November 24, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to amend R-2204 High and R-2204 Low at Oliktok Point, AK, by increasing the authorized times of designation and extending the duration of the restricted areas beyond 2009, until they are no longer needed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE is continuing their study of rapid climate changes occurring in the arctic. Continued access to R-2204 High and R-2204 Low at Oliktok, AK, is required for current moored balloon and future climate-related aviation activities.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary safety and security zones on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Romeoville, IL. This temporary final rule is intended to restrict all vessels from transiting the navigable waters of the CSSC. The safety and security zones are necessary to protect the waters, waterway users and vessels from hazards associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) electrical dispersal barrier and for the preparation and safe application of a fish toxicant during a period of time when the barrier will be disabled to conduct maintenance.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Stamford, TX. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Arledge Field Airport, Stamford, TX. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at Arledge Field Airport.

NMFS announces that the directed fishery for butterfish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will be closed effective 0001 hours, November 25, 2009. Vessels issued a Federal permit to harvest butterfish may not retain or land more than 600 lb (0.27-mt) of butterfish per trip for the remainder of the year (through December 31, 2009). This action is necessary to prevent the fishery from exceeding its domestic annual harvest (DAH) of 500 mt and to allow for effective management of this stock.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that decreased the assessment rate established for the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) for the 2009-10 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.03 to $0.025 per 50-pound equivalent of onions handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of onions grown in South Texas. The interim final rule was necessary to reduce the Committee's reserve fund to a desirable level.

This document amends title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations by prescribing an alternative procedure by which payers of the quarterly harbor maintenance fee (HMF) may submit payments or refund requests to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) electronically via an Internet account established by the payer and located at https://www.pay.gov. CBP will continue to accept quarterly HMF payments or refund requests via mail. These changes are intended to provide the trade with expanded electronic payment/refund options and to modernize and enhance CBP's port use fee collection efforts. This document also clarifies the regulations to reflect that both HMF supplemental payments and refund requests must be accompanied by the requisite CBP Form 350 (HMF Amended Quarterly Summary Report) and CBP Form 349 (HMF Quarterly Summary Report). This clarification is necessary to remove any ambiguity as to what forms are required in conjunction with such payments.

This document contains proposed regulations relating to information reporting requirements, information reporting penalties, and backup withholding requirements for payment card and third party network transactions. The proposed regulations reflect the enactment of section 6050W and related changes in the law made by the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 that require payment settlement organizations to report payments in settlement of payment card and third party network transactions for each calendar year. The proposed regulations in this document will affect persons that make payment in settlement of payment card and third party network transactions and the payees of these transactions. The proposed regulations provide guidance to assist persons who will be required to make returns reporting payment card and third party network transactions and to the payees of those transactions. This document also provides notice of a public hearing on these proposed amendments to the regulations.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish energy conservation standards for various consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment. Such equipment includes those small electric motors for which DOE determines that energy conservation standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this notice, DOE proposes energy conservation standards for certain small electric motors and is announcing a public meeting.