September 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The nature of the information collection is described as well as its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on July 10, 2008, and comments were due by September 8, 2008. No comments were received.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (``the Program''), as required by Section 2112(b)(2) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS or Agency) published an Interim Final Rule on June 25, 2008, amending its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance regulations by clarifying the appropriate use of a program environmental assessment (EA) and by aligning its NEPA public involvement process with that of the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations that implement NEPA. Both changes would better align the Agency regulations with the CEQ NEPA regulations and provide for the efficient and timely environmental review of NRCS actions, particularly those actions where Congress has directed NRCS action within short time periods of 60-90 days. The Council on Environmental Quality, in accordance with their regulations, reviewed and approved the proposed changes on June 11, 2008. The comment period on the interim final rule closed on July 25, 2008. No comments were received on the interim final rule. Accordingly, NRCS is issuing this final rule to indicate that no comments were received and to announce that the interim rule is final without change.

This document amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedule for Rating Disabilities by revising the portion of the Schedule that addresses neurological conditions and convulsive disorders. The effect of this action is to provide detailed and updated criteria for evaluating residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to reflect changes to the marking requirements of our Shipping Services product, Parcel Select[supreg]. On May 21, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (Volume 73, Number 99) the proposed rule describing Parcel Select marking changes. This final rule revises the effective date to October 9, 2008 (proposed rule date was September 30, 2008) when Parcel Select shippers must use one of the following markings, as appropriate, on each Parcel Select package: For all destination entry packages, use ``Parcel Select''. For BMC presort entry packages, use ``Parcel Select BMC Presort'' or ``Parcel Select BMC PRSRT''. For OBMC presort entry packages (Inter-BMC) packages, use ``Parcel Select OBMC Presort'' or ``Parcel Select OBMC PRSRT''. For barcoded Intra-BMC and barcoded Inter-BMC packages, use ``Parcel Select Barcoded'' or ``Parcel Select BC''.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of the airport from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the sale of the airport property. The 21.508 acres of land, known as Parcel A on the airports Exhibit A Property Map, is situated southeast of the airport. The land was obligated under FAA Project No(s). 3-18-0103-06. There are no impacts to the airport by allowing the airport to dispose of the property. The land was previously acquired for approach protection under a larger parcel of land purchased from Ms. Lela Covert (listed as Parcel 3 in the current Exhibit A Property Map and Parcel 7 under previous Exhibit A Property Maps). These 21.508 acres of the larger parcel are not needed for approach protection or future airport development. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the disposal of the subject airport property nor a determination of eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. The disposition of proceeds from the disposal of the airport property will be in accordance FAA's Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. 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.

Under the provisions of Title 49, U.S.C. Section 47153(c), notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Greenwood-Leflore Airport to change the use of an area on the airport to non-aeronautical use.

SBA makes economic injury disaster loans to small businesses that have been adversely affected by specific events. If a small business has an essential employee or owner who is a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, the Small Business Act authorizes SBA to provide Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) assistance in the event that the essential employee or owner is called to active duty during a period of military conflict. Recent legislation authorized changes to make the program more accessible to affected small businesses by extending the application period, increasing the unsecured loan threshold, increasing the maximum loan limit and expediting processing of the application. This Direct Final Rule will implement these legislative changes.

EPA is proposing to grant a petition submitted by Cooper Crouse-Hinds (C-H) to exclude (or delist) a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sludge and filter sand (collectively, sludge) generated by C-H in Amarillo, TX from the lists of hazardous wastes. EPA used the Delisting Risk Assessment Software (DRAS) in the evaluation of the impact of the petitioned waste on human health and the environment. EPA bases its proposed decision to grant the petition on an evaluation of waste-specific information provided by the petitioner. This proposed decision, if finalized, would exclude the petitioned waste from the requirements of hazardous waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). If finalized, EPA would conclude that C-H's petitioned waste is non-hazardous with respect to the original listing criteria. EPA would also conclude that C-H's process minimizes short-term and long-term threats from the petitioned waste to human health and the environment.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of the draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington for public review and comment. The listed species addressed in the recovery plan are: Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens (Willamette daisy), Lomatium bradshawii (Bradshaw's lomatium), Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii (Kincaid's lupine), Sidalcea nelsoniana (Nelson's checker-mallow) and Castilleja levisecta (golden paintbrush).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of an existing information collection. This information collection, ``Medicare Part B Certification'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0017; Form RI 78-11), collects information from annuitants, their spouses, and survivor annuitants to determine their eligibility under the Retired Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for a Government contribution toward the cost of Part B of Medicare. Comments are particularly invited on whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Approximately 100 RI 78-11 forms are completed annually. Each form requires approximately 10 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 17 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Margaret A. Miller by telephone at (202) 606-2699, by FAX (202) 418-3251, or by e-mail to Margaret.Miller@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.