Department of State May 2, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On May 23, 2014, the Department of State (Department) issued a Presidential Permit to Plains LPG Services, L.P. (Plains LPG) based on Plains LPG's acquisition of six existing pipelines under the St. Clair River. After the new permits were issued, Plains LPG provided new information that altered the Department's understanding of the historic authorization for two of the six St. Clair pipelines. In light of this additional information, the Department was revisiting Plains LPG's 2012 application and considering whether to issue a new permit for these two St. Clair pipelines that would authorize the transport of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons, superseding the authorization in the 2014 Presidential Permit for the transport of only light liquid hydrocarbons. The Department published the Notice of Re- Consideration Concerning the Scope of Authorizations in a Presidential Permit Issued to Plains LPG Services, L.P. in May 2014 for Existing Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada Under the St. Clair River on January 25, 2016 (81 FR 4081) (Notice) and solicited public comment for a 30-day period. The Department subsequently re-opened public comment on March 15, 2016 (81 FR 13871) for an additional 30 days. Plains LPG subsequently notified the Department that it no longer seeks reconsideration of the scope of the authorizations referenced in the Notice. The Department is therefore no longer considering whether to issue a new permit for the two St. Clair pipelines.

The Charter of the Department of State's Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) has been renewed for an additional two years. The Charter of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee is being renewed for a two-year period. The Committee was established by the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983, 19 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. It reviews requests from other countries seeking U.S. import restrictions on archaeological or ethnological material the pillage of which places a country's cultural heritage in jeopardy. The Committee makes findings and recommendations to the President's designee who, on behalf of the President, determines whether to impose the import restrictions. The membership of the Committee consists of private sector experts in archaeology, anthropology, or ethnology; experts in the international sale of cultural property; and representatives of museums and of the general public.