Department of Defense 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Public Law 102-484 section 2834, as amended by Public Law 104-106 section 2867, the Department of the Army and the California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) hereby give notice of intent to prepare a joint Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/EIR) for the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project (HWRP), Marin County, California to consider alternative methods to transfer dredged material collected from various navigational dredging projects within San Francisco Bay to the HWRP site for beneficial re-use in the construction of tidal and seasonal wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is the lead agency for this project under NEPA. The SCC is the lead agency for this project under CEQA. A pubic scoping meeting will be held to solicit comments on the environmental scope of the project and the appropriate scope of the SEIS/EIR.

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Munitions System Reliability will meet in closed session on January 14, 2005, at SAIC, 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, and February 2-4, 2005, at Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, CA. This Task Force will review the efforts thus far to improve the reliability of munitions systems and identify additional steps to be taken to reduce the amount of unexploded ordnance resulting from munitions failures. The Task Force will: Conduct a methodologically sound assessment of the failure rates of U.S. munitions in actual combat use; review ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of unexploded ordnance resulting from munitions systems failures, and evaluate whether there are ways to improve or accelerate these efforts; and identify other feasible measures the U.S. can take to reduce the threat that failed munitions pose to friendly forces and noncombatants. The mission of the Defense Science Board is to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on scientific and technical matters as they affect the perceived needs of the Department of Defense. At these meetings, the Defense Science Board Task Force will: conduct a methodologically sound assessment of the failure rates of U.S. munitions in actual combat use; review ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of unexploded ordnance resulting from munitions systems failures, and evaluate whether there are ways to improve or accelerate these efforts; and identify other feasible measures the U.S. can take to reduce the threat that failed munitions pose to friendly forces and noncombatants. In accordance with section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), 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, these meetings will be closed to the public.

DoD is issuing a correction to the final rule published at 69 FR 74990-74991 on December 15, 2004, pertaining to competition requirements. The correction shows that the change to 48 CFR part 206, section 206.001, revises only paragraph (b) of section 206.001.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, as codified at 50 U.S.C. App. Sec. 531, prevents a landlord from evicting a service member (or the service member's family) from a residence during a period of military service except by court order. The law as originally passed by Congress applied to monthly rents of $2400 or less. The law requires the Department of Defense to adjust this amount annually to reflect inflation, and to publish the new amount in the Federal Register. We have applied the inflation index required by the statute: the maximum monthly rental amount for 50 U.S.C. App. Sec. 531 (a)(1)(A)(ii) will be $2534.32 as of January 1, 2005.

In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i), announcement is made of the intent to grant an exclusive, royalty- bearing, revocable license within the geographic area of the United States of America and its territories and possessions to U.S. Provisional Patent S.N. 60/533,375, filed December 24, 2003, entitled ``Identification of Small Molecules of Inhibitors of Anthrax Factor,'' to Microbiotix, Inc. with its principal place of business at 1 Innovation Drive, STE 15, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605-4332.

The JSC is forwarding final proposed amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States (2002 ed.) (MCM) to the Department of Defense. The proposed changes, resulting from the JSC's 2004 annual review of the MCM, concern the rules of procedure applicable in trials by courts-martial. The proposed changes have not been coordinated within the Department of Defense under DoD Directive 5500.1, ``Preparation and Processing of Legislation, Executive Orders, Proclamations, and Reports and Comments Thereon,'' May 21, 1964, and do not constitute the official position of the Department of Defense, the Military Departments, or any other government agency. This notice is provided in accordance with DoD Directive 5500.17, ``Role and Responsibilities of the Joint Service Committee (JSC) on Military Justice,'' May 3, 2003. This notice is intended only to improve the internal management of the Federal Government. It is not intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person. In accordance with paragraph III.B.4 of the Internal Organization and Operating Procedures of the JSC, the committee also invites members of the public to suggest changes to the Manual for Courts-Martial in accordance with the described format.

The Department of the Navy (DON) hereby gives notice of implementing its instruction (SECNAVINST 7220.85), an internal regulation that establishes the responsibilities and procedures within DON regarding the payment of back pay to any person who, by reason of being interned as a POW while serving as a member of the Navy or Marine Corps during World War II (WW II), was not available to accept a promotion for which the person had been selected.

The invention listed below is assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy hereby gives notice of its intent to grant to Lewis Machine & Tool Co. Inc. a revocable, nonassignable, exclusive license to practice in the United States, the Government-Owned invention described below: U.S. Patent 6,543,172 (Navy Case 83187): issued April 8, 2003, entitled ``BUTTSTOCK ASSEMBLY WITH REMOVABLE AND SEALABLE STORAGE TUBES.''

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), DoD announces the proposed extension of a public information collection requirement and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. DoD invites comments on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of DoD, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved this information collection requirement for use through March 31, 2005. DoD proposes that OMB extend its approval for use through March 31, 2008.

The Department of the Navy hereby gives notice of its intent to grant to Radiant Images Incorporated, a revocable, nonassignable, exclusive license in the United States to practice the Government-owned invention described in pending U.S. Patent Application, Ser. No. 10/ 614,426 entitled ``Silicon-On-Saphire Display Apparatus and Method of Fabricating Same''.