Department of Commerce July 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is soliciting applications for FY 2006 National Technical Assistance Program funding. EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Through its National Technical Assistance Program, EDA works towards fulfilling its mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in urban and rural regions throughout the United States and its territories. By working in conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest economic potential.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene public meetings.

In June 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') received requests to conduct new shipper reviews of the antidumping duty order on honey from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). We have determined that these requests meet the statutory and regulatory requirements for the initiation of new shipper reviews.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to reflect changes to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that were agreed to by MTCR member countries at the September 2005 Plenary in Madrid, Spain. The amendments set forth in this rule also reflect a change to make one additional missile technology (MT) controlled item available for certain license exceptions.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Greenland turbot in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2006 Greenland turbot total allowable catch (TAC) in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

NMFS is soliciting applications for permit upgrades in the American Samoa longline limited entry program. Eight upgrade permits will be available in 2006 for holders of Class A vessel permits (i.e., less than or equal to 40 ft or 12.2 m in length) to upgrade to permits for larger vessels (Class B-1, C-1, or D-1). The upgrade permits are available only to Class A permit holders who participated in the fishery before March 22, 2002. The highest priority for receiving an upgrade permit will be given to the person with the earliest date of documented participation.

NMFS announces consideration of proposed rulemaking to control future access to the Atlantic hagfish fishery. The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has indicated that limiting access to the hagfish fishery may be necessary to control participation in the fishery at a level that reduces capitalization and constrains fishing to sustainable levels, while ensuring that the fishery does not become overfished, as defined by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). SARs for marine mammals in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new information. NMFS solicits public comments on draft 2006 SARs.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) hereby publishes a list of scope rulings completed between April 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006. In conjunction with this list, the Department is also publishing a list of requests for scope rulings and anticircumvention determinations pending as of June 30, 2006. We intend to publish future lists after the close of the next calendar quarter.

The natural resource trustees (the Trustees) hereby notify the public of their intent to conduct restoration planning activities for injuries to natural resources caused by the Bouchard B-120 Oil Spill that occurred on or about April 27, 2003. On that date, the Bouchard B- 120, owned and operated by the Bouchard Transportation Company, grounded on a shoal in Buzzards Bay, which is located off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and released between 22,000 and 98,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into the environment. The Trustees include the: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior; Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Department of Environmental Management. The purpose of restoration planning is to evaluate potential injuries to natural resources and services resulting from the spill and utilize that information to determine the need for, and scale of, restoration actions. The public is invited to participate in the restoration planning process by reviewing and commenting on documents contained in the Administrative Record, attending public meetings as scheduled, and reviewing and commenting on the Draft and Final Restoration Plans when such documents have been completed.

On February 3, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published its preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from Germany. The period of review is March 1, 2004, through February 28, 2005. Based on our analysis of the comments received and an examination of our calculations, we have made certain changes for the final results. Consequently, the final results differ from the preliminary results. The final weighted-average dumping margin is listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of the Review.''

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will publish North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) State Plane Coordinate (SPC) grid values, in both meters, and U.S. Survey Feet (1 ft = 1200/3937 m) in New Jersey, for all well defined geodetic survey control monuments maintained by NGS in the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and computed from various geodetic positioning utilities. The adoption of this standard is implemented in accordance with NGS policy and a request from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors, and the New Jersey Bureau Office of Information Technology.

The Department of Commerce has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with June anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews. The Department also received a request to revoke two antidumping duty orders in part.

In accordance with Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. Section 1512, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting competitive applications from organizations to operate a Minority Business Enterprise Center (MBEC) (formerly Minority Business Development Center). This is not a grant program to help start a business. Applications submitted must be to operate a Minority Business Enterprise Center and to provide business consultation to eligible minority clients. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. The MBEC will provide services in the outlined geographic areas (refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this Notice). The MBEC Program requires MBEC staff to provide standardized business assistance services (as outlined in the Federal Funding Opportunity Announcement) to minority firms with $500,000 or more in annual revenues and/or ``rapid growth-potential'' minority businesses (``Strategic Growth Initiative'' or ``SGI'' firms) directly; to develop a network of strategic partnerships; and to provide strategic business consulting. This is a fee for service program, therefore, the MBEC is required to charge client fees. These requirements will be used to generate increased results with respect to financing and contracts awarded to minority-owned firms and thus, are a key component of this program. The MBEC Program will concentrate on serving SGI firms capable of generating significant employment and long-term economic growth. The MBEC Program shall leverage telecommunications technology, including the Internet, and a variety of online computer-based resources to dramatically increase the level of service that the MBEC can provide to minority-owned firms.

NMFS adjusts the 2006 Winter II commercial scup quota and possession limit. This action complies with Framework Adjustment 3 (Framework 3) to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which established a process to allow the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I period to the Winter II period.

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.