April 4, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board seeks public comments on a proposal to interpret the term ``contract'' in 49 U.S.C. 10709 as embracing any bilateral agreement between a carrier and a shipper for rail transportation in which the railroad agrees to a specific rate for a specific period of time in exchange for consideration from the shipper, such as a commitment to tender a specific amount of freight during a specific period or to make specific investments in rail facilities.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463 as amended by Pub. L. 94-409, Pub. L. 96-523, Pub. L. 97-375 and Pub. L. 105-153), we are announcing a meeting of the Bureau of Economic Analysis Advisory Committee. The meeting's agenda focuses on the various aspects involved with the measurement of health care in the national economic accounts.

By this Notice, the Department of the Treasury is informing the public that it is conducting a mandatory survey of foreign ownership of U.S. securities as of June 30, 2007. This Notice constitutes legal notification to all United States persons (defined below) who meet the reporting requirements set forth in this Notice that they must respond to, and comply with, this survey. Additional copies of the reporting forms SHLA (2007) and instructions may be printed from the Internet at: https://www.treas.gov/tic/forms-sh.html. Definition: A U.S. person is any individual, branch, partnership, associated group, association, estate, trust, corporation, or other organization (whether or not organized under the laws of any State), and any government (including a foreign government, the United States Government, a state, provincial, or local government, and any agency, corporation, financial institution, or other entity or instrumentality thereof, including a government-sponsored agency), who resides in the United States or is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Who Must Report: The panel for this survey is based upon the level of foreign holdings of U.S. securities reported on the June 2004 benchmark survey of foreign holdings of U.S. securities, and will consist mostly of the largest reporters on that survey. Entities required to report will be contacted individually by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Entities not contacted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have no reporting responsibilities. What to Report: This report will collect information on foreign resident holdings of U.S. securities, including equities, short-term debt securities (including selected money market instruments), and long-term debt securities. How to Report: Copies of the survey forms and instructions, which contain complete information on reporting procedures and definitions, can be obtained by contacting the survey staff of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at (212) 720-6300, e-mail: SHLA.help@ny.frb.org. The mailing address is: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Statistics Function, 4th Floor, 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10045-0001. Inquiries can also be made to Mr. William L. Griever, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, at (202) 452-2924, e-mail: william.l.griever@frb.gov; or to Dwight Wolkow at (202) 622-1276, e- mail: wolkowd@do.treas.gov. When to Report: Data should be submitted to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, acting as fiscal agent for the Department of the Treasury, by August 31, 2007. Paperwork Reduction Act Notice: This data collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act and assigned control number 1505-0123. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid control number assigned by OMB. The estimated average annual burden associated with this collection of information is 486 hours per report for the largest custodians of securities, and 110 hours per report for the largest issuers of securities that have data to report and are not custodians. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate and suggestions for reducing this burden should be directed to the Department of the Treasury, Office of International Affairs, Attention Administrator, International Portfolio Investment Data Reporting Systems, Room 5422, Washington, DC 20220, and to OMB, Attention Desk Officer for the Department of the Treasury, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded under Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 appropriations for the Tribal Transit Program (TTP), a program authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of an abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Ivy Laboratories, Div. of Ivy Animal Health, Inc. The ANADA provides for use of single-ingredient Type A medicated articles containing melengestrol and lasalocid to make two- way combination drug Type B or Type C medicated feeds for heifers fed in confinement for slaughter.

In this document, the Commission conforms its rules to comply with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 (Appropriations Act). The Appropriations Act, among other things, directs the Commission to modify the national television ownership limit to specify 39 percent as the maximum aggregate national audience reach of any single television station owner. The Appropriations Act also adds a new section to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which the Commission now implements.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Public Law No. 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

In light of the differences between plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) and other types of pesticides, EPA is considering amendments to the current pesticide establishment and production regulations promulgated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and to other related FIFRA regulations as needed for producers of PIPs. PIPs are pesticidal substances that are intended to be produced and used in a living plant, or the produce thereof, and the genetic material necessary for the production of such a pesticidal substance, and also include any inert ingredient contained in the plant, or the produce thereof. Given these characteristics, it is possible that PIPs may not be produced in the manner contemplated when the current establishment and production regulations were promulgated for other types of pesticide. In this ANPRM, the Agency provides a list of the general regulatory provisions applicable to PIPs that EPA is considering amending and solicits public comment on the completeness of the list and the scope of any potential changes to these regulations. EPA also is soliciting information that may be useful to EPA as it reviews these regulations and developing the proposed rules. In addition to soliciting comments through this ANPRM, EPA intends to solicit stakeholder input through two public meetings during the comment period of this ANPRM.

This final rule amends the Department's regulations to provide that the date of recordation for purposes of obtaining Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approval of a condominium development in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for mortgage insurance under the section 234(c) program is the date the condominium legal documents are presented to the Commonwealth Office of the Property Registry. This final rule enables parties to obtain mortgage insurance upon presentment of legal documents, whether the condominium regime is under construction, proposed for construction, or was established by conversion. Instituting a single standard for approval of mortgage insurance will result in a reduction in risk, time, and cost for developers and help to increase FHA activity and homeownership opportunities in Puerto Rico. This final rule follows publication of a May 23, 2006, proposed rule on which HUD did not receive any public comments. Accordingly, HUD is adopting the May 23, 2006, proposed rule without change.

The Postal Service, after considering comments on its proposal to change international postal rates, fees, and mail classifications, is implementing the new published prices and mailing standards. The Postal Service may negotiate customized prices and mailing standards.

This rule follows publication of, and considers the public comments on, two earlier HUD rules. First, this rule makes final the March 30, 2004, interim rule establishing regulations for a downpayment assistance component under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), referred to as the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI). Through the ADDI, HUD makes formula grants to participating jurisdictions under the HOME Program for the purpose of assisting low- income families to achieve homeownership. In addition, this rule also makes final HUD's November 22, 2004, interim rule, which revised and clarified the HOME Program homeownership affordability requirements of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. In response to the public comments received on both interim rules, this final rule clarifies that the purchase of manufactured homes is an ADDI eligible activity, and broadens and clarifies the use of HOME funds to help preserve affordable housing previously assisted with HOME funds.

EPA is proposing six national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants for seven area source categories. The proposed emissions standards and associated requirements for two area source categories (Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production and Flexible Polyurethane Foam Fabrication) are combined in one subpart. The proposed emissions standards for new and existing sources are based on EPA's proposed determination as to what constitutes the generally available control technology or management practices for each area source category.

Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Commission approves 83 of 107 proposed Reliability Standards, six of the eight proposed regional differences, and the Glossary of Terms Used in Reliability Standards developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which the Commission has certified as the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) responsible for developing and enforcing mandatory Reliability Standards. Those Reliability Standards meet the requirements of section 215 of the FPA and Part 39 of the Commission's regulations. However, although we believe it is in the public interest to make these Reliability Standards mandatory and enforceable, we also find that much work remains to be done. Specifically, we believe that many of these Reliability Standards require significant improvement to address, among other things, the recommendations of the Blackout Report. Therefore, pursuant to section 215(d)(5), we require the ERO to submit significant improvements to 56 of the 83 Reliability Standards that are being approved as mandatory and enforceable. The remaining 24 Reliability Standards will remain pending at the Commission until further information is provided. The Final Rule adds a new part to the Commission's regulations, which states that this part applies to all users, owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System within the United States (other than Alaska or Hawaii) and requires that each Reliability Standard identify the subset of users, owners and operators to which that particular Reliability Standard applies. The new regulations also require that each Reliability Standard that is approved by the Commission will be maintained on the ERO's Internet Web site for public inspection.

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 Argentina and the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the United States and Brazil. This subsequent arrangement concerns the retransfer of two fission counters from the Instrumentation and Control Department, National Atomic Energy Commission, Argentina, to the IPEN/MB/01 Research Reactor, San Pablo, Brazil. The fission counters each contain .01 g U235. IPEN/MB/01 Research Reactor is authorized to receive nuclear material pursuant to the U.S.-Brazil Agreement for Cooperation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. 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 15 days after the date of publication of this notice.