Department of Commerce October 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The draft environmental assessment (EA) evaluates the effects of submarine fiber optic cables owned by Pacific Crossing, Ltd. in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS). The EA evaluates eight alternative actions NOAA may take to address impacts associated with the current disposition of the cables. NOAA is soliciting comments and recommendations from the public regarding remediation alternatives and their impacts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) is a cooperating agency in this EA.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using trawl and jig gear to vessels using hook-and- line and pot gear in the BSAI. These actions are necessary to allow the 2005 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The Department of Commerce, 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 proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steel concrete reinforcing bars (rebar) from Latvia. We preliminarily determine that sales of subject merchandise by Joint Stock Company Liepajas Metalurgs (LM) have been made below normal value (NV). If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on appropriate entries based on the difference between the export price (EP) and the NV. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce is initiating countervailing duty investigations to determine whether manufacturers, producers, or exporters of certain lined paper products from India and Indonesia receive countervailable subsidies.

On April 22, 2005, the Department of Commerce published a notice of initiation of an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from Brazil for the period March 1, 2004, through February 28, 2005. The Department intends to rescind this review after determining that one of the parties subject to this review did not have entries during the period of review (POR) upon which to assess antidumping duties, and that the other party had no entries in addition to those that are already being examined in an ongoing new shipper review.

NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management is issuing this notice to advise the public that a DEIS for OCRM's review of amendments to the Alaska Coastal Management Program has been prepared and is available for public review and comment. Written requests for the DEIS and written comments on the DEIS can be submitted to the individual listed in the section FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Public hearings will be held on October 31, 2005 and November 1, 2005. The public comment period commenced on September 23, 2005 and will close on November 7, 2005. Public Comment Hearings: The start of the public comment period on the DEIS was September 23, 2005, and will end on November 7, 2005. Two public hearings will be held; one on October 31, 2005 and one on November 1, 2005, in Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska, respectively. The public hearing on Monday, October 31, 2005 will be held in Juneau, Alaska at the Centennial Hall Convention Center, Egan Room, (101 Egan Drive) and will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 3 p.m. The public hearing on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 will be held in Anchorage, Alaska at the Hotel Captain Cook (939 West Fifth Avenue) and will begin at 1 p.m. and last until 6 p.m.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The period of review (``POR'') is September 1, 2003, through August 31, 2004. The Department has preliminarily determined that sales have been made below normal value. If these preliminary results are adopted in the final results of this review, the Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on entries of subject merchandise during the period of review (``POR'') for which the importer-specific assessment rates are above de minimis. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. See the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Advanced Technology Program Advisory Committee, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, November 1, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Advanced Technology Program Advisory Committee is composed of ten members appointed by the Director of NIST; who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, education, and management consulting. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The agenda will include presentations on American Competitiveness and the U.S. Electronics Sector, Nanotechnology, the Current State of Aquaculture and International Economic Challenges. A discussion scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and to end at 4 p.m. on November 1, 2005, on ATP budget issues will be closed. Agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. All visitors to the National Institute of Standards and Technology site will have to pre-register to be admitted. Please submit your name, time of arrival, e-mail address and phone number to Donna Paul no later than Friday, October 28, and she will provide you with instructions for admittance. Ms. Paul's e-mail address is donna.paul@nist.gov and her phone number is 301/975-2162.

On March 1, 2005, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated a sunset review of the antidumping duty order on internal-combustion forklift trucks from Japan pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). The Department conducted an expedited (120-day) sunset review of this order. As a result of this sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping. The dumping margins are identified in the Final Results of Review section of this notice.

On June 1, 2005, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated the sunset review of the antidumping duty order on sparklers from the People's Republic of China (``China'') pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). On the basis of Notices of Intent to Participate, adequate substantive responses filed on behalf of domestic interested parties, and lack of response from respondent interested parties, the Department conducted an expedited (120-day) sunset review. As a result of this sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping. The dumping margins likely to prevail if the order were revoked are identified in the Final Results of Review section of this notice.

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Habitat Advisory Panel will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) publishes this notice to announce that the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Commission) will hold a public meeting to deliberate the draft of the Commission's Report to the President. This report was compiled using data acquired from the Commission's site visits to Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; Raleigh, NC; Chicago, IL; New York, NY and technical assistance conferences in order to fulfill the mandates of Executive Order 13339 on ways to provide equal economic opportunities for full participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses where they may be underserved.

This notice is to advise the public that the National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee, co-chaired by the Departments of Commerce and State, is seeking public comments on the potential market impact of the proposed disposal levels for excess materials from the National Defense Stockpile for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Annual Materials Plan (AMP).

On June 27, 2005, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) affirmed the Department of Commerce's (the Department's) redetermination on remand of the final results of the antidumping duty administrative reviews on antifriction bearings (other than tapered roller bearings) and parts thereof from Japan. See NSK Ltd. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 98-07-02527, slip op 05-77 (CIT 2005). The Department is now issuing these amended final results reflecting the court's decision.

In response to a request from Hornos Electricos de Venezuela (Hevensa), a Venezuelan producer and exporter of silicomanganese, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on silicomanganese from Venezuela. See Notice of Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 70 FR 37749 (Initiation Notice). This administrative review covered the period of May 1, 2004, through April 30, 2005. We are now rescinding this review as a result of Hevensa's withdrawal of its request for an administrative review.

On March 1, 2005, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated a sunset review of the antidumping duty orders on porcelain-on-steel cooking ware from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') and Taiwan, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (``the Act''). On the basis of the notice of intent to participate and adequate substantive responses filed on behalf of the domestic interested parties, and inadequate responses from respondent interested parties, the Department conducted expedited sunset reviews. As a result of these sunset reviews, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty orders would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of Reviews.''

This document corrects a September 15, 2005, Federal Register notice that announced NMFS' large coastal shark (LCS) stock assessment Data workshop. That notice provided an incorrect address for the location of the workshop. This document provides the correct address. The date and time of the workshop remain unchanged.

NMFS announces changes to management measures in the commercial and recreational Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. These actions, which are authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), will allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

The Department of Commerce, 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 proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and SSC Biological Subcommittee and Socio-economic Subcommittee in Charleston, South Carolina.

NMFS announces its intent to conduct an additional public scoping meeting to gather information to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), related to the Makah Tribe's request that NMFS waive the take moratorium of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to allow for treaty right hunting of eastern North Pacific gray whales in usual and accustomed grounds off the coast of Washington State. This notice briefly describes the background of the Makah's request for waiver; gives the date, time, and location of the additional public scoping meeting; and identifies a set of preliminary alternatives.