Department of Commerce August 25, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is proposing to issue an amended permit to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, take of two stocks of marine mammals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), under section 101(a)(5)(E) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), by the California (CA) thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery (>=14 in mesh) and the Washington (WA)/Oregon (OR)/CA sablefish pot fishery. In accordance with the MMPA, NMFS must issue this permit provided that it can make the determinations that: The incidental take will have a negligible impact on the affected stocks; a recovery plan for all affected stocks of threatened or endangered marine mammals has been developed or is being developed; and as required by the MMPA, a take reduction plan and monitoring program have been implemented, and vessels in the CA thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery (>=14 in mesh) and the WA/OR/CA sablefish pot fisheries are registered. NMFS has made a preliminary determination that incidental taking from commercial fishing will have a negligible impact on the endangered humpback whale (CA/OR/WA stock) and the endangered sperm whale (CA/OR/ WA stock). Recovery plans have been completed for humpback and sperm whales. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft negligible impact determination (NID) and on the proposal to issue a permit to vessels that operate in these fisheries for the taking of affected endangered stocks of marine mammals.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET Film) from India. The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013. This review covers respondents Jindal Poly Films Limited (Jindal) and SRF Limited (SRF). The Department preliminarily determines that Jindal did, and that SRF did not, make sales of subject merchandise at prices below normal value (NV) during the POR. The preliminary results are listed below in the section titled ``Preliminary Results of Review.'' Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain pasta (pasta) from Italy. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012. This review covers two exporters/ producers of the subject merchandise, DeMatteis Agroalimentare S.p.A. (DeMatteis) (also known as, ``DeMatteis Agroalimentare SpA'') and Fratelli DeCecco di Filippo Fara San Martino S.p.A. (DeCecco) (also known as ``F.lli De Cecco di Filippo Fara San Martino S.p.A.''), as mandatory company-respondents. We preliminarily find that DeMatteis received countervailable subsidies during the POR, and that DeCecco received de minimis countervailable subsidies during the POR. The Department is also rescinding the review of one company, Delverde Industrie Alimentari S.p.A., which timely withdrew its request for review. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

This notice amends the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration Notice of Reestablishment of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (the Committee) and Solicitation of Nominations for Membership of June 23, 2014 (79 FR 35524) to revise the eligibility criteria to permit federally- registered lobbyists to apply for membership on the Committee. The Department of Commerce recently revised its policy regarding appointment of federally-registered lobbyists to Department advisory committees following a policy clarification by the Office of Management and Budget that the eligibility restriction does not apply to advisory committee members who serve in a representative capacity (see 79 FR 47482). Notwithstanding the language in the Committee charter, the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) will now consider nominations of federally-registered lobbyists for appointment on the Committee. We are in the process of amending the charter. This notice also extends the deadline for submitting applications to August 29, 2014. All other eligibility criteria continue to apply. In June 2014, the Department of Commerce reestablished the Committee. The Committee advises the Secretary regarding the development and administration of programs and policies to expand the competitiveness of U.S. exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency goods and services, in accordance with applicable United States regulations. The Committee's work on energy efficiency focuses on technologies, services, and platforms that provide system-level energy efficiency to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. These include smart grid technologies and services, as well as equipment and systems that increase the resiliency of power infrastructure. For the purposes of this Committee, covered goods and services will not include vehicles, feedstock for biofuels, or energy efficiency at it relates to consumer goods. Non-fossil fuels that are considered renewable fuels (e.g., liquid biofuels and pellets) are included.

The SEDAR 41 assessments of the South Atlantic stocks of red snapper and gray triggerfish will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: A Data Workshop; an Assessment Workshop; and a Review Workshop.

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)).

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Whiting Advisory Panel 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.