Department of Commerce September 19, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Commerce announces the development of a toolkit to promote the deployment of U.S. smart grid technologies and services to be launched in FY2017. Through this Notice, the Department of Commerce seeks broad input from all interested stakeholders regarding the most frequently requested ``use cases'' by electric utilities for inclusion in a web-based U.S. Smart Grid Solutions Toolkit. The U.S. Smart Grid Solutions Toolkit (``Toolkit'') is intended to be used by foreign energy officials and foreign end-users of smart grid technologies. The Toolkit will outline U.S. approaches to a series of electric utility use cases and highlight participating U.S. vendors of relevant U.S. smart grid technologies and services. The Toolkit will support the President's National Export Initiative by fostering export opportunities for the U.S. energy industry.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 552a(e)(4) and (11); and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Appendix I, Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals, the Department of Commerce proposes to amend the system of records entitled: ``COMMERCE/DEPT-25, Access Control and Identity Management System.'' Based on a review of the system of records notice, the Department is making necessary administrative updates to the sections entitled ``SYSTEM LOCATION,'' ``SECURITY CLASSIFICATION,'' and ``NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE.''

We, NMFS, propose to list the Maui's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) as endangered and the South Island Hector's dolphin (C. hectori hectori) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have reviewed the best available scientific and commercial data and completed a comprehensive status review for these two subspecies of Hector's dolphin (C. hectori). The Maui's dolphin faces serious demographic risks due to critically low abundance, a low population growth rate, a restricted range, low genetic diversity, and ongoing threats such as bycatch in commercial and recreational gillnets. We have determined Maui's dolphin is currently in danger of extinction throughout its range and, therefore, meets the definition of an endangered species. The relatively more abundant and more widely distributed South Island Hector's dolphin has experienced large historical declines and is expected to continue to slowly decline due to bycatch and other lesser threats, such as disease and impacts associated with tourism. We have determined that this subspecies is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but is likely to become so within the foreseeable future; and therefore, it meets the definition of a threatened species. Both subspecies occur only in New Zealand. We are authorized to designate critical habitat within U.S. jurisdiction only, and we are not aware of any areas within U.S jurisdiction that may meet the definition of critical habitat under the ESA. Therefore, we are not proposing to designate critical habitat. We are soliciting public comments on our status review report and proposal to list these two subspecies.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) completed the administrative review (AR) and new shipper review (NSR) of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate (CTL Plate) from the Republic of Korea for the January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014, period of review (POR). Based on our analysis of the comments received, the Department determined that Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. (DSM), the firm examined in the AR, and Hyundai Steel Company Ltd. (Hyundai Steel), the firm examined in the NSR, each received a de minimis net subsidy rate during the POR. The final net subsidy rates are listed below in the ``Final Results of Review'' section.

On May 13, 2016, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on solid fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (ammonium nitrate) from the Russian Federation. We invited interested parties to comment; we received no comments or requests for a hearing. Therefore, for the final results, we continue to find that sales of subject merchandise by JSC Acron and its affiliate JSC Dorogobuzh (collectively, Acron) have not been made at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR). Further, we continue to find that MCC EuroChem and its affiliates OJSC NAK Azot and OJSC Nevinnomyssky Azot (collectively, EuroChem) made no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR.