Department of Defense May 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, is initiating this study authorized by a July 23, 1997 resolution of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution reads: ``Resolved by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, that the Secretary of the Army is required to review the report of the Chief of Engineers on the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, published as House Document 308, Eighty-eighth Congress, Second Session, and other pertinent reports, to determine whether modifications of the recommendations contained therein are advisable at the present time in the interest of flood control, navigation, wetlands, conservation restoration, wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational fishing, saltwater intrusion, freshwater and sediment diversion, and other purposes in the area drained by the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee, from Alexandria, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico.''

This notice announces a meeting of the Uniform Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel. The panel will review and comment on recommendations made to the Director, TRICARE Management Activity, by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee regarding the Uniform Formulary. The meeting will be open to the public. Seating is limited and will be provided only to the first 220 people signing in. All persons must sign in legibly. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The CNO Executive Panel is to report the final findings and recommendations of the New Concepts Study Group to the Chief of Naval Operations. The meeting will consist of discussions of perceived capability gaps in Information Operations (IO) that the Navy must address as it moves to reshape its fleet architecture and concept of operations.

The inventions listed below are assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Navy and are available for licensing by the Department of the Navy. U.S. Patent Application No. 10/355,162: Magnetic Nanoparticles Having Passivated Metallic Cores, Navy Case No. 83,289.//U.S. Patent Application No. 10/ 364,513: Nanoparticle Manganese Zinc Ferrites Synthesized Using Reverse Micelles, Navy Case No. 83,484.//U.S. Patent Application No. 10/ 414,571: Fluorescent-Magnetic Nanoparticles With Core-Shell Structure, Navy Case No. 84,548.

The invention listed below is assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Navy and is available for licensing by the Department of the Navy. Navy Case No. 97,198 entitled ``Method for Modifying Nitride Substrates for Covalent Immobilization of Aminated Molecules''.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update text pertaining to Government contract quality assurance requirements. This proposed rule is a result of a transformation initiative undertaken by DoD to dramatically change the purpose and content of the DFARS.

DoD has issued an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement Sections 841 and 842 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. Section 841 extends the length of the DoD Pilot Mentor-Protege Program for 5 additional years. Section 842 expands the Program to permit service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns and HUBZone small business concerns to participate in the Program as protege firms.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense 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.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Defense (DoD) proposes to alter a system of records to its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, by adding two new routine uses that will permit the sharing of information with other (1) Federal Inspector General Offices, the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, and/or Federal law enforcement agencies in the conduct of investigations or when responding to such offices, Council, and agencies in connection with investigations of potential violations of law, rule, or regulation and (2) Federal Inspector General offices, the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, and the Department of Justice in the review of internal safeguards and management procedures employed by the OIG of the DoD.

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Improvised Devices (IEDs) will meet in closed session on June 23-24, 2005; July 26-27, 2005, at Strategic Analysis, Inc., 3601 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA. The Task Force will explore methods and techniques to significantly reduce the effects of IEDs on U.S. and coalition forces in operations such as are currently being conducted in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The Task Force should examine ways to counter the use as well as mitigate the consequences of IEDs. The Task Force should examine ways to counter the use as well as mitigate the consequences of IEDs.

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Capabilities will meet in closed session on May 26-27, 2005 (at IDA; general theme is the world environment); June 17, 2005 (at IDA; general theme is the complex, manufacturing, and systems engineering); July 21-22, 2005 (location TBD); August 1-12, 2005 (summer study session in Irvine, CA); August 30-31, 2005 (in addition to time in Irvine, location TBD) and September 13-14, 2005 (location TBD). The Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) is located at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA. The Task Force will review DoD needs and specific requirements for nuclear capabilities. In accordance with Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. II), it has been determined that these Defense Science Board Task Force meetings concern matters listed in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and that, accordingly, the meetings will be closed to the public.

This notice of intent (NOI) for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)Louisiana, Caminada Headland and Shell Island Restoration Feasibility Study (LCA Caminada-Shell Island Study) supersedes the notices of intent for the Barrier Shoreline Restoration in Lafourche, Jefferson, and Plaquemines Parishes, Louisiana, a Component of the Louisiana Coastal Area, LouisianaEcosystem Restoration, Barrier Island Restoration, Marsh Creation, and River Diversion, Barataria Basin Feasibility Study (Barrier Shoreline Restoration Study); and the Wetland Restoration and/or Creation in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana, a Component of the Louisiana Coastal Area, LouisianaEcosystem Restoration, Barrier Island Restoration, Marsh Creation, and River Diversion, Barataria Basin Feasibility Study (LCA Wetland Restoration Study). This notice of intent addresses the Caminada Headland and Shell Island reaches of the Barataria barrier shoreline that is presently addressed in the NOI for the Barrier Shoreline Restoration Study and also addresses the Chenier Unit marsh creation feature that is presently addressed in the NOI for the Wetland Restoration Study.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Wilmington District, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office has received a request for Department of the Army authorization, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbor Act, from the Town of North Topsail Beach to nourish approximately 7.25 miles of beachfront to protect residential homes and town infrastructures, and to implement an inlet management plan with the New River Inlet to control the positioning of the inlet channel. The new channel will be centrally located perpendicular to the adjacent shorelines of North Topsail Beach and Onslow Beach. The proposed source of the material for the nourishment will be dredged from offshore borrow area(s) and from the repositioning of the inlet. The placement of beach fill along the Town's shoreline would result in the initial widening of the beach by 50 to 100 feet. The widened beach would be maintained through a program of undefined periodic beach nourishment events with the material extracted primarily from the New River Inlet. The ocean shoreline in the Town of North Topsail Beach encompasses approximately 11.1 miles along the northern end of Topsail Island. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is developing a Federal shoreline protection plan for parts of North Topsail Beach. This Federal plan will only cover 3.85 miles of the southern part of the beach. The remaining 7.25-miles of North Topsail Beach, with the exception of two small areas, is located within the Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS), which prohibits the expenditure of Federal funds that would encourage development. Therefore, the Town is pursuing to develop this non-Federal shoreline protection plan that will preserve existing development and infrastructure along the 7.25 miles of shoreline. The channel through New River Inlet has been maintained by the COE for commercial and recreational boating interest for over 55 years. The COE is authorized to maintain the channel in the inlet to a depth of 6 feet mean low water (mlw) over a width of 90 feet.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated 21 July 1996.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning transportation requirements. The clearance currently expires on October 31, 2005. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 1500- 1508), and Air Force's Environmental Impact Analysis Process as implemented by 32 CFR part 989, the United States Air Force (Air Force) is issuing this notice to advise the public of our intent to prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for the proposed basing of the Global Strike Task Force (GSTF) at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam. The DPEIS will analyze and evaluate the impacts of alternatives for the proposed establishment of an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, strike, and aerial refueling capability at Andersen AFB, as part of Pacific Command's GSTF initiative. The proposed action would base three Global Hawk unmanned aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft and 12 aerial refueling aircraft at Andersen AFB. Additionally, 48 fighter and 6 bomber aircraft would rotate to Andersen AFB from bases in the 50 states. Approximately 2,400 additional military, civilian and contractor personnel would be required to support the proposed action. The action would also result in facility construction, addition, and alteration projects to support basing and operation. This notice is being provided to obtain suggestions and information from other agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DPEIS, to include alternatives to the proposed action and the potential for impacts. Public comments on the scope of the DPEIS, reasonable alternatives that should be considered, anticipated environmental concerns, and actions that might be taken to address these issues are requested. A public scoping meeting will be held to obtain agency and community input to ensure that all relevant concerns are identified and addressed in the DPEIS. Notification of the meeting location and time will be made in the local area and will be announced via local news media. Written comments will also be accepted at the address listed below.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning advance payments. The clearance currently expires on July 31, 2005. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 96-463, notice is hereby given that the Independent Review Panel to Study the Relationships between Military Department General Counsels and Judge Advocates General will hold an open meeting at the Hilton Crystal City, 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202, on June 1-2, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Purpose: The Panel will meet on June 1-2, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in order to hear testimony from current and former senior Defense Department officials concerning the relationships between the legal elements of their respective Military Departments. These sessions will be open to the public, subject to the availability of space. In keeping with the spirit of FACA, the Panel welcomes written comments concerning its work from the public at any time. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend the sessions.

The Secretary of Defense is authorized to recommend military installations inside the United States for closure and realignment in accordance with Section 2914(a) of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, as amended (Pub. L. 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note). The Secretary is required to publish his list of recommendations in the Federal Register by May 16, 2005. The list of recommendations is included in the Supplementary Information section.

The Department of Defense published a document in the Federal Register of May 4, 2005, concerning a meeting of the BRAC. The purpose of these meetings is to receive testimony from the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), or their representatives; the Department of the Air Force; the Department of the Navy; the Department of the Army; and the Department of Defense's Joint Cross Service Groups on the recommendations and methodology regarding the closure and realignment of military installations, are unchanged. The location for these meetings have been changed.

In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District has prepared a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report & Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the flood damage reduction project for the Town of Bloomsburg, in Columbia County, PA. The integrated report investigates the potential environmental effects of an array of alternative plans based on reducing flood damages in Bloomsburg. The preferred alternative includes 16,555 linear feet of levee/floodwall systems with fourteen drainage structures, and nine closure structures, six of which incorporate limited road raisings. We are making the integrated report and EIS available to the public for a 45-day review and comment period.

In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), announcement is made of the following committee meeting: Name of Committee: Coastal Engineering Research Board (CERB). Date of Meeting: June 7-9, 2005. Place: William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center, 555 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501. Times:

The Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in the Federal Register (Vol. 66, No. 76, pages 20135-20136) on April 19, 2001, for a Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) within the San Juan Creek and western San Mateo Creek Watersheds. The Notice of Intent stated that the eventual document would be a joint state and federal document in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game (Department). The Department intended to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act for the Department's proposed Master Streambed Alteration Agreement (MSAA), a proposed state program analogous to the SAMP. It is now necessary to revise the Notice of Intent to reflect that the doucment will now be a federal document and not a joint federal and state document. Scoping commenced on April 19, 2001 with the publication of the original Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. In addition, the Corps issued a special public notice on the SAMP dated April 18, 2001, to the general public. A public scoping meeting was held on May 8, 2001, in San Juan Capistrano, California. All comments received during the special public notice comment period between April 19, 2001, and May 18, 2001, and during the public meetings are being considered in this process. A new scoping period is not being started with the revised NOI.