July 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public of our determination that a soybean line developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., designated as transformation event 356043, which has been genetically engineered for tolerance to glyphosate and acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides, is no longer considered a regulated article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by the Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., in its petition for a determination of nonregulated status, our analysis of other scientific data, and comments received from the public in response to a previous notice announcing the availability of the petition for nonregulated status and its associated environmental assessment. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination and finding of no significant impact.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following revised draft document available for public comment entitled ``Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research.'' The document and instructions for submitting comments can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/099-A/. Public Comment Period: July 24, 2008 through September 30, 2008. Status: Written comments may be mailed to the attention of Diane Miller, NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS-C34, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, telephone (513) 533-8450, facsimile (513) 533-8285. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to nioshdocket@cdc.gov. All material submitted to the Agency should reference the NIOSH Docket number 099-A. All electronic comments should be formatted as Microsoft Word. All information received in response to this notice will be available for public examination and copying at the NIOSH Docket Office, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. Purpose: To obtain comments from the public on the revised draft document entitled, ``Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research,'' referred to as Roadmap. Asbestos has been a highly visible issue in public health for over three decades. Many advances have been made in the scientific understanding of worker health effects from exposure to asbestos and other elongated mineral particles (EMPs), and it is now well documented that fibers of asbestos minerals, when inhaled, can cause serious diseases in exposed workers. Yet, many questions and areas of scientific uncertainty remain. Background: As the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of worker injury and illness, NIOSH is undertaking a reappraisal of how to ensure appropriate protection of workers from exposure to asbestos fibers and other EMPs. NIOSH prepared a first draft of the document ``Asbestos and Other Mineral Fibers: A Roadmap for Scientific Research,'' and invited comments at a public meeting, from the Internet, and from selected expert peer reviewers on the occupational health issues identified and the framework for research. As a result of comments received during the public and expert peer review process, NIOSH has substantially revised the earlier draft and is now inviting comments on a revised draft of the document with the new title ``Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research.'' The previous draft, public comments, peer review comments, and the responses to peer reviewers' comments on the previous draft can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/NIOSHdocket0099.html. The purpose of the revised draft Roadmap is to outline major areas of controversy and to recommend a research agenda that can serve as a guide for the development of specific research programs within and across disciplines. The intended goal is to provide answers to current scientific questions, reduce scientific uncertainties, and provide a sound scientific foundation for future policy development so that optimal health protection can be assured. NIOSH is seeking comments on the scope and information used to support the development of a research framework for asbestos fibers and other EMPs. Of special interest are comments on the following revisions to the draft document: 1. A discussion of particle characteristics (e.g., dimension, chemistry) and their potential influence on biological responses (Sections 1.6.1, 1.6.2, 1.6.3, and 1.6.4). 2. Toxicological research with EMPs (Section 2.2). 3. Epidemiological studies of workers exposed to EMPs (Section 2.3.3). 4. Capabilities and limitations of analytical instruments used to identify EMPs (Section 2.4.2). Also of special interest are comments on the entirely new content in the document: 1. A rephrasing of the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for asbestos and related EMPs (Section 1.8.2). 2. The inclusion of ``How the proposed research could lead to the development of improved public health policies for asbestos and other EMPs'' (Section 2.5). 3. Clinical issues (Section 1.4). 4. Recommendations for clinical research (Section 2.3.4). NIOSH continues to be interested in available and forthcoming research results that can help answer the questions set forth in the Roadmap, as well as information on existing workplace exposure data, health effects, and control technologies. Submitted comments on the revised draft Roadmap should indicate the pertinent page(s) and line(s) in the draft document being addressed. Contact Person for Technical Information: Paul Middendorf, Office of the Director, NIOSH, CDC, telephone (513) 533-8606, e-mail pmiddendorf@cdc.gov.

The Deschutes Provincial Advisory Committee will meet on July 31, starting at 8 a.m. at the Deschutes National Forest Supervisor's Office, 1001 SW., Emkay Drive, Bend, Oregon. There will be a 1 hour business meeting. Then, members will go to the field to the Bend Ft. Rock Ranger District to discuss winter recreation. The trip is scheduled to end at 4:30 p.m. All Deschutes Province Advisory Committee Meetings are open to the public and an open public forum is scheduled from 8:30 to 9 a.m.

The Federal Salary Council will meet on September 5 and September 30, 2008, at the times and location shown below. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of Federal employee organizations and experts in the fields of labor relations and pay policy. The Council makes recommendations to the President's Pay Agent (the Secretary of Labor and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management) about the locality pay program for General Schedule employees under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code. The Council's recommendations cover the establishment or modification of locality pay areas, the coverage of salary surveys, the process of comparing Federal and non-Federal rates of pay, and the level of comparability payments that should be paid. The September 5 meeting will be devoted to reviewing information and hearing testimony about existing locality pay area boundaries and the establishment of new locality pay areas. The Council will conduct its other business including reviewing the results of pay comparisons and formulating its recommendations to the President's Pay Agent on pay comparison methods, locality pay rates, and locality pay area boundaries for 2010 at the September 30 meeting. Both meetings are open to the public. Please contact the Office of Personnel Management at the address shown below if you wish to submit testimony or present material to the Council at the meetings.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the Department of the Interior (DOI), as the natural resource trustee, announces the release for public review of the Draft Natural Resource Damage Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the Cherokee County Superfund Site, Cherokee County, Kansas. The Draft RP/ EA presents the Service's overall approach and preferred restoration alternatives that compensate for impacts to natural resources caused by the release of hazardous substances from former mining activities in Cherokee County, Kansas.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act) expanded the geographic scope of the AMA Program to include the State of Hawaii. The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) administers AMA under the general supervision of the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), who is one of the vice presidents of CCC. CCC announces the availability of an additional $2.5 million of technical and financial assistance funds in fiscal year (FY) 2008 to participating States. AMA is available to States which have historically low participation in the Federal crop insurance program. These States are: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Hawaii. Under AMA, a participant may use financial assistance to adopt conservation practices that will reduce or mitigate risks to their agricultural enterprises. AMA is authorized by Section 524(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)), and administered under regulations found at 7 CFR part 1465. NRCS will, at a later date, formally amend the final rule located in 7 CFR part 1465 to add Hawaii as an area which is eligible for AMA assistance.

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-45-91 (TD 8529), Limitations on Corporate Net Operating Loss Carryforwards. (Sec. 1.382-9).

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 1120-PC, U.S. Property and Casualty Insurance Company Income Tax Return.

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 Forms 8109 and 8109-B, Federal Tax Deposit Coupon, and Form 8109-C, FTD Address Change.

This rule extends the duration of first- and third-class medical certificates for certain individuals. A first-class medical certificate is required when exercising airline transport pilot privileges and at least a third-class medical certificate when exercising private pilot privileges. Certain conforming amendments to medical certification procedures and some general editorial amendments are also adopted. The intent of this action is to improve the efficiency of the medical certification program and service provided to medical certificate applicants.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. Information collection is the Annual Performance Report on financial and physical development progress for HUD-administered Small Cities Program funds for non-entitlement Community Development Block Grant, (CDBG) funding for CDBG funds awarded prior to FY2000 in the State of New York.

The United States Mint is setting the price for the 2008 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coin. Pursuant to the authority that 31 U.S.C. 5111(a) and 5112(a)(11), & (q) grant the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold coins, and to prepare and distribute numismatic items, the United States Mint will mint and issue American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coins. In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5112(q)(5) & 9701(b)(2)(B), the United States Mint is setting the price of these coins to reflect recent increases in the market price of gold, as follows:

We (Fish and Wildlife Service, Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2008. We 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 proposed information collection requirement described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

The Superior National Forest is planning to charge fees at fifteen camping areas. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. The fees listed are only proposed and will be determined upon further analysis and public comment. Funds from fees would be used for the continued operation and maintenance of these recreation sites. The following fifteen camping areas (all currently free use sites) are being proposed as fee sites: Baker Lake, Toohey Lake, Fourmile Lake, Hogback Lake, Kawishiwi Lake, Section 29 Lake, Silver Island Lake, White Pine Lake, Wilson Lake, Poplar River, Whitefish Lake, Harriet, Clara Lake, Cascade River and Eighteen Lake. These camping areas have many of the same amenities offered at the more developed campgrounds on the Superior National Forest and will be priced in accordance to the amenities provided at that site. A financial analysis is being completed to determine fee rates. The proposed fee to help maintain this site would be approximately $8 per campsite per night, and $4.00 per one additional vehicle per campsite. The fee season for these camping areas would start in early to mid May coinciding with the fishing season opener and would continue to the end of the field season in late September.