Department of Commerce 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces the reapportionment of 34,645 metric tons of Pacific whiting from the tribal allocation to the non-tribal commercial fishery sectors via automatic action on September 15, 2021. This reapportionment is to allow full utilization of the Pacific whiting resource.

NMFS is proposing to establish a uniform, nationally consistent minimum insurance standard that would apply in regional regulatory programs that authorize an observer provider to deploy a person in any mandatory or voluntary observer program and that specify responsibilities of authorized providers. NMFS has concluded that this action is necessary to clarify the types of insurance that are appropriate to address the financial risks that observer coverage presents in any federally managed fishery that is subject to observer coverage. The proposed standard would establish a nationally consistent suite of insurance coverages that an observer provider seeking authorization, or that has been authorized, must have to mitigate the financial risks associated with providing observer services; specifically observer deployments to fishing vessels or shoreside locations such as processing facilities, and those that arise with training personnel for these deployments. Through compliance with this minimum standard, observer providers would be properly insured, thereby mitigating the financial risks that fishing vessels, first receivers, and shoreside processors have when complying with observer coverage requirements. This proposed rule would also revise regional observer program regulations to reference the newly established national minimum insurance standard, but existing regional observer program regulatory procedures that specify how an observer provider demonstrates compliance with insurance requirements would not be modified.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information about the public and private sector marketplace trends, supply chain risks, legislative, policy, and the future investment needs of eight emerging technology areas, including: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things in Manufacturing, Quantum Computing, Blockchain Technology, New and Advanced Materials, Unmanned Delivery Services, Internet of Things, and Three-dimensional Printing. This Request for Information (RFI) is seeking comments to help identify, understand, refine, and guide the development of the current and future state of technology in the eight emerging technology areas named above. The information will inform a final report that will be submitted to Congress.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has completed its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain cased pencils (cased pencils) from the People's Republic of China (China) for the period of review (POR) December 1, 2019, through November 30, 2020. We continue to find that Wah Yuen Stationery Co. Ltd. and Shandong Wah Yuen Stationery Co. Ltd. (collectively, Wah Yuen) had no shipments of cased pencils during the POR. We also continue to find that Tianjin Tonghe Stationery Co., Ltd. (Tianjin Tonghe) and Ningbo Homey Union Co., Ltd. (Ningbo Homey) are not eligible for a separate rate and should be treated as part of the China-wide entity.

The SEDAR 75 assessment of Gulf of Mexico gray snapper will consist of a series of assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day meeting to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Due to ongoing public safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

Notice is hereby given that Heather E. Liwanag, Ph.D., 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 22187-01.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in this notice is publishing a report that summarizes the findings of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (``Section 232''), into the effect of imports of transformers and transformer components on the national security of the United States. This report was completed on October 15, 2020 and posted on the BIS website in July 2021. BIS has not published the appendices to the report in this notification of report findings, but they are available online at the BIS website, along with the rest of the report (see the ADDRESSES section).

NMFS announces two inseason actions in the 2021 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the recreational ocean salmon fishery in the area from Cape Falcon, OR to the Oregon/ California border.

On October 8, 2021, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) published the initiation and preliminary results of a changed circumstances review (CCR) of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain activated carbon (activated carbon) from the People's Republic of China (China). For these final results, Commerce continues to find that Ningxia Huahui Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (Huahui Environmental) is the successor in-interest to Ningxia Huahui Activated Carbon Co., Ltd. (Ningxia Huahui) and should be assigned the same AD cash deposit rate assigned to Ningxia Huahui for purposes of determining AD liability in this proceeding.

NMFS announces its intent to issue exempted fishing permits (EFPs), scientific research permits (SRPs), display permits, letters of acknowledgment (LOAs), and shark research fishery permits for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) in 2022. EFPs and related permits would authorize collection of a limited number of Atlantic HMS, including tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks, from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of scientific research, data collection, the investigation of bycatch, and public display, among other things. LOAs acknowledge that scientific research activity aboard a scientific research vessel is being conducted. Generally, EFPs and related permits would be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2022, unless otherwise specified in the permit, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the recreational sector for the other jacks complex (lesser amberjack, almaco jack, and banded rudderfish) in the South Atlantic for the 2021 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS has determined that recreational landings of the other jacks complex have reached its recreational annual catch limit (ACL). Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational sector for this complex on November 17, 2021, through the remainder of the 2021 fishing year in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. This closure is necessary to protect the lesser amberjack, almaco jack, and banded rudderfish resources.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is requesting written comments to facilitate ONMS' review of the nomination for St. George Unangan Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) at the five- year interval. In particular, NOAA is requesting relevant information as it pertains to its 11 evaluation criteria for inclusion in the inventory. In this five-year review, NOAA will pay particular attention to any new information about the significance of the area's natural or cultural resources, changes to any threats to these resources, and any updates to the management framework of the area. NOAA has provided the original nominating party, the City of St. George, an opportunity to share its views on these same questions. Following this information gathering and internal analysis, NOAA will make a final determination on whether or not the St. George Unangan Heritage NMS nomination will remain in the inventory for another five year period.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the following: Mackerel Cobia Committee; Snapper Grouper Committee; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Citizen Science Committee; and Outreach and Communications Committee. The meeting week will also include a formal public comment session and a meeting of the Full Council (partially Closed Session).

As a result of these expedited sunset reviews, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge from the People's Republic of China (China) and Taiwan would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Review'' section of this notice.

This document delays the effective date of the final rule published on September 15, 2021, setting forth the proposed Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Order, as authorized by the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2018, which establishes a Concrete Masonry Products Board (Board) composed of industry members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to develop and implement programs of research, education, and promotion in the concrete masonry products industry. The effective date is delayed from November 29, 2021, to December 18, 2021. There have been longer-than-expected delays in delivery of timely completed ballots, and the Department wants to ensure it has time to adequately review and process all ballots received. The change in the effective date of the Order does not affect the referendum period which ends on November 15. If the referendum fails, the Department will publish a document in the Federal Register to withdraw the final rule before the effective date.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has issued one Incidental Take Permit and one Enhancement of Survival Permit to Sierra Pacific Land & Timber Company (SPL&T) for the Sierra Pacific Industries Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA). The HCP/SHA was submitted pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. NMFS has also prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) associated with NMFS' issuance of the Permits for the HCP/SHA. The Permits authorize incidental take of ESA- listed species as set forth in the HCP/SHA for a 50-year period.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee and Advisory Panel will hold a joint, public meeting.

The United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (Board or TTAB) will hold a meeting on Friday, December 3, 2021. The Board advises the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The purpose of the meeting is for Board members to discuss and potentially adopt recommendations for the Secretary in the areas of (1) top issues facing the sector related to climate change and (2) actions to provide for employment in the sector. The final agenda will be posted on the Department of Commerce website for the Board at https://www.trade.gov/ttab-meetings at least two days prior to the meeting.

NMFS announces the initiation of a 5-year review for the common angelshark (Squatina squatina). NMFS is required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to conduct 5-year reviews to ensure that the listing classifications of species are accurate. The 5-year review must be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we request submission of any such information on the common angelshark that has become available since the species was listed in 2016.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Charter Halibut Management Committee will meet December 6, 2021.