February 1, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we are making available for review and comment three documents related to the National Animal Identification System: A Draft User Guide, a Program Standards and Technical Reference document, and a technical specification document for the animal tracking databases.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hereby giving notice that there is no change in the medication copayment rate for Calendar Year 2007 and the rate will remain at $8.00. The total amount of copayments in a calendar year for a veteran enrolled in one of the priority groups 2 through 6 shall not exceed the cap of $960.00. These rates are based on the Prescription Drug component of the Medical Consumer Price Index as cited in Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 17, Section 17.110.

PHMSA is amending a final rule published in the Federal Register on June 9, 2006, which updated the pipeline safety regulations to incorporate by reference all or parts of new editions of voluntary consensus technical standards to enable pipeline operators to utilize current technology, materials, and practices.

Background: Notice is hereby given of the final approval of proposed information collection by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) under OMB delegated authority, as per 5 CFR 1320.16 (OMB Regulations on Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public). Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of information instrument(s) are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations revising the Transnuclear, Inc., Standardized NUHOMS[reg] System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 9 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1004. Amendment No. 9 will modify the CoC by revising Technical Specifications 1.2.1 and 1.2.14 to add the Framatome-ANP, Version 9x9-2 fuel assemblies as approved contents for storage in the NUHOMS[reg]-61BT dry shielded canister, under the general license provisions of 10 CFR part 72.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Science Subcommittees of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). These Subcommittees report to the Science Committee of the NAC. The Meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting from the scientific community and other persons scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

In conjunction with the Surface Transportation Board's decision in Rail Fuel Surcharges, STB Ex Parte No. 661 (STB served Jan. 26, 2007), the Board has proposed to require all large (Class I) railroads to submit a monthly report containing the following information: total monthly fuel cost; gallons of fuel consumed during the month; increased or decreased cost of fuel over the previous month; and total monthly revenue from fuel surcharges.

This rule proposes to adjust the immigration and naturalization benefit application and petition fees of the Immigration Examinations Fee Account. Fees collected from persons requesting these benefits are deposited into the Immigration Examinations Fee Account. These fees are used to fund the full cost of processing immigration and naturalization benefit applications and petitions, biometric services, and associated support services. In addition, these fees must recover the cost of providing similar services to asylum and refugee applicants and certain other immigrants at no charge. The fees that fund the Immigration Examinations Fee Account were last updated on October 26, 2005, solely to reflect an increase in costs due to inflation. The last comprehensive fee review was conducted in fiscal year 1998. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted a new comprehensive review of the resources and activities funded by the Immigration Examinations Fee Account and determined that the current fees do not reflect current processes or recover the full costs of services that should be provided. Therefore, this rule proposes to increase the immigration and naturalization benefit application and petition fee schedule by a weighted average of $174, from an average fee of $264 to $438. These increases will ensure sufficient funding to meet immediate national security, customer service, and standard processing time goals, and to sustain and improve service delivery. Furthermore, the rule proposes to merge the fees for certain applications so applicants will pay a single fee rather than paying several fees for related services. The rule would permit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to devote certain revenues to broader investments in a new technology and business process platform to improve substantially its capabilities and service levels. This rule also proposes generally to allocate costs for surcharges and routine processing activities evenly across all form types for which fees are charged, and to vary fees in proportion to the amount of adjudication decision-making and interview time typically required. This rule proposes to eliminate fees for interim benefits, duplicate filings, and premium processing by consolidating and reallocating costs among the various fees. The rule also proposes to exempt applicants for T nonimmigrant status, or for status under the Violence Against Women Act from paying certain fees, and modify substantially the availability of individual fee waivers by limiting them to certain specified form types.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals to the Census Advisory Committee on the African American Population. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides Committee and membership criteria.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals to the Census Advisory Committee on the Asian Population. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides Committee and membership criteria.

EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove revisions adopted by South Dakota on August 29, 2006 to Chapter 74:36:09 of the South Dakota Administrative Rules (Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality). South Dakota submitted the request for approval of these rule revisions into the State Implementation Plan (SIP) on September 1, 2006. South Dakota was granted delegation of authority by EPA on July 6, 1994 to implement and enforce the federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting regulations. EPA's delegation of authority to South Dakota for the PSD regulations would be rescinded if EPA issues final approval of this SIP revision, except for the one rule provision that EPA is proposing to disapprove. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Governor of Utah on August 15, 2001. This SIP submittal deletes Utah's rules R307-102-3, ``Administrative Procedures and Hearings,'' and R307-414-3, ``Request for Review.'' EPA is removing Utah's rules R307-102-3 and R307-414-3 from Utah's federally approved SIP, because these rules are not required to be in Utah's SIP. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act. EPA is also providing notice that on November 8, 2006, Utah was delegated authority to implement and enforce certain New Source Performance Standards, as of July 1, 2005. In addition, we are approving updates to the NSPS ``Delegation Status of New Source Performance Standards'' table.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). TSAC advises the Coast Guard on matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety.

This notice proposes special conditions for the Aviation Technology Group (ATG) Javelin Model 100 Series airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with acrobatic spin recovery requirements. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards applicable to these airplanes.

FRA announces the next meeting of the RSAC, a Federal Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics include opening remarks from the FRA Administrator, presentations on National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, Transportation Security Administration rulemakings and advisories, hazardous materials rulemakings, hazardous materials safety/security routing, tank car issues, and the private crossing safety inquiry. Status reports will be given on the Medical Standards, Passenger Safety, Roadway Worker Safety, Continuous Welded Rail, and Locomotive Safety Standards working groups. The Committee may possibly be asked to vote on recommendations on railroad operating rules and to amend the Continuous Welded Rail task to permit consideration of additional issues related to amendment of the Track Safety Standards. This agenda is subject to change.

The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement on a proposal to reduce fuels and manage vegetation on about 18,700 acres on the Klamath National Forest in Northern California. The proposal intends to reduce the fuel hazard that leads to uncontrollable wildfire, improve forage for big game, reduce juniper, enhance aspen, and to promote a diverse and resilient forest.