72166 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 238 / Monday, December 13, 2004 / Notices 

the Department has determined it is not 

practicable to complete this review 

within the statutory time limit because 

of significant issues which require 

additional time to evaluate. These 

include: the proper treatment of certain 

equity transactions involving the 

respondent’s parent firm, and various 

issues relating to the calculation of the 

respondent’s cost of production. 

Therefore, the Department is 

extending the time limit for completion 

of the preliminary results until 

December 13, 2004, in accordance with 

section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act. 

This notice is issued and published in 

accordance with section 751(a)(1) of the 

Act and section 351.213(h)(2) of the 

Department’s regulations.

Dated: December 3, 2004. 

Gary Taverman, 

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import 

Administration.

[FR Doc. 04–27301 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

National Sea Grant Review Panel

AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Research (OAR), National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation for Sea 

Grant Review Panelists. 

SUMMARY: This notice responds to the 

National Sea Grant College Program Act, 

at 33 U.S.C. 1128, which requires the 

Secretary of Commerce to solicit 

nominations at least once a year for 

membership on the Sea Grant Review 

Panel. This advisory committee 

provides advice on the implementation 

of the National Sea Grant College 

Program.

DATES: Resumes should be sent to the 

address specified and must be received 

by 30 days from publication.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Francis M. Schuler, 

Executive Director; National Sea Grant 

College Program; 1315 East-West 

Highway, Room 11716; Silver Spring, 

Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Francis M. Schuler of the National Sea 

Grant College Program at the address 

given above; telephone (301) 713–2445 

or fax number (301) 713–1031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

209 of the Act establishes a Sea Grant 

Review Panel to advise the Secretary of 

Commerce, the Under Secretary for 

Oceans and Atmosphere, and the 

Director of the National Sea Grant 

College Program on the implementation 

of the Sea Grant Program. The panel 

provides advice on such matters as: 

(a) The Sea Grant Fellowship 

Program; 

(b) applications or proposals for, and 

performance under, grants and contracts 

awarded under the Sea Grant Program 

Improvement Act of 1976, as amended 

at 33 U.S.C. 1124; 

(c) the designation and operation of 

sea grant colleges and sea grant 

institutes; and the operation of the sea 

grant program; 

(d) the formulation and application of 

the planning guidelines and priorities 

under 33 U.S.C. 1123 (a) and (c)(1); and 

(e) such other matters as the Secretary 

refers to the panel for review and 

advice. 

The Panel is to consist of 15 voting 

members composed as follows: Not less 

than eight of the voting members of the 

panel should be individuals who, by 

reason of knowledge, experience, or 

training, are especially qualified in one 

or more of the disciplines and fields 

included in marine science. The other 

voting members shall be individuals 

who by reason of knowledge, 

experience, or training, are especially 

qualified in, or representative of, 

education, extension service, state 

government, industry, economics, 

planning, or any other activity which is 

appropriate to, and important for, any 

effort to enhance the understanding, 

assessment, development, utilization, or 

conservation of ocean and coastal 

resources. No individual is eligible to be 

a voting member of the panel if the 

individual is (a) the director of a sea 

grant college, sea grant regional 

consortium, or sea grant program, (b) an 

applicant for or beneficiary (as 

determined by the Secretary) of any 

grant or contract under 33 U.S.C. 1124 

or (c) a full-time officer or employee of 

the United States. The Director of the 

National Sea Grant College Program and 

one Director of a Sea Grant Program also 

serve as non-voting members. Panel 

members are appointed for a 4-year 

term.

Dated: December 8, 2004. 

Sharon Schroeder, 

Director, Program Policy Division, Office of 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 04–27263 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–KA–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Availability of Seats for the Olympic 

Coast National Marine Sanctuary 

Advisory Council

AGENCY: National Marine Sanctuary 

Program (NMSP), National Ocean 

Service (NOS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice and request for 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The Olympic Coast National 

Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS or 

Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the 

following vacant seats on its Sanctuary 

Advisory Council (Advisory Council): 

Citizen-at-large member and alternate, 

Tourism/Chamber of Commerce 

member and alternate, and Conservation 

alternate. Applicants are chosen based 

upon their particular expertise and 

experience in relation to the seat for 

which they are applying; community 

and professional affiliations; philosophy 

regarding the protection and 

management of marine resources; and 

possibly the length of residence in the 

area affected by the Sanctuary. 

Applicants who are chosen as members 

should expect to serve 3-year terms, 

pursuant to the Advisory Council’s 

Charter.

DATES: Applications are due by 

December 31, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Application kits may be 

obtained from Olympia Coast National 

Marine Sanctuary, 115 East Railroad 

Ave., Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 

98362. Completed applications should 

be sent to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Palmer, 115 East Railroad Ave., 

Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362. 

Telephone (360) 457–6622, ext. 15.

E-mail andrew.palmer@noss.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sanctuary 

Advisory Council members and 

alternatives serve three-year terms. The 

Advisory Council meets bi-monthly in 

public sessions in communities in and 

around the Olympic Coast National 

Marine Sanctuary. 

The Olympic Coast National Marine 

Sanctuary Advisory Council was 

established in December 1998 to assure 

continued public participation in the 

management of the sanctuary. Serving 

in a volunteer capacity, the advisory 

council’s 15 voting members represent a 

variety of local user groups, as well as 

the general public. In addition, 5 

Federal Government agencies and one 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 238 / Monday, December 13, 2004 / Notices 72167

Federally funded program serve as nonvoting, ex-officio members. Since its 

establishment, the advisory council has 

played a vital role in advising the 

sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues. 

In addition to providing advice on 

management issues facing the 

Sanctuary, the Council members serve 

as a communication bridge between 

constituents and the Sanctuary staff.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 

Number 11.429 Marine Sanctuary Program)

Dated: December 5, 2004. 

Daniel J. Basta, 

Director, National Marine Sanctuary Program, 

National Ocean Services, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 04–27242 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 070104A]

Small Takes of Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Specified Activities; 

Marine Seismic Survey in the Eastern 

Tropical Pacific Ocean off Central 

America

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of an 

incidental harassment authorization.

SUMMARY: In accordance with provisions 

of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) as amended, notification is 

hereby given that an Incidental 

Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take 

small numbers of marine mammals, by 

harassment, incidental to conducting 

oceanographic seismic surveys in the in 

the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean 

(ETPO) off Central America has been 

issued to the Lamont-Doherty Earth 

Observatory (L-DEO), a part of Columbia 

University.

DATES: Effective from November 19, 

2004 through November 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The application and 

authorization are available by writing to 

Steve Leathery, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910–3225, by telephoning the contact 

listed here and are also available at: 

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/protlres/

PR2/SmalllTake/

smalltakelinfo.htm#applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth Hollingshead, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713–

2289, ext 128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce to allow, 

upon request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of marine mammals 

by U.S. citizens who engage in a 

specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is provided to the public 

for review.

Permission may be granted if NMFS 

finds that the taking will have a 

negligible impact on the species or 

stock(s) and will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

subsistence uses and that the 

permissible methods of taking and 

requirements pertaining to the 

monitoring and reporting of such 

takings are set forth. NMFS has defined 

‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 

as ’’...an impact resulting from the 

specified activity that cannot be 

reasonably expected to, and is not 

reasonably likely to, adversely affect the 

species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival.’’

Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA 

established an expedited process by 

which citizens of the United States can 

apply for an authorization to 

incidentally take small numbers of 

marine mammals by harassment. Except 

with respect to certain activities not 

pertinent here, the MMPA defines 

‘‘harassment’’ as:

any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance 

which (i) has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild 

[Level A harassment]; or (ii) has the potential 

to disturb a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild by causing 

disruption of behavioral patterns, including, 

but not limited to, migration, breathing, 

nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering 

[Level B harassment].

Section 101(a)(5)(D) establishes a 45–

day time limit for NMFS review of an 

application followed by a 30–day public 

notice and comment period on any 

proposed authorizations for the 

incidental harassment of marine 

mammals. Within 45 days of the close 

of the comment period, NMFS must 

either issue or deny issuance of the 

authorization.

Summary of Request

On June 28, 2004, NMFS received an 

application from L-DEO for the taking, 

by harassment, of several species of 

marine mammals incidental to 

conducting a marine seismic survey 

program during a 4–week period 

beginning in late November 2004 in the 

Exclusive Economic Zones of El 

Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and 

Costa Rica. The purpose of the seismic 

survey is to investigate stratigraphic 

development in the presence of tectonic 

forcing in the Sandino basin off 

Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Because of 

the variations in subsidence/uplift 

histories within the Sandino Basin, and 

the inability to provide whole-basin 

coverage during a research cruise of 

reasonable length, data will be collected 

in two primary grids in the Sandino 

Basin and a third, smaller grid off 

Nicoya Peninsula. Grid descriptions are 

provided in L-DEO’s application.

Description of the Activity

The seismic survey will involve one 

vessel. The source vessel, the R/V 

Maurice Ewing, will deploy three lowenergy GI airguns as an energy source, 

with a total discharge volume of up to 

315 in3. As the airguns are towed along 

the survey lines, the towed hydrophone 

system will receive the returning 

acoustic signals.

The program will consist of a 

maximum of 6048 km (3266 nm) of 

surveys. Water depths within the survey 

area are up to 5000 m (16,400 ft); most 

of the survey will be conducted in water 

depths less than 2000 m (6560 ft). The 

area to be surveyed extends from 

approximately 4 to 150 km (2 to 80 nm) 

offshore. The airguns may also be 

operated closer to, and farther from, 

shore while the ship is maneuvering 

toward or between survey lines.

The proposed program will use 

conventional seismic methodology with 

a small towed array of three GI airguns 

as the energy source, and a towed 

hydrophone streamer as the receiver 

system. The energy to the airguns is 

compressed air supplied by compressors 

on board the source vessel. Seismic 

pulses will be emitted at intervals of 5 

seconds. The 5–sec spacing corresponds 

to a shot interval of approximately 12.5 

m (41 ft).

The generator chamber of each GI 

gun, the one responsible for introducing 

the sound pulse into the ocean, is 105 

in3. The injector chamber injects air into 

the previously generated bubble to 

maintain its shape, and does not 

introduce appreciably more sound into 

the water. The three 105–in3 GI guns 

will be towed behind the Ewing, at a