June 17, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS has received an application from PGS Onshore, Inc. (PGS) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to an exploratory three-dimensional (3D) marine seismic survey in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, utilizing an ocean bottom cable/ transition zone (OBC/TZ) technique in summer 2008. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to PGS to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of several species of marine mammals between July and September, 2008, during the aforementioned activity.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (the Councils) are interested in determining if, when, and how service contractor employees' personal conflicts of interest (PCI) need to be addressed and whether greater disclosure of contractor practices, specific prohibitions, or reliance on specified principles would be most effective and efficient in promoting ethical behavior. The comment period is reopened for anadditional 30 days to provide additional time for interested parties to review and comment on the Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives notice as required by 42 CFR 83.12(e) of a decision to evaluate a petition to designate a class of employees for General Steel Industries, Granite City, Illinois, to be included in the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. The initial proposed definition for the class being evaluated, subject to revision as warranted by the evaluation, is as follows: Facility: General Steel Industries. Location: Granite City, Illinois. Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All individuals who worked in any location. Period of Employment: January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1966, and/or during the residual contamination period from January 1, 1967 through December 31, 1992.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives notice as required by 42 CFR 83.12(e) of a decision to evaluate a petition to designate a class of employees for Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, to be included in the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. The initial proposed definition for the class being evaluated, subject to revision as warranted by the evaluation, is as follows: Facility: Los Alamos National Laboratory. Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico. Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All service support workers (which includes, but is not limited to, security guards, firefighters, laborers, custodians, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, sheet metal workers, ironworkers, welders, maintenance workers, truck drivers, delivery persons, radiation technicians, and area work coordinators) who worked in any operational Technical Areas with a history of radioactive material use. Period of Employment: January 1, 1976 through December 31, 2005.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Title of Information Collection: Medical Clearance Update. OMB Control Number: 1405-0131. Type of Request: Extension of Currently Approved Collection. Originating Office: Office of Medical Services, M/MED/C/ MC. Form Number: DS-3057. Respondents: Foreign Service Officers, State Department Employees, Other Government Employees and Family Members. Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,800 per year. Estimated Number of Responses: 9,800 per year. Average Hours Per Response: 0.5 hours per response. Total Estimated Burden: 4,900 hours. Frequency: On occasion. Obligation to Respond: Mandatory.

On or about June 17, 2008, the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA will make available for public review and comment a number of technical documents that discuss monitoring issues being addressed in EPA's review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead. These technical documents will be used as part of a peer review and consultation with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ambient Air Monitoring & Methods (AAMM) Subcommittee (Subcommittee).

EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are proposing an NPDES Vessel General Permit (VGP) to cover discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels and recreational vessels greater than or equal to 79 feet in length and an NPDES Recreational General Permit (RGP) to cover discharges incidental to the normal operation of recreational vessels less than 79 feet in length. This action is in response to a District Court ruling that vacates, as of September 30, 2008, a long-standing EPA regulation that excludes discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel from the need to obtain an NPDES permit. Nw. Envt'l Advocates et al. v. EPA, 2005 WL 756614 (N.D. Cal.). Although EPA has filed an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as a practical matter, the Agency cannot simply await the outcome of that appeal. This is because if the District Court's order remains unchanged, as of September 30, 2008, discharges of pollutants incidental to the normal operation of a vessel that had formerly been exempted from NPDES permitting by the regulation will be subject to the prohibition in CWA section 301(a) against the discharge of pollutants without a permit. EPA solicited information and data on discharges incidental to normal vessel operations to assist in developing these proposed NPDES permits in a Federal Register Notice published June 21, 2007 (72 FR 32421). The majority of information and data in response to that notice came from seven different groups: Individual citizens, commercial fishing representatives, commercial shipping groups, environmental or outdoor recreation groups, the oil and gas industry, recreational boating-related businesses, and state governments. EPA considered all such resulting information and data along with other available information in developing the two proposed vessel permits.

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) responses to Agency Clearance requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, CO-25-96 (TD 8824), Limitations on Net Operating Loss Carry-Forwards and Certain Built-In Losses and Credit Following an Ownership Change of a Consolidated Group.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental new animal drug application (NADA) filed by Elanco Animal Health, A Division of Eli Lilly & Co. The supplemental NADA provides for revision of an effectiveness claim and pathogen nomenclature for a tylosin phosphate and sulfamethazine Type A medicated article used to manufacture medicated swine feeds.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8924, Excise Tax on Certain Transfers of Qualifying Geothermal or Mineral Interests.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8453-F, U.S. Estate of Trust Income Tax Declaration and Signature for Electronic and Magnetic Made Filing and Form 8879-F, IRS e-file Signature Authorization for Form 1041.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8582, Passive Activity Loss Limitations.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt.

Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), Marathon Oil Company timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NDM 95212, Mountrail County, North Dakota. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to new lease terms for rentals and royalties of $10 per acre and 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $163 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: The original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of $10 per acre; The increased royalty of 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and The $163 cost of publishing this Notice.

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Peanut Standards Board (Board) for the purpose of advising the Secretary on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. The initial Board was appointed by the Secretary and announced on December 5, 2002. USDA seeks nominations for individuals to be considered for selection as Board members for terms of office ending June 30, 2011. Selected nominees sought by this action would replace those six producer and industry representatives who are currently serving for the term of office that ends June 30, 2008. The Board consists of 18 members representing producers and industry representatives.