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

On September 15, 2009, the Department of Commerce (the Department) received a request to conduct a new-shipper review of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (PRC). In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.214(d), we are initiating an antidumping duty new-shipper review.

NMFS announces its request for applications for the 2010 shark research fishery from commercial shark fishermen with a directed or incidental permit. The shark research fishery allows for the collection of fishery-dependent data for future stock assessments while also allowing NMFS and commercial fishermen to conduct cooperative research to meet the shark research objectives for the Agency. The only commercial vessels authorized to land sandbar sharks are those participating in the shark research fishery. Shark research fishery permittees may also land non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks. Commercial vessels not participating in the shark research fishery may only land non-sandbar LCS, SCS, and pelagic sharks. Commercial shark fishermen who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery need to submit a completed Shark Research Fishery Permit Application in order to be considered. Generally, these permits will be valid through December 31, 2010, unless otherwise specified, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.

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.

On July 1, 2009, the Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') initiated a sunset review of the antidumping duty order on barium chloride from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). On the basis of a notice of intent to participate and an adequate substantive response from domestic interested parties, as well as a lack of response from respondent interested parties, the Department conducted an expedited (120-day) sunset review. As a result of the sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping. The dumping margins are identified in the Final Results of Review section of this notice.

On June 24, 2009, in response to requests from the Wheatland Tube Company (the petitioner), the Department of Commerce (the Department) published a notice of initiation of administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain welded carbon steel standard pipes and tubes from India. The period of review is May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009. The Department is rescinding this review in part.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Rural Community Outreach Committee will meet by teleconference, (907) 271-2896.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's GOA and BS/AI groundfish plan teams will meet in Seattle, WA.

This proposed rule would adjust quotas and opening dates for the 2010 fishing season for sandbar sharks, non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS), small coastal sharks (SCS), and pelagic sharks based on any over- and/or underharvests experienced during the 2008 and 2009 Atlantic commercial shark fishing seasons. The purpose of this proposed action is to provide advance notice of quotas and opening dates for the

This final rule announces inseason changes to management measures in the commercial Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. These actions, which are authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), are intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, on behalf of its contractor, EnerNex Corp., seeks nominations for members to serve on an initial Smart Grid Interoperability Panel Governing Board (SGIPGB), which will consist of approximately 27 voting members. EnerNex Corp. was competitively selected to help NIST establish and administer the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) and its

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') is extending the time limit for the preliminary results of the administrative reviews of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam'') and the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). The reviews cover the period February 1, 2008, through January 31, 2009.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Western Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 Pacific ocean perch allocation specified for vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Western Aleutian District of the BSAI.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently developing a Patents Ombudsman Pilot Program. The Patents Ombudsman Pilot Program is intended to provide patent applicants, attorneys and agents with assistance with application-specific issues including prosecution advancement concerns. The Patents Ombudsman Pilot Program is not intended to circumvent normal communication between pro se applicants or applicant's representatives and examiners or Supervisory Patent Examiners (SPEs). The USPTO is inviting public comment on the proposed Patents Ombudsman Pilot Program.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Atka mackerel by vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Western Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 Atka mackerel allocation total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to vessels participating in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the Western Aleutian District of the BSAI.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) preliminarily determines that polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) from Taiwan are being, or are 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.

NMFS is proposing a regulatory amendment to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to allow projects funded through the Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program to carryover unused monkfish RSA days-at-sea (DAS) into the following fishing year. Given the most recent information on the status of monkfish stocks, the regulation that prohibits monkfish RSA DAS to be carried over to the next fishing year is no longer necessary. In addition, this action would provide researchers with flexibility to complete research funded through the Monkfish RSA Program.

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

In conformance with the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4), the United States Patent and Trademark Office announces the appointment of persons to serve as members of its Performance Review Board.

Notice is hereby given that the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) [Responsible Party: Richard Delaney], 115 Bradford Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts 02657, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research directed at North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis).

In 2005, the governments of the United States and India established the U.S.-India CEO Forum. The two sides are reconstituting the Forum. On September 10, 2009, we published in the Federal Register a ``Request for Applicants for the Appointment to the United States- India CEO Forum'' (74 FR 46571), announcing membership opportunities for appointment as representatives to the U.S. Section of the Forum. The application period closed on October 1, 2009. We are now reopening the application period to solicit additional applications. This notice supplements the notice of September 10, 2009. Interested parties who have already applied in response to that Federal Register notice do not need to re-apply.