65192 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 212 / Monday, November 3, 2014 / Notices 

physically accessible to people with 

disabilities. All guests are required to 

register in advance. The meeting room 

will be provided upon registration. 

Seating is limited and will be on a first 

come, first served basis. Requests for 

sign language interpretation, other 

auxiliary aids, or pre-registration, 

should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. 

EDT on November 10, 2014, to Jennifer 

Pilat, the U.S. Travel and Tourism 

Advisory Board, Room 4043, 1401 

Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, 

DC 20230, telephone 202–482–4501, 

OACIE@trade.gov. Last minute requests 

will be accepted, but may be impossible 

to fill. There will be 15 minutes of time 

allotted for oral comments from 

members of the public attending the 

meeting. Any member of the public may 

submit pertinent written comments 

concerning the Board’s affairs at any 

time before or after the meeting. 

Comments may be submitted to Jennifer 

Pilat at the contact information 

indicated above. To be considered 

during the meeting, comments must be 

received no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on 

November 10, 2014, to ensure 

transmission to the Board prior to the 

meeting. Comments received after that 

date will be distributed to the members 

but may not be considered at the 

meeting. Copies of Board meeting 

minutes will be available within 90 days 

of the meeting. 

Dated: October 29, 2014. 

Jennifer Pilat, 

Executive Secretary, United States Travel and 

Tourism Advisory Board. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26104 Filed 10–31–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XD578 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) Fixed 

Gear Electronic Monitoring (EM) 

Workgroup will meet in Seattle, WA. 

DATES: The meetings will be held 

November 19–20, 2014, 2014, from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m., each day. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Renaissance Hotel 515 Madison 

Street, Seattle, WA. 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Diana Evans, Council staff; telephone: 

(907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

agenda is to discuss progress on the 

elements of the 2015 EM Cooperative 

Research Plan, develop a plan to finalize 

the research plan for SSC review in 

February, develop recommendations for 

the Council on alternatives and purpose 

and need for the Council analysis to 

integrate EM into the observer program, 

and discuss funding and timelines for 

the research plan and the analysis. 

The Agenda is subject to change, and 

the latest version will be posted at 

http://www.npfmc.org/ 

Special Accommodations 

These meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Gail Bendixen at 

(907) 271–2809 at least 7 working days 

prior to the meeting date. 

Dated: October 29, 2014. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26069 Filed 10–31–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

[CPSC Docket No. 15–C0002] 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Provisional 

Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement 

and Order 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: It is the policy of the 

Commission to publish settlements 

which it provisionally accepts under the 

Consumer Product Safety Act in the 

Federal Register in accordance with the 

terms of 16 CFR 1118.20(e). Published 

below is a provisionally-accepted 

Settlement Agreement with WilliamsSonoma, Inc., containing a civil penalty 

of $700,000.00, within twenty (20) days 

of service of the Commission’s final 

Order accepting the Settlement 

Agreement. 

DATES: Any interested person may ask 

the Commission not to accept this 

agreement or otherwise comment on its 

contents by filing a written request with 

the Office of the Secretary by November 

18, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to 

comment on this Settlement Agreement 

should send written comments to the 

Comment 15–C0002 Office of the 

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, 

Room 820, Bethesda, Maryland 20814– 

4408. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gregory M. Reyes, Trial Attorney, Office 

of the General Counsel, Division of 

Compliance, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, 

Bethesda, Maryland 20814–4408; 

telephone (301) 504–7220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of 

the Agreement and Order appears 

below. 

Dated: October 29, 2014. 

Todd A. Stevenson, 

Secretary. 

Settlement Agreement 

1. In accordance with the Consumer 

Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 

2051–2089 and 16 CFR 1118.20, 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WilliamsSonoma), and the U.S. Consumer 

Product Safety Commission 

(Commission), through its staff (staff), 

hereby enter into this Settlement 

Agreement (Agreement). The Agreement 

and the incorporated attached Order 

(Order) resolve staff’s charges set forth 

below. 

The Parties 

2. The Commission is an independent 

federal regulatory agency, established 

pursuant to, and responsible for, the 

enforcement of the CPSA. By executing 

the Agreement, staff is acting on behalf 

of the Commission, pursuant to 16 CFR 

1118.20(b). The Commission issues the 

Order under the provisions of the CPSA. 

3. Williams-Sonoma is a corporation, 

organized and existing under the laws of 

the state of Delaware, with its principal 

corporate office located at 3250 Van 

Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109. 

4. Pottery Barn Kids (PBK), Pottery 

Barn, PBteen, and West Elm are brands, 

referred to by Williams-Sonoma as 

‘‘merchandising concepts,’’ whose 

trademarks are owned by WilliamsSonoma. 

Staff Charges 

5. The subject matter of staff’s 

investigation concerned Roman shades 

sold by PBK (PBK Shades) that were 

voluntarily recalled by WilliamsSonoma on August 26, 2009 and Roman 

shades that were sold by PBK, Pottery 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 212 / Monday, November 3, 2014 / Notices 65193 

Barn, PBteen, and West Elm 

(collectively, the Roman Shades) that 

were voluntarily recalled by WilliamsSonoma on December 15, 2009. 

6. Between January 2003 and 

November 2007, Williams-Sonoma 

imported, distributed in commerce, and 

sold to consumers approximately 85,000 

of the PBK Shades with exposed inner 

cords through its PBK merchandising 

concept. 

7. The PBK Shades are ‘‘consumer 

products,’’ and at all relevant times, 

Williams-Sonoma was a ‘‘manufacturer’’ 

and ‘‘retailer’’ of these consumer 

products, which were ‘‘distributed in 

commerce,’’ as those terms are defined 

or used in sections 3(a)(5), (8), (11), and 

(13) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(5), 

(8), (11), and (13). 

8. Staff charged that the PBK Shades 

recalled on August 26, 2009 are 

defective because the exposed inner 

cords on the PBK Shades pose a 

strangulation hazard to young children. 

9. Between 2005 and 2007, WilliamsSonoma implemented three design 

changes to eliminate the hazard posed 

by the PBK Shades. By August 2007, 

Williams-Sonoma had approved its 

third and final design change that 

included a protective backing to cover 

the exposed inner cords of the PBK 

Shades. 

10. By August 2007, WilliamsSonoma received five reports of 

children becoming entangled on the 

inner cords of the PBK Shades. In each 

of those five incident reports, the 

consumer raised a concern about the 

safety or design of the PBK Shades. By 

July 2008, Williams-Sonoma received 

two additional reports of children 

becoming entangled on the inner cords 

of the PBK Shades. 

11. Between 2006 and 2008, WilliamsSonoma also settled claims with 

consumers who reported that their 

children had become entangled on the 

inner cords of the PBK Shades. 

12. Williams-Sonoma filed its Full 

Report with the Commission for the 

PBK Shades on September 18, 2008. 

13. CPSC staff alleges that WilliamsSonoma: 

a. Had sufficient information by 

August 2007 that reasonably supported 

the conclusion that the PBK Shades 

contained a defect that could create a 

substantial product hazard or created an 

unreasonable risk of serious injury or 

death; 

b. was required, and failed, to inform 

the Commission immediately of the 

defect that could create a substantial 

product hazard, as required by section 

15(b)(3) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 

2064(b)(3); 

c. was required, and failed, to inform 

the Commission immediately of the 

unreasonable risk of serious injury, as 

required by section 15(b)(4) of the 

CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(b)(4); 

d. knowingly violated section 19(a)(4) 

of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2068(a)(4), as the 

term ‘‘knowingly’’ is defined in section 

20(d) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2069(d); 

and sold a small quantity of recalled 

Roman Shades in violation of section 

19(a)(2)(B) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 

2068(a)(2)(B). 

14. Pursuant to section 20 of the 

CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2069, WilliamsSonoma is subject to civil penalties for 

its knowing failure to report as required 

by section 15(b) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 

2064(b). 

Williams-Sonoma’s Response 

15. Williams-Sonoma neither admits 

nor denies the charges set forth above, 

including but not limited to, the charge 

that the Roman Shades contain a defect 

that could create a substantial product 

hazard or created an unreasonable risk 

of serious injury or death, the 

contention that Williams-Sonoma failed 

to notify the Commission in a timely 

manner, in accordance with section 

15(b) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(b), 

the contention that such failure was 

‘‘knowing,’’ and the charge that 

Williams-Sonoma ‘‘knowingly’’ sold 

recalled products in violation of 

19(a)(2)(B) of the CPSA. 

16. Beginning in 2005, before 

Williams-Sonoma had received any 

reported incidents associated with the 

PBK Shades, Williams-Sonoma 

attempted to enhance the safety of the 

shades’ inner cords. The PBK and all 

Roman Shades that Williams-Sonoma 

sold at that time contained a generic 

inner cord design that was common in 

the industry. 

17. None of the incidents that 

Williams-Sonoma has identified as 

associated with the PBK Shades 

reportedly resulted in a serious injury. 

18. Williams-Sonoma stopped 

sourcing corded window coverings in 

2009. 

19. Williams-Sonoma took reasonable 

steps to prevent the inadvertent postrecall sale of recalled Roman Shades. 

Agreement of the Parties 

20. Under the CPSA, the Commission 

has jurisdiction over the matter 

involving the PBK Shades and over 

Williams-Sonoma. 

21. In settlement of staff’s charges and 

the subject matter of staff’s 

investigation, and to avoid the cost, 

distraction, delay, uncertainty, and 

inconvenience of protracted litigation or 

other proceedings, Williams-Sonoma 

shall pay a civil penalty in the amount 

of seven hundred thousand dollars 

($700,000.00), which shall be due and 

payable within twenty (20) calendar 

days after receiving service of the 

Commission’s final Order accepting the 

Agreement. All payments to be made 

under the Agreement shall constitute 

debts owing to the United States and 

shall be made by electronic wire transfer 

to the United States via: http://

www.pay.gov. 

22. The parties agree that this 

settlement figure is predicated, among 

other things, upon the accuracy of oral 

and written representations of, and 

statements by, Williams-Sonoma and 

Williams-Sonoma’s representatives 

made in connection with this matter. 

23. The parties enter into the 

Agreement for settlement purposes only. 

The Agreement does not constitute an 

admission by Williams-Sonoma or a 

determination by the Commission that 

Williams-Sonoma violated the CPSA. 

24. Following staff’s receipt of the 

Agreement executed on behalf of 

Williams-Sonoma, staff shall promptly 

submit the Agreement to the 

Commission for provisional acceptance. 

Promptly following provisional 

acceptance of the Agreement by the 

Commission, the Agreement shall be 

placed on the public record and 

published in the Federal Register, in 

accordance with the procedures set 

forth in 16 CFR 1118.20(e). If, within 

fifteen (15) calendar days, the 

Commission does not receive any 

written request not to accept the 

Agreement, the Agreement shall be 

deemed finally accepted on the 

sixteenth (16th) calendar day after the 

date the Agreement is published in the 

Federal Register, in accordance with 16 

CFR 1118.20(f). 

25. The Agreement is conditioned 

upon, and subject to, the Commission’s 

final acceptance, as set forth above, and 

is subject to the provisions of 16 CFR 

1118.20(h). Upon the later of: (i) The 

Commission’s final acceptance of the 

Agreement and service of the accepted 

Agreement upon Williams-Sonoma, and 

(ii) the date of issuance of the final 

Order, the Agreement shall be in full 

force and effect and shall be binding 

upon the parties. 

26. Effective upon the later of: (i) The 

Commission’s final acceptance of the 

Agreement and service of the accepted 

Agreement upon Williams-Sonoma, and 

(ii) the date of issuance of the final 

Order, for good and valuable 

consideration, Williams-Sonoma hereby 

expressly and irrevocably waives and 

agrees not to assert any past, present, or 

future rights to the following, in 

connection with the matter described in 

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65194 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 212 / Monday, November 3, 2014 / Notices 

the Agreement: (a) An administrative or 

judicial hearing; (b) judicial review or 

other challenge or contest of the validity 

of the Order or of the Commission’s 

actions; (c) a determination by the 

Commission of whether WilliamsSonoma failed to comply with the CPSA 

and the underlying regulations; (d) a 

statement of findings of fact and 

conclusions of law; and (e) any claims 

under the Equal Access to Justice Act. 

27. Paragraphs 21, 22, and 23 of the 

Settlement Agreement between 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and the U.S. 

Consumer Product Safety Commission, 

CPSC Docket No.: 13–C0005, 78 Federal 

Register 27,190 (May 9, 2013), which 

Williams-Sonoma has represented have 

been implemented, hereby are 

incorporated by reference into this 

Agreement as if fully set forth herein. 

28. The parties acknowledge and 

agree that the Commission may make 

public disclosure of the terms of the 

Agreement and the Order. 

29. Williams-Sonoma represents that 

the Agreement: (i) Is entered into freely 

and voluntarily, without any degree of 

duress or compulsion whatsoever; (ii) 

has been duly authorized; and (iii) 

constitutes the valid and binding 

obligation of Williams-Sonoma, and 

each of its successors and/or assigns, 

enforceable against Williams-Sonoma in 

accordance with the Agreement’s terms. 

The individuals signing the Agreement 

on behalf of Williams-Sonoma represent 

and warrant that they are duly 

authorized by Williams-Sonoma to 

execute the Agreement. 

30. The Commission signatories 

represent that they are signing the 

Agreement in their official capacities 

and that they are authorized to execute 

the Agreement. 

31. The Agreement is governed by the 

laws of the United States. 

32. The Agreement and the Order 

shall apply to, and be binding upon, 

Williams-Sonoma and each of its 

subsidiaries, successors, transferees, and 

assigns; and a violation of the 

Agreement or Order may subject 

Williams-Sonoma and each of its 

subsidiaries, successors, transferees, and 

assigns to appropriate legal action. 

33. The Agreement and the Order 

constitute the complete agreement 

between the parties on the subject 

matter contained herein and therein. 

34. The Agreement may be used in 

interpreting the Order. Understandings, 

agreements, representations, or 

interpretations apart from those 

contained in the Agreement and the 

Order may not be used to vary or 

contradict their terms. For purposes of 

construction, the Agreement shall be 

deemed to have been drafted by both of 

the parties, and therefore, the 

Agreement shall not be construed 

against any party for that reason in any 

subsequent dispute. 

35. The Agreement shall not be 

waived, amended, modified, or 

otherwise altered, except as in 

accordance with the provisions of 16 

CFR 1118.20(h). The Agreement may be 

executed in counterparts. 

36. If any provision of the Agreement 

or the Order is held to be illegal, 

invalid, or unenforceable under present 

or future laws effective during the terms 

of the Agreement and the Order, such 

provision shall be fully severable. The 

balance of the Agreement and the Order 

shall remain in full force and effect, 

unless the Commission and WilliamsSonoma agree that severing the 

provision materially affects the purpose 

of the Agreement and Order. 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 

Dated: October 14, 2014 

By: 

Julie P. Whalen 

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial 

Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., 3250 Van 

Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109 

Dated: October 15, 2014 

By: lllllllllllllllllll

Eric A. Rubel 

Arnold & Porter, LLP, 555 Twelfth Street, 

NW, Washington, DC 20004–1206, Counsel 

for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety 

Commission Staff 

Stephanie Tsacoumis 

General Counsel 

Mary T. Boyle 

Deputy General Counsel 

Mary B. Murphy 

Assistant General Counsel 

Dated: October 16, 2014 

By: lllllllllllllllllll

Gregory M. Reyes 

Trial Attorney, Division of Compliance 

Order 

Upon consideration of the Settlement 

Agreement entered into between 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WilliamsSonoma), and the U.S. Consumer 

Product Safety Commission 

(Commission), and the Commission 

having jurisdiction over the subject 

matter and over Williams-Sonoma, and 

it appearing that the Settlement 

Agreement and the Order are in the 

public interest, it is 

Ordered that the Settlement 

Agreement be, and is, hereby, accepted; 

and it is 

Further ordered, that WilliamsSonoma shall comply with the terms of 

the Settlement Agreement and shall pay 

a civil penalty of $700,000.00 within 

twenty (20) calendar days after receiving 

service of the Commission’s final Order 

accepting the Settlement Agreement. 

Upon failure of Williams-Sonoma to 

make the foregoing payment when due, 

interest on the unpaid amount shall 

accrue and be paid by Williams-Sonoma 

at the federal legal rate of interest set 

forth at 28 U.S.C. 1961(a) and (b). If 

Williams-Sonoma fails to make such a 

payment or to comply in full with any 

other provision as set forth in the 

Settlement Agreement, such conduct 

will be considered a violation of the 

Settlement Agreement and Order. 

Provisionally accepted and provisional 

Order issued on the 29th day of October, 

2014. 

By order of the commission: 

lllllllllllllllllllll

Todd A. Stevenson, Secretary, U.S. 

Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26065 Filed 10–31–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL 

QUALITY 

Opportunity for Sponsorship of the 

GreenGov Symposium 

AGENCY: Council on Environmental 

Quality. 

ACTION: Notice. GreenGov Symposium 

Call for Co-Sponsors. 

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public 

of the opportunity for eligible nongovernmental entities to submit an 

application for co-sponsorship of a 

potential White House Council on 

Environmental Quality 2015 GreenGov 

Symposium. Those interested in 

becoming co-sponsors should submit an 

application for co-sponsorship by 

November 28, 2014. 

DATES: To be considered, applications 

for co-sponsorship must be received via 

email no later than 5:00p.m. Eastern 

Time on November 28, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Applications and any 

supporting materials may be submitted 

electronically to the White House 

Council on Environmental Quality, 

Office of the Federal Environmental 

Executive at ofee@ceq.eop.gov. 

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Will 

Garvey, Office of the Federal 

Environmental Executive, White House 

Council on Environmental Quality, 

wgarvey@ceq.eop.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTALARY INFORMATION: 

Application Information 

Only non-government entities that are 

not-for-profit corporations or entities are 

eligible for co-sponsorship of the 2015 

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