Department of Commerce 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS, announce the initiation of an ESA status review of the black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii), and we solicit information on the species.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) announces the dates and locations of public hearings to solicit comments on the proposed 15th amendment to the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan to allow de minimis ocean fishing impacts on Klamath River fall Chinook during years that would otherwise be closed to ocean salmon fishing.

On September 27, 2006, NMFS published the proposed rule for Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 1) incorporating the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Regulatory Impact Review, and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, for Secretarial review and requested comments from the public. The proposed rule contains an error in the ADDRESSES caption regarding the email address for submitting comments regarding the burden-hour estimates and other aspects of the collection-of-information requirements. This document corrects that error.

In accordance with section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and Sec. 351.216(b) of the Department of Commerce's (the Department's) regulations, TRW Fuji Valve, Inc. (TRW), a U.S. importer, filed a request for a changed-circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from Japan. The petitioners and domestic interested parties have affirmatively expressed a lack of interest in the continuation of the order with respect to 21-2N modified valve/stem stainless steel round bar.\1\ In response to this request, the Department is initiating a changed- circumstances review of the order on stainless steel bar from Japan with respect to this product as described below.

On October 6, 2006, the binational panel issued its decision in the full sunset review of the antidumping and countervailing duty determination made by the International Trade Commission, respecting Magnesium from Canada, Secretariat File No. USA-CDA-2000-1904-09. The binational panel affirmed the International Trade Commission determination with two dissenting opinions. Copies of the panel decision are available from the U.S. Section of the NAFTA Secretariat.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene one public meeting of the Ad Hoc Shrimp Effort Working Group (SEWG).

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.

After the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated a review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (HRS) from India covering the period December 1, 2004, through November 30, 2005 (the period of review or POR), the sole respondent, Essar Steel Ltd. (Essar), claimed it did not ship subject merchandise to the United States during the POR. The Department is now rescinding this review based on record evidence consistent with Essar's no shipments claim.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by non- American Fisheries Act (AFA) crab vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2006 Pacific cod sideboard limits apportioned to non-AFA crab vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component of the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The purpose of this notice is to request comments on the technical reports that will be published in the NFPA's 2007 Fall Revision Cycle. The publication of this notice by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on behalf of NFPA is being undertaken as a public service; NIST does not necessarily endorse, approve, or recommend any of the standards referenced in the notice. Since 1896, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has accomplished its mission by advocating scientifically based consensus codes and standards, research, and education for safety related issues. NFPA's National Fire Codes[supreg], which holds over 270 documents, are administered by more than 225 Technical Committees comprised of approximately 7,000 volunteers and are adopted and used throughout the world. NFPA is a nonprofit membership organization with approximately 80,000 members from over 70 nations, all working together to fulfill the Association's mission. The NFPA process provides ample opportunity for public participation in the development of its codes and standards. All NFPA codes and standards are revised and updated every three to five years in Revision Cycles that begin twice each year and that takes approximately two years to complete. Each Revision Cycle proceeds according to a published schedule that includes final dates for all major events in the process. The process contains five basic steps that are followed both for developing new documents as well as revising existing documents. These steps are: Calling for Proposals; Publishing the Proposals in the Report on Proposals; Calling for Comments on the Committee's disposition of the Proposals and these Comments are published in the Report on Comments; having a Technical Report Session at the NFPA Annual Meeting; and finally, the Standards Council Consideration and Issuance of documents.

On June 6, 2006, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan. We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results. Based on our analysis of the comments received and an examination of our calculations, we have made certain changes for the final results. The final weighted-average dumping margin for Far Eastern Textile Limited is listed below in the ``Final Results of the Review'' section of this notice.

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty order on ferrovanadium and nitrided vanadium from Russia would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time, the Department is publishing notice of the continuation of this antidumping duty order.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a 5-year review of Johnson's seagrass (Halophila johnsonii) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). A 5-year review is a periodic process conducted to ensure that the listing classification of a species is accurate. A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information on Johnson's seagrass that has become available since its original listing as a threatened species in 1998. Based on the results of this 5-year review, we will make the requisite findings under the ESA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/Marine Protected Area (MPA)/ Ecosystem Committee meeting in October, 2006, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is issuing a final revised management plan and revised regulations for the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS or sanctuary). The revised regulations prohibit anchoring in the sanctuary, restrict all fishing except that conducted by rod and reel, handline, or spearfishing gear without powerheads, and requires all other forms of fishing gear to be stowed and not available for immediate use when a vessel with such gear is in the sanctuary.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Atka mackerel with gears other than jig in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2006 Atka mackerel total allowable catch (TAC) specified for gears other than jig in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS or Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the following three vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council): University education, Living resources research, and Georgia conservation. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the Sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve 3-year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to attend a meeting on November 1, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. at the NIST main campus in Gaithersburg, MD to discuss collaboration, between NIST and industry, in the Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) Consortium. The objective of this meeting will be to briefly explain the proposed consortium tasks and to solicit interested AGV companies to join the consortium. The consortium is open to members joining prior to November 17, 2006. Beyond this date, joining the collaboration will not be allowed. The consortium will research advanced 3D imaging techniques for AGVs over a three phase effort.

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting new shipper antidumping duty reviews of freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') in response to requests by Nanjing Merry Trading Co., Ltd. (``Nanjing Merry''), Leping Lotai Foods Co., Ltd. (``Leping Lotai''), Weishan Hongrun Aquatic Co., Ltd. (``Weishan Hongrun''), and Shanghai Strong International Trading Co., Ltd. (``Shanghai Strong''). These reviews cover shipments to the United States for the period September 1, 2005, to February 28, 2006, by these four respondents. For the reasons discussed below, we are extending the preliminary results of the new shipper reviews of Nanjing Merry, Leping Lotai, and Weishan Hongrun by an additional 90 days, and the new shipper review of Shanghai Strong by an additional 65 days, to no later than January 23, 2007.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene its Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Selection Committee via Conference Call to select participants for SEDAR 12 for red grouper for recommendation to the Council.

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 President's Export Council will hold a meeting via teleconference to deliberate a draft recommendation to the President regarding Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.