February 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 7X airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features include side stick controllers, electronic flight control systems, and flight envelope protections. These special conditions pertain to control and handling qualities of the airplane and protection limits within the normal flight envelope. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. 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. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Dassault Model Falcon 7X airplanes.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish temporary special local regulations for the ``Baltimore County Community Waterfront Festival'', an event to be held May 12, 2007 at Martin Lagoon, Middle River, Maryland. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Middle River waterfront to accommodate watercraft static displays, fire-rescue demonstrations and a fireworks display.

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 revision of a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

Idaho applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). On November 9, 2006, EPA published a proposed rule to authorize the changes and opened a public comment period under Docket ID No. EPA-R10-RCRA-2006-0830. The comment period closed on December 11, 2006. EPA has decided that these revisions to the Idaho hazardous waste management program satisfy all of the requirements necessary to qualify for final authorization and is authorizing these revisions to Idaho's authorized hazardous waste management program in this final rule.

EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission by the State of Iowa which revises the air quality rules to include portions of the Federal New Source Review (NSR) regulations promulgated by EPA in December 2002. These revisions do not include the portion of the rules for nonattainment areas as there are currently no nonattainment areas in the State of Iowa; therefore, those portions of the State rules remain in effect. The definitions and applicability portions of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program were written into the State rules while the remaining portions of the PSD program were adopted by reference. All references to clean units and pollution control projects are not adopted by reference. Iowa has also not adopted portions of the Federal rule relating to exceptions from recordkeeping requirements.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Long Island Railroad Bridge, across Reynolds Channel, mile 4.4, at New York City, New York. Under this temporary deviation the draw may remain in the closed position for 24-hours on both March 3, 2007 and March 10, 2007. This deviation is necessary to facilitate scheduled bridge maintenance.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on certain information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Santa Rosa Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on a proposal to authorize continued livestock grazing on National Forest System (NFS) lands within the boundaries administered by the Santa Rosa Ranger District. The Project Area is located in Humboldt County, Nevada. The preparation of this SEIS is needed because the Record of Decision issued on June 2, 2006 for the Martin Basin Rangeland Management Project was appealed, and following review, the decision was reversed. The supplemental analysis will provide additional analysis and disclosure of environmental effects.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). This meeting is open to the public. The Advisory Group for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grants program (Advisory Group) will hold its third meeting. This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.

This notice is being issued under the authority of section 131 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2160). The Department is providing notice of a proposed ``subsequent arrangement'' under the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the United States and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the United States and Canada. This subsequent arrangement concerns the retransfer of 51,775.1 kg of Natural UF6 (67.6% U), containing 35,000 kg of Uranium. This material will be retransferred from Cameco Corporation, Canada, to Urenco Ltd., Netherlands for enrichment and return to the United States for use as fuel in nuclear power reactors by STP Nuclear Operating Company, Texas. Urenco Ltd. is authorized to receive nuclear material pursuant to the U.S.-Euratom Agreement for Cooperation. In accordance with section 131 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, we have determined that this subsequent arrangement will not be inimical to the common defense and security. This subsequent arrangement will take effect no sooner than fifteen days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to cancel the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the assessment of potential environmental impacts from DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program, as described in a Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2004 (69 FR 21514). DOE had intended to prepare the PEIS, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to address the potential environmental impacts of carbon sequestration technologies and potential future demonstration activities under the Carbon Sequestration Program, which is being implemented by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy through its National Energy Technology Laboratory. DOE conducted public scoping meetings in May and June 2004 in eight cities, and began preparation of the PEIS. However, upon further consideration, DOE has determined that the continuation of the PEIS did not warrant its effort and expense since the research from the Regional Partnerships and other Program activities in carbon sequestration are enhancing our understanding of the area and the PEIS would not direct any programmatic decisions at this time. DOE will continue to perform project-specific NEPA reviews of its carbon sequestration research, development and demonstration activities. In order to facilitate future project-specific NEPA reviews, DOE will make available to the public a Carbon Sequestration Reference Document, based on the data and analyses developed in conjunction with the PEIS preparation effort. DOE believes this approach would best enable the Department to meet its Carbon Sequestration Program objectives and continue to provide pertinent environmental data and analyses for future project- and site-specific NEPA reviews under the Program.

Green Diamond Resource Company (Green Diamond) (previously Simpson Timber Company) has applied to the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to amend its existing incidental take permit (ITP) for the federally threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; ``NSO''). The existing ITP was issued in 1992, in association with a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and Implementation Agreement (IA), pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. The proposed ITP amendment would authorize the take of eight additional owl pairs on Green Diamond's ownership in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, California. These additional takes would be authorized during the existing permit term expiring in 2022, and would provide Green Diamond operational flexibility while they and the Service further consider and evaluate the findings of a 10-year, comprehensive Plan review. The application for permit amendment includes proposed amendments to the existing IA and Plan, which describe the proposed action and the measures that Green Diamond will undertake to minimize and mitigate take of the NSO.

This is a request for proposals for guaranteed loans under the section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) pursuant to 7 CFR 3565.4 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 subject to the availability of funding. FY 2006 funding for the section 538 was $99 million. This Notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing and submit proposals in the form of ``RESPONSES'', and give the Agency maximum time to process applications within the current fiscal year. A Notice of Funding Availability will be published announcing the funding level for GRRHP for FY 2007 once an appropriations act has been enacted. The commitment of program dollars will be made to applicants of selected responses that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for obligation, to the extent an appropriation act provides funding for GRRHP for FY 2007. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk. The following paragraphs outline the timeframes, eligibility requirements, lender responsibilities, and the overall response and application processes. The GRRHP operates under 7 CFR part 3565. The GRRHP Origination and Servicing Handbook (HB-1-3565) is available to provide lenders and the general public with guidance on program administration. HB-1-3565, which contains a copy of 7 CFR part 3565 in Appendix 1, can be found at the Rural Development Instructions Web site address https:// www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/hblist.html#hbw6. Eligible lenders are invited to submit responses for the development of affordable rural rental housing, the acquisition with rehabilitation of affordable rural rental housing, and the revitalization, repair, and transfer (as stipulated in 7 CFR 3560.406) of existing direct section 515 housing (transfer costs are subject to Agency approval and must be an eligible use of loan proceeds as listed in 7 CFR 3565.205). Equity payment, as stipulated 7 CFR 3560.406, in the transfer of existing direct section 515 housing, is an eligible use of loan proceeds. In order to be considered, direct section 515 housing projects must need repairs and/or undergo revitalization of a minimum of $6,500 per unit. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) will review responses submitted by eligible lenders, on the lender's letterhead, and signed by both the prospective borrower and lender. Although a complete application is not required in response to this Notice of requests for proposals, eligible lenders may submit a complete application concurrently with the response. However, submitting a complete application will not have an effect on the respondent's score.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all McDonnell Douglas Model 717-200 airplanes. The existing AD currently requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new removal limits for certain components of the flap system and to reduce the interval of inspections for fatigue cracking of certain principal structural elements (PSEs). This proposed AD would require revising the ALS of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate reduced initial inspection and repeat inspection intervals for certain PSEs. This proposed AD results from a revised damage tolerance analysis. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of certain PSEs, which could adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain McDonnell Douglas airplanes described previously. This proposed AD would require installing bonding jumpers to the airplane wing structure from the fuel system in-line electrical solenoid valves along the left and right wing front spar. This proposed AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are proposing this AD to prevent point-of-contact arcing or filament heating damage in the fuel lines that could create a potential ignition source, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could cause a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

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.