Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the Proposed Trade in Services Agreement, 37836-37837 [2014-15489]

Download as PDF 37836 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 2, 2014 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the Proposed Trade in Services Agreement Office of the United States Trade Representative ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct an environmental review of the proposed Trade in Services Agreement and request for comments. AGENCY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) currently being negotiated among 23 economies, including the United States. The TPSC invites written comments from the public on the topics that should be included in the scope of the environmental review, including potential positive or negative environmental effects that might result from the trade agreement and potential implications for U.S. environmental laws and regulations. The TPSC also welcomes public views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting the review. The review will be conducted consistent with the relevant procedures of Executive Order 13141: Environmental Review of Trade Agreement (64 FR 63169, November 18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442, December 19, 2000). Persons submitting written comments should provide as much detail as possible on the manner and degree to which the subject matter they propose for inclusion in the review may raise significant environmental issues that should be considered in the context of the negotiations. Public comments on environmental issues submitted in response to prior notices (78 FR 5238, January 24, 2013) and (78 FR 55135, September 9, 2013) requesting comments from the public regarding the TiSA will be taken into account in preparing the environmental review and do not need to be resubmitted. DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before September 2, 2014, to be assured of timely consideration by the TPSC. ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted electronically to www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR 2014–0011. If you are unable to provide submissions by www.regulations.gov, please contact Ms. Yvonne Jamison (202–395–3475) to arrange for an alternative method of transmission. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:49 Jul 01, 2014 Jkt 232001 Questions regarding the submission of comments in response to this notice should be directed to Ms. Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395–3475. Questions concerning the environmental review should be addressed to Ms. Leslie Yang at (202) 395–7320. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Background Information On January 15, 2013, USTR notified Congress of the President’s intent to enter into negotiations for an international services agreement with an initial group of 20 trading partners. Twenty-three economies are presently participating in TiSA negotiations: Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the European Union, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States. Through a notice in the Federal Register and a public hearing (held March 12, 2013, in Washington, DC), the TPSC invited the public to provide written comments and/or oral testimony to assist USTR in assessing U.S. objectives for the proposed agreement (see 78 FR 5238, January 24, 2013). Through a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, the TPSC invited the public to provide written comments to assist USTR in assessing U.S. objectives regarding the participation of Paraguay and Liechtenstein (additions to the initial group of TiSA participants) (78 FR 55135, September 9, 2013). Additional information about the proposed TiSA can be found at https:// www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/servicesinvestment/services. 2. Environmental Review USTR, through the TPSC, will conduct an environmental review of the agreement consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169, November 18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442, December 19, 2000). The purpose of environmental reviews is to ensure that policymakers and the public are informed about reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of trade agreements (both positive and negative), to identify complementarities between trade and environmental objectives, and to help shape appropriate responses if environmental impacts are identified. Reviews are intended to be one tool, among others, for integrating environmental information and analysis into the fluid, dynamic process of trade negotiations. USTR and the Council on Environmental Quality jointly oversee PO 00000 Frm 00126 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 implementation of the Executive Order and its implementing guidelines. USTR, through the TPSC, is responsible for conducting the individual reviews. Additional background information and examples of prior environmental reviews are available at: https:// www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/environment/ environmental-reviews. 3. Requirements for Submissions Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify (on the first page of the submission) ‘‘Comments Regarding the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Environmental Review.’’ In order to be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by September 2, 2014. In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR 2014–0011 on the home page and click ‘‘search.’’ The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice and click on the link entitled ‘‘Comment Now!’’ (For further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on ‘‘How to Use This Site’’ on the left side of the home page). The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments by filling in a ‘‘Type Comment’’ field, or by attaching a document using an ‘‘Upload File’’ field. USTR prefers that comments be provided in an attached document. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in an application other than those two, please indicate the name of the application in the ‘‘Type Comment’’ field. For any comments submitted electronically containing business confidential information, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters ‘‘BC’’. Any page containing business confidential information must be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ on the top of that page. Filers of submissions containing business confidential information must also submit a public version of their comments. The file name of the public version should begin with the character ‘‘P’’. The ‘‘BC’’ and ‘‘P’’ should be followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Filers submitting comments containing no business confidential information E:\FR\FM\02JYN1.SGM 02JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 2, 2014 / Notices should name their file using the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a cover letter in the submission itself. Similarly, to the extent possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files. As noted, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through the www.regulations.gov Web site if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements must be made with Ms. Jamison in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms. Jamison may be contacted at (202) 395– 3475. General information concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov. Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection, except business confidential information. Comments may be viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home page. Douglas Bell, Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee. [FR Doc. 2014–15489 Filed 7–1–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3290–F4–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION [Docket Number DOT–OST–2014–0112] Agency Information Collection Activity; Notice of Request for Approval To Collect New Information: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST–R), U.S. Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the following information collection: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This data collection effort supports a multi-year program focused on improving safety in the OCS by collecting and analyzing data and information on near misses and other unsafe occurrences in all oil and gas mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:49 Jul 01, 2014 Jkt 232001 operations on the OCS. In August 2013, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and BTS signed an Interagency Agreement (IAA) to develop and implement a voluntary program for confidential reporting of ‘near misses’ occurring on the OCS. BTS will analyze and aggregate information provided under this program and publish reports that will provide BSEE, the industry and all OCS stakeholders with essential information about accident precursors and other hazards associated with OCS oil and gas operations so that all stakeholders can use that information to reduce safety and environmental hazards and continue building a more robust OCS safety culture. This information collection is necessary to aid BSEE, the oil and gas industry and other stakeholders in identifying root causes of potentially unsafe events. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by September 2, 2014. ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your comments electronically. Docket Number: DOT–OST–2014–0112. • Mail: Docket Services, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001. • Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. • Fax: (202) 493–2251. Identify all transmission with ‘‘Docket Number DOT–OST–2014–0112’’ at the beginning of each page of the document. Instructions: All comments must include the agency name and docket number for this notice. Paper comments should be submitted in duplicate. The DMF is open for examination and copying, at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following statement: ‘‘Comments on Docket Number DOT– OST–2014–0112.’’ The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that all comments received, including any personal information, will be posted and will be publicly viewable, without change, at www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement PO 00000 Frm 00127 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 37837 in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19477–78) or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Advanced Studies, RTS–31, E324–302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590–0001; Phone No. (202) 366–1610; Fax No. (202) 366–3383; email: demetra.collia@dot.gov. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Data Confidentiality Provisions: The confidentiality of near miss data submitted to BTS is protected under the BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C. Sec. 6307) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–347, Title V). In accordance with these confidentiality statutes, only statistical and non-identifying data will be made publicly available by BTS through its reports. BTS will not release to BSEE or any other public or private entity any information that might reveal the identity of individuals or organizations mentioned in near miss reports without explicit consent of the respondent and any other affected entities. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. The Data Collection The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB approval to initiate an information collection activity. BTS is seeking OMB approval for the following BTS information collection activity: Title: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf OMB Control Number: TBD. Type of Review: Approval of data collection. Respondents: Employees working in the oil and gas industry on the OCS. Number of Potential Responses: Based on near miss reporting trends in other industries, BTS expects to receive no more than two responses per calendar day during the first three years of the program (approximately 730 responses per year). Estimated Time per Response: not to exceed 60 minutes (this includes estimated time for a follow up interview, if needed.) E:\FR\FM\02JYN1.SGM 02JYN1

Agencies

Office of the United States Trade Representative

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37836-37837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15489]



[[Page 37836]]

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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the 
Proposed Trade in Services Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct an environmental review of the 
proposed Trade in Services Agreement and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), 
through the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an 
environmental review of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) 
currently being negotiated among 23 economies, including the United 
States. The TPSC invites written comments from the public on the topics 
that should be included in the scope of the environmental review, 
including potential positive or negative environmental effects that 
might result from the trade agreement and potential implications for 
U.S. environmental laws and regulations. The TPSC also welcomes public 
views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting 
the review. The review will be conducted consistent with the relevant 
procedures of Executive Order 13141: Environmental Review of Trade 
Agreement (64 FR 63169, November 18, 1999) and its implementing 
guidelines (65 FR 79442, December 19, 2000). Persons submitting written 
comments should provide as much detail as possible on the manner and 
degree to which the subject matter they propose for inclusion in the 
review may raise significant environmental issues that should be 
considered in the context of the negotiations. Public comments on 
environmental issues submitted in response to prior notices (78 FR 
5238, January 24, 2013) and (78 FR 55135, September 9, 2013) requesting 
comments from the public regarding the TiSA will be taken into account 
in preparing the environmental review and do not need to be 
resubmitted.

DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before September 2, 2014, to 
be assured of timely consideration by the TPSC.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted electronically to 
www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR 2014-0011. If you are unable to 
provide submissions by www.regulations.gov, please contact Ms. Yvonne 
Jamison (202-395-3475) to arrange for an alternative method of 
transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the submission of 
comments in response to this notice should be directed to Ms. Yvonne 
Jamison at (202) 395-3475. Questions concerning the environmental 
review should be addressed to Ms. Leslie Yang at (202) 395-7320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background Information

    On January 15, 2013, USTR notified Congress of the President's 
intent to enter into negotiations for an international services 
agreement with an initial group of 20 trading partners. Twenty-three 
economies are presently participating in TiSA negotiations: Australia, 
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the European Union, Hong Kong, 
Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, 
Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, 
Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States. Through a notice in the Federal 
Register and a public hearing (held March 12, 2013, in Washington, DC), 
the TPSC invited the public to provide written comments and/or oral 
testimony to assist USTR in assessing U.S. objectives for the proposed 
agreement (see 78 FR 5238, January 24, 2013). Through a subsequent 
notice in the Federal Register, the TPSC invited the public to provide 
written comments to assist USTR in assessing U.S. objectives regarding 
the participation of Paraguay and Liechtenstein (additions to the 
initial group of TiSA participants) (78 FR 55135, September 9, 2013). 
Additional information about the proposed TiSA can be found at https://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/services-investment/services.

2. Environmental Review

    USTR, through the TPSC, will conduct an environmental review of the 
agreement consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169, November 
18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442, December 19, 
2000). The purpose of environmental reviews is to ensure that 
policymakers and the public are informed about reasonably foreseeable 
environmental impacts of trade agreements (both positive and negative), 
to identify complementarities between trade and environmental 
objectives, and to help shape appropriate responses if environmental 
impacts are identified. Reviews are intended to be one tool, among 
others, for integrating environmental information and analysis into the 
fluid, dynamic process of trade negotiations. USTR and the Council on 
Environmental Quality jointly oversee implementation of the Executive 
Order and its implementing guidelines. USTR, through the TPSC, is 
responsible for conducting the individual reviews. Additional 
background information and examples of prior environmental reviews are 
available at: https://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/environment/environmental-reviews.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify 
(on the first page of the submission) ``Comments Regarding the Trade in 
Services Agreement (TiSA) Environmental Review.'' In order to be 
assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by September 2, 
2014. In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments 
via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR 2014-0011 on the home 
page and click ``search.'' The site will provide a search-results page 
listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to 
this notice and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' (For 
further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please 
consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on ``How to 
Use This Site'' on the left side of the home page).
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. USTR prefers that comments be provided 
in an attached document. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word 
(.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in an application 
other than those two, please indicate the name of the application in 
the ``Type Comment'' field.
    For any comments submitted electronically containing business 
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC''. Any page containing 
business confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS 
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. Filers of submissions 
containing business confidential information must also submit a public 
version of their comments. The file name of the public version should 
begin with the character ``P''. The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed 
by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Filers 
submitting comments containing no business confidential information

[[Page 37837]]

should name their file using the name of the person or entity 
submitting the comments.
    Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the submission itself. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
the www.regulations.gov Web site if at all possible. Any alternative 
arrangements must be made with Ms. Jamison in advance of transmitting a 
comment. Ms. Jamison may be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General 
information concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.
    Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public 
inspection, except business confidential information. Comments may be 
viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant 
docket number in the search field on the home page.

Douglas Bell,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2014-15489 Filed 7-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F4-P

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