Department of Commerce 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), publish this final rule to remove the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) from the list of endangered marine and anadromous species at 50 CFR 224.101 due to extinction of the species. We have reviewed the status of this species and determined that removal of the protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the Caribbean monk seal is warranted. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) concurred with our recommendation to delist this species in a letter dated October 17, 2008.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposes to revise some of its safety codes and standards and requests proposals from the public to amend existing or begin the process of developing new NFPA safety codes and standards. The purpose of this request is to increase public participation in the system used by NFPA to develop its codes and standards. The publication of this notice of request for proposals 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. 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.

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 take 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.

The dates for the SEDAR Catchability Procedural Workshop, originally scheduled for November 17 20, 2008, have been changed to February 9-12, 2009. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, ``Services'' or ``we'') previously proposed to amend regulations governing interagency cooperation under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) (73 FR 47868-47875; August 15, 2008). The Services proposed these regulatory changes to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the section 7(a)(2) consultation process. This Federal Register notice advises the public that we (FWS and NOAA) have prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that assesses the potential environmental effects of the proposed regulatory changes currently under consideration. The Draft EA is available for public review at the following Web site: https://www.doi.gov/issues/esa.html.

NMFS is announcing that the quotas for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for 2009 remain status quo. Regulations governing these fisheries require NMFS to notify the public of the allowable harvest levels for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs from the Exclusive Economic Zone in the Federal Register if the previous year's quota specifications remain unchanged.

Notice is hereby given that Dr. Kathryn A. Ono, Department of Biological Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 10080-02.

This proposed rule would adjust quotas for the 2009 fishing season for sandbar sharks, non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks managed under Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) based on any over- and/or underharvests experienced during the 2008 Atlantic commercial shark fishing season. The purpose of this proposed action is to provide advance notice of quotas for the Atlantic commercial shark fishery and address any over- and/or underharvests that may have occurred in the Atlantic shark fishery during the 2008 fishing season.

In response to a request from Ternium M[eacute]xico, S.A. de C.V. (``Ternium Mexico''), and pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act'') and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.221(c)(3), the Department is initiating a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (``standard pipe'') from Mexico. This review will determine whether Ternium Mexico is the successor-in-interest to Hylsa, S.A. de C.V. (``Hylsa'').

On August 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary intent to rescind and rescission in part for the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain forged stainless steel flanges (stainless steel flanges) from India manufactured by Pradeep Metals Limited (Pradeep) and covering the period February 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. See Certain Forged Stainless Steel Flanges from India; Preliminary Intent to Rescind Administrative Review and Rescission in Part, 73 FR 44969 (August 1, 2008) (Preliminary Intent). We are rescinding the review for Pradeep because we have determined that it had no bona fide U.S. sales during the period of review.

NMFS has received an application from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to the removal and replacement of support structures for the Beach Boulevard Bridge over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICWW) in Duval County, FL. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposed IHA for these activities.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Sea Grant Review Panel. Panel members will discuss and provide advice on the National Sea Grant College Program in the areas of program evaluation, strategic planning, education and extension, science and technology programs, and other matters as described in the Agenda below.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Atka mackerel for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2008 Atka mackerel allowable catch (TAC) specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea Subarea of the BSAI.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. This action is necessary to fully use the 2008 total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka mackerel in these areas specified for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery.

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.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is amending the system of records currently listed under ``COMMERCE/ PAT-TM-18 USPTO Identification and Security Access Control Systems.'' This action is being taken to revise the Privacy Act Notice to include the information necessary for identification cards that meet the standards set by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) ``Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors'' (August 27, 2004). The system of records will also be renamed ``COMMERCE/PAT-TM-18 USPTO Personal Identification Verification (PIV) and Security Access Control Systems.'' We invite the public to comment on the amended system noted in this publication.

NMFS announces the availability of the final conservation plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA). NMFS incorporated into this document new information on Cook Inlet beluga whales and comments received on the draft conservation plan released for public review and comment on March 16, 2005.