Department of Commerce May 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued one-year Letters of Authorization (LOA) to take marine mammals incidental to the explosive removal of offshore oil and gas structures (EROS) in the Gulf of Mexico.

Notice is hereby given that Dr. Gregory Bossart, Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish for catcher vessels participating in the limited access rockfish fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish allocated to catcher vessels participating in the limited access rockfish fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary as the 2009 Pacific cod directed fishing allowance for AFA trawl catcher processors in the BSAI has been reached.

On December 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the 2006-2007 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on refined brown aluminum oxide (RBAO) from the People's Republic of China (PRC). See Refined Brown Aluminum Oxide from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 73 FR 72767 (December 1, 2008) (Preliminary Results). We gave the interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Results. After reviewing the interested parties' comments, we made changes to our calculations for the final results of the review. The final dumping margin for this review is listed in the ``Final Results of Review'' section below. The review covers one exporter, Qingdao Shunxingli Abrasives Co. Ltd. (Qingdao Shunxingli). The period of review (POR) is November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007.

In response to requests by interested parties, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain pasta (``pasta'') from Italy for the period of review (``POR'') July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008.\1\ As a result of timely withdrawals of request for review, we are rescinding this review, in part, with respect to Pasta Zara SpA (``Zara''), Pastificio Felicetti S.r.L. (``Felicetti''), F. Divella SpA (``Divella''), Pastificio Di Martino Gaetano & F.lli S.r.L. (``Di Martino''), and Arrighi S.p.A. (``Arrighi'').

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces its determination that the pelagic longline fishery has a high level of mortality and serious injury across a number of marine mammal stocks, and issues the final Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (PLTRP) and implementing regulations to reduce serious injuries and mortalities of pilot whales and Risso's dolphins in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. The PLTRP is based on consensus recommendations submitted by the Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team (PLTRT). The PLTRP is intended to meet the statutory mandates and requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) through both regulatory and non-regulatory measures, including a special research area, gear modifications, outreach material, observer coverage, and captains' communications.

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.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 1 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed measures are

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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 this new information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1955, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The New England Fishery Management Council's (Council) Herring Oversight Committee will meet to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, June 1-9, 2009, at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 West 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP).

On December 30, 2008, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published the preliminary results of the changed circumstances review and intent to reinstate Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited (``SSI'') in the antidumping duty order (``the order'') on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (``hot-rolled steel'') from the Kingdom of Thailand (``Thailand''). See Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand: Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Review and Intent To Reinstate Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited in the Antidumping Duty Order, 73 FR 79809 (December 30, 2008) (``Preliminary Results''). On October 29, 2008, we extended the time limit for completion of this changed circumstances review until April 22, 2009. See Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review, 73 FR 64303 (October 29, 2008) (``First Extension Notice''). On April 29, 2009, we extended the date for the final results of this review by 15 days. See Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review, 74 FR 19524 (April 29, 2009).This review covers subject merchandise manufactured and exported by SSI. The product covered by this order is hot-rolled steel from Thailand (see ``Scope of the Order'' section below). The period of review (``POR'') is July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007. Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made changes to the margin calculation. Therefore, the final results differ from the preliminary results. However, we continue to determine that SSI sold subject merchandise at less than normal value (``NV'') during the POR, and hereby reinstate SSI in the order. The final weighted-average dumping margin is listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of Review.''

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that there will be a meeting of the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award on June 17, 2009. The Board of Overseers is composed of eleven members prominent in the fields of quality, innovation, and performance excellence and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, assembled to advise the Secretary of Commerce on the conduct of the Baldrige Award. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and review information received from the National Institute of Standards and Technology with the members of the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The agenda will include: Baldrige Program Strategic Plan, Initiation of Two Contracts, and Baldrige Collaborative and ``Trifecta'' (Baldrige Program, Baldrige Foundation, and the Alliance for Performance Excellence) Activities.

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) was established by the Secretary of Commerce to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on matters related to the responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 303 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, its amendments, and such other appropriate matters that the Under Secretary refers to the Panel for review and advice.

This notice announces changes made to the provisions of the Commerce Alternative Personnel System, formerly the Department of Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, published in the Federal Register on December 24, 1997. Also, this notice adds a new occupational series of 2150, Transportation Operations series to the system, and moves the Consumer Safety 696 occupational series in the (ZP) Scientific and Engineering career path from the Administrative (ZA) career path.

This document corrects an error in the regulatory text of a proposed rule published on April 6, 2009 (74 FR 15420) and extends the proposed rule's comment period by 30 days (from May 21, 2009 to June 22, 2009). The proposed rule would implement Amendment 85 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The proposed rule would amend the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program to remove a restriction that prohibits certain catcher/processors from participating in directed groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area in July. It incorrectly removes a similar restriction on such vessels participating in directed groundfish fishing in the Gulf of Alaska. This notice corrects the error in the proposed regulatory text. Amendment 85 is necessary to improve flexibility and reduce operating costs for catcher/processors that participate in the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), 3333 N. Torry Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1596-01.