August 3, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Leafy Greens.'' This draft guidance is intended to cover the entire leafy greens supply chain, both domestic firms and foreign firms exporting leafy greens products into the United States, to enhance the safety of leafy greens by recommending practices to minimize microbial food safety hazards and to prevent microbial contamination. This draft guidance, when finalized, will supplement existing FDA guidances, including the 1998 ``Guidance to Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,'' which applies to fresh produce commodities, and the 2008 ``Guidance to Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables,'' which applies to fresh-cut produce.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Information Collection: Claim for Medical Reimbursement (Form OWCP-915). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is proposing to alter four existing systems of records (SORs) for the reasons indicated below:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) Model 427 helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by the aviation authority of Canada to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. Transport Canada, the aviation authority of Canada, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states that it has been determined that the existing hardware connecting the vertical fin to the tail rotor gearbox needs to be upgraded to prevent the vertical fin from becoming loose.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 250, Subpart O, Well Control and Production Safety Training, and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that changed the assessment rate established under the marketing order (order) for olives grown in California for the 2009 and subsequent fiscal years. The interim final rule increased the assessment rate from $15.60 to $28.63 per assessable ton of olives handled. The interim final rule was necessary to provide adequate operating funds for the California Olive Committee (committee), which administers the order locally.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR part 1794 in connection with potential impacts related to a proposed project in Colorado by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) and Public Service Company of Colorado (Public Service), an Xcel Energy Operating Company. The proposed San Luis Valley-Calumet-Comanche Transmission Project (proposed action) consists of the following: a proposed 230/345-kilovolt (kV) Calumet Substation to be located approximately 6 miles north of the existing Walsenburg Substation in Huerfano County; a proposed double-circuit 230-kV transmission line between the existing San Luis Valley Substation in Alamosa County and the Calumet Substation; a proposed single-circuit 230-kV transmission line between the Calumet Substation and the Walsenburg Substation; and a proposed double-circuit 345-kV transmission line connecting the Calumet Substation to the existing Comanche Substation in Pueblo County. Tri-State is requesting that RUS provide financial assistance for the proposed action.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is announcing the release of the FY 2009 Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center (HUFED-Center) Request for Applications (RFA) via Grants.gov.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Kansas (FEMA-1848-DR), dated June 24, 2009, and related determinations.

Comments are requested on the proposed Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) and proposed BFE modifications for the communities listed in the table below. The purpose of this notice is to seek general information and comment regarding the proposed regulatory flood elevations for the reach described by the downstream and upstream locations in the table below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are a part of the floodplain management measures that the community is required either to adopt or show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition, these elevations, once finalized, will be used by insurance agents, and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and the contents in those buildings.

This is a notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Tennessee (FEMA-1851-DR), dated July 13, 2009, and related determinations.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the ABC Control Rule Workgroup.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Admissions announces the proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, unity, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This action announces the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register. EPA is using this streamlined authority to make six additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples required by regulation. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.