Department of Commerce 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues this final rule to supplement the regulations implementing Amendments 26 and 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). Amendment 26 established an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the red snapper commercial sector of the reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Amendment 29 established a multi-species IFQ program for the grouper and tilefish component of the commercial sector of the reef fish fishery in the Gulf EEZ. This final rule specifies procedures for closing an IFQ account and modifies requirements for IFQ landing transactions, landing notifications, and offloading. The purpose of this final rule is to enhance the monitoring, enforcement, and review of the IFQ programs as specified in Amendments 26 and 29 to the FMP.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowance of the 2014 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 630 in the GOA.

On March 24, 2014, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on small diameter graphite electrodes from the People's Republic of China (the PRC). The period of review (POR) is February 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013. For the final results, we continue to find that certain companies covered by this review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value, and that other companies are now part of the PRC-wide entity.

The Manufacturing Council will hold its final meeting of its term on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, to discuss and deliberate on final recommendations addressing: workforce development best practices; strategies to address misconceptions of manufacturing careers; innovation, research and development in manufacturing; and export growth opportunities for U.S. manufacturers. Additionally, the Council will receive updates from representatives of the U.S. government on the manufacturing initiatives taking place across federal agencies. A final agenda will be available on the Council's Web site one week prior to the meeting. The Council advises the Secretary of Commerce on government programs and policies that affect U.S. manufacturing and provides a means of ensuring regular contact between the U.S. Government and the manufacturing sector.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) implementing regulations, we hereby give notice that we have issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (Authorization) to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Lamont-Doherty) a component of Columbia University, in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (Foundation), to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting a marine geophysical (seismic) survey in the northwest Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast from September 15 through October 31, 2014.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting applications for membership on the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee (the Committee), a Federal advisory committee. The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) Act of 2009 establishes a national integrated System of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing systems, comprised of Federal and non-Federal components including in situ, remote, and other coastal and ocean observation, technologies, and data management and communication systems. The System is designed to address regional and national needs for ocean information; to gather specific data on key coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes variables; and to ensure timely and sustained dissemination and availability of these data to support a variety of societal benefits. These benefits include supporting national defense; marine commerce; navigation safety; weather, climate, and marine forecasting; energy siting and production; economic development; ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal areas; conservation of ocean and coastal resources; and public safety. The System is also designed to promote research to develop, test, and deploy innovations and improvements in coastal and ocean observation technologies and modeling systems. The ICOOS Act also requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to establish a System advisory committee to provide advice to the Under Secretary and to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, which is responsible for planning for the integrated design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the System. NOAA will hereby accept applications for membership on the Committee through November 24, 2014. The ICOOS Act of 2009 states: ``Members shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific and technical information related to the design, operation, maintenance, or use of the [Integrated Ocean Observing] System, or use of data products provided though the System.'' NOAA encourages individuals with expertise in oceanographic data, products, and services; coastal management; fisheries management; coastal and marine spatial planning; geodesy; water levels; and other science- related fields to submit applications for Committee membership. To apply for membership on the Committee, applicants should submit a resume as indicated in the ADDRESSES section. NOAA is an equal- opportunity employer.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 107 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP). Amendment 107, if approved, would establish seasonal transit areas for vessels designated on Federal Fisheries Permits (FFPs) through Walrus Protection Areas in northern Bristol Bay, AK. This action would allow vessels designated on FFPs to transit through Walrus Protection Areas in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Round Island and Cape Peirce from April 1 through August 15, annually. This action is necessary to restore the access of Federally-permitted vessels to transit through Walrus Protection Areas that was limited by regulations implementing Amendment 83 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP), and to maintain adequate protection for walruses on Round Island and Cape Peirce. This action would maintain an existing prohibition on deploying fishing gear in Walrus Protection Areas by vessels designated on an FFP. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the BSAI FMP, Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP), and other applicable law.

The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') publishes this Notice to request public comment on certain proposed interpretations of its enabling legislation that will inform, among other things, forthcoming requests for proposals, interpretive rules, and network policies. With the benefit of the comments received from this Notice, FirstNet may proceed to implement these or other interpretations with or without further administrative procedure.

On July 1, 2014, the Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated the first sunset review of the countervailing duty order on tow behind lawn groomers and parts from the People's Republic of China. See Initiation of Five-Year (``Sunset'') Review, 79 FR 37292 (July 1, 2014) (Initiation). Because the domestic interested parties did not participate in this sunset review, the Department is revoking the countervailing duty order.

On August 19, 2014, the United States Court of International Trade (``CIT'' or ``Court'') sustained the Department of Commerce's (the ``Department'') results of redetermination, pursuant to the CIT's remand order, in The Timken Company v. United States and Changshan Peer Bearing Co., Ltd. and Peer Bearing Company, Slip Op. 2014-97 (CIT August 19, 2014), concerning the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review for tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished and unfinished from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') for the period of review June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011.\1\

The Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Wednesday, October 22, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, October 23, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and Friday, October 24, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. All sessions will be open to the public.

Notice is hereby given that the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce approves the Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan revision. The revised management plan outlines the administrative structure; the research, education, training, and stewardship goals of the reserve; and the plans for future land acquisition and facility development to support reserve operations. The Waquoit Bay Reserve Management Plan revision will replace the plan approved in 2006. The Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts National Estuarine Research Reserve takes an integrated approach to management, linking research, education, training, and stewardship functions to address high-priority issues, including the impact of climate change on estuarine ecosystems; connections between watershed land use and water quality; assessment of ecosystem response to natural variability and human impacts; and understanding and enhancing ecosystem services of coastal habitats. Since the last management plan, the reserve implemented its core programs, expanded its monitoring infrastructure to establish a groundwater monitoring program and a Salt Marsh Observatory; enhanced its facilities with energy efficiency installations, campus building improvements, and updated educational exhibits; and furthered land conservation in the reserve's watershed. This management plan includes a boundary expansion of 23 acres. The lands consist of the 11.4-acre Caleb Pond parcel on the northeast corner of Waquoit Bay as well as the addition of 12.4 acres to the Quashnet River lands. The Caleb Pond parcel is the largest single undeveloped parcel on Waquoit Bay and contains an upland coastal pine- oak forest habitat with fringing salt marsh and a connecting stream that contains diadromous fish runs of American eel and has historically supported an anadromous river herring run. The parcel is especially suitable for educational purposes and creates 40 acres of contiguous protected lands across the head of Waquoit Bay. The Quashnet River land parcel expands important contiguous and unfragmented habitat that is valuable as wildlife habitat and corridor, as well as increases protection of terrestrial, groundwater, and aquatic systems. This parcel is appropriate for education, recreation, and upland research purposes. The revised management plan will serve as the guiding document for the 2,804 acre Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for the next five years. The Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan revision can be viewed at https:// www.waquoitbayreserve.org/about/management-plan/. Comments can be provided to the reserve manager at waquoit.bay@state.ma.us.

Through this action NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California. This action is necessary because the adjusted non-tribal directed harvest allocation of approximately 7,274 metric tons (mt) for the second harvest allocation period from September 15, 2014, through December 31, 2014, has been projected to have been reached. The allocation for the second period increased from the initial assigned allocation primarily as a result of the release to the non-treaty sector of 2,500 mt by the Quinault Indian Nation and the coastal treaty tribes from overall the treaty set-aside of 4,000 mt. From the effective date of this rule until December 31, 2014, Pacific sardine may be harvested only as part of either the live bait or tribal fishery or incidental to other fisheries; the incidental harvest of Pacific sardine is limited to 45-percent by weight of all fish per trip. Fishing vessels must cease fishing (be at shore and in the process of offloading) at or before the effective date of this closure.

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 withdraws a proposed rule proposing a 100 lb (45 kg) per day or trip commercial possession limit for weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) caught in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and setting the recreational possession limit at 1 fish per person per day or trip. The intent of the proposed rule was to modify regulations for the Atlantic coastal stock of weakfish to be more compatible with Addendum IV to Amendment 4 of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (Commission) Interstate Fishery Management Plan (ISFMP). The Commission has now concluded that existing Federal regulations are conservationally equivalent to state regulations; therefore, changes to current EEZ regulations are no longer needed. Such action is authorized under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act).

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') published the Preliminary Determination of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') investigation of chlorinated isocyanurates (``isos'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') on February 24, 2014.\1\ The Department determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of isos from the PRC. For information on the estimated subsidy rates, see the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' section of this notice. The period of investigation is January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a meeting of its Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT). The meeting will be a work session to further develop the draft environmental assessment for Pacific sardine harvest faction.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814 [Responsible Party: Michael Tosatto], has applied in due form for a permit to take hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), leatherback (Dermochelys imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Penaeid Shrimp Workshop Group.