Department of Commerce November 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS apportions amounts of the non-specified reserve to the total allowable catch (TAC) of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Alaska plaice, Kamchatka flounder, northern rockfish, skates, sculpins, sharks, and octopus in the BSAI management area. This action is necessary to allow the fisheries to continue operating. It is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan for the BSAI management area.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) previously announced information for roundtables in Alexandria, Virginia, and Dallas, Texas, to solicit public feedback as part of an effort to reevaluate its examination time goals. Examination time goals vary by technology and represent the average amount of time that a patent examiner is expected to spend examining a patent application in a particular technology. The Office now is providing information on the additional three roundtables that the Office will be conducting in Detroit, Michigan; Denver, Colorado; and San Jose, California. In addition, the Office is extending the written comment period to ensure that all stakeholders have sufficient opportunity to submit comments on the reevaluation of the Office's examination time goals.

This notice announces an open meeting of the Digital Economy Board of Advisors. The Board advises and provides recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce, through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), on a broad range of issues concerning the digital economy and Internet policy.

On November 14, 2016, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published in the Federal Register the Preliminary Determination of the antidumping duty investigation of certain carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate (CTL plate) from the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany). The Department is amending the Preliminary Determination of the investigation to correct three ministerial errors.

NMFS announces its approval of two transfers of 2016 commercial bluefish quota from the Commonwealth of Virginia to the State of New York. The approval of these transfers complies with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement also informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and New York.

Notice is hereby given that a document entitled, ``Draft Environmental Assessment for the Bluefield Holdings, Inc. Site 2 Shoreline Restoration Project Credits Purchase'' (Draft EA) is available for public review and comment. This document has been prepared by the state, tribal, and Federal natural resource trustee agencies (the ``Trustees'')NOAA, United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Washington Department of Ecology (as lead State trustee), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and the Suquamish Tribeto evaluate potential impacts to the environment from purchasing 30 credits in the Bluefield Holdings, Inc. Site 2 Shoreline Restoration Project (Site 2). The proposed credits purchase in the Site 2 project is a component of the overall effort to restore natural resources and resource services that have been injured and lost resulting from releases of hazardous substances into the Lower Duwamish River (LDR). This draft EA is tiered from the June 2013 Final LDR NRDA Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (RP/EIS). The EA describes the Trustees' proposed plan to purchase 30 credits in the Site 2 project. The purchase would utilize a portion of the funds provided to the Trustees from the Pacific Sound Resources settlement (United States et al. v. Pacific Sound Resources et al., Civ. No. C94-687 (W.D. Wash. Aug. 29, 1994)). The Trustees may only use these funds for restoration purposes. The Trustees will consider comments received during the public comment period before finalizing this EA.

OAR publishes this notice to solicit applications to fill a single membership vacancy on the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB) with an individual demonstrating expertise in data science and management and one other area of expertise relevant to ocean exploration, such as seafloor mapping. The new OEAB member will serve an initial three-year term, renewable once. The purpose of the OEAB is to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on matters pertaining to ocean exploration including: The identification of priority areas that warrant exploration; the development and enhancement of technologies for exploring the oceans; managing the data and information; and disseminating the results. The OEAB also provides advice on the relevance of the program with regard to the NOAA Strategic Plan, the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan, and other appropriate guidance documents.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the hogfish recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic for the 2016 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS estimates recreational landings from the 2016 fishing year have reached the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for hogfish. Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational sector for hogfish in the South Atlantic EEZ on November 30, 2016, through the remainder of the 2016 fishing year. This closure is necessary to protect the hogfish resource in the South Atlantic.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 158th meeting.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an expedited review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on supercalendered paper (SC paper) from Canada. The period of expedited review (POR) is January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014. We preliminarily determine that Irving Paper Limited received countervailable subsidies during the POR. We also preliminarily determine that Catalyst Paper received de minimis countervailable subsidies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on aluminum extrusions from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The period of review (POR) is May 1, 2014 through April 30, 2015. These final results cover 46 companies for which an administrative review was initiated and not rescinded. The Department selected the following companies as mandatory respondents: Guangzhou Jangho Curtain Wall System Engineering Co., Ltd. and Jangho Curtain Wall Hong Kong Ltd. (collectively, Jangho) and Guang Ya Aluminium Industries Co., Ltd., Foshan Guangcheng Aluminium Co., Ltd., Kong Ah International Company Limited, and Guang Ya Aluminium Industries (Hong Kong) Ltd. (collectively, Guang Ya Group); Guangdong Zhongya Aluminium Company Limited, Zhongya Shaped Aluminium (HK) Holding Limited, and Karlton Aluminum Company Ltd. (collectively, Zhongya); and Xinya Aluminum & Stainless Steel Product Co., Ltd. (Xinya) (collectively, Guang Ya Group/Zhongya/Xinya). The Department finds that Jangho, Guang Ya Group/Zhongya/Xinya, and 23 other companies subject to this review did not demonstrate eligibility for a separate rate, and, accordingly, are to be considered part of the PRC-wide entity. We also determine for these final results that two companies, Xin Wei Aluminum Company Limited and Permasteelisa Hong Kong Limited, had no shipments during the POR. Finally, we find that eight companies, including JMA (HK) Company Limited (JMA), continue to be eligible for a separate rate.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming meeting of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). The members will discuss and provide advice on the NOAA Fisheries Draft National Bycatch Reduction Strategy.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) publishes this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to remove nuclear nonproliferation (NP) Column 2 license requirements from certain pressure tubes, pipes, fittings, pipe valves, pumps, numerically controlled machine tools, oscilloscopes, and transient recorders on the Commerce Control List (CCL). These changes are intended to revise the EAR controls on these items by making them more consistent with the export controls of other countries that manufacture these items and that, together with the United States, are participating countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). As a result of the changes made by this rule, some of these items are no longer listed under an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) on the CCL. However, such items remain subject to the EAR under the designation EAR99. This rule also creates four new ECCNs to maintain anti-terrorism (AT) controls on certain affected commodities and related ``software'' and ``technology.'' All items subject to the EAR, regardless of whether they are listed on the CCL, may require a license for reasons described elsewhere in the EAR (e.g., license requirements based on end-user/end-use controls, embargoes, or other special controls).

On October 18, 2016, The Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') published its initiation and preliminary results of a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty (``AD'') order on certain uncoated paper from Portugal. The Department preliminarily determined that The Navigator Company, S.A. and Navigator Fine Paper, S.A. (collectively ``Navigator'') is the successor in interest to Portucel, S.A. and Portucel Soporcel Fine Paper, S.A. (collectively ``Portucel'') for purposes of the AD order and, as such, is entitled to Portucel's cash deposit rate with respect to entries of subject merchandise. We invited interested parties to comment on the preliminary results. As no parties submitted comments, and there is no additional information or evidence on the record, the Department is making no changes to the Preliminary Results.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a meeting of the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC).

We are reducing the 2016 fishing year Georges Bank haddock catch cap for the herring midwater trawl fishery. The reduction in the 2016 midwater trawl catch cap is necessary to account for an overage that occurred in fishing year 2015. This reduction is formulaic and is required as an accountability measure to help mitigate the 2015 overage.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf)(FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council)(Amendment 43). This proposed rule would revise the geographic range of the fishery management unit (FMU) for Gulf hogfish (the West Florida stock) consistent with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (South Atlantic Council) proposed boundary between the Florida Keys/East Florida and West Florida stocks, set the annual catch limit (ACL) for the West Florida stock, increase the minimum size limit for the proposed West Florida stock, and remove the powerhead exception for harvest of hogfish in the Gulf reef fish stressed area. This proposed rule would also correct a reference in the regulatory definition for charter vessel. The purpose of this proposed rule is to manage hogfish using the best scientific information available.

This final rule establishes the opening date for all Atlantic shark fisheries, including the fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. This final rule also establishes the quotas for the 2017 fishing season based on over- and/or underharvests experienced during 2016 and previous fishing seasons. The large coastal shark (LCS) retention limit for directed shark limited access permit holders will start at 45 LCS other than sandbar sharks per trip in the Gulf of Mexico region and at 25 LCS other than sandbar sharks per trip in the Atlantic region. These retention limits for directed shark limited access permit holders may decrease or increase during the year after considering the specified inseason action regulatory criteria to provide, to the extent practicable, equitable fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in all regions and areas. These actions could affect fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

NMFS issues this final rule to implement Amendment 113 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). This final rule modifies the management of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod fishery to set aside a portion of the Aleutian Islands Pacific cod total allowable catch for harvest by vessels directed fishing for Aleutian Islands Pacific cod and delivering their catch for processing to a shoreside processor located on land west of 170[deg] W. longitude in the Aleutian Islands (``Aleutian Islands shoreplant''). The harvest set-aside applies only if specific notification and performance requirements are met, and only during the first few months of the fishing year. This harvest set-aside provides the opportunity for vessels, Aleutian Islands shoreplants, and the communities where Aleutian Islands shoreplants are located to receive benefits from a portion of the Aleutian Islands Pacific cod fishery. The notification and performance requirements preserve an opportunity for the complete harvest of the BSAI Pacific cod resource if the set-aside is not fully harvested. This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of Amendment 113, the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws.