Department of Commerce December 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued two incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with fast response cutter (FRC) homeporting in Seward and Sitka, Alaska.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of certain tungsten shot (tungsten shot) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of investigation is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Notice is hereby given that the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater, FL 33767 (Responsible Party: James Powell, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to import up to five adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Attica Zoological Park in Athina, Greece, to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for public display.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of aluminum wire and cable (AWC) completed in the Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia) using certain AWC inputs manufactured in the People's Republic of China (China) are not covered by the scope of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on AWC from China. In addition, Commerce determines that AWC completed in Cambodia using certain AWC inputs manufactured in China are not circumventing the AD and CVD orders on AWC from China.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- Hoc Klamath River Fall Chinook Workgroup (KRWG) will hold a two-day online meeting.

NMFS received a request from Virginia Electric and Power Company, doing business as (d.b.a), Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion) for modification of an incidental take permit, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for activities associated with the otherwise lawful continued operation and maintenance of the Dominion Chesterfield Power Station in Chesterfield, VA. We are publishing this notice to inform the public that we are considering re-issuing the permit, with modifications, to authorize additional take of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) from the Chesapeake Bay Distinct Population Segment.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Office of internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) administers the following grant programs: the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the Digital Equity (DE) Grant Programs, the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP), the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure (MM) Program, and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). NTIA will host seven (7) regional meetings for grantees of these programs between February and May 2025. These events will provide technical assistance and oversight and conclude with a regional roundtable that enables the public to engage with grantees, local experts, and other stakeholders working to address digital inequities. During these regional roundtables, attendees will participate in critical discussions on how the internet for All programs are impacting communities and strategies for making those investments and initiatives last. Each regional roundtable program will feature experts from local and State governments, public interest groups, academia, and industry. They will also provide platforms for public and private stakeholders to align on shared goals for every resident to experience the benefits of technology.

In response to a request from Compass Chemical International LLC (Compass, a domestic interested party), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a country-wide circumvention inquiry to determine whether imports of 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic Acid (HEDP) from the People's Republic of China (China), which has been altered in form or appearance in minor respects, are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group 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.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its second Recreational Initiative Working Group meeting in New Orleans, LA.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC or Committee) will meet virtually via web conference on January 28, 2025, from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The primary purpose of this meeting is for the Committee to report working group findings, identify actionable recommendations, and receive public briefings. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST website at https:// www.nist.gov/itl/national-artificial-intelligence-advisory-co mmittee- naiac.

This interim final rule makes an in-season adjustment to the 2025 Atlantic herring specifications and sub-annual catch limits for the four Atlantic herring management areas (including Area 1A, 1B, 2, and 3). This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information from a 2024 herring management track stock assessment and achieve the goals and objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. This action reduces current 2025 catch limits to lessen the risk overfishing and help rebuild the stock.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to BGH Edelstahl Siegen GmbH (BGH), a producer and exporter of forged steel fluid end blocks (fluid end blocks) from Germany. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. In addition, Commerce is rescinding this review, in part, with respect to one company. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

This final rule rescinds the Department's regulations on guidance document procedures in accordance with a 2021 Executive order to revoke previous Executive orders concerning Federal regulation.

NMFS is implementing regulations for Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan/Framework Adjustment 6 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, which the New England and Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Councils jointly recommended and NMFS approved. This action establishes area-based gear requirements for vessels fishing with gillnets in the monkfish fishery, starting on January 1, 2026, and for vessels fishing with gillnets in the spiny dogfish fishery starting on May 1, 2025. This action is necessary to minimize bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the monkfish and spiny dogfish fisheries to the extent practicable and fulfill requirements of the Biological Opinion on Ten Fishery Management Plans in the Greater Atlantic Region and the New England Fishery Management Council's Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2.

In response to a request from the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports Subcommittee for OCTG (the CPTI OCTG Subcommittee) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (USW) (collectively, the requestors), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a country-wide circumvention inquiry to determine whether imports of seamless oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from the People's Republic of China (China) which are completed in Thailand from steel billets produced in China are circumventing the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on OCTG from China.

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 revisions to the BTOS prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Dongkuk Coated Metal Co., Ltd. (Dongkuk) and certain companies not selected for individual examination made sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. In addition, Commerce determines that Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai) did not make sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below NV during the POR.

NMFS proposes to revise regulations to provide for electronic entry filing of data from the Certification of Admissibility (COA) form, which allows entry of certain fish or fish products otherwise subject to trade restrictions pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act), or Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). This proposed rule would standardize and consolidate existing permit, reporting, recordkeeping, and entry filing requirements and allow nations to use their own aggregate catch documentation. The intent of these actions are to enable the continued flow of trade while adhering to existing statutory requirements.

NMFS has received a request from Vineyard Northeast, LLC (Vineyard Northeast), for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the development of the Vineyard Northeast Offshore Wind Project (Project) in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease on the Outer Continental Shelf OCS- A-0522 off of Massachusetts (MA) and Connecticut (CT) over the course of 5 years beginning on January 1, 2028. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of Vineyard Northeast's request for regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals and associated Letter of Authorization (LOA). NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on Vineyard Northeast's application and request.

NMFS is changing the status of pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) from threatened to endangered on the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species. We have considered the 5-year review of the status of D. cylindrus, expert reviewer comments, and public comments submitted on the proposed rule. Based on this information, we have determined that D. cylindrus is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Thus, we are changing the status of D. cylindrus from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973.