Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 144 / Monday, July 28, 1997 / Notices 40335

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C–337–802]

Notice of Postponement of Time Limit

for Countervailing Duty Investigation:

Fresh Atlantic Salmon From Chile

AGENCY: International Trade

Administration/Import Administration/

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosa

Jeong or Marian Wells, Import

Administration, International Trade

Administration, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Room 3099, 14th Street and

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,

D.C. 20230; telephone: (202) 482–1278

or 482–6309, respectively.

Postponement

On July 2, 1997, the Department of

Commerce (‘‘the Department’’) initiated

the countervailing duty investigation of

Fresh Atlantic Salmon from Chile.

Respondents have indicated that they

will be cooperating in the investigation.

In addition, we are investigating a large

number of potentially complex alleged

countervailable subsidy practices.

Accordingly, as detailed in our July 15,

1997, Memorandum to the File, we

deem this investigation to be

extraordinarily complicated. Therefore,

pursuant to section 703(c)(1) of the

Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (‘‘the

Act’’), we are postponing the

preliminary determination in this

investigation no later than November

10, 1997.

This notice is published pursuant to

section 703(c)(2) of the Act.

Dated: July 18, 1997.

Robert S. LaRussa,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–19811 Filed 7–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 043097B]

Small Takes of Marine Mammals

Incidental to Specified Activities;

Lockheed Launch Vehicles at

Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

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 to take small

numbers of harbor seals by harassment

incidental to launches of LockheedMartin’s launch vehicles (LMLVs) at

Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC–6),

Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

(Vandenberg) has been issued.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This authorization is

effective from July 18, 1997, through

July 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The application and

authorization are available for review in

the following offices: Marine Mammal

Division, Office of Protected Resources,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910, and the Southwest

Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90802.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth Hollingshead, Office of

Protected Resources at 301–713–2055,

or Irma Lagomarsino, Southwest

Regional Office at 310–980–4016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs NMFS 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 regulations are issued.

Permission may be granted if NMFS

finds that the taking will have a

negligible impact on the species or

stock(s), will not have an unmitigable

adverse impact on the availability of the

species or stock(s) for subsistence uses,

and the permissible methods of taking

and requirements pertaining to the

monitoring and reporting of such taking

are set forth.

The MMPA Amendments of 1994

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. The

MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ as:

* * * any act of pursuit, torment, or

annoyance which (a) has the potential to

injure a marine mammal or marine mammal

stock in the wild; or (b) 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.

New subsection 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 small numbers 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 March 21, 1997, NMFS received

an application from the U.S. Air Force,

Vandenberg, requesting continuation of

an authorization for the harassment of

small numbers of harbor seals incidental

to launches of LMLVs at SLC–6,

Vandenberg. These launches would

place commercial payloads into low

earth orbit. Because of the requirements

for circumpolar trajectories of the LMLV

and its payloads, the use of SLC–6 is the

only feasible alternative for LMLV

launches within the United States. As a

result of the noise associated with the

launch itself and the resultant sonic

boom, these noises have the potential to

cause a startle response to those harbor

seals which haul out on the coastline

south and southwest of Vandenberg and

may be detectable to marine mammals

west of the Channel Islands. Launch

noise would be expected to occur over

the coastal habitats in the vicinity of

SLC–6 while low-level sonic booms

could be heard west of the Channel

Islands.

Background information on the

activity, the authorization request, and

affected marine mammals can be found

in the proposed authorization notice (62

FR 26779, May 15, 1997) and previous

notices (60 FR 24840, May 10, 1995; 60

FR 38308, July 26, 1995) on LMLV

launches. Therefore this information is

not repeated here. These documents are

available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES).

Comments and Responses

A notice of receipt of the application

and the proposed authorization was

published on May 15, 1997 (62 FR

26779) and a 30-day public comment

period was provided on the application

and proposed authorization. No

comments were received during the

comment period.

Conclusion

For reasons discussed in the notice of

proposed authorization, since NMFS is

assured that the taking will not result in

more than the harassment (as defined by

the MMPA Amendments of 1994) of a

small number of harbor seals, would

have only a negligible impact on the

species, and would result in the least

practicable impact on the stock, NMFS

has determined that the requirements of
40336 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 144 / Monday, July 28, 1997 / Notices

section 101(a)(5)(D) have been met and

the authorization can be issued.

Authorization

For the above reasons, NMFS has

issued an incidental harassment

authorization for 1 year for the above

described activity provided mitigation,

monitoring, and reporting requirements

described in the IHA are undertaken.

Dated: July 15, 1997.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–19793 Filed 7-25-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability of the Record of

Decision for the Demilitarization of

Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored

at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Record of Decision.

SUMMARY: Consistent with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA) and regulations promulgated

pursuant thereto, this announces the

availability of the Record of Decision

(ROD) which documents and explains

the Department of the Army’s decision

to construct and operate a full-scale

chemical agent disposal facility located

in the northeastern area of the Pine Bluff

Arsenal (PBA), Arkansas (identified as

Site A in the Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS)). The Army has

determined that the Revised Final EIS

adequately addresses the potential

impacts of the Army’s actions relating to

the disposal of chemical agents and

munitions stored at PBA. The Army has

also determined that the conclusions in

the Revised Final EIS establish that the

decision to implement on-site

incineration at site A provides

maximum protection of the

environment, the general public, and

workers at the disposal facility. The

Army plans to dispose of 3,850 tons of

chemical agents stored at PBA

consistent with the terms of the ROD.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

comparison was made of the potential

impacts of six different locations at PBA

for the facility. The six locations were

identified using criteria based on safety

and compatibility with current PBA

activities. The selected site, located in

the northeastern part of the Arsenal, has

the advantage of being previously

disturbed by construction of the BZ

disposal facility and the ready

availability of utilities. Additionally, it

was found to result in equivalent or

lower potential adverse ecological

impacts as compared to the other five

sites evaluated. Potential impacts from

alternative operating schedules for the

proposed disposal facility were also

evaluated. It was found that operating

the plant continuously on a daily basis

would result in lower human health

risks than operating the plant only for

one shift. Based on these impact

analyses, it is concluded that

conducting disposal operations at the

northern site for three shifts per day is

the preferred environmental alternative

for implementing on-site disposal.

COPIES: To obtain copies of the ROD,

contact the Program Manager for

Chemical Demilitarization, Data and

Document Control Center, at (410) 671–

4901 or Mr. Jeff Lindblad, Pine Bluff

Chemical Activity, at (501) 540–2429.

For more information, contact Ms.

Catherine Herlinger, Office of the

Program Manager for Chemical

Demilitarization, at (410) 671–3629.

Dated: July 21, 1997.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army

(Environment, Safety and Occupational

Health), OASA (I, L&E).

[FR Doc. 97–19767 Filed 7–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Reformation Study, Atlantic Coast

of Long Island, From Fire Island Inlet

to Montauk Point, New York

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The New York District of the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to

begin preparation of a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

for proposed measures for storm damage

protection for the Atlantic Coast of Long

Island, from Fire Island Inlet to

Montauk Point, New York (study area).

This project is necessary due to

continual erosion leading to a decrease

in the width of beach and a loss of

beach material during severe storms and

hurricanes. Due to the erosion and the

lack of sufficiently high beaches, berms

or dune systems, residential and

commercial developments have become

increasingly susceptible to storm

damage from flooding and wave attack.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Attn: Stephen A. Couch, Study

Manager, (212) 264–9077

Attn: Peter M. Weppler, EIS

Coordinator, (212) 264–4663,

Planning Division, Corps of

Engineers, New York District, 26

Federal Plaza, New York, New York

10278–0090

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

overall Fire Island Inlet to Montauk

Point, New York, Combined Beach

Erosion Control and Hurricane

Protection Project was authorized by the

River and Harbor Act of 1960 in

accordance with the recommendations

of the Chief of Engineers in House

Document No. 425, 86th Congress dated

June 21, 1960. The original authorized

project provided for beach erosion

control and hurricane protection along

five reaches by means of widening the

beaches along the developed areas,

raising the dunes by artificial placement

of suitable sand, grass planting on the

dunes, and construction of interior

drainage structures at Mecox Bay,

Sagaponack Lake, and Georgica Pond.

The project authorized construction of

50 groins subject to determination of

their actual need. The authorization was

subsequently modified by Section 103

of the River and Harbor Act of October

12, 1962, Section 31 of the Water

Resources Development Act of 1974,

Section 502 of the Water Resources

Development Act of 1986, and Section

102 of the Water Resources

Development Act of 1992. These

modifications were made primarily to

adjust the cost sharing provisions of the

authorized project.

1. Location and Description of Proposed

Action

The project area is located entirely in

Suffolk County, Long Island, New York,

along the Atlantic and bay shores of the

towns of Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven,

Southamption and Easthampton. The

study area is approximately 83 miles

long. The study area includes three large

estuarial bays. Great South Bay is

connected to the Atlantic Ocean through

Fire Island Inlet, which is a federal

navigation channel. Similarly, Moriches

Bay and Shinnecock Bay are connected

to the ocean through Moriches and

Shinnecock Inlets, respectively, which

are also federal navigation channels.

Great South Bay, Moriches Bay and

Shinnecock Bay are connected by

narrow channels behind the barrier. The

westernmost portion of the study area,

Fire Island Inlet, is located

approximately 52 miles by water east of