July 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the complaint and the terms of the consent order embodied in the consent agreement that would settle these allegations.

This document withdraws the notice of proposed rulemaking published on April 19, 1996, in the Federal Register and contains proposed regulations relating to the issuance of Taxpayer Assistance Orders (TAOs). The IRS is issuing these proposed regulations to provide guidance relating to the issuance of a TAO. These proposed regulations are necessary because the existing regulations do not reflect changes to the law made by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights II (TBOR 2), the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (RRA 98), the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000, and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA). The action taken in these proposed regulations will affect IRS employees in cases where a TAO is being considered or issued.

This Policy Statement provides guidance regarding the development of a smart grid for the nation's electric transmission system, focusing on the development of key standards to achieve interoperability and functionality of smart grid systems and devices. In response to the need for urgent action on potential challenges to the bulk-power system, in this Policy Statement the Commission provides additional guidance on standards to help to realize a smart grid. The Commission also adopts an Interim Rate Policy for the period until interoperability standards are adopted by the Commission, which will encourage investment in smart grid systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX is issuing a Notice of Intent to Delete the Southern California Edison (SCE), Visalia Pole Yard Superfund Site (Site) located in northeastern Visalia, Tulare County, California, from the National Priorities List (NPL), and requests public comments on this action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the State of California, through the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA, other than operation, maintenance, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

In order to implement recent amendments to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend its test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers to provide for measurement of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. Specifically, the proposed amendments would incorporate into the DOE test procedures the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) Standard 62301, Household electrical appliances Measurement of standby power (First Edition 2005-06), as well as language to clarify application of this standard for measuring standby mode and off mode power consumption in furnaces and boilers. In addition, the proposed amendments would add new calculations to determine annual energy consumption associated with standby mode and off mode measured power. Finally, the amendments would modify existing energy consumption equations to integrate standby mode and off mode energy consumption into the calculation of overall annual energy consumption of these products. DOE is also announcing a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on the issues presented in this notice.

The final rule modifies various Commission regulations to reduce by half the fee reporting burdens on tribes, remove obsolete provisions, clarify existing appellate procedures, update and clarify management contract procedures and costs for background investigations, clarify various definitions and licensing notices, update audit requirements to allow for simplified and consolidated reporting in certain circumstances, and add gaming on ineligible lands to the class of substantial violations warranting immediate closure.

This notice sets forth the schedule and summary agenda for a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and describes the functions of the Council. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

This document withdraws the notice published on July 13, 2009 (74 FR 33449), which announced a hearing scheduled on August 4, 2009, to reconsider disapproval of Washington SPA 08-019. The July 13 notice is being withdrawn because it was an inadvertent republication of the same notice published on June 23, 2009 (74 FR 29703). This notice of withdrawal eliminates the duplication, by withdrawing the July 13 notice.

The Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) and a selection of its subcommittees and working groups will hold meetings to discuss various issues relating to the marine transportation of hazardous materials in bulk. These meetings will be open to the public. The subcommittees that will meet are Outreach, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 472 Standard, Hazardous Cargo Transportation Security (HCTS), and International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. The working groups that will meet are Barge Emission and Hazard Communication, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and First Responders.

The Coast Guard is seeking applications for appointment to membership on the Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC). CTAC advises, consults with, and makes recommendations to the Coast Guard on matters relating to the safe and secure transportation and handling of hazardous materials in bulk on U.S.-flag vessels in U.S. ports and waterways.

The Coast Guard will enforce a special local regulation for the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race. This action is necessary to safely control vessel movements in the vicinity of the race starting point and provide for the safety of the general boating public and commercial shipping. During this period, no person or vessel may enter the regulated area without the permission of the Coast Guard Patrol Commander (``PATCOM'').

This rule adopts as final, without change, an interim rule published on April 3, 2008. The interim rule amended portions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Insurance Administration, Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement between Write-Your-Own Companies and FEMA. The added language assisted WYO Companies by recognizing each party's duties under the Arrangement and amended the way FEMA communicates changes to the Unallocated Loss Adjustment Expenses compensation rate to WYO Companies.

The notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board. This notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This document is intended to notify members of the general public of their opportunity to attend. This notice is appearing in the Federal Register less than 15 days before the date of the meeting of the Board because of late additions to the closed meeting schedule. Individuals who will need special accommodations in order to attend the meeting (i.e.; interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202-357-6938 or at Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than July 31, 2009. We will attempt to meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Since the amendments of October 1988, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has required payment of an annual maintenance fee to keep pesticide registrations in effect. The fee due last January 15 has gone unpaid for 370 registrations. Section 4(i)(5)(G) of FIFRA provides that the Administrator may cancel these registrations by order and without a hearing; orders to cancel all 370 of these registrations have been issued within the past few days.

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on June 23, 2009, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, on behalf of Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 based upon the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain lighting control devices including dimmer switches and parts thereof that infringe certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 5,637,930. The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337.