Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be Considered.

NOAA and the Department of Interior (DOI) will hold the 48th meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF). NOAA and DOI will be accepting oral and written comments.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0009 (Applications for Trademark Registration). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS has reassessed the statutorily mandated findings supporting its January 19, 2021 final rule, "Regulations Governing Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Survey Activities in the Gulf of Mexico," issued pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as the estimates of incidental take of marine mammals anticipated from the activities analyzed for the 2021 final rule were erroneous. NMFS has corrected this error and considered and incorporated other newly available and pertinent information relevant to the analyses supporting some of the findings in the 2021 final rule and the taking allowable under the regulations. There are no changes to the specified activities or the specified geographical region in which those activities would be conducted, nor to the original 5-year period of effectiveness. In light of the new information, NMFS presents new analyses supporting our affirmance of the negligible impact determinations for all species, and affirms that the existing regulations, which contain mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements, are consistent with the "least practicable adverse impact (LPAI) standard" of the MMPA.

NMFS has received a request from Vineyard Wind LLC (Vineyard Wind) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the completion of the construction of a commercial wind energy project offshore Massachusetts in the northern portion of Lease Area OCS-A 0501. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities; which consists of a subset of activities for which take was authorized previously, but which Vineyard Wind did not complete within the effective dates of the previous IHA. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. The IHA would be valid for 1 year from date of issuance.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold three public hearings (one as a webinar) and accept written comments regarding an action intended to revise the species separation requirements in the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0028 Fastener Quality Act Insignia Recordal Process. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the reissuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of 10 species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, incidental to construction activities associated with the Port of Nome Modification Project in Nome, Alaska. The project has been delayed by 1 year and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA was effective from May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025. USACE has requested reissuance with new effective dates of May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain non-refillable steel cylinders (cylinders) from the India are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to bp Exploration and Production Inc. (bp) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of brass rod from Mexico are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that brass rod from the Republic of Korea (Korea) is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of brass rod from Brazil are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

With this interim final rule (IFR), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to remove license requirements, expand the availability of license exceptions, and reduce the scope of end-use and end-user-based license requirements for exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) to or within Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) to enhance technological innovation among the three countries and support the goals of the AUKUS Trilateral Security Partnership.

NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in May 2024. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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 preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale (boltless steel shelving) from Malaysia are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less-than-fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.