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of a countervailable subsidy. Therefore, the Department is revoking this countervailing duty order.

This notice provides information about seven one-day technical assistance workshops to assist institutions of higher education interested in preparing grant applications for FY 2007 new awards under the HSI program. Staff will present information about the purpose of the HSI program, selection criteria, application content, submission procedures, and reporting requirements. Although the Department has not yet announced an application deadline date in the Federal Register for the FY 2007 competition, the Department is holding these workshops to give potential applicants guidance for preparing applications for the competition we expect to conduct in FY 2007. Specific requirements for the FY 2007 competition will be published in a separate Federal Register notice. This notice announces the technical assistance workshops only.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is publishing an order denying a petition requesting exemption for cranial orthosis type devices from the premarket notification requirements for certain class II devices. A cranial orthosis device is a device intended to apply pressure to prominent regions of an infant's cranium in order to improve cranial symmetry or shape. FDA is publishing this notice in accordance with procedures established by the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA).

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the name of one newly-designated individual whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, ``Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism.''

The FDIC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Currently, the FDIC is soliciting comments concerning the following collections of information titled.

In accordance with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the FDIC hereby gives notice that it plans to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for OMB review and approval of the information collection system described below.

The Forest Service is issuing an interim directive to Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 5409.13Land Acquisition Handbook to provide additional guidance to its employees for using third party facilitators in a real estate action.

On December 13, 2005, the Forest Service issued an interim directive to provide guidance for Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) proposals. This interim directive provides internal administrative direction to guide Forest Service employees in planning, implementing, and monitoring TFPA proposals. The interim directive is issued to Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 2409.19, Renewable Resources Handbook, Chapter 60, Stewardship Contracting, as Interim Directive No. 2409.19- 2005-2 and can be found at https://www.fs.fed.us/spf/tribalrelations/. This direction was developed to implement the provisions as authorized in Public Law 108-278, Tribal Forest Protection Act. The agency is requesting comment on this interim directive to ensure that the public has the opportunity to comment on the implementation of this new authority. The public's comments will be considered prior to development of final agency policy.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) subparts 1500- 1508, and 43 CFR subpart 3809, notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle Mountain Field Office, Tonopah Field Station, will be preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Round Mountain Expansion Project located in Nye County, Nevada. The proposal includes expansion of existing facilities at the Round Mountain mine and the development of new mining and leaching facilities at the adjacent Gold Hill ore deposit.