July 31, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Following receipt of a request dated May 23, 2007 (received May 29, 2007) from the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives (Committee) for a series of three reports under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. (332(g)) on U.S.-China trade, the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted investigation No. 332-491, China: Government Policies Affecting U.S. Trade in Selected Sectors, for the purpose of preparing the second report.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is proposing to amend its regulations for the restricted area established in the waters of Port Townsend Bay off Puget Sound adjacent to Naval Magazine Indian Island, Jefferson County, Washington. The amendments will enable the affected units of the United States military to enhance safety and security around an active military establishment. The regulations are necessary to safeguard military vessels and United States government facilities from sabotage and other subversive acts, accidents, or incidents of similar nature. The regulations are also necessary to protect the public from potentially hazardous conditions that may exist as a result of military use of the area.

This document contains corrections to final regulations that were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (73 FR 19234), relating to section 409A.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that revised the quantity of Class 1 (Scotch) and Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may have purchased from, or handled for, producers during the 2006-2007 marketing year. This rule continues in effect the action that increased the Scotch spearmint oil salable quantity from 878,205 pounds to 2,984,817 pounds, and the allotment percentage from 45 percent to 153 percent. In addition, this rule continues in effect the action that increased the Native spearmint oil salable quantity from 1,161,260 pounds to 1,205,208 pounds, and the allotment percentage from 53 percent to 55 percent. The marketing order regulates the handling of spearmint oil produced in the Far West and is administered locally by the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee). The Committee recommended this rule for the purpose of avoiding extreme fluctuations in supplies and prices and to help maintain stability in the Far West spearmint oil market.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to amend its regulations pursuant to section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to provide for a limited blanket authorization under FPA section 203(a)(1). The Commission seeks public comment on the rules and amended regulations proposed herein. The Commission also seeks comment on whether it should grant an additional blanket authorization for certain acquisitions or dispositions of jurisdictional contracts.

This notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

EPA is proposing to approve state implementation plans submitted by the States of Arizona and Nevada that address interstate transport with respect to the 8-hour ozone and fine particulate matter national ambient air quality standards. In so doing, EPA has determined that the plans submitted by Arizona and Nevada and approved herein satisfy requirements under Clean Air Act section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) for each State to submit a plan containing adequate provisions to prohibit interstate transport with respect to the standards for 8-hour ozone and fine particulate matter. EPA is proposing this action pursuant to those provisions of the Clean Air Act that obligate the Agency to take action on submittals of state implementation plans. The effect of this proposal would be to approve the Arizona and Nevada state implementation plans addressing interstate transport with respect to the 8-hour ozone and fine particulate standards and to eliminate obligations on the Agency to promulgate Federal Implementation Plans for these States addressing this same requirement.

EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove a revision to the Wisconsin State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on June 19, 2007. This revision incorporates provisions related to the implementation of EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), promulgated on May 12, 2005, and subsequently revised on April 28, 2006, and December 13, 2006, and the CAIR Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) which concerns sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOX) annual, and NOX ozone season emissions for the State of Wisconsin, promulgated on April 28, 2006, and subsequently revised December 13, 2006. EPA is not proposing to make any changes to the CAIR FIP, but is proposing, to the extent EPA approves Wisconsin's SIP revision, to amend the appropriate appendices in the CAIR FIP trading rules simply to note that approval. The SIP revision that EPA is proposing to approve is an abbreviated SIP revision that addresses the methodology to be used to allocate annual and ozone season NOX allowances under the CAIR FIP, except for allowances in the compliance supplement pool. The portions of Wisconsin's submittal (those associated with the compliance supplement pool and Superior Environmental Performance) that EPA is proposing to disapprove are inconsistent with CAIR and/or otherwise inappropriate to include in a CAIR SIP and must, therefore, be disapproved.

On May 1, 2007, the Commission submitted to the Congress amendments to the sentencing guidelines and official commentary, which become effective on November 1, 2007, unless Congress acts to the contrary. Such amendments and the reasons for amendment subsequently were published in the Federal Register. 72 FR 28558 (May 21, 2007). Two of the amendments, specifically Amendment 9 pertaining to offenses involving cocaine base (``crack'') and Amendment 12 pertaining to certain criminal history rules, have the effect of lowering guideline ranges. The Commission requests comment regarding whether either amendment should be included in subsection (c) of Sec. 1B1.10 (Reduction in Term of Imprisonment as a Result of Amended Guideline Range (Policy Statement)) as amendments that may be applied retroactively to previously sentenced defendants. The Commission also requests comment regarding whether, if it amends Sec. 1B1.10(c) to include either amendment, it also should amend Sec. 1B1.10 to provide guidance to the courts on the procedure to be used when applying an amendment retroactively under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(2).

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is inviting the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this proposed continuing information collection. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 29002 and no substantial comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.

The FAA is publishing notice of a proposed change of status of about 15 +/- acres of land on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The FAA invites public comment on the status change of this land under Title 49, United States Code Section 47153(c). The land status change will allow the primary airport access road known as Veteran's Boulevard to be extended from the end that is now found approximately the middle of the airport on to the northern boundary of the airport. No land barter is involved and it shall remain airport property on the Airport Layout Plan. This extension will allow development of the northwest portion of the airport for revenue producing activities. It will also provide public access to the terminal and aeronautical areas from the northern areas of the city of Baton Rouge and other suburban communities.

This notice announces the 11th meeting of the American Health Information Community Quality Workgroup in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App.).

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (Enstrom) Model F-28, F-28A, F-28C, F- 28C-2, F-28C-2R, F-28F, F-28F-R, 280, 280C, 280F, 280FX, TH-28, 480, and 480B helicopters. This action requires a visual check to determine if a certain serial-numbered main rotor blade retention pin (retention pin) is installed, and removing and replacing any affected retention pin with an airworthy retention pin. This amendment is prompted by a report from the manufacturer that some retention pins were not manufactured in accordance with specifications cited on the engineering drawing. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of a retention pin, separation of a main rotor blade from the helicopter, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

In accordance with 20 CFR 402.35(b)(1), the Commissioner of Social Security gives notice of Social Security Ruling, SSR 07-01p. This Ruling clarifies how we use automated static threshold perimetry to determine statutory blindness based on visual field loss.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the Devils River minnow (Dionda diaboli) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 73.5 stream kilometers (km) (45.7 stream miles (mi)) are within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. The proposed critical habitat is located along streams in Val Verde and Kinney Counties, Texas.