December 19, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Postal Service notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add Inbound Express Mail International (EMS) from Foreign Postal Administrations to the Competitive Products List pursuant to 39 U.S.C. Sec. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) announce the opportunity for both private sector and non-profit entities to cosponsor an annual training summit. The focus of this training is medical and public health preparedness and response during disasters and emergencies. Potential cosponsors must have a mutual interest in the subject matter, the capability to provide logistical and educational support, and be willing to participate substantively in the cosponsored activity.

The following permits were issued.

The FHWA is revising its regulations to require State departments of transportation (DOT) and other public authorities to obtain fair market value as part of any concession agreement involving a facility acquired or constructed with Federal-aid highway funds. Additionally, the FHWA is revising its regulations to permit public agencies to compete against private entities for the right to obtain a concession agreement involving such facilities. Also, the FHWA is revising its design-build regulations to permit contracting agencies to incorporate unsuccessful offerors' ideas into a design-build contract upon the acceptance of a stipend.

As required by section 9 (a) (2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), the Department of the Interior (Department) is giving notice of the establishment of the Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee) to develop specific recommendations regarding Indian oil valuation. The Department has determined that the establishment of this Committee is in the public interest and will assist the Minerals Management Service (MMS) in performing its duties under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (FOGRMA) (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). Copies of the Committee's charter will be filed with the appropriate committees of Congress and the Library of Congress in accordance with section 9 (c) of FACA.

The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the General Management Plan amendment, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. A Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS for the Petrified Forest National Park General Management Plan Amendment was published at 72 FR 159, pages 46244 and 46245, August 17, 2007. The National Park Service has since determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA) rather than an EIS is the appropriate level of environmental documentation for the plan.

The National Park Service announces the availability of a Draft Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) for the Harvest of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by the Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay National Park. The document describes and analyzes the environmental impacts of a preferred alternative and one additional action alternative for managing a limited harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs. A no action alternative is also evaluated. This notice announces the public comment period, the locations of public hearings, and solicits comments on the draft LEIS.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OCC is soliciting comment concerning its information collection titled, ``Fiduciary Activities of National Banks12 CFR part 9.'' The OCC is also giving notice that it has submitted the collection to OMB for review.

On December 19, 2008, DHS published in the Federal Register a final rule ``Changes to Requirements Affecting H-2B Nonimmigrants,'' which provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security will publish a list of designated countries whose nationals can be the beneficiaries of an approved H-2B petition and are eligible for H-2B visas. This initial list will be composed of countries that are important for the operation of the H-2B program and are cooperative in repatriation of its citizens, subjects, nationals or residents who are subject to a final order of removal from the United States. Publication of such notice is made by the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. Under the final rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will only approve petitions for H-2B nonimmigrant status for nationals of countries designated by means of this list or by means of the special procedure allowing petitioners to request approval for particular beneficiaries if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that it is in the U.S. interest. Pursuant to the final rule, this notice designates those countries the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, has found to be eligible to participate in the H-2B program.

In accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations implementing the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and applicable agency guidance, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Draft Pony Express Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment have been prepared in response to UNEV, LLC's right-of- way (ROW) application to construct and operate a liquid petroleum products pipeline on public lands from Woods Cross, Utah, to northeast Las Vegas, Nevada.

This Notice announces the manner in which H-2B petitioners must notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding their employment of non-agricultural workers in H-2B nonimmigrant status or job placement fee information. These procedures are necessary to enable petitioners to comply with the notification requirements established by the Department of Homeland Security's regulations governing the H-2B nonimmigrant classification.

This final rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations regarding temporary nonagricultural workers, and their U.S. employers, within the H-2B nonimmigrant classification. The final rule removes certain limitations on H-2B employers and adopts streamlining measures in order to facilitate the lawful employment of foreign temporary nonagricultural workers. The final rule also addresses concerns regarding the integrity of the H-2B program and sets forth several conditions to prevent fraud and protect laborers' rights. The final rule will benefit U.S. businesses by facilitating a timely flow of legal workers while ensuring the integrity of the program. The rule generally removes the requirement for H-2B petitioners to state on petitions the names of prospective H-2B workers who are outside the United States and reduces the existing obligatory waiting period from 6 months to 3 months for an H-2B worker who has reached his or her maximum three-year period of stay in H-2B nonimmigrant status before such person may seek an extension of nonimmigrant stay, change of status, or readmission to the United States in any H or L nonimmigrant status. The rule provides a more flexible definition of ``temporary services or labor,'' which is generally defined as a period of one year but could be for a specific one-time need of up to 3 years. To better ensure the integrity of the H-2B program, this rule eliminates DHS's current practice of adjudicating H-2B petitions where the Secretary of Labor or the Governor of Guam has not granted a temporary labor certification. The rule also prohibits H-2B petitioners from requesting an employment start date on the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, that is different than the date of need listed on the approved temporary labor certification. The final rule requires H-2B petitioners to notify DHS when the H-2B worker fails to report for work, is terminated prior to the completion of the work for which he was hired, or absconds from the worksite. This rule also precludes employers from passing the cost of recruiter fees charged by a petitioner, agent, facilitator, recruiter, or similar employment service to prospective H-2B workers as a condition of an offer of H-2B employment. Under this rule, employers and H-2B workers may agree that certain transportation costs and government-imposed fees be borne by H- 2B workers, if the passing of such costs to these workers is not prohibited under the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other statute. Moreover, the rule enforces the existing penalties at section 214(c)(14) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in the case of an employer who fails to meet any of the conditions of the H-2B petition, or who willfully misrepresented a material fact in the H-2B petition. Employers who fail to meet the H-2B conditions or who willfully make material misrepresentations on an H-2B petition may, under the statute, be precluded from approval for a period of up to 5 years of any H (except H-1B1), L, O, or P-1 nonimmigrant visa petition, or any immigrant visa petition described in section 204 of the INA, they may file with DHS. This rule also provides that DHS will publish in a notice in the Federal Register a list of countries that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, as eligible for its nationals to participate in the H-2B program. Finally, this rule establishes a pilot exit control program for certain H-2B workers, by requiring them to report their departure at designated ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will publish a notice in the Federal Register describing the procedures and requirements for participation in this pilot program.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled ``Diabetes Mellitus Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in New Antidiabetic Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes.'' This guidance makes recommendations about how to demonstrate that a new antidiabetic therapy to treat type 2 diabetes is not associated with an unacceptable increase in cardiovascular risk. We are issuing this guidance for immediate implementation to ensure that relevant issues related to minimizing cardiovascular risk are considered by all sponsors who have ongoing drug development programs for type 2 diabetes.

On December 10, 2008, the Board published a proposal to amend Regulation Z that would conform the regulation to reflect recent amendments to the Truth in Lending Act (73 FR 74989). The Board is extending the public comment period on the proposal.

Graymont Western U.S., Inc. submitted a Plan of Operations on February 22, 2006, to expand their Limestone Hills quarry operation on unpatented mining claims on public lands west of Townsend, Montana. 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.), a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been prepared for the Graymont Western U.S., Inc. Proposed Mine Expansion administered by the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Butte Field Office and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Operations on public lands are on mining claims located in accordance with the General Mining Law of 1872, as amended (30 U.S.C. 22, et seq.). The DEIS addresses alternatives associated with Graymont Western U.S., Inc. Proposed Mine Expansion and recommends a preferred Alternative, allowing the expansion.

The Six Rivers National Forest (Six Rivers NF) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to disclose the impacts associated with the following proposed actions: 1. The prohibition of cross-country motor vehicle travel (with the exception of snowmobiles) off designated National Forest NFTS (NFTS) roads and trails by the public except as allowed by permit or other authorization. 2. Make a non-significant amendment to the Six Rivers NF Land and Resource Management Plan (Six Rivers Forest Plan) to conform with the Travel Management Rule (36 CFR Part 212 Subpart B). 3. Add approximately 58 miles (206 segments) of existing unauthorized routes to the NFTS as motorized trails open to the public for motor vehicle use by vehicle class and season of use. 4. Approximately 7 miles (5 segments) of existing NFTS roads are proposed for dual management as both a Maintenance level 1 (closed) road and as a motorized trail open to vehicles 50'' or less in width. 5. Make the following change to NFTS roads: Allow both highway licensed vehicles and non-highway licensed vehicles to use approximately 25\1/2\ miles (17 segments) of existing NFTS roads currently open to highway licensed vehicles only. 6. Make the following changes to NFTS trails: a. Allow motor vehicles 50 inches or less in width on approximately 4 miles (1 segment) of existing NFTS trail currently open to motorcycles. b. Convert approximately 6 miles (2 segments) of existing NFTS motorized trails to NFTS non-motorized trails.

EPA has established a registration review docket for the pesticide, 2-((hydroxymethyl)-amino)ethanol. With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for this registration review. Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Registration review dockets contain information that will assist the public in understanding the types of information and issues that the Agency may consider during the course of registration reviews. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.