January 12, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

SBA is reopening the comment period for an additional 60 days.

In this notice, the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research designates the Order of Succession for the Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. This Order of Succession supersedes the Order of Succession for the Office of Policy and Development, published on July 28, 2003.

The United States Housing Act of 1937 requires that assistance contracts signed by owners participating in the Department's Section 8 housing assistance payments programs provide for annual adjustment in the monthly rentals for units covered by the contract. This notice announces revised Annual Adjustment Factors (AAFs) for adjustment of contract rents on assistance contract anniversaries. The factors are based on a formula using data on residential rent and utilities cost changes from the most current annual Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey. These factors are applied at Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract anniversaries for those calendar months commencing after the effective date of this notice.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Caribbean FMP) prepared by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Caribbean Council) and Amendment 8 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Gulf and South Atlantic FMP) prepared by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Gulf and South Atlantic Councils). This final rule establishes two minimum size restrictions for importation of spiny lobster into the United States -one applicable to spiny lobster imported into any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States other than Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a more restrictive minimum size limit that applies to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, this final rule prohibits importation of egg-bearing spiny lobsters and importation of spiny lobster tail meat that is not in whole tail form with the exoskeleton attached. The intended effect of this final rule is to enhance the conservation of the spiny lobster resource and improve effectiveness of law enforcement related to such conservation.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is announcing that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold its next meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 on Indian children with disabilities.

The Department of Education (Department) gives notice that on August 2, 2008, an arbitration panel rendered a decision in the matter of Janet Dickey v. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Case no. R-S/07-10). This panel was convened by the Department under 20 U.S.C. 107d-1(a), after the Department received a complaint filed by the petitioner, Janet Dickey.

On occasion, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has available special funding to help meet the emergency needs of programs in disaster areas. This Notice sets forth instructions for current LSC grant recipients who have experienced needs due to a disaster in a federally-declared disaster area and who wish to apply for disaster relief funding, when such funds are available. This information is also posted to the LSC Web site at www.lsc.gov.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a meeting of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). The purpose of the FRRCC is to provide advice to the Administrator of EPA on environmental issues and programs that impact, or are of concern to, farms, ranches, and rural communities. The FRRCC is a part of EPA's efforts to expand cooperative working relationships with the agriculture industry and others who are interested in agricultural issues and to achieve greater progress in environmental protection. The purpose of the meeting is to further advance: (1) Discussion of the impacts of Agency agriculture-related programs, policies, and regulations regarding climate change and renewable energy; (2) identification and development of a comprehensive environmental strategy for livestock operations; and (3) development of a constructive approach or framework to address areas of common interest between sustainable agriculture and protection of the environment. A copy of the meeting agenda will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/ocem/ frrcc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of the final White Paper on Integrated Modeling for Integrated Environmental Decision Making (EPA 100/R-08/010, November 2008. In pursuing its mission to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency often relies on environmental models. The EPA defines a model as a ``simplification of reality that is constructed to gain insights into select attributes of a particular physical, biological, economic, or social system.'' While traditionally environmental modeling has focused on considering a single pollutant in a single environmental medium, this approach is no longer viewed as sufficient for effective environmental management decision support. It is increasingly recognized that a holistic approach to modeling the environment and the mechanisms governing the fate and transport of pollutants through the different environmental media as well as the multiple exposure pathways and the consequent responses of humans and ecosystems, is required to adequately assess and address environmental problems. Integrated modeling is thus of importance to helping EPA consider the environment as a ``single, interrelated system''. Integrated modeling encompasses a broad range of approaches and configurations of models, data and assessment methods to describe and analyze complex environmental problems, often in a multimedia and multidisciplinary manner. This staff white paper recommends a commitment to a new direction in environmental modeling and decision making, one that adopts a systems thinking approach. This approach EPA will be able to significantly improve its ability to conduct scientific analyses in support of integrated decision making. The result will be implementing more efficient, effective and equitable policies and programs to advance environmental protection as well as economic prosperity. This white paper: (1) Outlines the need for and value of integrated modeling for EPA science and decision-making; (2) analyzes the state of the art and practice of integrated modeling and include examples of how this approach has been successfully applied and the lessons learned; (3) identifies the challenges to more fully implementing this approach in the future; and (4) presents a plan to create an enabling environment to facilitate a concerted, systematic, and stable approach to the development and application of integrated modeling for integrated decision making.

The Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board has adopted a final staff proposal to make available an alternative framework (for grantees that choose to participate) for designating and managing general-purpose FTZ sites. An initial proposal was published for comment on May 8, 2008 (73 FR 26077-26078). Based on comments received, a revised proposal was published on September 11, 2008 (73 FR 52817-52822). The final staff proposal takes into account comments received on the revised proposal. The comments received on the revised proposal and the FTZ Staff's analysis of legal and practical aspects of the proposal are contained in a staff report available on the FTZ Board's web site, which can be accessed via www.trade.gov/ftz. The final proposal is delineated below.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of January 12, 2009 for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2008 (73 FR 63621). This direct final rule amended the NRC's regulations to revise the NAC- UMS cask system listing to include Amendment No. 5 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1015.

This notice advises the public of the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. For the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2009, the interest rates for overpayments will be 4 percent for corporations and 5 percent for non-corporations, and the interest rate for underpayments will be 5 percent. This notice is published for the convenience of the importing public and Customs and Border Protection personnel.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) revision of a current information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on October 24, 2008, vol. 73, no. 207, page 63541. The rule allows experienced pilots who would otherwise qualify as flight instructors or check airmen, but who are not eligible to hold the requisite medical certificate, to perform flight instructor or check airmen functions in a simulator.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, as amended (Pub. L. 110-343), the Boise and Payette National Forests' Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.