June 27, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On January 30, 2007, the FAA issued a direct final rule, ``Inspection Authorization 2-Year Renewal,'' which amended the renewal period for inspection authorizations and requested comments. This document responds to the comments received and confirms the effective date of the rule.

This action extends a temporary final rule published on October 18, 2005. The regulations contained in the temporary rule, emergency action, published on October 18, 2005, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that were subsequently extended on December 28, 2005, June 30, 2006, and again on January 1, 2007, expire on July 1, 2007. This temporary rule extends a closure of Federal waters through December 31, 2007. The FDA has determined that current oceanographic conditions and alga sampling data suggests that the northern section of the Temporary Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) Closure Area remain closed to the harvest of bivalve molluscan shellfish and that the southern area remain closed to the harvest of whole or roe-on scallops. NMFS is publishing the regulatory text associated with this closure in this temporary emergency rule in order to ensure that current regulations accurately reflect the codified text that has been modified and extended numerous times so that the public is aware of the regulations being extended through December 31, 2007.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making conforming changes to citations in the regulatory text. This action is necessary to inform the public of these conforming changes to NRC regulations.

This withdrawal advises the public that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has assumed the lead role from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for rulemaking addressing the security of motor carrier shipments of hazardous materials under this docket. Accordingly, PHMSA is withdrawing the ANPRM issued under this docket and closing its rulemaking proceeding. This action is consistent with and supportive of the respective transportation security roles and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation and DHS as delineated in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed September 28, 2004, and of TSA and PHMSA as outlined in an Annex to that MOU signed August 7, 2006. PHMSA will continue to consider alternatives for enhancing the safety of explosives stored during transportation under another rulemaking docket. PHMSA will consult and coordinate with TSA on hazardous materials transportation security issues in accordance with the PHMSA-TSA Annex.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Erie, Fairview, PA. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie during the Fairview Picnic fireworks display on July 1, 2007. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the Port Jefferson Fireworks on East Beach in Port Jefferson, NY. The safety zone is necessary to protect the life and property of the maritime community from the hazards posed by the fireworks display. Entry into or movement within this safety zone during the enforcement period is prohibited without approval of the Captain of the Port, Long Island Sound.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Atlantic Beach Bridge, mile 0.4, across Reynolds Channel at Atlantic Beach, New York. Under this temporary deviation a one-hour advance notice will be required for bridge openings between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from July 23, 2007 through August 3, 2007. This deviation is necessary to facilitate bridge steel deck grating replacement.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Syracuse Inner Harbor, Syracuse, NY. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Syracuse Inner Harbor during the City of Syracuse Fireworks Celebration on June 29, 2007 Fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the Cancer Center for Kids Fireworks in Bayville, NY. The safety zone is necessary to protect the life and property of the maritime community from the hazards posed by the fireworks display. Entry into or movement within this safety zone during the enforcement period is prohibited without approval of the Captain of the Port, Long Island Sound.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Seneca River, Baldwinsville, NY. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Seneca River during the Seneca River Days fireworks display on July 6, 2007. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect spectators and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

We are requesting additional comment on the definition of the term ``significant deficiency.'' Because this term is used in the Commission's rules implementing Section 302 and Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we believe that a definition of this term should also be in the Commission's rules, in addition to being in the auditing standards.

We are adopting an amendment to our rules to clarify that an evaluation which complies with the Commission's interpretive guidance published in this issue of the Federal Register in Release No. 34-55929 is one way to satisfy the requirement for management to evaluate the effectiveness of the issuer's internal control over financial reporting. We are also amending our rules to define the term material weakness and to revise the requirements regarding the auditor's attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The amendments are intended to facilitate more effective and efficient evaluations of internal control over financial reporting by management and auditors.

The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is proposing to amend its mutual holding company (MHC) regulations to permit certain MHC subsidiaries to adopt an optional charter provision that would prohibit any person from acquiring, or offering to acquire, beneficial ownership of more than ten percent of the MHC subsidiary's minority stock (stock held by persons other than the subsidiary's MHC).

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) makes certain minor editorial amendments to its rules to correct errors or omissions of publication, eliminate duplicative language, or conform the rules with other rule sections in effort to provide clear and concise rules that are easy for the public to understand.

This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Southern California Public Radio, requesting the reservation of vacant Channel 273A at Hemet, California for noncommercial educational use. The reference coordinates are 33-44-44 NL and 116-59- 18 WL. The document also requests specific comment on whether a rulemaking proponent may use actual terrain pursuant to Section 73.313 of the Commission's Rules to calculate first and second NCE service benefits in connection with NCE allotment reservation requests.

This final rule delays the date set for the required use of electronic data and automated processes of the Electronic Verification System (eVS) for permit imprint Parcel Select[reg] manifest mailings, which currently are paper-driven and rely on manual processes for handling verification and postage reconciliations. The delay in required use also extends to Standard Mail[reg] machinable parcels and parcels from other Package Services subclasses (Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, or Media Mail[reg]) that are authorized to be commingled with permit imprint Parcel Select parcels. Parcel mailers and shippers may continue to use eVS as an option if they meet the required business standards and technical specifications in the Domestic Mail Manual.

This document grants a Petition for Reconsideration filed by Southern California Public Radio in response to the staff letter dated March 18, 2004, returning its Petition for Rule Making, which requested the reservation of FM Channel 273A at Hemet, California for noncommercial educational use. This document also denies a Petition for Reconsideration filed by Maranatha Ministries of Hemet directed to the staff letter dated March 18, 2004, returning its Petition for Rule Making, requesting the reservation of vacant FM Channel 273A at Hemet, California for noncommercial educational use.

This document amends title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'') on an interim basis to implement the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the U.S.- Jordan Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.