February 6, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule revises HUD's civil money penalty regulations to make inflation adjustments to the civil money penalties imposed by HUD, as required by statute. The applicable statute mandates the adjustments and the formula used to calculate them. HUD also takes this opportunity to delete duplicative language in its regulation for hearing procedures in civil rights matters.

Section 402 of title 23 of the United States Code requires the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate uniform guidelines for State highway safety programs. NHTSA is seeking comments on proposed amendments to six (6) of the existing guidelines and one (1) new guideline to reflect program methodology and approaches that have proven to be successful and are based on sound science and program administration. The guidelines the agency proposes to revise are as follows: Guideline No. 4 Driver Education; Guideline No. 5 Non-Commercial Driver Licensing (formerly Driver Licensing); Guideline No. 7 Judicial and Court Services (formerly Traffic Courts); Guideline No. 10 Traffic Records; Guideline No. 17 Pupil Transportation Safety; and Guideline No. 21 Roadway Safety. This notice also proposes a new guideline, Guideline No. 12 Prosecutor Training and Outreach. NHTSA has developed Guideline No. 12 because it has found that conducting educational and training outreach to judges and prosecutors is an important element for law enforcement efforts to be truly effective as a deterrent to dangerous driving behaviors. NHTSA believes the proposed revisions and additions will provide more accurate, current and detailed guidance to the States. The guidelines will be made publicly available on the NHTSA Web site.

In accordance with Title IV of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (Pub.L. 97-451), Whiting Petroleum Corporation timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease UTU79796 for lands in San Juan County, Utah, and it was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from October 1, 2006, the date of termination.

This final rule amends the Maritime Administration's (MARAD's) regulations governing its pilot program for the reimbursement of costs of qualified maintenance and repair (M&R) of Maritime Security Program (MSP) vessels performed in United States shipyards. Under Public Law 109-163, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, is directed to implement regulations that, among other things, replace MARAD's voluntary M&R reimbursement program with a mandatory program.

NMFS has received an application from Shell Offshore, Inc. (SOI) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting an on-ice marine geophysical research and development (R&D) program in the U.S. Beaufort Sea from March to May, 2007. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to SOI to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of three species of pinnipeds for a limited period of time this year.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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 the continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations related to licensee reporting requirements for source material and special nuclear material (SNM) to the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS). The proposed amendments would lower the threshold of the quantities of SNM and certain source materials that require the submission of material status reports to the NMMSS. Also, the proposed amendments would make some modifications to the types of and timing of submittals of transaction reports to the NMMSS. The amendments would also require licensees to reconcile any material inventory discrepancies that NRC identifies in the NMMSS database. The proposed amendments would reduce some regulatory burden by reducing the current reporting requirements related to the export of certain source material and SNM. However, the annual reporting requirements would be new requirements for licensees who possess 350 grams or less, of SNM. These amendments are needed to improve the accuracy of the material inventory information maintained in the NMMSS.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Southwest Regional Office (SWRO), in co-sponsorship with the University of Arkansas (UA) Institute of Food Science and Engineering (IFSE), is announcing a public workshop entitled ``Food Defense Workshop.'' This public workshop is intended to provide information about food defense, the regulations authorized by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), and other related subjects to FDA- regulated food facilities (farms, manufacturers, processors, distributors, retailers, and restaurants). Date and Time: This public workshop will be held on May 23 through 24, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: The public workshop will be held at the Continuing Education Center, 2 East Center St., Fayetteville, AR (located downtown). Contact: David Arvelo, Food and Drug Administration, Southwest Regional Office, 4040 North Central Expressway, suite 900, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-253-4952, FAX: 214-253-4970, or e-mail: david.arvelo@fda.hhs.gov. For information on accommodation options, contact Steven C. Seideman, 2650 North Young Ave., Institute of Food Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72704, 479-575- 4221, FAX: 479-575-2165, or email: seideman@uark.edu. Registration: You are encouraged to register by May 9, 2007. The University of Arkansas has a $150 registration fee to cover the cost of facilities, materials, speakers, and breaks. Seats are limited; please submit your registration as soon as possible. Course space will be filled in order of receipt of registration. Those accepted into the course will receive confirmation. Registration will close after the course is filled. Registration at the site is not guaranteed but may be possible on a space available basis on the day of the public workshop beginning at 8 a.m. The cost of registration at the site is $200 payable to: ``The University of Arkansas.'' If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Steven C. Seideman (see Contact section of this document) at least 7 days in advance. Registration Form Instructions: To register, please complete the following form and submit along with a check or money order for $150 payable to the ``The University of Arkansas.'' Mail to: Institute of Food Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, 2650 North Young Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72704.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Indiana regulatory program (Indiana program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation (IDNR, department, or Indiana) proposes revisions to its rules concerning the definition of ``government-financed construction''; underground mining reclamation plans for siltation structures, impoundments, dams, embankments, and refuse piles; performance bond release; surface mining permanent and temporary impoundments; surface mining primary roads; and inspections of sites. Indiana intends to revise its program to be consistent with the corresponding Federal regulations, to clarify ambiguities, and to improve operational efficiency. This document gives the times and locations that the Indiana program and proposed amendments to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are approving an amendment to the Texas abandoned mine land reclamation plan (Texas plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). The Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT or Commission) proposed to assume responsibility of the abandoned mine land reclamation (AML) emergency program in Texas. The Commission also proposed to revise the Texas plan by updating portions to reflect its current practices and by removing references to its old regulations (Texas Coal Mining Regulations (TCMR)) and replacing them with references to its recodified regulations (16 Texas Administrative Code (TAC)).

This notice announces a meeting of the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92- 463, 86Stat.770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice amends the notice of an emergency declaration for the State of Oklahoma (FEMA-3272-EM), dated January 14, 2007, and related determinations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to amend the regulation authorizing a health claim on the relationship between soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The amendment proposes to exempt certain foods from the nutrient content requirement of ``low fat.'' The exemption would apply if the food exceeds this requirement due to fat content derived from whole oat sources. FDA is taking this action in response to a petition submitted by the Quaker Oats Company (the petitioner). The amendment would expand the use of this health claim to some whole oat products that are currently ineligible for the health claim.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster for the State of Missouri (FEMA-1676-DR), dated January 15, 2007, and related determinations.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 10 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.