2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On July 27, 2009, NHTSA published a final rule that amended the Federal motor vehicle safety standard for air brake systems by requiring substantial improvements in stopping distance performance. In response, the agency received eight petitions for reconsideration. This document responds to those petitions by correcting errors in a table published in the final rule, removing a testing specification, and adjusting the compliance date for a small number of vehicles the agency had not fully accounted for in the final rule. This document provides a partial response to the submitted petitions for reconsideration.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (the agency) is issuing an order under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) permanently debarring Michelle Lynn Torgerson, from providing services in any capacity to a person that has an approved or pending drug product application. We base this order on a finding that Ms. Torgerson was convicted of a felony under Federal law for conduct relating to the regulation of a drug product under the act. Ms. Torgerson was given notice of the proposed permanent debarment and an opportunity to request a hearing within the timeframe prescribed by regulation. As of October 26, 2009, Ms. Torgerson has failed to respond. Ms. Torgerson's failure to respond constitutes a waiver of her right to a hearing concerning this action.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulation on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans prescribes interest assumptions for valuing and paying certain benefits under terminating single-employer plans. This final rule amends the benefit payments regulation to adopt interest assumptions for plans with valuation dates in December 2009. Interest assumptions are also published on PBGC's Web site (https://www.pbgc.gov).

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone and regulated navigation area on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, IL. This temporary final rule places navigational and operational restrictions on all vessels transiting the navigable waters located adjacent to and over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) electrical dispersal fish barrier system.

This document contains a correction to a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-155929-06) that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, September 24, 2009. The proposed regulations provide further guidance regarding the requirements to qualify as a Type III supporting organization that is operated in connection with one or more supported organizations.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 976, Claim for Deficiency Dividends Deductions by a Personal Holding Company, Regulated Investment Company, or Real Estate Investment Trust.

This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of Indiana Dated 11/06/2009.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of its Record of Decision (ROD) that documents and summarizes the decision for implementing actions to increase numbers and types of aviation assets and training within U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK). The decision is based on the analysis described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Stationing and Training of Increased Aviation Assets within U.S. Army Alaska (August 2009), supporting studies, and comments provided during formal comment and review periods.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for 30 CFR 874.16 contractor eligibility, and the Abandoned Mine Land Contractor Information Form has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden and cost.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 is issuing a proposed rule, a Notice of Intent to Delete Operable Unit 8 (OU8) of the California Gulch Superfund Site (Site) located in Lake County, Colorado, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed 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 Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, have determined that all appropriate response actions at these identified parcels under CERCLA, other than operation, maintenance, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

This rule establishes the initial air quality designations for most areas in the United States (U.S.), including Indian Country, for the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Through these designations, EPA is identifying areas that meet or violate these NAAQS. In particular, EPA is identifying the geographic boundaries of areas that violate, or contribute to violations of, the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. This is an important step toward providing the public health and welfare protections of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires states with areas designated nonattainment to undertake certain planning and pollution control activities within these areas in order to attain the standards as quickly as reasonably possible. Designating areas also helps citizens know whether the air quality where they live and work is healthful or unhealthful. Health studies have shown significant associations between exposure to PM2.5 and premature death from heart and lung disease. PM2.5 can also aggravate heart and lung diseases and has been linked to effects such as cardiovascular symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, respiratory symptoms, asthma attacks, and bronchitis. These effects can result in increased hospital admissions, emergency room visits, absences from school or work, and restricted activity days. Individuals that may be particularly sensitive to PM2.5 exposure include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involves the Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Surface Transportation System. The information to be collected will be used to and/or is necessary in order to receive and evaluate applications for grant funds pursuant to Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Title XII established a new program for OST to provide Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Surface Transportation System. OST is referring to these grants as Grants for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or ``TIGER'' Discretionary Grants. The purposes of the TIGER Discretionary Grants program include promoting economic recovery and supporting projects that have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area or a region. A 60-day Federal Register notice was published on August 21, 2009 (FR Vol. 74, No. 161). Since the release of the initial May 18, 2009, interim Federal Register notice, a total of 145 comments were received to the Docket (DOT-OST-2009-0115) and reviewed by the Department. Many of the comments received were letters supporting applications submitted for TIGER Discretionary Grant funding. These letters of support were submitted by members of Congress and members of the public. In addition, comments were submitted by members of the public requesting changes to the program selection criteria. These comments were considered and changes were made to the selection criteria in a June 17, 2009, Federal Register notice (FR Vol. 74, No. 115). None of the comments submitted to the Docket since the initial May 18, 2009, Federal Register notice were related to the proposed approval to renew the information collection.

This notice establishes, for 2010, operating cost adjustment factors (OCAFs). OCAFs are annual factors used to adjust Section 8 rents renewed under section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA).

On October 29, 2009 (74 FR 55809-55810) the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced a business meeting to be held on Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Commission's headquarters. On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, the meeting was cancelled. The decision to cancel the meeting was too close in time to the day of the meeting for the publication of a cancellation notice to appear in advance of the scheduled meeting date. The details of the cancelled meeting are:

EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to water quality from sedimentation and the potential spread of invasive plants, and recommended the elimination of Off-Highway Vehicle routes with resource concerns. Rating EC2.