October 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Departments of Commerce and the Interior (the Departments) amend their regulations governing watch duty-exemption allocations and watch and jewelry duty-refund benefits for producers in the United States insular possessions (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The rule amends the regulations by updating the formula that is used to calculate the combined amount of individual and family health and life insurance per year that is creditable towards the duty refund benefit.

EPA is proposing to determine that the Metropolitan Washington, DC-MD-VA nonattainment area for the 1997 fine particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has attained the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. This proposed determination is based upon quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data that show that the area has monitored attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS since the 2004-2006 monitoring period, and continues to monitor attainment of the standard based on 2005-2007 data. In addition, quality controlled and quality assured monitoring data for 2008 that are available in the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) database, but not yet certified, show this area continues to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. If this proposed determination is made final, the requirements for this area to submit an attainment demonstration and associated reasonably available measures, a reasonable further progress plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the standard shall be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.

This notice provides as the designation of Sarah J. Bonilla as the Performance Review Board Chair for the Department of Energy. This listing supersedes all previously published lists of the PRB Chair.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing this notice of allocation procedures and call for applications from preference entities interested in an allocation of Federal electric power. Subpart C of the Energy Planning and Management Program (Program), which was developed in part to implement section 114 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, provides for establishing project-specific resource pools and allocating power from these pools to new preference customers and for other appropriate purposes as determined by Western. These allocation procedures and call for applications, in conjunction with the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) Final Post-1989 Marketing Plan (Post-1989 Marketing Plan), establish the framework for allocating power from the LAP resource pool.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing supplementary rules for motorized camping at two undeveloped sites within the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The proposed supplementary rules would help protect public health, and maintain Wilderness Study Area values and public land recreation opportunities in the area.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the surface and subsurface estates in certain lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Northway Natives, Incorporated. The lands are in the vicinity of Northway, Alaska, and are located in:

The Commission is adding a new product identified as Priority Mail Contract 1 Negotiated Service Agreement to the Mail Classification Schedule Competitive Product List, pursuant to a Postal Service request. The request incorporates notice of the Postal Service's execution of a related contract. The Commission is also re-publishing the lists of market dominant and competitive products. The Commission's actions are consistent with changes in a recent law governing postal operations.

NCUA is amending its regulation governing a federal credit union's (FCU's) incidental powers by adding illustrations of permissible activities under the categories of correspondent services, operational programs, and finder activities. These amendments will provide useful information to FCUs by clarifying and updating the illustrations regarding permissible activities.

Section 740.4 of NCUA's rules requires that a federally insured credit union continuously display the official NCUA sign at every teller station or window where insured funds or deposits are normally received. Section 740.4(c) requires that tellers accepting share deposits for both federally insured credit unions and nonfederally insured credit unions also post a second sign adjacent to the official NCUA sign. Currently, the rules require this second sign to list each federally insured credit union served by the teller along with a statement that only these credit unions are federally insured. Due to the evolution of shared branch networks it is now difficult for some tellers to comply with this second signage requirement and, accordingly, NCUA is proposing to revise the rule to replace the required listing of credit unions with a statement that not all of the credit unions served by the teller are federally insured and that members should contact their credit union if they need more information.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Documents Required Aboard Private Aircraft. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Declaration of Owner for Merchandise Obtained (other than) in Pursuance of a Purchase or Agreement to Purchase and Declaration of Importer of Record When Entry is Made by an Agent. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Commission is revising its regulations to clarify its rules governing ex parte contacts and separation of functions as they apply to proceedings arising out of investigations initiated under Part 1b of the Commission's regulations. The revisions specify when Commission litigation staff and persons outside the Commission may contact decisional employees once the Commission has established proceedings on matters that had been investigated under Part 1b. The Commission also is revising its regulations governing intervention to clarify that intervention is not permitted as a matter of right in proceedings arising from Part 1b investigations.

NMFS announces the availability of the final conservation plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA). NMFS incorporated into this document new information on Cook Inlet beluga whales and comments received on the draft conservation plan released for public review and comment on March 16, 2005.