Department of Commerce 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On November 6, 2006, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published a notice of preliminary results of the reconsideration of the sunset review of the antidumping duty order on large newspaper printing presses and components thereof, whether assembled or unassembled (LNPP), from Japan (71 FR 64927), following the requirements of section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). We provided interested parties an opportunity to comment on our preliminary results. We received case and rebuttal briefs from domestic and foreign interested parties, and we held a public hearing. As a result of this review, the Department finds that revocation of the order on LNPP from Japan after the original sunset review period of 1996-2001 would have likely led to the continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

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 section 304(e) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, as amended (NMSA), NOAA is holding scoping meetings to: 1. Solicit public comments and identify issues on the continued management of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary; and 2. Help determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if warranted.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information on spectrum management matters.

NMFS issues this temporary rule for a period of 30 days, to allow shrimp fishermen to use limited tow times as an alternative to Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in state waters off of Texas (extending offshore 9 nautical miles from the Texas/Louisiana boundary southward to the boundary shared by Matagorda and Brazoria Counties; approximately 95[deg] 32' W. long.). The previous 30-day variance of the TED requirements was from October 8 through November 7, 2008. This action is necessary because environmental conditions resulting from Hurricane Ike persist on the fishing grounds, preventing some fishermen from using TEDs effectively.

This notice announces a second public review and comment period for Draft Federal Information Processing Standard 186-3, Digital Signature Standard. The draft standard, designated ``Draft FIPS 186- 3,'' is proposed to revise and supersede FIPS 186-2. Draft FIPS 186-3 is a revision of FIPS 186-2, the Digital Signature Standard. The Draft FIPS specifies three techniques for the generation and verification of digital signatures that can be used for the protection of data: the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and the Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) algorithm. Although all three of these algorithms were approved in FIPS 186-2, this revision increases the key sizes allowed for DSA, provides additional requirements for the use of RSA and ECDSA, and includes requirements for obtaining the assurances necessary for valid digital signatures. FIPS 186-2 contained specifications for random number generators (RNGs); this revision does not include such specifications, but refers to NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-90 for obtaining random numbers. Prior to the submission of this proposed standard to the Secretary of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential that consideration is given to the needs and views of the public, users, the information technology industry, and Federal, State and local government organizations. The purpose of this notice is to solicit such views.

In response to requests from respondent Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals, B.V. (``Akzo Nobel'') and Aqualon Company (``Petitioner''), the Department of Commerce (``Department'') initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on purified carboxymethylcellulose (``CMC'') from the Netherlands. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 73 FR 50308 (August 26, 2008) (``Initiation Notice''). This administrative review covers the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. Due to the withdrawal of the requests for the administrative review by both parties, we are rescinding this review with respect to Akzo Nobel.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (Committee) in Monterey, California.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), for the take of marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, incidental to conducting a marine seismic survey in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, during November 2008.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), except for directed fishing for pollock by vessels using pelagic trawl gear in those portions of the GOA open to directed fishing for pollock. This closure also does not apply to fishing by vessels participating in the cooperative fishery in the Rockfish Pilot Program for the Central GOA. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2008 Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limit specified for vessels using trawl gear in the GOA.

On May 5, 2008, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain steel concrete reinforcing bars (rebar) from Turkey. This review covers four producers/exporters of the subject merchandise to the United States. The period of review (POR) is April 1, 2006, through March 31, 2007. Based on our analysis of the comments received and on our verification findings, we have made certain changes in the margin calculations. Therefore, the final results differ from the preliminary results. The final weighted-average dumping margins for the reviewed firms are listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of Review.'' Finally, we have determined to revoke the antidumping duty order with respect to Turkish rebar produced and exported by Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal Endustrisi A.S. (Habas).

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on honey from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''), covering the period of review (``POR'') of December 1, 2006, through November 30, 2007. As discussed below, we preliminarily determine that certain respondents in this review made sales in the United States at prices below normal value (``NV''). If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on entries of subject merchandise during the POR for which importer-specific assessment rates are above de minimis.

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 U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) preliminarily determines that certain circular welded carbon quality steel line pipe (welded line pipe) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV), as provided in section 733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). The estimated margins of sales at LTFV are listed in the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' section of this notice. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination in accordance with the time frame explained in the ``Public Comment'' section of this notice.

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 (``Department'') has determined, pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''), that India Steel Works Limited (``India Steel'') is the successor-in-interest to Isibars Limited (``Isibars''). As a result, India Steel will be accorded the same treatment previously accorded to Isibars with regard to the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar (``SSB'') from India as of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) has determined, pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), that India Steel Works Limited (India Steel) is the successor-in- interest to Isibars Limited (Isibars). As a result, India Steel will be accorded the same treatment previously accorded to Isibars with regard to the antidumping duty order on stainless steel wire rods from India as of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

On July 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated the second sunset review of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (PRC) 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 likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping.

Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce is announcing a thirty day public comment period on the Chesapeake Bay Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revision. Four sites along the York River comprise the Chesapeake Bay Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve; Sweet Hall Marsh, Taskinas Creek, the Catlett Islands, and the Goodwin Islands. The fours sites were designated as the Chesapeake Bay Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve in 1991 pursuant to Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1461. The reserve has been operating in partnership with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science under a management plan approved in 1991. Pursuant to 15 CFR section 921.33(c), a state must revise their management plan every five years. The submission of this plan fulfills this requirement and sets a course for successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the reserve. A boundary expansion, a revised geographic vision for the reserve, new facilities, and updated programmatic objectives are notable revisions to the 1991 approved management plan. The revised management plan outlines the administrative structure; the education, stewardship, and research goals of the reserve; and the plans for future land acquisition and facility development to support reserve operations. This management plan describes how the strengths of the reserve will focus on four areas relevant to the Chesapeake Bay: functions and linkages of land-margin ecosystems; ecosystem vulnerability to climate and human-induced stressors; water quality and aquatic stressors; and integrated ocean observing systems. Since 1991, the reserve has added a coastal training program that delivers science-based information to key decision makers in the Chesapeake Bay; has completed a site profile that characterizes the reserve; and has expanded the monitoring, stewardship and education programs significantly. A new administrative building (2003) and a new science and education lab (2005) have been built to support the growth of reserve programs. With the approval of this management plan, the Chesapeake Bay Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve will change their total acreage from 2,849 acres to a new total of 2,705 acres. This change is attributable to boundary modifications at two of the reserve sites. At Sweet Hall Marsh, 189 acres of reserve property are being removed from the reserve boundary due to a change in ownership. At the Taskinas Creek site, 44.5 acres are being added to the reserve boundary to provide a deciduous and hardwood forest buffer to protect the estuarine areas used for research and education. The 1991 Management Plan proposed a multi-phased expansion of the reserve that started with the four sites on the York River and planned to incorporate over 20 sites throughout Virginia to ensure adequate representation of Virginian estuarine areas important to the Chesapeake Bay. This expansion has not occurred since 1991. Due to the anticipated logistical, economic, and programmatic difficulties of having over 20 sites administered as part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve, the 2008 Management Plan focuses on the York River for the next five years.