September 8, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations for the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program by prohibiting Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages from using ICDBG funds to facilitate the relocation of for-profit businesses from one labor market area to another, if the relocation is likely to result in significant job loss. The proposed rule would prohibit Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages from using ICDBG funds for ``job pirating'' activities that are likely to result in significant job loss. ``Job pirating,'' in this context, refers to the use of ICDBG funds to lure or attract a business and its jobs from one community to another. To prevent the rule from having an effect in situations where the relocation of a business causes an insignificant loss of jobs, the proposed rule would provide that a loss of 25 or fewer jobs from an area, as a result of an ICDBG-funded economic development project, would not constitute a significant loss of jobs.

We announce our intention to establish negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare proposed regulations under Title IV and, possibly, Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). The committees will include representatives of organizations or groups with interests that are significantly affected by the subject matter of the proposed regulations. We also announce six public hearings, at which interested parties may suggest issues that should be considered for action by the negotiating committees. In addition, for anyone unable to attend a public hearing, we announce that the Department will accept written comments.

This proposed rule would amend the hearing procedures before hearing officers who have the responsibility for adjudicating those matters that do not raise issues under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). This proposed rule would also amend the hearing procedures before Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) who have the responsibility for adjudicating those matters that are subject to the requirements of the APA. Specifically, the proposed rule would modify pleading and motion requirements of the hearing procedures. It would also amend the discovery and deposition requirements to clarify the hearing officers' discovery procedures and to specifically allow for written interrogatories, in addition to depositions, requests for production of documents, and requests for admissions. A new provision allowing for written interrogatories would be added to the hearing procedures, and the proposed rule would also modify the procedures for the review of hearing officers' determinations. Additionally, the proposed rule would amend the discovery, appeal, and judicial review procedures related to hearings that are conducted pursuant to the APA. The proposed changes to the regulations would better reflect current practice and would conform the regulations more closely to statutory requirements.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending certain of its regulations on current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements for finished pharmaceuticals as the culmination of the first phase of an incremental approach to modifying the CGMP regulations for these products. This rule revises CGMP requirements primarily concerning aseptic processing, verification of performance of operations by a second individual, and the use of asbestos filters. We are amending the regulations to modernize or clarify some of the requirements as well as to harmonize them with other FDA regulations and international CGMP standards.

Under a new law, the Postal Service must file an annual compliance report with the Postal Regulatory Commission on costs, revenues, rates, and quality of service associated with its products. It has filed documents with the Commission to change some of the methods it uses to compile the fiscal year 2008 report. In the Commission's view, these documents constitute a rulemaking petition. Therefore, it has established a rulemaking docket to allow the public to comment on potential changes in periodic reporting rules.

This document provides an additional 30 days for interested parties to submit comments on the proposed rule to amend the Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') regulations to establish uniform rules governing CBP determinations of the country of origin of imported merchandise. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2008 (73 FR 43385), and the comment period was scheduled to expire on September 23, 2008.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose to designate critical habitat for the threatened Southern distinct population segment of North American green sturgeon (Southern DPS of green sturgeon) pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific areas proposed for designation include: coastal U.S. marine waters within 110 meters (m) depth from Monterey Bay, California (including Monterey Bay), north to Cape Flattery, Washington, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, to its United States boundary; the Sacramento River, lower Feather River, and lower Yuba River in California; the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun, San Pablo, and San Francisco bays in California; the lower Columbia River estuary; and certain coastal bays and estuaries in California (Humboldt Bay), Oregon (Coos Bay, Winchester Bay, and Yaquina Bay), and Washington (Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor). The areas proposed for designation comprise approximately 325 miles (524 km) of freshwater river habitat, 1,058 square miles (2,739 sq km) of estuarine habitat, 11,927 square miles (30,890 sq km) of marine habitat, and 136 square miles (352 sq km) of habitat within the Yolo and Sutter bypasses (Sacramento River, CA). We propose to exclude the following areas from designation because the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion and exclusion will not result in the extinction of the species: coastal U.S. marine waters within 110 m depth from the California/Mexico border north to Monterey Bay, CA, and from the Alaska/Canada border northwest to the Bering Strait; and certain coastal bays and estuaries in California (Tomales Bay, Elkhorn Slough, Noyo Harbor, and the estuaries to the head of the tide in the Eel and Klamath/Trinity rivers), Oregon (Tillamook Bay and the estuaries to the head of the tide in the Rogue, Siuslaw, and Alsea rivers), and Washington (Puget Sound). The areas excluded from the proposed designation comprise approximately 1,057 square miles (2,738 sq km) of estuarine habitat and 396,917 square miles (1,028,015 sq km) of marine habitat. We acknowledge that there may be costs incurred by those planning to undertake activities in certain areas, in particular Coo Bay, OR, or other areas along the lower Columbia River estuary, as a result of this proposed critical habitat designation for the Southern DPS of green sturgeon that were not captured in our draft economic report. These activities include, but are not limited to, liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, hydropower activities, and alternative energy projects. We solicit comment on what these additional costs might be and will consider any additional information received in developing our final determination to designate or exclude areas from critical habitat for the Southern DPS of green sturgeon.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal poultry products inspection regulations to provide that turkey slaughter establishments that open turkey carcasses with Bar-type cuts may operate at the maximum line speeds established for J-type cuts if the establishment uses the specific type of shackle described in this final rule. Under this final rule, as under current regulations, the inspector in charge will reduce line speeds when, in his or her judgment, the prescribed inspection procedure cannot be adequately performed within the time available because of the health conditions of a particular flock or because of other factors. Such factors include the manner in which birds are being presented to the inspector and the level of contamination among the birds on the line.

This document makes a correction to Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008-16-18. That AD applies to Rolls-Royce (RR) RB211-524 series turbofan engines with certain high pressure (HP) turbine disks installed. That AD was published in the Federal Register on August 11, 2008 (73 FR 46550). Paragraph (c) in the regulatory section is incorrect. This document corrects that paragraph. In all other respects, the original document remains the same.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This 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 are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This 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: