August 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021) to assess the potential environmental impacts of a project proposed by Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, LLC (ABBK), to construct and operate a biomass-to-ethanol and energy facility near Hugoton, Kansas (hereinafter termed ``Abengoa Biorefinery Project'' or the ``Project''). DOE's proposed action is to provide cost-share Federal funding to ABBK to construct and operate the Project. DOE is issuing this Notice of Intent to inform the public about the proposed action; announce plans to conduct a public scoping meeting; invite public participation in the scoping process; and solicit public comments for consideration in establishing the scope of the EIS, including the range of reasonable alternatives and the potential environmental impacts to be analyzed.

This notice announces a meeting of the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee (NEAC). Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 94-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the reporting and recordkeeping requirements of FDA's regulations implementing the Federal Import Milk Act (FIMA).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

We are advising the public that an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact has been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service relative to the environmental release of the gall wasp Aulacidea acroptilonica for the biological control of Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens). The environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of environmental impact associated with, and alternatives to, the release of this biological control agent. Based on its finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Front Range Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

This notice is a request for comments from the public to assist the Secretary of Labor and the United States Trade Representative in preparing a report on labor capacity-building efforts under Chapter 16 (``the Labor Chapter'') and Annex 16.5 of the Dominican RepublicCentral America-United States Free Trade Agreement (``the CAFTA-DR''), as well as efforts made by the CAFTA-DR countries to implement the recommendations contained in the report entitled ``The Labor Dimension in Central America and the Dominican RepublicBuilding on Progress: Strengthening Compliance and Enhancing Capacity'' (``the White Paper''). This report is required under the Dominican Republic Central AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act [bs](``the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act''). The reporting function and the responsibility for soliciting public comments required under this Act were assigned to the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative.

The Legal Services Corporation is beginning the process of developing its FY 2010 budget request to Congress and is soliciting suggestions as to what the request should be.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs are administered through USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of $491,535 in competitive cooperative agreement funds for fiscal year (FY) 2008 to conduct research on the national economic impact of all types of cooperatives. USDA Rural Development hereby requests proposals from institutions of higher education interested in applying for a competitively awarded cooperative research agreement. This funding is a follow on to funding awarded in FY 2006 and FY 2007, the intent of which was to encourage research on the critical issue of the economic value of cooperatives. Funding for FY 2008 is expected to expand upon research undertaken with FY 2006 and FY 2007 funds.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500); and the regulations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact based on the Environmental Assessment and its Supplemental for the North Forest Acres Road/Levee Project.

This notice publishes the 2007 interim adjustments for the Alaska and Caribbean Nonforeign Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) areas. The Federal Government conducts COLA surveys in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to set COLA rates. These surveys are conducted once every 3 years on a rotating basis. In between COLA surveys, the Government adjusts COLA rates for the areas not surveyed using the relative change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the COLA areas compared with the Washington-Baltimore CPI. The Alaska and Caribbean COLA areas were not surveyed in 2007; therefore, OPM is calculating and publishing interim adjustments for these COLA areas.

The proposed information collection request (ICR) described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. OTS is soliciting public comments on the proposal.

Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2008, pages 34026-34027, and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The NIH may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, information that has been extended, revised or implemented on or after October 1, 2008, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Proposed Collection: Title: National Institutes of Health Construction Grants42 CFR Part 52b (Final Rule). Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of No. 0925-0424, expiration date 8/31/ 2008. Need and Use of the Information Collection: This request is for OMB review and approval of an extension for the information collection and recordkeeping requirements contained in the regulation codified at 42 CFR Part 52b. The purpose of the regulation is to govern the awarding and administration of grants awarded by NIH and its components for construction of new buildings and the alteration, renovation, remodeling, improvement, expansion, and repair of existing buildings, including the provision of equipment necessary to make the buildings (or applicable part of the buildings) suitable for the purpose for which it was constructed. In terms of reporting requirements: Section 52b.9(b) of the regulation requires the transferor of a facility which is sold or transferred, or owner of a facility, the use of which has changed, to provide written notice of the sale, transfer or change within 30 days. Section 52b.10(f) requires a grantee to submit an approved copy of the construction schedule prior to the start of construction. Section 52b.10(g) requires a grantee to provide daily construction logs and monthly status reports upon request at the job site. Section 52b.11(b) requires applicants for a project involving the acquisition of existing facilities to provide the estimated cost of the project, cost of the acquisition of existing facilities, and cost of remodeling, renovating, or altering facilities to serve the purposes for which they are acquired.In terms of recordkeeping requirements: Section 52b.10(g) requires grantees to maintain daily construction logs and monthly status reports at the job site. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: Non-profit organizations and Federal agencies. Type of respondents: Grantees. The estimated respondent burden is as follows:

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet ([gteqt] 18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear to the B season allocation for vessels using jig gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2008 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of airport land from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the exchange of the property for land needed to protect the transitional surface of Runway 18/36. The proposal consists of a 2.1-acre portion of Parcel 1 in exchange for 9.6 acres of Parcel 3. Presently the 2.1 acres of Parcel 1 is located outside of the fenced in portion of airport property and any protected zone (runway protection zone, object free area, object free zone, etc.) This land is currently being used as residential and has a mobile home located on it. Parcel 1 was acquired in 1986 with Federal participation. It is the intent of the City of Beardstown, as owner and operator of the Greater Beardstown Airport (K06) to exchange the subject portion of Parcel 1 (2.1 Acres) to Ms. Hardwick, Beardstown, IL in exchange for 9.6 acres of land (portion of Parcel 3), which is in the side transition area of Runway 18/36. This notice announces that the FAA is considering the proposal to authorize the exchange of the subject airport property at the Greater Beardstown Airport, Beardstown, IL with a portion of Parcel 3 (9.6 acres). Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in disposal of the subject airport property nor a determination that all measures covered by the program are eligible for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. In accordance with section 47107(h) of Title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.