January 11, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This amendment establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and/or Weather Takeoff Minimums for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or 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.

On May 30, 2006, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), submitted a request to redesignate the Allen County, Indiana, (Fort Wayne) nonattainment area to attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). In this submittal, IDEM also requested EPA approval of an Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a 14-year maintenance plan for Allen County. EPA is making a determination that the Allen County, Indiana ozone nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. This determination is based on three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for the 2003-2005 ozone seasons that demonstrate that the 8-hour ozone NAAQS has been attained in the area. Quality-assured monitoring data for 2006 show that the area continues to attain the standard. EPA is also approving the request to redesignate the area to attainment for the 8-hour ozone standard. EPA's approval of the 8-hour ozone redesignation request is based on its determination that Allen County, Indiana has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA is also approving as a SIP revision the State's maintenance plan for the area. Further, EPA is approving, for purposes of transportation conformity, the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the year 2020 that are contained in the 14-year, 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for Allen County.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. This revision pertains to the control of volatile organic compounds from medical device manufacturing. EPA is approving this revision in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Route 6 highway bridge across the Acushnet River, mile 0.0, between New Bedford and Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Under this temporary deviation a 30-minute advance notice for bridge openings shall be required between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from January 8, 2007 through February 2, 2007. This deviation is necessary to facilitate emergency bridge fender repairs.

In connection with rules adopted in Release No. 34-40761 (December 8, 1998), 63 FR 70952 (December 22, 1998) (``Original Release''), the Commission is making a technical correction to the delegation of authority to the Director of the Division of Market Regulation appearing in the Commission's Rules of Practice and Investigations. Specifically, the Commission is correcting a cross- reference appearing in the delegation.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA, Agency, or we) Board reopens the comment period for 45 days following the date of publication in the Federal Register on the proposed rule to amend its regulation governing financing of processing and marketing operations by Farm Credit System (Farm Credit, FCS, or System) institutions under titles I and II of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended (Act), so that interested parties will have additional time to provide comments.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) published a final rule under part 611 on August 4, 2006 (71 FR 44410). This final rule updates the termination procedures for Farm Credit System banks and associations under sections 7.9, 7.10 and 7.11 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended, ensures that interested parties have sufficient time and opportunities to be fully informed about a termination proposal, and ensures that a significant proportion of equity holders are engaged in the termination process. In accordance with 12 U.S.C. 2252, the effective date of the final rule is 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register during which either or both Houses of Congress are in session. Based on the records of the sessions of Congress, the effective date of the regulations is January 4, 2007.

This interim rule describes the rules applicable to the offset of Federal nontax payments to collect delinquent debts owed to States pursuant to reciprocal agreements between the Secretary of the Treasury and the States. In addition to providing for the offset of Federal nontax payments, the reciprocal agreements will provide for the offset of State payments to collect delinquent, nontax Federal debts. The offsets described in this rule will be processed by the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). The Department of the Treasury's Financial Management Service (FMS) established TOP in order to centralize the process by which Federal payments are withheld or reduced (in other words, offset) to collect delinquent debts. This interim rule specifically applies to the centralized offset of Federal nontax payments by Federal disbursing officials to collect delinquent debts owed to States pursuant to reciprocal agreements. Therefore, this interim rule affects persons who owe delinquent debts to a State of the United States and who receive Federal payments. It also affects persons who owe delinquent, nontax Federal debts and who receive payments from States. This rule does not apply to collection of past-due support debts (see 31 CFR 285.1), the offset of Federal tax refund payments, the offset of Federal salary payments, or the offset of other Federal payments excluded from offset by law.

We are reproposing amendments to the rules that govern when a foreign private issuer may terminate the registration of a class of equity securities under section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') and the corresponding duty to file reports required under section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, and when it may cease its reporting obligations regarding a class of equity or debt securities under section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Under the current rules, a foreign private issuer may find it difficult to terminate its Exchange Act registration and reporting obligations despite the fact that there is relatively little interest in the issuer's U.S.- registered securities among United States investors. Moreover, currently a foreign private issuer can only suspend, and cannot terminate, a duty to report arising under section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Reproposed Exchange Act Rule 12h-6 would permit the termination of Exchange Act reporting regarding a class of equity securities under either section 12(g) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act by a foreign private issuer that meets a quantitative benchmark designed to measure relative U.S. market interest for that class of securities, which does not depend on a head count of the issuer's U.S. security holders. The reproposed benchmark would require the comparison of the average daily trading volume of an issuer's securities in the United States with that in its primary trading market. Because the Commission did not fully address this approach when it originally proposed Rule 12h-6, and because of other proposed changes to Rule 12h-6 not fully discussed in the original rule proposal, we are reproposing Rule 12h-6 and the accompanying rule amendments. These rule amendments would seek to provide U.S. investors with ready access through the Internet on an ongoing basis to material information about a foreign private issuer of equity securities that is required by its home country after it has exited the Exchange Act reporting system.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) (collectively, the Agencies) are amending their rules regarding management interlocks to implement section 610 of the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006 (FSRRA) and to correct inaccurate cross-references.

This rule modifies a Class E area airspace area extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hayward, WI. The effect of this rule is to provide appropriate controlled Class E airspace for aircraft departing from the executing instrument approach procedures to Hayward, WI and to segregate aircraft using instrument approach procedures in instrument conditions from aircraft operating in visual conditions.

This action amends Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 71 (14 CFR part 71) by modifying Class E airspace at Thedford, Thomas County Airport, NE. Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed for Thedford, Thomas County Airport, NE. Additional controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth is needed to contain aircraft executing these approaches. This action increases the area of the existing controlled airspace for Thedford, NE.

This action confirms the effective date of a direct final rule that established the Class E airspace area at Bethel Regional Airport, Bethel ME (K0B1) to provide for adequate controlled airspace for those aircraft using the new Helicopter Area Navigation (RNAV), 317 Instrument Approach procedure to the Airport. This action also corrects a transposition error and editorial omission that appeared in the airspace description contained in the final rule that was published on Thursday, October 26, 2006.