The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office proposes changes to the rules governing practice before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences to consolidate and simplify such rules and to reflect developments in case law, legislation, and administrative practice.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : Western Area Power Administration

These rules implement changes to the governmentwide nonprocurement debarment and suspension common rule (NCR) and the associated rule on drugfree workplace requirements. The final and interim final rules reflect changes made to the proposed rules in response to the comments received during the comment period. The NCR sets forth the common policies and

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT : Western Area Power Administration

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the construction, operation and maintenance of the Ivanpah Energy Center (IEC) power plant and ancillary facilities. The project would provide 500 megawatts (MW) of baseload power to the southern Nevada power grid. As a

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY : Western Area Power Administration

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hereby gives notice of the weighted average poverty threshold established for 2002 for one person (unrelated individual) as established by the Bureau of the Census. The amount is $9,183.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS : Veterans Affairs Department

TSA invites public comment on the information collection requirement abstracted below that will be submitted to OMB for renewal in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY : Transportation Security Administration

WallowaUnion Railroad Authority (Authority), a noncarrier, has filed a notice of exemption, as supplemented by letter dated October 29, 2003, under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire and operate a 62.58mile line of railroad extending between milepost 21.0 at or near Elgin and milepost 83.58 at or near Joseph, in Wallowa and Union Counties, OR. The subject

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION : Surface Transportation Board

Allegheny Valley Railroad Company (AVR) a Class III rail carrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 to lease and operate certain rail line segments and acquire related trackage rights, pursuant to an agreement with CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), as follows: (1) Approximately 33.1 miles of CSXT's W&P Subdivision from

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION : Surface Transportation Board

The Surface Transportation Board has received a request from Covington & Burling on behalf of Union Pacific Corporation (WB4685 11/18/03), for permission to use certain data from the Board's Carload Waybill Samples. A copy of the request may be obtained from the Office of Economics, Environmental Analysis, and Administration.

The waybill sample

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION : Surface Transportation Board

In accordance with sections 3 and 6 of the Clean Diamond Trade Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 10819) and Section 2 of Executive Order 13312 of July 29, 2003, the Department of State is identifying all the Participants eligible for trade in rough diamonds under the Act, and their respective Importing and Exporting Authorities, and revising the previously

DEPARTMENT OF STATE : State Department

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 217 CFR 240.19b4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6).
\5\ See letter from Tanya Cho, Staff Attorney, Regulatory Policy, Exchange, to Nancy Sanow, Assistant Director, Division of Market Regulation, Commission,

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(2).
I. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

The Exchange proposes to extend the free 30day trial

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\1\ 17 CFR 240.19b4.
I. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

Nasdaq is filing a proposed rule change to establish a Nasdaq Official Opening Price that would be made available for wholly

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b4.
\3\ See letter from Jim Flynn, Attorney, CBOE, to Florence Harmond, Senior Special Counsel, Division of Market Regulation (``Division''), Commission, dated November 18, 2003 (``Amendment No. 1''). Amendment No. 1 revises the

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

KeySpan Corporation, et al. (7010129)

KeySpan Corporation (``KeySpan''), a registered holding company and KeySpan's directly owned public utility subsidiaries The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a KeySpan Energy Delivery New York (``KEDNY''); KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a KeySpan Energy Delivery Long Island (``KEDLI''); KeySpan Generation LLC

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

Summary of Application: John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund (the ``Applicant'') requests an order to permit it to make periodic distributions of longterm capital gains, as often as monthly, so long as it maintains in effect a distribution policy calling for periodic distributions of a fixed percentage of net asset value or a fixed dollar

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION : Securities and Exchange Commission

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, exemptions from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the applications described herein. This notice is abbreviated to

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION : Research and Special Programs Administration

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, exemptions from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the applications described herein. Each mode of transportation for

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION : Research and Special Programs Administration

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the California BayDelta Public Advisory Committee will meet jointly with the California BayDelta Authority on December 11, 2003. The agenda for the joint meeting will include recommendations on a Delta Improvements Package, CALFED BayDelta Program implementation and future priorities, the 2003

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR : Reclamation Bureau

In accordance with section 103(c)(6) of the Presidio Trust Act, 16 U.S.C. 460bb note, Title I of Pub. L. 104333, 110 Stat. 4097, and in accordance with the Presidio Trust's bylaws, notice is hereby given that a public meeting of the Presidio Trust Board of Directors will be held commencing 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2003, at the Officers'

PRESIDIO TRUST : Presidio Trust

___________________________________________________________________ Title 3--
The President
[[Page 66319]]
Proclamation 7739 of November 21, 2003
National Family Week, 2003
By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
As Americans gather

Presidential Documents : Presidential Documents

This Federal Register notice announces the availability of three reports, prepared by the Sewage Sludge Subcommittee of the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS), addressing radioactivity in sewage sludge and ash. The first report, ``ISCORS Assessment of
[[Page 66504]]
Radioactivity in Sewage Sludge: Radiological Survey Results

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION : Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Dated at Rockville, MD, this 17th day of November, 2003.

For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ashok C. Thadani,
Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 0329558 Filed 112503; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 759001P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION : Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a revision to the fire protection regulations in 10 CFR part 50, appendix R, paragraph III.G.2 to allow the use of manual actions by nuclear power plant operators to achieve hot shutdown conditions in the event of fires in certain areas provided the actions are evaluated against specific

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION : Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to amend its Rules of Practice applicable to the use of the Licensing Support Network (LSN) and the electronic hearing docket in the licensing proceeding on the disposal of highlevel radioactive waste at a geologic repository. The proposed amendments would establish the basic requirements and standards for

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION : Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Pursuant to the Decision adopted by the 27th Session of the World Heritage Committee (Document: WHC03/27.COM/7A.12) accepted by the United States Government, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the publication for comment of a Draft Site Progress Report to the World Heritage Committee for Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana.
[[Page

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR : National Park Service