Department of Commerce March 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes regulations implementing Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). These proposed regulations would amend the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program. Amendment 26 would amend the FMP to exempt permanently quota share issued to crew members, and the annual harvest privileges derived from that quota share, from requirements for delivery to specific processors, delivery within specific geographic regions, and participation in an arbitration system to resolve price disputes. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the FMP, and other applicable law.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has received requests to conduct administrative reviews of various antidumping and countervailing duty orders and findings with February anniversary dates. In accordance with the Department's regulations, we are initiating those administrative reviews. The Department received a request to revoke one antidumping duty order in part. The Department also received requests to defer the initiation of an administrative review for one antidumping duty order.

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 Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) will hold a plenary meeting on April 18, 2008 at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, in Room 4813. The ETTAC will discuss updated negotiations in the World Trade Organization's environmental goods and services trade liberalization, trade issues concerning China, drafting of a recommendation paper, among other administrative committee priority items. The meeting is open to the public and time will be permitted for public comment. Written comments concerning ETTAC affairs are welcome anytime before or after the meeting. Minutes will be available within 30 days of this meeting. The ETTAC is mandated by Public Law 103-392. It was created to advise the U.S. government on environmental trade policies and programs, and to help it to focus its resources on increasing the exports of the U.S. environmental industry. ETTAC operates as an advisory committee to the Secretary of Commerce and the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC). ETTAC was originally chartered in May of 1994. It was most recently re-chartered until September 2008. For further information phone Ellen Bohon, Office of Energy and Environmental Technologies Industries (OEEI), International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce at (202) 482-0359. This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to OEEI at (202) 482-5225.

Import Administration issues this interim final rule for the purpose of withdrawing its regulation governing the treatment of tollers or subcontractors for purposes of determining export price, constructed export price, fair value, and normal value in antidumping duty proceedings.

On November 7, 2007, the Department of Commerce published its preliminary determination and amended preliminary determination, respectively, of the investigation of sales at less than fair value in the antidumping duty investigation of glycine from India. See Notice of Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Glycine From India, 72 FR 62827 (November 7, 2007), and Notice of Amended Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Glycine From India, 72 FR 62826 (November 7, 2007). The Department of Commerce has determined that glycine from India is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value, as provided in section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). The estimated margins of sales at less than fair value are listed below in the section entitled ``Final Determination of Investigation.''

On January 31, 2008, NMFS published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) soliciting public comments on revisions to its implementing regulations governing the taking of stranded marine mammals. Written comments were due by March 31, 2008. NMFS has decided to allow additional time for submission of public comments on this action.

On November 29, 2005, NMFS received a request from Eglin Air Force Base (Eglin AFB), for authorization to harass marine mammals, incidental to conducting surf zone testing/training and amphibious vehicle training and weapons testing off the coast of Santa Rosa Island (SRI). Following notice and comment, NMFS issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Eglin AFB for a period of one year from December 11, 2006, to December 10, 2007, with mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements. On October 16, 2007, NMFS received a request from Eglin AFB to renew the IHA for a period of one year. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an authorization to Eglin AFB to incidentally take, by harassment, two species of cetaceans for a period of 1 year. NMFS is also requesting comments, information, and suggestions concerning Eglin AFB's application and the structure and content of future regulations.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee on April 14-15, 2008, 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.

NMFS reduces the commercial trip limit for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic to 300 lb (136 kg) per trip in or from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This trip limit reduction is necessary to protect the South Atlantic golden tilefish resource.

NMFS announces the intent to issue exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to Pacific whiting shoreside vessels and first receivers that participate in a maximized retention and monitor program for the 2008 Pacific whiting shoreside fishery. EFPs are needed to allow vessels to retain catch in excess of the cumulative limits and to retain prohibited species until offloading. EFPs are also needed to allow first receivers to possess catch from a vessel that is in excess of cumulative limits and to used hopper type scales to derive accurate catch weights prior to sorting. Issuance of the EFPs would allow NMFS to collect catch data on incidentally caught species, including salmonids listed under the Endangered Species Act, and would allow new components of an overall monitoring program to be investigated before implementation of a regulatory program.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 141st meeting to consider and take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 2008 Pacific cod allowable catch (TAC) specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the BSAI.

NOAA publishes this notice to amend the application requirements for the 2008 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship program, which was announced in the Federal Register on July 2, 2007. The notice informs applicants that NOAA removes the requirement that a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form be submitted as part of the applications for the 2008 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) previously published proposed revised management plans, revised Designation Documents, and revised regulations for the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS), Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS), and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The currently pending proposed regulations would revise and provide greater clarity to existing regulations. After reviewing public comments on the proposed rules, including a request from the California State Water Resources Control Board to prohibit discharges from certain vessels in national marine sanctuaries offshore of California, and further analyzing vessel discharge issues, NOAA now proposes additional discharge regulations for the CBNMS, GFNMS, and MBNMS consistent with the request of the California State Water Resources Control Board. This proposed rule would prohibit discharge of treated waste from vessels 300 gross registered tons (GRT) or more with sufficient holding tank capacity to hold treated sewage while within the sanctuary and limit the exception for graywater discharges to vessels less than 300 GRT, and vessels 300 GRT or more without sufficient holding tank capacity to hold graywater while within the MBNMS.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Census Advisory Committee of Professional Associations. The Committee will address policy, research, and technical issues related to 2010 Decennial Census Programs. The Committee will also discuss several economic initiatives and demographic program topics, as well as issues pertaining to 2010 communications. Last-minute changes to the agenda are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

This notice corrects a transposition error in the address for submitting comments to a notice of inquiry published on March 19, 2007 (73 FR 14769). The reference to room H-7205 should have read H-2705. As corrected, the final sentence of the addresses paragraph reads:

We preliminarily determine that electrolytic manganese dioxide (``EMD'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (``LTFV''), as provided in section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). The estimated margins of sales at LTFV are shown in the ``Preliminary Determination'' section of this notice. Pursuant to a request from an interested party, we are postponing the final determination and extending the provisional measures from a four-month period to not more than six months. Accordingly, we will make our final determination not later than 135 days after publication of the preliminary determination.

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 Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is rescinding the new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from Germany manufactured by Flanschenwerk Bebitz GmbH (``Flanschenwerk''). The period of review (``POR'') covers March 1, 2007, through August 31, 2007. This order was revoked as a result of a sunset proceeding and the effective date of revocation is prior to the U.S. entry made by Flanschenwerk subject to this new shipper review.