February 26, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Purpose of the Program. In accordance with Section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department for funding under the FY 2007 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Public Housing (PH) Family Self-Sufficiency Program funding for Fiscal Year 2007. This announcement contains the consolidated names and addresses of those award recipients selected for funding based on the rating and ranking of all applications and the allocation of funding available for each State.

This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of an extension of the currently approved collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. TSA published a Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following collection of information on December 28, 2007, 72 FR 73865. The collection involves applicant submission of biometric and biographic information for TSA's security threat assessment in order to obtain the hazardous materials endorsement (HME) on a commercial drivers license (CDL) issued by the U.S. States and the District of Columbia.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

The following permits were issued.

On February 1, 2008, the Chairman of CITA received a request from Gentry Mills, alleging that certain viscose rayon fiber, classified in subheading 5504.10.0000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), cannot be supplied by the domestic or Australian industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner and requesting that CITA consider whether the USAFTA rule of origin for 52% viscose/48% polyester blended yarn, classified under HTSUS subheading 5510.90.2000 should be modified to allow the use of non-U.S. and non- Australian viscose rayon fiber. The President may proclaim a modification to the USAFTA rules of origin for textile and apparel products after reaching an agreement with the Government of Australia on the modification. CITA hereby solicits public comments on this request, in particular with regard to whether viscose rayon fiber of HTSUS 5504.10.0000 can be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner. Comments must be submitted by March 27, 2008. to the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 3001, United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230.

This notice announces the availability of additional information on the electronic manifest (e-Manifest) project. Specifically, EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) has made significant progress on the e-Manifest project since the publication of the April 18, 2006 public notice, which announced and requested comment on our intention to develop a centralized web- based information technology (IT) system that would be hosted on EPA's IT architecture. However, a few issues raised by commenters in response to the April 2006 public notice require further analysis on our part, as we make decisions concerning the e-Manifest system. We received strong support in response to the April 2006 public notice to establish a national web-based system funded through user- fees. In addition, commenters generally supported our position that use of e-Manifests should be at the election of the users rather than mandatory. However, some commenters expressed concern that an optional system would create dual paper and electronic systems. Furthermore, industry and state comments in response to our position to allow confidential business information (CBI) claims for e-Manifests differed. Therefore, as explained in this notice, we are soliciting additional comment on EPA's position on these two issues. We remain committed to finalizing a federal regulation, once the necessary legislation is enacted, that will authorize the regulated community to use electronic manifests as the legal equivalent of paper manifests, and will consider the comments received on this notice, as well as other comments received from previous actions, before we make a final decision.

This order revokes a Secretarial Order in its entirety, as it affects the remaining 160 acres of lands in Box Elder and Cache Counties, Utah, withdrawn from surface entry and mining on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation for the Bear River Storage Project. The lands are no longer needed for reclamation purposes and this order will open the lands to surface entry and mining.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements (ICRs) for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

This solicitation is for proposals from not-for-profit entities with rural transit and technical assistance expertise for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a National Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP). The entity or entities selected will manage a National technical assistance program that improves and enhances the coordination of Federal resources for rural transportation. The major goal of the National RTAP is to assist States and local communities in the expansion and provision of rural public transportation. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will award one or more five-year agreement(s), funded annually. Year one of the cooperative agreement(s) is for $1.212 million dollars as authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity ActA Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and appropriated in FY2007. Funding for subsequent years will be based on annual appropriations, as well as annual performance reviews. However, years 2010 and 2011 are subject to the next reauthorization.

Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), and the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), the Department of Defense gives notice that it is establishing the Department of Defense Board of Actuaries (hereafter referred to as the Board). The Board is a non-discretionary federal advisory committee established under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 183. The Board shall: (1) Review valuations of the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 1465(c) and submit to the President and Congress, not less than once every four years, a report on the status of the Fund including such recommendations for modifications to the funding or amortization of that Fund as the Board considers appropriate and necessary to maintain that Fund on a sound actuarial basis; (2) review valuations of the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2006(e), as amended, and make recommendations to the President and Congress on such modifications to the funding or amortization of that Fund as the Board considers appropriate to maintain that Fund on a sound actuarial basis; and (3) review valuations of such other funds as the Secretary of Defense shall specify for purpose of 10 U.S.C. 183 and make recommendations to the President and Congress on such modifications to the funding or amortization of such funds as the Board considers appropriate to maintain such funds on a sound actuarial basis. The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Board has access to such records regarding the Military Retirement Fund and the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund as the Board shall require to determine the actuarial status of such funds. The Board shall be composed of not more than three members appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among qualified professional actuaries who are members of the Society of Actuaries. Members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not federal officers or employees, shall serve as Special Government Employees under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109. The members shall serve for a term of 15 years, except that a member of the Board appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the end of the term for which the predecessor was appointed shall serve only until the end of such term. A member may serve after the end of the term until a successor has taken office. A member of the Board may be removed by the Secretary of Defense for misconduct or failure to perform functions vested in the Board, and for no other reason. Each member of the Department of Defense Retirement Board of Actuaries or the Department of Defense Education Benefits Board of Actuaries, as of the date of enactment of section 906 of Public Law 110-181, shall serve as an initial member of the Department of Defense Board of Actuaries from that date until the date otherwise provided for the completion of such individual's term as a member of the Department of Defense Retirement Board of Actuaries or the Department of Defense Education Benefits Board of Actuaries, as the case may be, unless earlier removed by the Secretary of Defense. A member of the Board who is not an employee of the United States is entitled to receive pay at the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay of the highest rate of basic pay then currently being paid under the General Schedule of subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, for each day the member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Board. In addition, each member shall receive compensation for per diem and travel for official Board travel. Members shall not be reappointed for successive terms. The Chairperson of the Board shall be designated by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, on behalf of the Secretary of Defense, for a five-year term. The Board shall be authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission, and these subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976, and other appropriate federal regulations. Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of the chartered Board, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Board for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Board nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any federal officers or employees who are not Board members.

On December 20, 2007 (72 FR 72522), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published for public comment a proposed rule on Geologic Repository Operations Area Security and Material Control and Accounting Requirements. The public comment period for this proposed rule was to have expired on March 4, 2008. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has requested an extension to May 5, 2008. Due to the complex nature of the proposed rule, the NRC has decided to extend the comment period until May 5, 2008. In a letter dated January 22, 2008, NEI requested the additional time to fully capture the relevant industry experience with the type of post September 11, 2001 security enhancements discussed in the proposal.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

This action amends certain regulations governing U.S. registered aircraft operating beyond the territorial airspace of the United States. This action is necessary to correct an error in the recodification of the regulations concerning general operating and flight rules. The intended effect of this action is to correct an inadvertent error in the regulations.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above that would supersede an existing AD. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and an associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document for Erie National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). We provide this notice in compliance with our planning policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider. We are also requesting public comments.