Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 10, 2012 / Notices 1549 

1 74 FR 52838 (Oct. 14, 2009). 

2Construction work is not scheduled for the 

weekends of March 12–13, June 30–July 1, and July 

7–8. 

(202) 647–5936, email (JacksonRS@

state.gov), or telephone (202) 647–9204. 

Participants may enter the Department 

of State from the entrance on 23rd 

Street. In view of escorting 

requirements, non-Government 

attendees should plan to arrive 15 

minutes before the meeting begins. 

Requests for reasonable accommodation 

should be made to Ronelle Jackson prior 

to Tuesday, January 24. Requests made 

after that date will be considered, but 

might not be possible to fulfill. 

Personal data is requested pursuant to 

Public Law 99–399 (Omnibus 

Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism 

Act of 1986), as amended; Public Law 

107–56 (USA PATRIOT Act); and 

Executive Order 13356. The purpose of 

the collection is to validate the identity 

of individuals who enter Department 

facilities. The data will be entered into 

the Visitor Access Control System 

(VACS–D) database. Please see the 

Privacy Impact Assessment for VACS–D 

at http://www.state.gov/documents/

organization/100305.pdf for additional 

information. 

For additional information, contact 

Deputy Outreach Coordinator Tiffany 

Enoch, Office of Economic Policy 

Analysis and Public Diplomacy, Bureau 

of Economic and Business Affairs, at 

(202) 647–2231 or EnochT@state.gov. 

Dated: December 29, 2011. 

Emily Bruno, 

Acting Director, Office of Economic Policy 

Analysis and Public Diplomacy, U.S. 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2012–232 Filed 1–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–07–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

Generalized System of Preferences 

(GSP): Notice of the Results of the 

2010 GSP Annual Review 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces (1) the 

disposition of the product petitions 

accepted for review in the 2010 GSP 

Annual Review, and (2) the status of 

country practices petitions accepted as 

part of GSP annual reviews, including 

the 2010 GSP Annual Review. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tameka Cooper, GSP Program, Office of 

the United States Trade Representative, 

1724 F Street NW., Room F–214, 

Washington, DC 20508. The telephone 

number is (202) 395–6971, the fax 

number is (202) 395–2961, and the 

email address is Tameka_Cooper@ustr.

eop.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP 

program provides for the duty-free 

importation of eligible articles when 

imported from designated beneficiary 

developing countries. The GSP program 

is authorized by Title V of the Trade Act 

of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as 

amended, and is implemented in 

accordance with Executive Order 11888 

of November 24, 1975, as modified by 

subsequent Executive Orders and 

Presidential Proclamations. 

In the 2010 GSP Annual Review, the 

Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) 

reviewed two petitions to change 

product coverage of the GSP. Based on 

the TPSC’s review and the 

recommendation of the U.S. Trade 

Representative, President Obama 

removed one product—sleeping bags, 

not containing 20 percent or more by 

weight of feathers and/or down (HTSUS 

9404.30.80)—from eligibility for dutyfree treatment under GSP, effective 

January 1, 2012, because it is importsensitive in the context of GSP. (See 

Presidential Proclamation 8770 of 

December 29, 2011.) A petition to 

remove GSP duty-free treatment for two 

types of self-adhesive plastic tape 

(HTSUS 3919.10.20 and 3919.90.50) 

was denied. 

There are no changes at this time to 

the status of those country practice 

petitions accepted in the 2010 GSP 

annual review and continued from 

earlier annual reviews. A list of all of 

the country practice petitions under 

review can be found on the USTR Web 

site at http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/ 

3218 in List II (Petitions for Review of 

Country Practices). 

William D. Jackson, 

Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative 

for the Generalized System of Preferences and 

Chair of the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade 

Policy Staff Committee, Office of the U.S. 

Trade Representative. 

[FR Doc. 2012–250 Filed 1–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W2–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–1442] 

Order Limiting Scheduled Operations 

at Newark Liberty International Airport 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of FAA Decision on 

Request for Waiver of the Slot Usage 

Requirement. 

SUMMARY: This action grants with 

conditions a request by Airlines for 

America (A4A) for a waiver of the slot 

usage requirement for operating 

authorizations (slots) at Newark Liberty 

International Airport (EWR) due to 

construction at the airport during the 

summer 2012 and winter 2012–13 

scheduling seasons. 

DATES: Effective upon publication. The 

deadlines for temporary slot returns 

under this waiver are March 16, 2012, 

for summer 2012 slots and August 15, 

2012, for winter 2012–13 slots. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Hawks, Office of the Chief 

Counsel, Federal Aviation 

Administration, 800 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; 

telephone: (202) 267–7143; email: 

rob.hawks@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

By letter dated December 6, 2011, 

A4A requested the FAA grant a limited 

waiver of the slot usage requirement for 

EWR during the 2012 runway 4R–22L 

reconstruction project. In support of its 

request, A4A referenced a waiver 

granted by the FAA in 2010 due to a 

runway construction project at John F. 

Kennedy International Airport.1

The Port Authority of New York and 

New Jersey (Port Authority) will 

resurface EWR runway 4R–22L. In 

addition, the Port Authority will 

undertake preparatory work for new 

taxiways and install new runway 

lighting and electrical infrastructure. 

This major project is scheduled for 

between April 15 and December 15, 

2012. The construction schedule, which 

may be adjusted because of weather 

conditions, is: 

• Nightly closure (0030 through 0630) 

of runway 4R–22L from April 15 

through December 15. 

• Extended weekend closure of 

runway 4R–22L from April 15 through 

November 15.2 Closure will occur from 

0030 on Saturday through 1100 on 

Sunday. 

• Closure of runway 4R–22L from 

September 8 through September 17. 

• Closure of the intersection of 

runway 4R–22L and runway 11–29 from 

May 4 through May 9. This closure will 

result in shortening the available 

lengths of both runways. 

A4A contends the closures will 

significantly affect EWR’s throughput 

because runway 4R–22L is the airport’s 

principal arrival runway. During the 

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1550 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 10, 2012 / Notices 

3 76 FR 18618 (Apr. 4, 2011). 

construction closures, both arrivals and 

departures must share runway 4L–22R. 

Construction closures that shorten the 

length of cross-wind runway 11–29 may 

reduce the number of arrivals and 

departures that can use that runway. 

EWR is one of the busiest airports in 

the nation and currently experiences 

significant delay. A4A argues 

construction closures, and the resulting 

decreased throughput, likely will 

increase airport delays. The FAA, the 

Port Authority, and airlines have 

discussed mitigations of constructionrelated delays, and the construction 

schedule, which limits the closures, 

reflects those discussions. 

FAA Analysis 

Under the Order limiting scheduled 

operations at EWR, slots must be used 

at least 80 percent of the time. This rule 

is expected to accommodate routine 

weather and other cancellations under 

all but the most unusual circumstances. 

Slots not meeting the minimum usage 

rules will not receive historic 

precedence for the following 

corresponding scheduling season.3 The 

FAA may grant a waiver from the slot 

usage requirement in highly unusual 

and unpredictable conditions that are 

beyond a carrier’s control and affect a 

carrier’s operations for a period of five 

or more consecutive days. However, the 

FAA does not routinely grant general 

waivers to the usage requirement except 

under the most unusual circumstances. 

The FAA has determined that the 

projected operational, congestion, and 

delay impacts of the 2012 EWR runway 

construction meet the requirements for 

a temporary waiver of the slot usage 

requirement. Considering the 

throughput impacts during 

construction, reducing operations to 

minimize congestion and delays is in 

the public interest. Carriers that 

temporarily reduce flights and elect to 

temporarily return slots to the FAA 

rather than transfer them for another 

carrier’s use should not be penalized by 

permanently losing the authority to 

operate. 

FAA Decision 

In consideration of the foregoing, 

A4A’s request for a waiver is granted 

with conditions. This waiver applies 

only to EWR slots for the following 

days: (1) Saturdays and Sundays from 

April 15 through November 15; (2) May 

4 through May 9, and (3) September 8 

through September 17. To obtain a 

waiver for a specific slot held, a carrier 

must temporarily return to the FAA 

slots that it will not operate during the 

waiver period. The carrier will retain 

historical precedence for these 

temporarily returned slots. These 

temporary slot returns permit the FAA 

to plan for days on which construction 

closures and resulting operational 

impacts occur. If the closure dates 

change due to weather, the FAA will 

apply the waiver, including 

retroactively, if a carrier notifies the 

FAA that the temporarily returned slots 

will not be operated on any new closure 

dates. For summer 2012 slots, the 

temporary slot return deadline is Friday, 

March 16, 2012. For winter 2012–13 

slots, the temporary slot return deadline 

is Wednesday, August 15, 2012. 

Temporary slot returns should be 

submitted to the Slot Administration 

Office by email at 7-awaslotadmin@faa.gov or by facsimile at 

(202) 267–7277. These return 

notifications should indicate they are 

subject to this waiver. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 4, 

2012. 

Rebecca B. MacPherson, 

Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations. 

[FR Doc. 2012–253 Filed 1–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: Erie 

County, NY 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), United States 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Rescinded Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: FHWA is issuing this 

rescinded notice to advise the public 

that FHWA will not be preparing and 

issuing a Final Environmental Impact 

Statement for the proposed Peace Bridge 

Expansion Project in the city of Buffalo, 

Erie County, New York and the town of 

Fort Erie, Ontario Canada (NYSDOT 

Project Identification Number: 5753.58). 

The Peace Bridge Expansion Project 

(project) is a proposal for operational 

improvements at the Peace Bridge 

crossing between the United States and 

Canada. A notice of intent to prepare an 

EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on October 9, 2001. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jonathan D. McDade, Division 

Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration, New York Division, Leo 

W. O’Brien Federal Building, Suite 719, 

11A Clinton Avenue, Albany, New York 

12207. Telephone (518) 431–4127, or 

Farhan F. Haddad, P.E., Deputy 

Director, Major Projects Office, New 

York State Department of 

Transportation, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, 

New York 12232. Telephone (518) 457– 

7282. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FHWA in 

cooperation with the New York State 

Department of Transportation 

(NYSDOT) and the Buffalo-Fort Erie 

Public Bridge Authority (PBA) 

previously intended to prepare an EIS to 

evaluate the impacts and alternatives to 

constructing a companion bridge to the 

existing structure and to expand the 

border crossing plaza for Federal 

inspection agencies with reconstruction, 

relocation, and improvements to 

connecting roadways as well. 

As the project and environmental 

documentation developed from the 

original scope, significant spatial 

challenges resulted from the design and 

operational complexities required to 

meet the defined objectives (security 

requirements and operational 

improvements). At this time, the 

significantly large footprint and 

associated impacts that are required for 

an adequate design to meet the 

objectives of the project has caused the 

cost to escalate beyond the sponsor’s 

ability to secure sufficient funding. This 

determination was reached as a result of 

the extensive analysis and coordination 

that has been conducted on this project 

to date. Additionally, as a result of the 

comprehensive environmental review 

and coordination with Federal and state 

resource agencies, the community and 

resource agency concerns relating to 

historic impacts, relocations, and other 

environmental impacts were at this time 

becoming increasingly paramount. 

The project has been envisioned for 

over two decades and engendered 

controversy since its inception. The 

analysis and consultation which FHWA 

has conducted with the other lead 

agencies has established that the 

original purpose of improving 

operations and security at the border 

can be accomplished without a 

combined bridge and plaza 

improvements project and addressed by 

a project of more limited scope. The 

PBA will be evaluating a series of plaza 

operational improvements and minor 

construction projects and will not be 

seeking Federal funding for such work. 

In light of this information and funding 

constraints, FHWA has determined that 

the plaza improvements and bridge 

construction have independent utility 

with logical termini and do not 

foreclose future improvements or 

projects with respect to either facility. In 

light of this rescinded notice 

terminating the project, the actions of 

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