Department of Commerce October 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed extension of the Survey of State Government Research and Development, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a renewal IHA to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to incidentally harass marine mammals incidental to the Naval Base San Diego Pier 6 Replacement Project in San Diego, California.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public joint meeting of its Habitat Advisory Panel and Committee via webinar 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.

As a result of the determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on 1,1,1,2- Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, Commerce is publishing a notice of continuation of the AD order.

As a result of these expedited sunset reviews, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) orders on welded ASTM A-312 stainless steel pipe (WSSP) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at the levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of stainless steel flanges (steel flanges) from India during the period of review, January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

Notice is hereby given that Florian Graner, Ph.D., 4021 Beach Drive, Freeland, WA 98249, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial or educational photography on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris).

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Groundfish Plan Teams will meet November 14, 2022, through November 18, 2022.

NMFS announces the receipt of a petition for emergency rulemaking under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) from the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC). This petition requests NMFS take action to close the Red King Crab Savings Area (RKCSA) and Red King Crab Savings Subarea (RKCSS) to all fishing gear to protect Bristol Bay red king crab (BBRKC) and their habitat at a time of historically low crab abundance for a period of 6 months from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is extending the public comment period on the Notice of Receipt (NOR) of Atlantic Shores' application under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requesting authorization to take marine mammals, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, incidental to the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Energy Project, offshore of New Jersey. The comment period for the Notice of Receipt of Atlantic Shores' application that published on September 29, 2022 closes on October 31, 2022. At the request of a commenter, NMFS is extending the public comment period to provide the public with additional time to submit information and to comment on Atlantic Shores' application.

In response to a request from MTD Products, Inc (MTD), and its parent company, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (SBD) (collectively, the domestic interested parties), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a circumvention inquiry to determine whether certain lawn mowers assembled or completed in the United States by attaching Chinese cutting deck shells (attached to at least one significant non-engine component) to internal combustion engines, are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain walk-behind lawn mowers and parts thereof (lawn mowers) from the People's Republic of China (China).

Notice is hereby given that Florian Graner, Ph.D., Sea-Life Productions, 4021 Beach Drive, Freeland, Washington 98249, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial and educational photography of transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) and other marine mammals.

The SEDAR 76 assessment of the South Atlantic stock of Black Sea Bass will consist of a series of assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The SEDAR 74 assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) received scope ruling applications, requesting that scope inquiries be conducted to determine whether identified products are covered by the scope of antidumping duty (AD) and/or countervailing duty (CVD) orders and that Commerce issue scope rulings pursuant to those inquiries. In accordance with Commerce's regulations, we are notifying the public of the filing of the scope ruling applications listed below in the month of September 2022.

NMFS has received a request for Incidental Take Regulation (ITR) and associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) from Ocean Wind, LLC (Ocean Wind), a subsidiary of Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC's (Orsted) and a joint venture partner of the Public Service Enterprise Group Renewable Generation, LLC (PSEG), for the incidental take of small numbers of marine mammals during the construction of an offshore wind energy facility (Ocean Wind 1) in a designated lease area on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A-0498) offshore of New Jersey. The requested ITR would govern the authorization of take, by both Level A and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over a 5- year period incidental to construction-related pile driving activities (impact and vibratory), potential unexploded ordnances or munitions and explosives of concern (UXOs/MECs) detonation, and high-resolution geophysical (HRG) site characterization surveys conducted by Ocean Wind in Federal and State waters off of New Jersey for the Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind energy facility. A final ITR would allow for the issuance of a LOA to Ocean Wind for a 5-year period. As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS requests comments on its proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOA; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee). The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Protected Resources Committee will hold a public meeting via webinar.

NMFS increases the 2022 Atlantic herring annual catch limit and Area 1A sub-annual catch limit by 1,000 metric tons (mt) for the remainder of 2022. This action is required by the herring regulations when, based on data through October 1, NMFS determines that the New Brunswick weir fishery landed less than 3,012 mt of herring. This notification informs the public of these catch limit changes.

We, NMFS's West Coast Region (WCR), announce receipt of an application for an enhancement of survival permit (Number 25838) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, and proposed entry into an associated Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement (PSHA) between the NOAA Restoration Center (Applicant) and NMFS-WCR. The proposed enhancement of survival permit, which is issued by NMFS-WCR, and PSHA is intended to improve habitat conditions and promote the conservation and recovery of seven species of ESA-listed salmonids in Coastal California.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that two exporters of certain frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from the People's Republic of China (China) under review had no shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR) February 1, 2021, through January 31, 2022. Commerce also preliminarily determines that the 134 remaining companies subject to this review are part of the China-wide entity because they did not demonstrate their eligibility for separate rates.

NMFS announces its intent to issue exempted fishing permits (EFPs), scientific research permits (SRPs), display permits, letters of acknowledgment (LOAs), and shark research fishery permits for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) in 2023. EFPs and related permits would authorize collection of a limited number of HMS, including tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks, from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of scientific research, data collection, the investigation of bycatch, and public display, among other things. LOAs acknowledge that scientific research activity aboard a scientific research vessel is being conducted. Generally, EFPs and related permits would be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2023, unless otherwise specified in the permit, subject to the terms and conditions of individual permits.