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

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 has approved the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan Revision.

NMFS announces that the State of Maine is transferring a portion of its 2009 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') has determined that it made certain significant ministerial errors in the preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value in the antidumping duty investigation of oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') \1\ as described below in the ``Supplementary Information'' section of this notice. The Department has corrected those errors and has re-calculated the antidumping duty margins for a mandatory respondent and for exporters eligible for a separate rate as shown below in the ``Amended Preliminary Determination'' section of this notice. As a result of a document conversion error, the version of this notice released to interested parties on December 4, 2009, omitted the name of an exporter/producer combination that is eligible for a separate rate \2\ and inadvertently misidentified the name of a non-selected respondent, Qiqihaer Haoying Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special Steel Group (``Qiqihaer''), a separate-rate applicant. This amended notice corrects this error. Because these errors were discovered prior to publication in the Federal Register, this amended preliminary determination is being published in place of the original version released on December 4, 2009.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received seven scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. The proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts. The applications may be viewed online at: https:/ /apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/previewopenforcomment.cfm.

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)).

In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 1512 and Executive Order 11625, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting competitive applications from organizations to operate a Minority Business Enterprise Center (MBEC) in New Orleans, LA to service the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA service area. The MBEC operates through the use of business consultants and provides a range of business consulting and technical assistance services directly to eligible minority-owned businesses. Responsibility for ensuring that applications in response to this competitive solicitation are complete and received by MBDA on time is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Applications submitted must be for the operation of a MBEC and to provide business consultation services to eligible clients. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. This is not a grant program to help start or to further an individual business.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has begun its annual preseason management process for the 2010 ocean salmon fisheries. This document announces the availability of Council documents as well as the dates and locations of Council meetings and public hearings comprising the Council(s complete schedule of events for determining the annual proposed and final modifications to ocean salmon fishery management measures. The agendas for the March and April 2010 Council meetings will be published in subsequent Federal Register documents prior to the actual meetings.

On December 10, 2009, the United States Court of International Trade (``CIT'') sustained the Department of Commerce's (``the Department's'') redetermination on remand of the final results of the antidumping duty investigation on certain lined paper products from India. See Association of American School Paper Suppliers v. United States, Court No. 06-00395, Slip Op. 09-136 (CIT December 10, 2009) (``AASPS, Slip. Op. 09-136'').\1\ The Department is now issuing this notice of court decision not in harmony with the Department's determination.

NMFS has determined that the Atlantic tunas General category daily Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limit should be adjusted for the month of January 2010, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. This action applies to Atlantic Tunas General category permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels (when fishing commercially for BFT).

NMFS is modifying the fishing vessel permit regulations to include specific terms and conditions for Federal fishing vessel permits obtained through the purchase of fishing vessels using Federal grant awards. The terms and conditions authorize the NMFS Administrator, Northeast Region (Regional Administrator), to suspend, cancel, fail to renew, modify, or otherwise rescind any Federal fishing vessel permit, or the rights thereto, if the terms and conditions of any Federal grant award used to obtain said permit, or an associated memorandum of understanding or agreement, are violated by the grant recipient.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene joint meetings of the Standing, Special Shrimp, Special Spiny Lobster and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committees.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a web based meeting of the Socioeconomic Panel.

The invention listed below is jointly owned by the U.S. Government, as represented by the Department of Commerce, and the University of Southern Florida. The Department of Commerce's interest in the invention is available for licensing in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 and 37 CFR part 404 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally funded research and development.

NMFS is adjusting the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) amount for the Bering Sea pollock fishery. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined this TAC is incorrectly specified. This action will ensure the Bering Sea pollock TAC does not exceed the appropriate amount based on the best available scientific information for pollock in the Bering Sea subarea. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).

NMFS will host a meeting of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors in January 2010. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils, including FY 2010 budget allocations and budgetary planning, the Ocean Policy Task Force, Marine Spatial Planning, the draft Catch Shares Task Force Report, and implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

On May 8, 2008, the New England Fishery Management Council (Council), in cooperation with NMFS, announced its intent to prepare an EIS for Amendment 4 to the Atlantic Herring FMP to analyze the impacts of proposed management measures, which included measures to bring the FMP into compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requirements to specify annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs). NMFS hereby notifies the public that only the ACL/AM components will move forward as Amendment 4, and that the Council intends to prepare an EA for the action. All other proposed measures formerly included in Amendment 4, including the catch monitoring program for the herring

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting a new shipper review (``NSR'') of the antidumping duty order on chlorinated isocyanurates from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') covering the period June 1, 2008, through November 30, 2008. We invited interested parties to comment on our preliminary results. Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made changes to our margin calculations. Therefore, the final results differ from the preliminary results.

The Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Wednesday, January 20, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. All sessions will be open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Committee, in January, 2010, 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.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold a working meeting, which is open to the public.

A joint meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and its Black Sea Bass (BSB) Monitoring Committee will be held as a public meeting via Webinar. Immediately following completion of the joint SSC / BSB Monitoring Committee meeting, the SSC will be convened separately to conduct its deliberations independent of the Monitoring Committee.

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.