Department of Homeland Security May 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has forwarded the revised Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for emergency processing and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of information collection and its expected burden.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC). NBSAC advises the Coast Guard on matters related to recreational boating safety.

The Coast Guard is establishing a Special Anchorage Area in Haverstraw Bay on the Hudson River adjacent to Haverstraw, NY. This action is necessary to facilitate safe navigation in that area and provide safe and secure anchorages for vessels not more than 20 meters in length. This action is intended to increase the safety of life and property on the Hudson River, improve the safety of anchored vessels, and provide for the overall safe and efficient flow of recreational vessel traffic and commerce.

The Coast Guard is establishing special local regulations for a power boat race to be held on the waters of the Pasquotank River, Elizabeth City, North Carolina. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic in portions of the Pasquotank River adjacent to Elizabeth City, North Carolina during the power boat race.

This is a notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Hawaii (FEMA-1640-DR), dated May 2, 2006, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster for the State of Texas (FEMA-1624-DR), dated January 11, 2006, and related determinations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 a proposed new information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the use of a metropolitan firefighter demographic questionnaire to collect data to determine firefighter demographics of metropolitan fire departments. For the purposes of this study, metropolitan fire departments are defined as fire departments that have a minimum of 400 fully paid career firefighters. In addition to the 400 career firefighters, some of the metropolitan fire departments also have volunteer firefighters.

The Coast Guard is establishing temporary special local regulations during the ``Bo Bowman MemorialSharptown Regatta'', a marine event to be held on the waters of the Nanticoke River near Sharptown, Maryland. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic in the Nanticoke River during the event.

This interim final rule will amend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations to include an appeals process for NFIP policyholders as required by Congress in Section 205 of the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act (FIRA) of 2004.

The Transportation Security Administration is amending its regulations to enhance and improve the security of air cargo transportation. This final rule requires airport operators, aircraft operators, foreign air carriers, and indirect air carriers to implement security measures in the air cargo supply chain as directed under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. This final rule also amends the applicability of the requirement for a ``twelve-five'' security program for aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or more to those aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds to conform to recent legislation.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Hog Island Reach on the Cooper River, for demolition of the Grace Memorial and Silas Pearman Bridges and associated recovery operations. The temporary safety zone includes all waters within the area bounded by the following coordinates: 32[deg]48.566' N, 079[deg]55.211' W to 32[deg]48.389' N, 079[deg]54.256' W to 32[deg]47.824' N, 079[deg]54.401' W thence to 32[deg]47.994' N, 079[deg]55.359' W. This rule prohibits entry, anchoring, mooring, or transiting within the temporary safety zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port Charleston or his designated representative. This regulation is necessary to protect life and property on the navigable waters of the Cooper River from the dangers associated with the demolition and recovery of these bridges.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone encompassing the waters of the Severn River and College Creek in order to safeguard high-ranking public officials from terrorist acts and incidents during the U.S. Naval Academy graduation ceremony on May 26, 2006. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of persons and property, and prevent terrorist acts or incidents. This rule prohibits vessels and people from entering the security zone and requires vessels and persons in the security zone to depart the security zone, unless specifically exempt under the provisions in this rule or granted specific permission from the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Baltimore.

The Coast Guard proposes to make revisions in Missouri River drawbridge regulations covering Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. Under the proposed revisions, the bridges will open on signal, except during the winter season when 24 hours advance notice will be required. These proposed revisions to the regulations will reduce delays to the vessels transiting through these States on the Missouri River.

This notice announces that TSA has forwarded the new Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. TSA published a Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments, of the following collection of information on January 11, 2006, 71 FR 1763.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announces its intent to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) on the proposed decommissioning and excessing of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) STORIS (WMEC-38), homeported in Kodiak, AK, and USCGC ACUSHNET (WMEC-167), homeported in Ketchikan, AK. This notice provides information on the proposed action, requests public comments on environmental impacts that might occur from the proposed action, and provides instructions on how to submit comments to the USCG.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulations governing the operation of the Beach Channel railroad bridge across Jamaica Bay, at mile 6.7, New York. This proposed rule would allow the Beach Channel Bridge to remain in the closed position during the morning and afternoon commuter rush hours from 6:45 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. This rule is expected to help facilitate commuter rail traffic while continuing to meet the present and anticipated needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard announces the completion of a Port Access Route Study that analyzed potential vessel routing measures and considered adjusting existing vessel routing measures in order to help reduce the risk of vessel strikes of the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale. The study focused on the northern region off the Atlantic Coast which included Cape Cod Bay, the area off Race Point at the northern end of Cape Cod (Race Point) and the Great South Channel; and in the southern region which included areas along the seacoast in the approaches to the Ports of Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, Florida, and Brunswick, Georgia. This notice summarizes the study's recommendations. Comments on these recommendations are requested.

This Notice designates the following forms as eligible for Premium Processing Service: Form I-140 ``Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker,'' Form I-539 ``Application to Extend/Change Status,'' and Form I-765 ``Application for Employment Authorization.'' Under Premium Processing Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guarantees that it will process designated petitions and applications, and classifications within these petitions and applications that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services makes available for the service, within 15 calendar days for an additional processing fee of $1,000.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (FEMA-1611-DR), dated November 8, 2005, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster for the State of Texas (FEMA-1624-DR), dated January 11, 2006, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Oregon (FEMA-1632-DR), dated March 20, 2006, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Arkansas (FEMA-1636-DR), dated April 12, 2006, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee (FEMA-1634-DR), dated April 5, 2006, and related determinations.