January 4, 2007 – 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 take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 1024, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(a).

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paper work and respondent burden, invites the general public and other federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

On September 7, 2006, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on structural steel beams from Korea. See Structural Steel Beams from Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 71 FR 52766 (September 7, 2006) (Preliminary Results). This administrative review covers INI Steel Company and Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd., manufacturers and exporters of the subject merchandise. The period of review is August 1, 2004, through July 31, 2005. We did not receive any comments from parties, and we have not made any changes to our analysis. The final weighted-average dumping margins for the reviewed firms are thus unchanged from our preliminary results of review, and are shown in the section entitled ``Final Results of Review.''

The Department of Energy (DOE) intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership initiative (GNEP PEIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ's) and DOE's regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and 10 CFR Part 1021, respectively). GNEP would encourage expansion of domestic and international nuclear energy production while reducing nuclear proliferation risks, and reduce the volume, thermal output, and radiotoxicity of spent nuclear fuel (spent fuel or SNF) before disposal in a geologic repository. Domestically, GNEP involves a programmatic proposal as well as project-specific proposals. The programmatic proposal is to begin to recycle spent fuel and destroy the long-lived radioactive components of that spent fuel. Toward this end, GNEP includes project-specific proposals to construct and operate three facilities. The proposed nuclear fuel recycling center would separate the SNF into its reusable components and waste components and manufacture new nuclear fuel using reusable components that still have the potential for use in nuclear power generation. The proposed advanced recycling reactor would destroy long-lived radioactive elements in the fuel while generating electricity. The advanced fuel cycle research facility would perform research into SNF recycling processes and other aspects of advanced nuclear fuel cycles. The GNEP PEIS will consider 13 sites as possible locations for one or more of these facilities, as well as alternative technologies to be used in these facilities. Internationally, GNEP involves two programmatic initiatives. First, the United States would cooperate with countries that have advanced nuclear programs to supply nuclear fuel services to countries that refrain from pursuing enrichment or recycling facilities to make their own nuclear fuel. Such countries would have no need to develop the technology and infrastructure to enrich uranium or separate plutonium, both of which have application in the production of nuclear weapons. Second, the United States would promote proliferation-resistant nuclear power reactors suitable for use in developing economies. The GNEP PEIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts of these programmatic and project-specific proposals, as well as reasonable alternatives. The GNEP PEIS also will evaluate at a programmatic level the potential environmental impacts associated with the international aspects of GNEP, including alternatives. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this Notice of Intent (NOI) describes the alternatives that DOE proposes to evaluate in the GNEP PEIS. This NOI also identifies dates, times, and locations for public scoping meetings on the GNEP PEIS.

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council will meet in Washington, DC, February 6-8, 2007. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss emerging issues in urban and community forestry.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a new animal drug application (NADA) filed by Pfizer, Inc. The NADA provides for the veterinary prescription use of dirlotapide solution in dogs for the management of obesity.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period on the proposal to designate critical habitat for 11 species of Hawaiian picture-wing flies (Drosophila aglaia, D. differens, D. hemipeza, D. heteroneura, D. montgomeryi, D. mulli, D. musaphilia, D. obatai, D. ochrobasis, D. substenoptera, and D. tarphytrichia) and the availability of the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for these species. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic analysis. We estimate costs related to conservation activities for the proposed designation of critical habitat for the 11 species of Hawaiian picture- wing flies under sections 4, 7, and 10 of the Act to be approximately $933,270 to $6,742,520 over 20 years, or $46,664 to $337,126 annually in undiscounted 2006 dollars. We estimate costs to range from $749,600 to $5,139,460 over 20 years, or $50,385 to $345,454 annually using a three percent discount rate. We estimate costs using a seven percent discount rate to range from $597,940 to $3,794,230 over 20 years, or $56,441 to $358,149 annually.

The Commission is today proposing new rules designed to provide additional investor protections that would affect pooled investment vehicles, including hedge funds. First, the Commission is proposing a rule that would prohibit advisers to pooled investment vehicles from making false or misleading statements or otherwise defrauding investors or prospective investors in those pooled investment vehicles. Second, the Commission is proposing two rules that would revise the definition of accredited investor as it relates to natural persons. The latter rules would apply solely to the offer and sale of interests in certain privately offered investment pools specified in the rules.

Technical information or comments are requested on the proposed Base (1% annual chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and proposed BFEs modifications for the communities listed below. The BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that the community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).