January 13, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Reader Aids
Document Number: FR-2012-01-13-ReaderAids
Type: Reader Aids
Date: 2012-01-13
Special Conditions: Pratt and Whitney Canada Model PW210S Turboshaft Engine
Document Number: C1-2011-14113
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
Sunshine Act Meeting Notice
Document Number: 2012-754
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Legal Services Corporation, Agencies and Commissions
Sunshine Act Meeting
Document Number: 2012-636
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Agencies and Commissions
Pipeline Safety: Implementation of the National Registry of Pipeline and Liquefied Natural Gas Operators
Document Number: 2012-618
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
This notice advises owners and operators of pipeline facilities of PHMSA's plan regarding the implementation of the national registry of pipeline and liquefied natural gas operators.
2017 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards; Extension of Comment Period
Document Number: 2012-617
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
EPA and NHTSA are announcing a 14-day extension of the comment period for the joint proposed rules ``2017 and Later Model Year Light- Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards,'' published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011 (76 FR 74854). The comment period was to end on January 30, 2012 (60 days after publication of the proposals in the Federal Register). This document extends the comment period to February 13, 2012. This extension of the comment period is provided to allow the public additional time to comment on the proposed rule. The extension of the comment period does not apply to NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS), available on NHTSA's Web site at www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy. The comment period for NHTSA's Draft EIS closes on January 31, 2012.
Safety Zone; Ice Rescue Exercise; Green Bay, Dyckesville, WI
Document Number: 2012-616
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security
The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Green Bay near Dyckesville, Wisconsin. This zone is intended to restrict vessels and persons from a portion of Green Bay due to a large scale ice rescue exercise that will involve multiple State and Federal agencies. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the ice rescue exercise.
Amendment of the System of Records for Records of Pesticide Applicators Certified Under EPA-Administered Certification Plans (EPA-59)
Document Number: 2012-614
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs, Field and External Affairs Division, is giving notice that it proposes to amend an existing system of records that contains personally identifiable information (PII) which is collected in the process of certifying individuals to apply restricted use pesticides (RUPs) as private or commercial applicators. This amendment gives notice that the Agency plans to make the name of the applicator and information pertaining to the certification granted by EPA publicly available on an EPA Web site.
Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate Products From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
Document Number: 2012-613
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
In response to a request by an interested party, the Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain cut-to-length carbon- quality steel plate products (steel plate) from the Republic of Korea (Korea). This review covers one producer/exporter of the subject merchandise, Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. (DSM). The period of review (POR) is February 1, 2010, through January 31, 2011. The Department has preliminarily determined that DSM made U.S. sales at prices less than normal value. If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of administrative review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review. We intend to issue the final results of review no later than 120 days from the publication date of this notice.
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
Document Number: 2012-612
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This notice advises the public that a direct take permit has been issued to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), for installation and operation of three weirs on tributaries of the lower Columbia River, and that the decision documents are available upon request.
Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received
Document Number: 2012-611
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of the FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy Training Exercises in Three East Coast Range Complexes
Document Number: 2012-610
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has made modifications to three Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to take marine mammals by harassment incidental to the U.S. Navy's training activities within the Navy's Virginia Capes (VACAPES), Jacksonville (JAX), and Cherry Point (CHPT) Range Complexes to the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, 1562 Mitscher Avenue Suite 250, Norfolk, VA 23551-2487 and persons operating under his authority.
Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde”
Document Number: 2012-609
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of State
On April 1, 2011, notice was published on page 18292 of the Federal Register (volume 76, number 63) of determinations made by the Department of State pertaining to the exhibition ``The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde.'' This notice was corrected by a November 18, 2011, notice published on page 71616 of the Federal Register (volume 76, number 223) as to the number of objects covered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These two referenced notices are now corrected as to additional objects to be included in the exhibition. Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236-3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as appropriate, Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby determine that additional objects to be included in the exhibition ``The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The additional objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the additional exhibit objects at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, from on or about February 22, 2012, until on or about June 3, 2012, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these Determinations be published in the Federal Register.
Marine Mammals; Photography Permit File No. 17032
Document Number: 2012-608
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that Shane Moore, Moore & Moore Films, Box 2980, 1203 Melody Creek Lane, Jackson, WY 83001, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial or educational photography on killer (Orcinus orca) and gray (Eschrichtius robustus) whales in Alaska.
WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding China-Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Measures on Broiler Products From the United States
Document Number: 2012-606
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on December 8, 2011, the United States requested establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') with the People's Republic of China (``China'') concerning countervailing and antidumping duties on chicken broiler products from the United States. That request may be found at www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS427/2. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
Document Number: 2012-605
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services
Environmental Impact Statement for New Orleans Rail Gateway (NORG), Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, LA
Document Number: 2012-603
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation
FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it will prepare an EIS with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) to evaluate environmental and related impacts of upgrading the New Orleans Rail Gateway (NORG) and infrastructure in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana (proposed action). FRA is also issuing this notice to solicit public and agency input into the development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by LA DOTD and its representatives will be considered in preparation of the EIS. FRA is issuing this Notice to alert interested parties, to provide information on the nature of the proposed action, including the purpose and need for the proposed action, possible alternatives to be considered in the preparation of the EIS, potentially significant impacts to the natural and built environment of those alternatives, and to invite public participation in the EIS process.
Reorganization of Regulations on the Adjudication of Department of Homeland Security Practitioner Disciplinary Cases
Document Number: 2012-602
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice
The Department of Justice is amending its regulations governing the discipline of immigration practitioners as follows. First, the Department is removing unnecessary regulations and adding appropriate references to applicable regulations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Second, the Department is making technical amendments to the Executive Office for Immigration Review's (EOIR) practitioner disciplinary regulations and clarifying the Department of Justice's final rule on Professional Conduct for PractitionersRules and Procedures, and Representation and Appearances, which became effective on January 20, 2009.
Intent To Request Renewal From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Rail Transportation Security
Document Number: 2012-601
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0051, abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for renewal in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The collection involves the submission of contact information of Rail Security Coordinators and alternate Rail Security Coordinators from freight railroad carriers; shippers and receivers of certain hazardous materials; passenger railroad carriers, including each carrier operating light rail or heavy rail transit service on track that is part of the general railroad system of transportation and rail transit systems. Also, these persons are required to report significant security concerns, including security incidents, suspicious activity, and any threat information. In addition, freight railroad carriers and the affected shippers and receivers of hazardous materials are required to document the transfer of custody of certain hazardous materials.
National Medal of Technology and Innovation Call for 2012 Nominations
Document Number: 2012-600
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, United States Patent and Trademark Office
The Department of Commerce (United States Patent and Trademark Office) is accepting nominations for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI). Since establishment by Congress in the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, the President of the United States has awarded the annual National Medal of Technology and Innovation (initially known as the National Medal of Technology) to our nation's leading innovators. If you know of a candidate who has made an outstanding, lasting contribution to the economy through the promotion of technology or technological manpower, you may obtain a nomination form from: https://go.usa.gov/1dU.
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Market Research To Broaden and Deepen U.S. Exporter Base
Document Number: 2012-598
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
The Department of Commerce, 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.
Proposed Information Collection Request of the ETA 204, Experience Rating Report; Comment Request on Extension Without Change
Document Number: 2012-596
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Labor
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. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-593
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services
Information Collection Request for the ETA 9128, Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments Workloads Report, and the ETA 9129, Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments Outcomes Report: Extension Without Change, Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-592
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Labor
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 collection 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. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice or by accessing: https://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/ OMBControlNumber.cfm.
Notice of a Change in Status of an Extended Benefit (EB) Period for Delaware and Minnesota
Document Number: 2012-591
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor
This notice announces a change in benefit period eligibility under the EB program for Delaware and Minnesota. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding State EB status: Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Minnesota fell to 6.4%, and their third year look-back fell to 108%. These two factors trigger Minnesota ``off'' the EB program with the week ending December 24, 2011, and the end of the payable period in Minnesota in the EB program will be January 14, 2012. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Delaware fell to 7.9%, below the rate required to remain in a high unemployment period (HUP). Claimants will remain eligible for up to 20 weeks of benefits in Delaware through January 14, 2012, but starting January 15, 2012, the maximum potential entitlement in the EB program in Delaware will decrease from 20 weeks to 13 weeks.
Notice of a Change in Status of the Payable Periods in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) Program for Iowa and Oklahoma
Document Number: 2012-590
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor
Announcement regarding Notice of a Change in Status of the payable period in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) program for Iowa and Oklahoma. Public law 112-78 extended provisions in Public Law 111-92 which amended prior laws to create a Third and Fourth Tier of benefits within the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for EUC08 benefits within Tiers Three and Four and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notice covering state eligibility for the EUC08 program can be found at: https:// ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claimsarch.asp. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Iowa fell to 5.9%, below the threshold to remain ``on'' in Tier 3 of the EUC08 program. As a result, the current maximum potential duration for claimants in Iowa in the EUC08 program will decrease from 47 weeks to 34 weeks. The week ending January 14, 2012 will be the last week in which EUC claimants in Iowa can exhaust Tier 2, and establish Tier 3 eligibility. Under the phase- out provisions, claimants can receive any remaining entitlement they have in Tier 3 after January 14, 2012. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December 20, 2011, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate for Oklahoma rose to 6.0%, meeting the criteria to trigger ``on'' to Tier 3 in the EUC08 program. Claimants who have exhausted Tier 2 in the EUC08 program may be eligible for up to 13 additional weeks of benefits. The payable period for Oklahoma in Tier 3 of the EUC08 program begins January 8, 2012.
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting
Document Number: 2012-589
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public meeting in the form of a workshop. The workshop topic is volunteer angler data collection.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Servicing Multi-Piece and Single Piece Rim Wheels Standard
Document Number: 2012-588
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Labor, Office of the Secretary
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Servicing Multi-Piece and Single Piece Rim Wheels Standard,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for Paying Benefits
Document Number: 2012-586
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Agencies and Commissions
This final rule amends the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulation on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single- Employer Plans to prescribe interest assumptions under the regulation for valuation dates in February 2012. The interest assumptions are used for paying benefits under terminating single-employer plans covered by the pension insurance system administered by PBGC.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits
Document Number: 2012-584
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Labor, Office of the Secretary
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Notice of Final Payment or Suspension of Compensation Benefits,'' as proposed to be revised, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
Document Number: 2012-583
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Single-Family Mortgage Insurance: Elimination of Requests for Alternative Mortgage Limits
Document Number: 2012-581
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
This proposed rule would eliminate the process for requesting alternative FHA maximum mortgage amounts. HUD currently sets the area- based loan limits on a yearly basis and permits appeals of these loan limits. At the time the regulations permitting appeals were promulgated, there were no comprehensive, national databases of home sales transactions. As a result, HUD relied on sales data provided by interested parties in determining loan limits for certain areas. Today, however, HUD has available comprehensive direct sales transaction data and indirect home value data at the county level. In addition, since HUD began this new information collection on price trends at a county level, the number of parties utilizing the appeals process has gone from 105 for the 2008 loan limits to zero for the 2011 loan limits. For these reasons, HUD has determined that the regulations governing requests for alternative maximum mortgage amounts are outdated and unnecessarily disrupt HUD's loan limit determination process. The elimination of this appeals process would allow HUD to release its annual loan limits one month earlier than it has for the past three calendar years. This difference would provide more certainty in the mortgage lending market.
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-580
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Social Security Administration, Agencies and Commissions
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-579
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of the Treasury
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Notice of Meetings
Document Number: 2012-574
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
Document Number: 2012-573
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary
The U.S. Strategic Command proposes to add a system of records to its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Notice of Closed Meetings
Document Number: 2012-572
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Prevalence, Incidence, Epidemiology and Molecular Variants of HIV in Blood Donors in Brazil
Document Number: 2012-571
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c) (2) (A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Prevalence, Incidence, Epidemiology and Molecular Variants of HIV in Blood Donors in Brazil. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension (OMB No. 0925-0597). Need and Use of Information Collection: Establishing and monitoring viral prevalence and incidence rates, and identifying behavioral risk behaviors for HIV infection among donors are critical steps to assessing and reducing risk of HIV transmission through blood transfusion. Detecting donors with recently acquired HIV infection is particularly critical as it enables characterization of the viral subtypes currently transmitted within the screened population. In addition to characterizing genotypes of recently infected donors for purposes of blood safety, molecular surveillance of incident HIV infections in blood donors serves important public health roles by identifying new HIV infections for anti-retroviral treatment, and enabling documentation of the rates of primary transmission of anti- viral drug resistant strains in the community. This study is a continuation of a previous research project which enrolled eligible HIV positive blood donors and analyzed HIV molecular variants and their association with risk. This previous project was conducted by the NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor StudyII (REDS-II) International Brazil program and included not only data collection on HIV seropositive donors but also collection of risk factor data on uninfected donors. The current Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study(REDS-III) research proposal is a continuation of the previous REDS-II project at the same four blood centers in Brazil, located in the cities of Sao Paulo, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, but this time restricted to the study of HIV-positive subjects. The primary study aims are to continue monitoring HIV molecular variants and risk behaviors in blood donors in Brazil, and to evaluate HIV subtype and drug resistance profiles among HIV positive donors according to HIV infection status (recent versus long-standing infection), year of donation, and site of collection. Additional study objectives include determining trends in HIV molecular variants and risk factors associated with HIV infection by combining data collected in the previous REDS-II project with that which will be obtained in the planned research activities. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) testing for HIV is currently being implemented in Brazil. It will be important to continue to collect molecular surveillance and risk factor data on HIV infections, especially now that infections that might not have been identified by serology testing alone could be recognized through the use of NAT. NAT- only infections represent very recently acquired infections. The NAT assay will be used at the four REDS-III blood centers in Brazil during the planned research activities. In addition, in order to distinguish between recent seroconversion and long-standing infection, samples from all HIV antibody- dual reactive donations and/or NAT positive donations will be tested by the Recent Infection Testing Algorithm (RITA) which is based on use of a sensitive/less-sensitive enzyme immunoassay (``detuned'' Enzyme Immunoassay). RITA testing will be performed by the Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA, which is the REDS-III Central Laboratory. Subjects will be enrolled for a 5-year period from March 2012 through February 2017. According to the Brazilian guidelines, blood donors are requested to return to the blood bank for HIV confirmatory testing and HIV counseling. Donors will be invited to participate in the study through administration of informed consent when they return for HIV counseling. Once informed consent has been administered and enrollment has occurred, participants will be asked to complete a confidential self-administered risk factor questionnaire by computer. In addition, a small blood sample will be collected from each HIV positive participant to be used for the genotyping and drug resistance testing. The results of the drug resistance testing will be communicated back to the HIV positive participants during an in-person counseling session at the blood center. For those individuals who do not return for confirmatory testing, the samples will be anonymized and sent to the REDS-III central laboratory to perform the recent infection testing algorithm (RITA). This research effort will allow for an evaluation of trends in the trafficking of non-B subtypes and rates of transmission of drug resistant viral strains in low risk blood donors. These data could also be compared with data from similar studies in higher risk populations. Monitoring drug resistance strains is extremely important in a country that provides free anti-retroviral therapy for HIV infected individuals, many of whom have low level education and modest resources, thus making compliance with drug regimens and hence the risk of drug resistant HIV a serious problem. The findings from this project will add to those obtained in the REDS-II study, allowing for extended trend analyses over a 10-year period and will complement similar monitoring of HIV prevalence, incidence, transfusion risk and molecular variants in the USA and other funded international REDS-III sites in South Africa and China, thus allowing direct comparisons of these parameters on a global level. Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: Adult Blood Donors. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Estimated Number of Respondents: 100; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden of Hours per Response: 0.40 (including administration of the informed consent form and questionnaire completion instructions); and Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 40. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $260 (based on $6.50 per hour). There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.
Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability
Document Number: 2012-570
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
National Eye Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting
Document Number: 2012-569
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-568
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-567
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, Agencies and Commissions
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), 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)(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 NEA is soliciting comments concerning revisions to existing information collection on arts activities funded through State Arts Assemblies and Regional Arts Organizations. A copy of the current information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the address section of this notice.
National Institute of Mental Health Notice of Closed Meetings
Document Number: 2012-566
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Watco Holdings, Inc.-Continuance in Control Exemption-Birmingham Terminal Railway, L.L.C.
Document Number: 2012-565
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Surface Transportation Board, Department of Transportation
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Notice of Closed Meeting
Document Number: 2012-564
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Availability of the Report on the International Workshop on Alternative Methods To Reduce, Refine, and Replace the Use of Animals in Vaccine Potency and Safety Testing: State of the Science and Future Directions
Document Number: 2012-563
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
The NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) announces availability of the report on the ``International Workshop on Alternative Methods To Reduce, Refine, and Replace the Use of Animals in Vaccine Potency and Safety Testing: State of the Science and Future Directions.'' The report was published as an issue of the journal Procedia in Vaccinology, and is available on the journal's Web site at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/ 1877282X. A limited number of CDs and printed copies of the report are available from NICEATM (see ADDRESSES).
Proposal Review Panel for Materials Research; Notice of Meeting
Document Number: 2012-562
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-01-13
Agency: National Science Foundation, Agencies and Commissions
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