2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are proposing to amend the regulations to allow for the importation of cooked pork skins from regions affected with foot-and- mouth disease, swine vesicular disease, African swine fever, and classical swine fever under certain conditions. We are taking this action after preparing a risk assessment that concluded that the cooking methods examined are sufficient to inactivate the pathogens of concern. This action would relieve restrictions on the importation of cooked pork skins while continuing to protect against the introduction of those diseases of concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing a final rule published on May 22, 2001 which modified the regulations under the Resource, Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to enable the implementation of the US Filter Recovery Services, Inc. (USFRS) project that was developed under EPA's Project eXcellence in Leadership (Project XL) program. Project XL was a national pilot program that allowed state and local governments, businesses and federal facilities to work with EPA to develop more cost-effective ways of achieving environmental and public health protection. In exchange, EPA provided regulatory, policy or procedural flexibilities to conduct the pilot experiments.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of Lake Tahoe for the loading, transport, and launching of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and spectators from the dangers associated with the pyrotechnics. Unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone in the navigable waters of the New York Slough for the loading, transport, and launching of fireworks used during the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce Fireworks Display to be held on July 4, 2008. This safety zone is intended to prohibit vessels and people from entering into or remaining within the regulated areas in order to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 747 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive detailed inspections of the aft pressure bulkhead for indications of ``oil cans'' and previous oil can repairs, and corrective actions, if necessary. An oil can is an area on a pressure dome web that moves when pushed from the forward side. This proposed AD would reduce the compliance time for the initial detailed inspection and clarify the applicability. This proposed AD results from a report that cracks in oil-canned areas were found during an inspection of the aft pressure bulkhead. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct the propagation of fatigue cracks in the vicinity of oil cans on the web of the aft pressure bulkhead, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane and overpressurization of the tail section, and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed 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:

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of Lake Tahoe for the loading, transport, and launching of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and spectators from the dangers associated with the pyrotechnics. Unauthorized persons or vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or remaining in the safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Coast Guard is temporarily changing the regulations governing the operation of the new Woodrow Wilson Memorial (I-95) Bridge, mile 103.8, across Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill, Maryland. This action is necessary to finalize construction of the drawbridge.

We are adopting amendments to temporary rules that were published on December 21, 2006, in Release No. 33-8760 [71 FR 76580]. Those temporary rules require companies that are non-accelerated filers to include in their annual reports, pursuant to rules implementing section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, an attestation report of their independent auditors on internal control over financial reporting for fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2008. Under the amendments, a non-accelerated filer will be required to file the auditor's attestation report on internal control over financial reporting when it files an annual report for a fiscal year ending on or after December 15, 2009.

In this Order, the Commission takes action to rein in the explosive growth in high-cost universal service support disbursements. As recommended by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, the Commission adopts an interim, emergency cap on the amount of high- cost support that competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) may receive. Specifically, as of the effective date of this Order, total annual competitive ETC support for each state will be capped at the level of support that competitive ETCs in that state were eligible to receive during March 2008 on an annualized basis. The Commission also adopts two limited exceptions from the specific application of the interim cap. The interim cap will remain in place only until the Commission adopts comprehensive high-cost universal service reform. In addition, the Commission resolves most of the petitions for ETC designation currently pending before the Commission.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the quaternany ammonium compounds, didecyl dimethyl ammonium carbonate and didecyl dimethyl ammonium bicarbonate (hereinafter cited jointly as DDACB), on food-contact surfaces when applied/used in public eating places, dairy processing equipment, and/or food processing equipment and utensils. Lonza, Inc., submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting to establish concentration limits of DDACB in end- use products eligible for the exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. As amended, the regulation will exempt solutions from the requirement of tolerance residues resulting from contact with surfaces treated with solutions where the end-use concentration of DDACB does not exceed 240 parts per million (ppm).

In the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on modifications to the FCC Form 477 data collection to collect additional data on broadband service subscriptions. These changes will greatly improve the ability of the Commission to understand the extent of broadband deployment, and will enable the Commission to continue to develop and maintain appropriate broadband policies, in particular to carry out its obligation under section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to ``determine whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.''

In the Report and Order (Order), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends the FCC Form 477 data collection in several respects to collect additional data on broadband service subscriptions. The Commission modifies Form 477 to require broadband providers to report the number of broadband connections in service in individual Census Tracts. The Commission adopts a voluntary household self-reporting system, and will recommend to the Census Bureau that the American Community Survey questionnaire be modified to gather information about broadband availability and subscription in households. The Commission adopts three additional changes to FCC Form 477. First, the Commission requires providers to report broadband service speed data in conjunction with subscriber counts according to new categories for download and upload speeds. These new speed tiers will better identify services that support advanced applications. Second, the Commission amends reporting requirements for mobile wireless broadband providers to require them to report the number of subscribers whose data plans allow them to browse the Internet and access the Internet content of their choice. Finally, the Commission requires providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (interconnected VoIP) service to report subscribership information on Form 477.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) submitted a SIP revision consisting of a maintenance plan that provides for continued attainment of the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for at least 10 years after the April 30, 2004 designations, as well as a 2002 base-year inventory for the Crawford County Area. EPA is approving the maintenance plan and the 2002 base-year inventory for the Crawford County Area as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2 protein in or on corn when used as plant-incorporated protectant in the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field; corn, sweet; and corn, pop. Monsanto Company submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting to amend the existing temporary tolerance(s) in 40 CFR 174.503 for the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2 protein to establish a permanent exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2 protein in or on all food commodities when used as a plant-incorporated protectant in all food commodities. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ab2 insecticidal protein in or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field; corn, sweet; and corn, pop.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 767-200, -300, and -400ER series airplanes. This AD requires an inspection to determine the manufacturer and manufacture date of the oxygen masks in the passenger service units and the flight attendant and lavatory oxygen boxes, as applicable. This AD also requires related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from a report that several passenger masks with broken in-line flow indicators were found following a mask deployment. We are issuing this AD to prevent the in-line flow indicators of the passenger oxygen masks from fracturing and separating, which could inhibit oxygen flow to the masks and consequently result in exposure of the passengers and cabin attendants to hypoxia following a depressurization event.

The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Hawker Beechcraft Corporation F33 series and Models G33, V35B, A36, A36TC, B36TC, 95-B55, D55, E55, A56TC, 58, 58P, 58TC, G58, and 77 airplanes. This AD requires you to replace certain circuit breaker toggle switches with improved design circuit breaker toggle switches. This AD results from reports of certain circuit breaker toggle switches used in various electrical systems throughout the affected airplanes overheating. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the circuit breaker toggle switch, which could result in smoke in the cockpit and the inability to turn off the switch.

NHTSA has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to disclose and analyze the potential environmental impacts of proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model year (MY) 2011-2015 passenger cars and light trucks, which NHTSA recently proposed pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and a reasonable range of alternative standards. To inform decisionmakers and the public, the DEIS compares the potential environmental impacts of the proposed standards and alternative standards reflecting a full range of stringencies, and it analyzes direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts in proportion to their significance. The DEIS provides a detailed analysis of potential impacts on energy resources, air quality, and climate. The DEIS uses climate modeling and NHTSA's own computer model to provide quantitative estimates of potential impacts on air quality, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, global mean surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level rise. The DEIS provides a qualitative analysis of resources that may be impacted by changes in climate, such as freshwater resources, terrestrial ecosystems, coastal ecosystems, land use, human health, and environmental justice. It examines these impacts on the U.S. and on a global scale. In addition, the DEIS analyzes potential environmental impacts unrelated to climate change. NHTSA invites Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public to submit written comments and participate in a public hearing on the DEIS using the instructions set forth in this notice. As described in the PROCEDURAL MATTERS section of this notice, each speaker should anticipate speaking for approximately ten minutes, although we may need to adjust the time for each speaker if there is a large turnout. To facilitate review of the DEIS, NHTSA has posted the DEIS on its Web site, and it will be available in the Docket identified by the docket number at the beginning of this notice.\1\ Copies in hard copy or electronic (CD-ROM) form have been mailed to all stakeholders on NHTSA's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mailing list for the proposed CAFE standards, and NHTSA will mail a copy of the DEIS or a CD-ROM containing the Appendices to any other interested party who requests one. NHTSA will consider the public comments received on the DEIS in preparing final NEPA documents to support final CAFE standards for MY 2011-2015 passenger cars and light trucks, which NHTSA plans to issue later this year. The agency's NEPA analysis is informing NHTSA's development of those standards.

NMFS is implementing approved measures contained in Amendment 9 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Amendment 9 was developed by the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to remedy deficiencies in the FMP and to address other issues that have arisen since Amendment 8 to the FMP became effective in 1999. Amendment 9 establishes multi-year specifications for all four species managed under the FMP (mackerel, butterfish, Illex squid (Illex), and Loligo squid (Loligo)) for up to 3 years; extends the moratorium on entry into the Illex fishery, without a sunset provision; adopts biological reference points recommended by the Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) for Loligo; designates essential fish habitat (EFH) for Loligo eggs based on best available scientific information; and prohibits bottom trawling by MSB-permitted vessels in Lydonia and Oceanographer Canyons.

In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing final and temporary regulations relating to the simplification of procedures for automatic extensions of time to file certain returns. These simplified procedures are aimed at reducing overall taxpayer burden. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

This document proposes to amend the vocational rehabilitation and employment regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concerning VA's responsibility to provide notification regarding information or evidence needed for an individual to substantiate a claim for vocational rehabilitation benefits and services, and regarding applicable time periods. VA's duty to assist claimants in substantiating their claims for benefits is expanded by The Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000, and is incorporated in this rulemaking. Specifically, upon receipt of a substantially complete application for benefits, VA will make reasonable efforts to help the claimant obtain the evidence necessary to substantiate the claim. In addition, VA proposes to make changes to improve readability and other clarifying changes that are nonsubstantive.

We are issuing national emission standards for control of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) for the plating and polishing area source category. This final rule establishes emission standards in the form of management practices for new and existing tanks, thermal spraying equipment, and mechanical polishing equipment in certain plating and polishing processes. These final emission standards reflect EPA's determination regarding the generally achievable control technology (GACT) and/or management practices for the area source category.

This Rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes STANDARD Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.