February 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected costs and burden; it includes the actual data collection instruments [if any].

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the implementing regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, has prepared, and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, has approved, the Record of Decision for the new General Management Plan for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. The 30-day wait period was officially initiated October 13, 2006, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the filing of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Decision: As soon as practicable the Reserve will begin to implement as its new General Management Plan the Preferred Alternative (with minor modifications from Alternative B as described in the Draft and Final EIS); this alternative was also deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' course of action. The selected plan features an overlay of four management zones on the Reserve: (i) Cultural and Natural Preservation Zone, (ii) Visitor Use and Development Zone, (iii) Administrative Zone, and (iv) Special Use Zonethese zones are identified based on resource condition or character, visitor experience and appropriate types of activities or facilities criteria. The new plan enhances existing programs, natural and cultural resource management, and administrative and maintenance operations. An integrated pest management program will be implemented in concert with Reserve landowners and other partners. Visitor services within the Reserve are improved, and information kiosks would be installed along State Route 20 in the Smith Prairie area and at a northern gateway location, and at the Keystone and/or Port Townsend ferry landings. The Trust Board shall continue to be responsible for setting the policies and general actions for the Reserve consistent with the Reserve's enabling legislation, GMP, and relevant NPS policies and guidelines. This includes continuing the NPS's annual appraisal of Reserve management and operations under the enabling legislation. The Trust Board would continue to oversee management and protection of lands (including fee and easements) purchased with federal money, administer programs and technical support, participate in local land use review processes, and advocate for and support the Reserve. The Reserve Manager continues to be employed by and report directly to the Trust Board (in turn, the Trust Board will conduct annual operations and staff performance reviews and submit these to the Deputy Regional Director, Pacific West). Based upon public comments and refinements desired by the planning team collaborative, the selected plan includes several modifications from the Preferred Alternative as detailed in the Final EIS, including but not limited to: the GMP will incorporate certain historic preservation and land use protection measures which were adopted by Island County after the EIS process was begun; the development of a marine science center by nonprofits will be encouraged; proposed Reserve staff additions over the next 20 years are reduced to five. Also, since release of the draft GMP, Bell Farm was removed from the proposed boundary modification at the owner's request. The proposed plan and three alternatives were identified and analyzed in the Final EIS, and previously in the Draft EIS (the latter was distributed in August 2005). A broad spectrum of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures identified, for each alternative. Beginning with early scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, a series of public meetings and open-houses was conducted locally. Overall approximately 40 written scoping comments and 250 written or electronic Draft EIS review comments were received (as noted above, the latter served as the source of several minor adjustments to the final selected plan). Key consultations or other contacts that aided in preparing the EIS involved (but were not limited to) Island County and Town of Coupeville officials, Ebey's Landing Trust Board, Washington State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, tribal governments, and adjoining land managing agencies. Local community groups and neighbors, farmers and local business owners, and interested organizations were contacted extensively during initial scoping and throughout the GMP planning process. Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of Decision may obtain a complete copy by contacting the Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, Washington 98239 as well as via telephone request at (360) 678-6084.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing its intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information on 30 CFR Part 784, Underground Mining Permit ApplicationsMinimum Requirements for Reclamation and Operation Plans.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agencies intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the Real Estate Title Clearance and Loan Closing regulation.

The Commission is proposing to amend its flammability standard of general wearing apparel, the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16 CFR part 1610. The Standard, originally issued in 1953, has become outdated in several respects. The Commission is proposing changes to better reflect current consumer practices and technologies and to clarify several aspects of the Standard.

The NCUA intends to submit the following information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). This information collection is published to obtain comments from the public.

NIGMS is initiating a strategic planning process that will culminate in the NIGMS Strategic Plan for 2008-2012. To assist with this process, NIGMS requests input from scientists, scientific organizations, and other interested parties. The goal of this strategic planning process is to identify Institute priorities and guide decision-making over the next five years. Information about NIGMS can be found at https://www.nigms.nih.gov/.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), agencies are required to submit proposed reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the public that the agency has made such a submission.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed reinstatement of the ``Veterans Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS),'' to be conducted in August 2007. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review in part the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') final initial determination on remand in the above-captioned investigation, including part of Order No. 55.

The Corps of Engineers is proposing to amend the regulations in 33 CFR 334.190 which establishes a danger zone, in waters of the United States in the vicinity of Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. The proposed amendment will reflect the current operational and safety procedures at the Bloodsworth Island Range and highlight a change in the enforcement authority from the Commander, Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia to the Commander, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The regulations are necessary to safeguard United States Navy vessels and United States Government facilities/installations from sabotage and other subversive acts, accidents, or incidents of a similar nature. These regulations are also necessary to protect the public from potentially hazardous conditions which may exist as a result from use of the areas by the United States Navy.

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management. Times and Dates: The meeting will be held Tuesday March 6, 2007, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday March 7, 2007, from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Please refer to the Web page https:// www.sab.noaa.gov/Meetings/meetings.html for the most up-to-date meeting agenda. Place: The meeting will be held both days tentatively at the Hilton Washington DC/Silver Spring, 8727 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, pending approval of a purchase order. Please check the SAB Web site https://www.sab.noaa.gov for confirmation of the venue. Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 30- minute public comment period on March 6 (check Web site to confirm time). The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of five (5) minutes. Written comments (at least 35 copies) should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by March 2, 2007, to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after March 2, 2007, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Matters to be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) NOAA's Regional Collaboration Initiative; (2) NOAA's Role in Research on Ocean Acidification; (3) Monitoring the Performance of Research in NOAA; (4) update on the NOAA Response to the Reports of the Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group (HIRWG); (5) update on the NOAA Response to the Report of the External Ecosystem Task Team (EETT); (6) Report on the Review of the Cooperative Institute for Climate Applications and Research (CICAR); and (7) Report on the Review of the Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies (CIOSS). There will also be a joint meeting of the SAB and the NOAA Research Council.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its determination that the noise-exposure maps (NEM) submitted by the Director of Aviation for Great Falls International Airport under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq. (Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act) and 14 CFR Part 150, are in compliance with applicable requirements. The FAA also announces that it is reviewing a proposed noise-compatibility program, submitted for Great Falls International Airport under Part 150, in conjunction with the noise-exposure map. This program will be approved or disapproved on or before August 9, 2007.

This action modifies Class D airspace at Luke Air Force Base (LUF), AZ. This modification is necessary to contain and protect circling maneuvers for Category E aircraft executing these maneuvers in conjunction with Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at the airport.

The Corps of Engineers (Corps) is preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to address operational changes at Center Hill Dam that could affect pool elevations. Center Hill Dam impounds Center Hill Lake in central Tennessee. The DEIS is necessary to provide National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance to address changes that could include, but are not limited to water quality, aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial habitat, recreation, water supply, flood storage, economics, hydropower production, and safety as a result of operating Center Hill Lake below normal pool elevations for extended periods of time. Several engineering studies have identified a heightened level of risk at Center Hill Dam due to increasing seepage problems under and around the dam. Since March 2005, the Corps has attempted to keep fall, winter and early spring lake levels from extreme rises due to high inflow. Seepage problems are made worse during continual high lake levels. As a result, the Corps plans to maintain lower lake levels, but still within the operations curve, to reduce pressure on the dam foundation, abutments, and rim walls until a permanent remedy is in place. A major grouting project to address the dam seepage is scheduled for the fall of 2007, followed by installation of a cutoff wall through the earthen portions of the dam and adjoining rim walls. Although not anticipated, the Corps may have to lower the lake pool significantly below the operating pool should seepage conditions worsen, or new information determine this action is necessary to reduce risk. This notice serves to initiate the NEPA process. The Corps plans to prepare and circulate a DEIS which serves to cover possible impacts due to extreme changes in lake levels that could occur during the repair of the dam's foundation and abutments.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6 and 404.7, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of the invention set forth in U.S. Patent Application No. 10/631,218 entitled ``A Coherent Radar and Ladar Polarimeter,'' filed on July 25, 2003. The United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Army, has rights in this invention.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received a request for Department of the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbor Act, from Figure ``8'' Beach Homeowners Association to develop a management plan for Rich Inlet that would mitigate chronic erosion on the northern portion of Figure Eight Island so as to preserve the integrity of its infrastructure, provide protection to existing development, and ensure the continued use of the oceanfront beach along the northernmost three miles of its oceanfront shoreline. Figure Eight Island is an unincorporated privately developed island located on the southeast coast of North Carolina, approximately eight miles north of Wilmington. The island is bordered to the south by Mason Inlet and Wrightsville Beach; and to the north by Rich Inlet and Lea-Hutaff Island, an undeveloped, privately-owned island. The inlet management plan would involve the repositioning and realignment of the main ebb channel of Rich Inlet to a location closer to the north end of Figure Eight Island. The intended alignment is to be essentially perpendicular to the oceanfront shorelines of the adjacent islands. The new channel position would be periodically maintained with maintenance episodes dictated by natural shifts in the channel position that produce unfavorable shoreline responses on the north end of Figure Eight Island. While the main focus of the project is to relocate the main ebb bar channel, consideration will also be given to possible alterations in Nixon Channel and Green Channel to determine if such modification would enhance the stability of the new channel. Nixon Channel meanders along a southwesterly path on the landward side of the north end of Figure Eight Island; connecting to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) at a point approximately two miles west of the Rich Inlet throat. Green Channel meanders to the northeast on the landward side of Lea-Hutaff Island and intersects with the AIWW approximately 1.75 miles north of the Rich Inlet throat. Material dredged from the inlet and channels will be placed along the central and northern portions of Figure Eight Island and, if needed, along portions of Lea-Hutaff Island. The objective of the placement of beach fill along the Figure Eight Island's shoreline is to keep the design fill density less than 50 cubic yards/foot, to avoid the placement of a permanent static vegetation line. This beach fill would be maintained through a program of periodic beach nourishment events with the material extracted from the dredging of Rich Inlet to maintain the inlet in an optimum location.

EPA proposes to approve an amendment to the State of West Virginia's operating permit program to correct the definition of ``a major source'' and ``volatile organic compound.'' West Virginia's revision was submitted in response to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990 that required States to submit to EPA program revisions in accordance with the Federal Title V regulations. The EPA granted final approval of West Virginia's operating permit program on November 23, 2001. West Virginia amended its operating permit program to address the Federal EPA amendment to the Federal Title V regulations, which went into effect on November 27, 2001. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's amendment to its operating permit program as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. The EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is planning to charge a $40 fee for the overnight rental of each of the Sherman Guard Station Cabins. The cabins have not been available for recreation use prior to this date. Rentals of other cabins on the Bridger-Teton National Forest have shown that people appreciate and enjoy the availability of historic rental cabins. Funds from the rental will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of the Sherman Guard Station Cabins.