Department of Defense February 16, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the availability of the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), which analyzes the potential impacts to the environment of MDA's proposal to develop, test, deploy, and plan for decommissioning an integrated BMDS. The PEIS addresses the integrated BMDS and the development and application of new technologies; evaluates the range of complex programs, architecture, and assets that comprise the BMDS; and provides a framework for future environmental analyses as activities evolve and mature.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Retirement and Separation Division, Air Force Personnel Center, announces the proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's 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 through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This Notice is published in accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463). The topic of the meeting on March 13-14, 2007 are to review new start and continuing research and development projects requesting Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program funds in excess of $1M. This meeting is open to the public. Any interested person may attend, appear before, or file statements with the Scientific Advisory Board at the time and in the manner permitted by the Board.

Section 116 of Pub. L. 108-447, dated December 8, 2004, authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) participation in construction of the Central City project. A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was completed for the Central City Project in Janauary 2006. A Record of Decision (ROD) recommending the Community-Based Alternative and determining it was technically sound and environmentally acceptable was signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA (CW)) on April 7, 2006. An Interim Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment (with signed Finding of No Significant Impact) for the Riverside Oxbow Project was approved by the Chief of Engineers on May 29, 2003. An addendum, dated April 2005, was prepared to address comments from the ASA (CW); however, neither construction funding nor authority for implementation of this project has been provided by Congress to date. By letter dated June 22, 2006, the City of Fort Worth requested the Corps to evaluate the potential benefits of merging the Central City Project with the Riverside Oxbow project. They identified potential benefits including greater opportunity for valley storage requirements, increased restoration opportunities, and cost savings. After an initial evaluation, the Corps determined that alternative areas along the West Fork of the Trinity River including areas within the Riverside Oxbow project had the potential to provide the required hydraulic mitigation, provide comparable ecosystem restoration outputs, reduce habitat mitigation requirements, and lower overall project costs. These potential modifications to the projects may be substantial and a supplement to the Central City environmental impact statement should be prepared concurrently with a more detailed analysis. Therefore, this Notice of Intent to prepare Supplement No. 1 to the FEIS for the Central City project is being issued in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA implementing regulations at 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6 and 404.7, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of the invention set forth in U.S. Patent Application No. 11/340,375 entitled ``Medical Image Processing Methodology for Detection and Discrimination of Objects in Tissue,'' filed on January 26, 2006. The United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Army, has rights in this invention.

Section 302 of Public Law 99-662 established the Inland Waterways Users Board. The Board is an independent Federal advisory committee. The Secretary of the Army appoints its 11 members. This notice is to solicit nominations for six (6) appointments or reappointments to two-year terms that will begin after August 1, 2007.