2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 2301 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Act) amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to establish the Conservation Stewardship Program. The purpose of the Conservation

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 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:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations to require that the holder of a new drug application (NDA) submit certain information regarding authorized generic drugs in an annual report. We are taking this action as part of our implementation of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA). FDAAA requires that FDA publish a list of all authorized generic drugs included in an annual report since 1999, and that the agency update the list quarterly.

NMFS issues a final rule to initiate collection of a permit fee for vessel owners participating in commercial and charter recreational fishing for highly migratory species (HMS) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the West Coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. The HMS permits are issued under implementing regulations for the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP).

NHTSA published in the Federal Register of July 20, 2009, a document delaying the compliance date of the sliding door provisions of a February 6, 2007 final rule. The regulatory text adopted by that document contained errors. This document corrects those errors.

The Commission announces its disposition of two Petitions for Rulemaking regarding the Commission's candidate debate regulations. The first petition, filed on May 25, 1999 by Mary Clare Wohlford, William T. Wohlford, and Martin T. Mortimer (``Wohlford Petition''), urged the Commission to amend its rules so that the objective criteria for inclusion in Presidential and Vice Presidential debates would be established by the Commission itself, and not left to the discretion of debate staging organizations. The second petition, filed on April 10, 2002 by several major news organizations, urged the Commission to amend its rules to state explicitly that the sponsorship by a news organization (or a related trade association) of a debate among candidates does not constitute an illegal corporate campaign contribution or expenditure in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (``the Act'') and that the Commission would have no jurisdiction over such sponsorship. The Commission has decided not to initiate a rulemaking in response to either of these petitions. The petitions are available for inspection in the Commission's Public Records Office, and on its Web site, https:// www.fec.gov.

This action amends Class E airspace at Minneapolis, MN. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Anoka County-Blaine Airport (Janes Field), Minneapolis, MN. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport (Janes Field) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to coincide with the FAA's National Aeronautical Charting Office, and makes minor corrections to the legal description published in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at Anoka County-Blaine Airport (Janes Field).

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the South Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on November 28, 2008, through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). This revision consists of transportation conformity criteria and procedures related to interagency consultation and enforceability of certain transportation- related control measures and mitigation measures. The intended effect of this approval is to update the transportation conformity criteria and procedures in the South Carolina SIP.

The purpose of this document is to propose to amend the procedures followed by the National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission) when processing a request under the Privacy Act of 1974. The proposed amendments make the following changes to the current

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for two plants, Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora (large-flowered woolly meadowfoam) and Lomatium cookii (Cook's lomatium) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are proposing to designate 2,561 hectares (ha) (6,327 acres (ac)) as critical habitat for Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora in Jackson County, Oregon, and 2,875 ha (7,104 ac) as critical habitat for Lomatium cookii in Jackson and Josephine Counties, Oregon. The total critical habitat area proposed in this rule, including critical habitat units that overlap for the two species, is 4,467 ha (11,038 ac).

This temporary rule amends the regulations administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, to reflect the repeal of certain special (occupational) taxes by section 11125 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. The repeal involves such taxes on alcohol beverage producers and dealers, tax-free alcohol users, denatured spirits users and dealers, and persons claiming drawback for the manufacture of nonbeverage alcoholic products. In place of the special (occupational) tax requirement, the amended law requires recordkeeping and registration by dealers in distilled spirits, wines, and beer, and by manufacturers of nonbeverage products who claim drawback. We also are soliciting comments from all interested parties on these regulatory amendments through a notice of proposed rulemaking published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations in title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) concerning the certification of cargo containers for international transport pursuant to international customs conventions. These amendments reflect that the Commissioner of CBP has designated Lloyd's Register North America, Inc., as an authority in certifying containers for international transport under customs seal. This document further

The Commission is adding Priority Mail Contract 11 to the Competitive Product List. This action is consistent with changes in a recent law governing postal operations. Republication of the lists of market dominant and competitive products is also consistent with new requirements in the law.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a 90-day finding for a petition to revise elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals' critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Elkhorn and staghorn corals are listed as threatened throughout their ranges and have designated critical habitat consisting of substrate of suitable quality and availability to support larval settlement and recruitment and the reattachment and recruitment of asexual fragments in water depths shallower than 30 meters in four areas in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The petition seeks to extend the northern boundary of designated critical habitat in the Florida area to the Lake Worth Inlet, approximately 15.5 miles (24.9 km) north of the current boundary at Boynton Beach Inlet. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific information that the revision may be warranted. We are soliciting information and comments pertaining to this request for revision of critical habitat.

The EPA is announcing an extension of the public comment period for the proposed rule entitled ``Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, California Air Resources Board Consumer Products Regulations.'' The proposed rule was initially published in the Federal Register on June 26, 2009. Written comments on the proposed rule were to be submitted to EPA on or before July 27, 2009 (30-day comment period). The EPA is extending the public comment period until August 27, 2009.

EPA is proposing to approve the source-specific State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky on February 4, 2009, for the purpose of removing Stage II vapor control requirements at Avis Rent-A-Car, and Budget Rent-A-Car facilities located at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. This proposed revision to the SIP is approvable based on the December 12, 2006, EPA policy memorandum from Stephen D. Page entitled Removal of Stage II Vapor Recovery in Situations Where Widespread Use of Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery is Demonstrated. This action is being taken pursuant to Section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This rule proposes to amend the Potato Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) to increase the assessment rate on handlers and importers of potatoes from 2.5 cents to 3 cents per hundredweight. The increase is provided for under the Plan which is authorized by the Potato Research and Promotion Act (Act). The National Potato Promotion Board, which administers the Plan, recommended this action to sustain and expand their promotional, research, advertising and communications programs.

On April 21, 2009, the Commission published a Federal Register document soliciting public comment in connection with its review of the Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations (``Cooling-Off Rule'' or ``Rule''). On June 22, 2009, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Consumers Union, and the National Consumer Law Center filed a joint letter requesting the Commission to extend the comment period for an additional sixty days. In response to this joint request, the Commission has decided to reopen the comment period for all interested parties for sixty days.

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.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Roosevelt Island Bridge across the East River, mile 6.4, at New York City, New York. Under this temporary deviation the bridge may remain in the closed position for one month to facilitate completion of ongoing bridge maintenance. Vessels that can pass under the draw without a bridge opening may do so at all times.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters of the Pacific Ocean at the north end of San Clemente Island in support of Naval Live Fire Training. This safety zone is necessary to ensure non-authorized personnel and vessels remain safe by keeping clear of the hazardous area during the training activity. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) or his designated representative.