July 18, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On June 18, 2007, the Commission established a schedule for the conduct of the subject investigations (72 FR 30831, June 4, 2007). Subsequently, the Department of Commerce extended the date for its initiation of the investigations from July 9 to July 30, 2007. The Commission, therefore, is revising its schedule to conform with Commerce's new schedule. The Commission's new schedule for the investigations is as follows: the deadline for filing written briefs is July 17, 2007, and the administrative deadline for transmitting determinations and views to Commerce is August 27, 2007. For further information concerning the conduct of these investigations and rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A and B (19 CFR part 207).

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on proposed rules and guidance to implement sections 612 and 616 of the Communications Act. In the context of its review of recent merger transactions and comments filed in its Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming, the Commission determined to review the program carriage complaint processes and initiate a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding leased access rules.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk assessment(s), and related documents for the pesticide 2-octyl-3 (2H)- isothiazolone (also known as octhilinone or OIT), and opens a public comment period on these documents. The public is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for octhilinone through a modified, 4-Phase public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration decisions. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.

The following described 0.76-acre public land parcel near Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado, has been examined and found suitable for title transfer by (non-competitive) direct sale to Patsie and Michael DeHuff. The sale will be conducted under the authority of section 203(f)(2) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. (FLPMA) and CFR 2711.3-3(a), and will take place according to procedures governing direct sale of public land.

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks to refresh the record on issues raised in the Petition of Genesis Communications International, Inc. (Genesis) for Declaratory Rulings Regarding Lifeline Assistance Revenues (Petition). Because comments and reply comments on the issue were filed several years ago, the passage of time and intervening developments have rendered the records developed by those commenters stale. Moreover, some issues raised by commenters may have become moot or irrelevant in light of intervening events. For these reasons, the Bureau requests that parties refresh the record with any new information or arguments they believe to be relevant to deciding the issues still pending.

We are revising and reorganizing the regulations pertaining to the importation of fruits and vegetables to consolidate requirements of general applicability and eliminate redundant requirements, update terms and remove outdated requirements and references, update the regulations that apply to importations into territories under U.S. administration, and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes to regulations to make them easier to use. We are also making substantive changes to the regulations, including: Establishing criteria that, if met, will allow us to approve certain new fruits and vegetables for importation into the United States and to acknowledge pest-free areas in foreign countries more effectively and expeditiously and doing away with the practice of listing in the regulations specific commodities that may be imported subject to certain types of phytosanitary measures. These changes are intended to simplify and expedite our processes for approving certain new imports and pest-free areas while continuing to allow for full public participation in the processes. This rule revises the structure of the fruits and vegetables import regulations and establishes a new process for approving certain new commodities for importation into the United States. It does not, however, allow the importation of any specific new fruits or vegetables, nor does it alter the conditions for importing currently approved fruits or vegetables except as specifically described in this document. To the extent that our trading partners consider the length of time it takes to conduct the rulemaking process a trade barrier, these changes may facilitate the export of U.S. agricultural commodities by reducing that time for fruits and vegetables that meet this rule's criteria. The changes do not alter the manner in which the risk associated with a commodity import request is evaluated, nor do they alter the manner in which those risks are ultimately mitigated.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is promulgating mandatory criteria for the environmentally protective use of chat in transportation projects carried out, in whole or in part, with Federal funds. Specifically, chat used in such transportation projects will be safe and environmentally protective if it is used in asphalt concrete, in slurry seals, microsurfacing, or in epoxy seals for anti-skid on bridge decking. Chat used in such transportation projects will also meet EPA's criteria if it is used in Portland cement concrete, flowable fill, stabilized base, chip seals, or as road base providing, on a case-by-case basis, either: Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP, EPA SW-846 Method 1312) tests are conducted on the proposed material and the leachate testing results show that concentrations in the leachate do not exceed the Drinking Water Standards for lead and cadmium and the fresh water chronic National Recommended Water Quality Criterion for zinc of 120 ug/l; or EPA (or a State environmental Agency, if it chooses to do so) has determined, based on a site-specific risk assessment and after notice and opportunity for public comment, that the releases from the chat mixture in its proposed use will not cause an exceedance of the National Primary Drinking Water Standards for lead and cadmium in potential drinking water sources and the fresh water chronic National Recommended Water Quality Criterion for zinc of 120 ug/l in surface water. Furthermore, this rule also establishes a criterion that other uses of chat will be safe and environmentally protective and are acceptable if they are part of, and otherwise authorized by, a State or Federal response action undertaken in accordance with Federal or State environmental laws, with consideration of a site-specific risk assessment. This rule does not require that chat be sized (dry or wet) prior to its use, as long as this rule's criteria are complied with. EPA is also establishing recommended criteria as guidance on the environmentally protective use of chat for non-transportation cement and concrete projects. Finally, the Agency is establishing certification and recordkeeping requirements for all chat, except that under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The chat covered by this rule is from the lead and zinc mining areas of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, known as the Tri-State Mining District.

The Ketchikan Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Ketchikan, Alaska, August 15, 2007. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss potential projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for Underground Mining Permit ApplicationsMinimum Requirements for Reclamation and Operation Plans, 30 CFR 784, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

The Forest Service will prepare a supplement to the final Environmental Impact Statement to document and clarify the analysis of environmental effects.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deterimination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests' North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will meet Tuesday, July 24, 2007 in Grangeville, Idaho for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.