October 10, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army announces the availability of the DEIS, which evaluates the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the disposal and reuse of Fort McPherson, Georgia, pursuant to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendation.

This gives notice of OPM decisions granting authority to make appointments underSchedules A, B, and C in the excepted service as required by 5 CFR 6.6 and 213.103.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared an Additional Air Quality Impact Assessment to Support the Draft Resource Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) for the Little Snake Field Office and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

This final rule makes changes to the Department's Mortgagee Review Board (Board) regulations to clarify and better reflect statutory directives and amend current practice, and to modify the Board's procedures governing hearings. This rule also removes provisions that unnecessarily duplicate the authorizing statute and clarifies the authority and duties of the Board in taking administrative action against mortgagees approved by the Federal Housing Administration. This rule separates and clarifies the grounds for administrative action and the factors considered by the Board in evaluating whether to take administrative action, as well as requiring the mortgagee to address these factors in its response to the Board's notice of violation. This rule follows publication of a March 28, 2008, proposed rule on which HUD received one public comment. At this final rule stage, HUD has decided to adopt the proposed rule with minor changes, as described below.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) as joint lead agencies, with the Crow Tribe of Indians, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as cooperating agencies, intend to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) with the EPA for the proposed extension of the existing Absaloka mine onto the Crow Indian Reservation and for related federal and state permitting actions. This notice also announces that the BIA will simultaneously issue its Record of Decision (ROD) for approval of the Westmoreland Resources, Inc. (WRI) lease with the Crow Tribe for the South Extension coal lease tract on the Reservation, and the approval of all surface use agreements between WRI and the allottee surface owners in the South Extension tract. The FEIS and ROD are now available for public review.

We are amending the regulations to establish a voluntary Trichinae Certification Program for U.S. pork that has been produced under disease-prevention conditions. Under the program, we will certify pork production sites that follow prescribed good production practices that reduce, eliminate, or avoid the risk of exposure of swine to zoonotic parasites of the genus Trichinella. Such a program should enhance the ability of producers to export pork and pork products to overseas markets. This program has been developed as a cooperative effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Pork Board, and the pork processing industry. This program will include those producers who choose to participate in the program, as well as slaughter facilities and other persons that handle or process swine from pork production sites that have been certified under the program.

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model 600N helicopters. The AD currently requires modifying the fuselage aft section within the next 24 months to strengthen the tailboom attachment fittings and upper longerons. This amendment retains the current required modification and adds the following requirements: Repetitively inspecting the tailboom attachment fittings; installing inspection holes and attachment bolt washers; modifying both access covers; and replacing broken attachment bolts. These additional requirements were inadvertently omitted from the current AD. This amendment is prompted by the need to correct our mistake and continue the repetitive inspections of the tailboom attachment fittings until the fuselage aft section is modified. This series of ADs is prompted by an accident due to failure of the tailboom attach points resulting in loss of control of the helicopter. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the tailboom attachment fittings, separation of the tailboom from the helicopter, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing a regulation and soliciting comments on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (U.S.C. 552), establishing procedures for public disclosure of information required to be disclosed under the FOIA, and procedures to protect from disclosure business confidential and trade secret information, as appropriate.

The rule adds a new part to the Commission's regulations establishing technical standards for Class II gamesbingo, lotto, other games similar to bingo, pull tabs, and ``instant bingo''that are played using ``electronic, computer, or other technologic aids'' as parts of a Class II gaming system. The rule establishes a process for ensuring the integrity of such games and aidsexamination by an independent testing laboratory and approval by the tribal gaming regulatory authoritybefore being made available to the public for play in a tribal gaming operation. The standards will assist tribal gaming regulatory authorities and operators in ensuring the integrity and security of Class II gaming and the accountability of Class II gaming revenue. The standards will also provide guidance to equipment manufacturers and distributors of Class II gaming systems. The rule does not attempt to distinguish Class II gaming from Class III gaming. Rather, the rule assumes that the games played on Class II gaming systems are, in fact, Class II.

The National Indian Gaming Commission is withdrawing the proposed modification to the definition of ``Electronic or electromechanical facsimile'' published in the Federal Register on October 24, 2007. (72 FR 60482.)

The GSA is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise the GSAR language regarding requirements for sealed bidding.