November 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On October 11, 2005, the Committee received a request from the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, the National Council of Textile Organizations, the National Textile Association, and UNITE HERE requesting that the Committee limit imports from China of cotton terry and other pile towels (Category 363). They request that a textile and apparel safeguard action, as provided for in the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of China to the World Trade Organization (the Accession Agreement) be applied on imports of such towels. The Committee hereby solicits public comments on this request, in particular with regard to whether imports from China of such towels are, due to market disruption, threatening to impede the orderly development of trade in this product. Comments must be submitted by December 7, 2005 to the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 3001A, United States Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230.

The Committee is extending through November 8, 2005, the period for making a determination on whether to request consultations with China regarding imports of cotton and man-made fiber nightwear (Category 351/651).

The Committee is extending through November 8, 2005, the period for making a determination on whether to request consultations with China regarding imports of women's and girls' cotton and man-made fiber shirts and blouses, not-knit (Category 341/641).

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations that govern the requirements pertaining to design basis threat (DBT). The proposed rule would amend the Commission's regulations to, among other things, make generically applicable the security requirements previously imposed by the Commission's April 29, 2003 DBT orders, which applied to existing licensees, and redefine the level of security requirements necessary to ensure that the public health and safety and common defense and security are adequately protected. The proposed rule would revise the DBT requirements for radiological sabotage (applied to power reactors and Category I fuel cycle facilities), and theft or diversion of NRC-licensed Strategic Special Nuclear Material (SSNM) (applied to Category I fuel cycle facilities). The NRC has developed draft Regulatory Guides (RGs) that provide guidance to licensees concerning the DBT for radiological sabotage and theft and diversion. These draft RGs have limited distribution because they contain either safeguards or classified information. The specific details related to the threat, which contain both safeguards information (SGI) and classified information, are contained in adversary characteristics documents (ACDs) that are not publicly available. These documents include specific details of the attributes of the threat consistent with the requirements imposed in the April 29, 2003, DBT orders. Additionally, a Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-73-12), filed by the Committee to Bridge the Gap, was considered as part of this proposed rulemaking; the NRC's disposition of this petition is contained in this document.