Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices 45627

the entry summary, the Customs Service

will forward the documentation to the

Department.

ITC Notification

In accordance with section 735(d) of

the Act, we have notified the ITC of our

determination. As our final

determination is affirmative, the ITC

will determine whether these imports

are causing material injury, or threat of

material injury, to the industry within

45 days of its receipt of this notification.

If the ITC determines that material

injury, or threat of material injury, does

not exist, the proceeding will be

terminated and all securities posted will

be refunded or canceled. If the ITC

determines that such injury does exist,

the Department will issue an

antidumping duty order directing

Customs officials to assess antidumping

duties on all imports of the subject

merchandise entered, or withdrawn

from warehouse, for consumption on or

after the effective date of the suspension

of liquidation.

This determination is published

pursuant to section 735(d) of the Act.

Dated: August 20, 1997.

Robert S. LaRussa,

Assistant Secretary for Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97–22968 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Announcement of an Opportunity To

Join a Cooperative Research and

Development Consortium on Optical

Properties of Materials

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST)

invites interested parties to attend a

meeting on October 7, 1997, to discuss

setting up a cooperative research

consortium. The goal of the consortium

is to identify critical industrial needs for

NIST to be involved in performing high

accuracy measurements, developing

necessary standards and critically

evaluating existing data on the optical

properties of materials that are

important for the evolving optical

industries in the USA.

DATES: The Meeting will take place at 10

a.m. on October 7, 1997. Interested

parties should contact NIST to confirm

their interest at the address, telephone

number or FAX number shown below.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place

at and inquiries should be sent to Room

B268, Building 221, National Institute of

Standards and Technology,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Raju Datla, 301–975–2131; FAX 301–

840–8551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

program will be within the scope and

confines of the Federal Technology

Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99–502, 15

U.S.C. 3710a), which provides federal

laboratories including NIST, with the

authority to enter into cooperative

research agreements with qualified

parties. Under this law, NIST may

contribute personnel, equipment, and

facilities—but no funds—to the

cooperative research program.

Members will be expected to make a

contribution to the consortium’s efforts

in the form of personnel, data, and/or

funds. This is not a grant program.

The R&D staff of each industrial

partner in the Consortium will be able

to interact with NIST researchers on

generic measurement needs in the

industry for specific optical properties

of materials. The industrial partners will

also be able to schedule at NIST

collaborative projects in which they

could participate. All partners will

receive a copy of all data on all

materials measured. All partners will

have a certain amount of NIST

measurements made on materials they

request. All partners have some

influence as to the type and accuracy of

the measurements pursued by the

consortium.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director, Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97–22931 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

[Docket No. 970620147–7147–01]

National Voluntary Conformity

Assessment System Evaluation

(NVCASE) Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice: Proposal To Establish

Recognition Program.

SUMMARY: NIST hereby proposes to

establish a recognition program under

NVCASE that will recognize accreditors

of Quality System Registrars. NIST

recognized accreditors may then

accredit companies (Registrars) which

in turn may register organizations that

operate under applicable quality system

standards that satisfy specific foreign

regulatory requirements. The resulting

recognition program will allow NIST to

designate qualified U.S. conformity

assessment bodies and assure their

competence to other governments.

The action being taken under this

notice only addresses development of

generic program requirements. Once a

generic program is established,

applicants will be required to specify

the specific mandated foreign

regulation(s) covered by the application.

In cases where a Mutual Recognition

Agreement (MRA) covering the mutual

recognition of conformity assessment

has been negotiated between the United

States and another country, the sectors

which may be included in an

application may be limited to those

covered by the MRA.

NIST proposes to apply the

requirements contained in the *ISO/IEC

Guide 61—‘‘General requirements for

assessment and accreditation of

certification/registration bodies’’ to all

applicant accreditation bodies. If further

proposes that registrars applying for

accreditation be assessed against the

requirements of *ISO/IEC Guide 62—

‘‘General requirements for bodies

operating assessment and certification/

registration of quality systems’’. These

generic requirements will be

supplemented with specific sectoral

requirements as necessary. Such

specific sectoral requirements will be

developed through consultation with

appropriate experts in the affected

sector. Organizations needing to be

registered shall be registered to a quality

management system standard

appropriate for the regulation/sector

involved.

*ISO documents available from:

International Organization for

Standardization, Casa postale 56, CH–

1211, Geneve 20, Switzerland.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by September 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

submitted in writing to Robert L.

Gladhill, NVCASE Program Manager,

NIST, Bldg. 820, Room 282,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899, by fax 301–

963–2871 or E-mail at

robert.gladhill@nist.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert L. Gladhill, NVCASE Program

Manager, at NIST, Bldg. 820, Room 282,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899, by telephone

at 301–975–4273 or by telefax at 301–

963–2871.
45628 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Institute of Standards and

Technology received letters dated May

10, 1994, and October 31, 1994, from the

American National Standards Institute

requesting to have the ANSI–RAB

American National Accreditation

Program for Registrars of Quality

Systems recognized under NVCASE.

The request seeks U.S. Government

assurance of the competency of the

ANSI–RAB program to accredit

registrars so that they can in turn

register organizations in satisfaction of

foreign mandatory regulatory

requirements.

The NVCASE procedures at 15 CFR

Part 286 require NIST to seek public

consultation when it receives requests

for evaluation. The original request was

published in the Federal Register at

Vol. 60, No. 20/Tuesday, January 31,

1995, page 5901. A 30-day public

comment period ended on March 2,

1995. The comments received are

discussed below.

No action was taken on the request

until now, pending conclusion of U.S.-

EU MRA negotiations. The MRA was

initiated on June 20, 1997. NIST is now

proceeding with establishment of

criteria and initiation of the application

process.

NIST received responses from 15

different organizations during the public

comment period on the original ANSI

request and also considered an

additional letter received after the

official period closed.

Of the 16 letters considered, nine

indicated general support, five opposed

specific sectoral areas included in the

request, one indicated general nonsupport and one provided only a general

comment. The specific sectors to which

the five commenters voiced opposition

are not planned for inclusion under the

proposed NVCASE program. The

pressure vessel sector is not presently

part of the U.S.-EU negotiations (three

opponents), and the medical device

sector is under the jurisdiction of the

Food and Drug Administration (FDA);

NIST will not take action in that sector

without full agreement from FDA (two

opponents). Further, NIST will not

accept any application for recognition in

these two sectors without notifying the

opposing entities and other members of

the sectoral community.

Notwithstanding any other provision

of law, no person is required to respond

nor shall a person be subject to a

penalty for failure to comply with a

collection of information subject to the

requirements of the Paperwork

Reduction Act unless that collection of

information displays a currently valid

OMB Control Number.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Elaine Bunten-Mines,

Director, Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97–22928 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 080697D]

Request for Nominations of Individuals

for the Federal Investment Task Force

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for

nominations.

SUMMARY: The Sustainable Fisheries Act

(SFA) requires the Secretary of

Commerce (Secretary) to establish a task

force to study the role of the Federal

Government in subsidizing fleet

capacity and influencing capital

investment in fisheries. NMFS requests

nominations of qualified individuals to

serve on the task force.

DATES: Nominations will be accepted

through September 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent

to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission, 1444 Eye Street, NW, 6th

Floor, Washington, DC 20005, ATTN:

Federal Investment Task Force.

Nominations may be submitted by fax,

(202) 289–6051.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Beal, Atlantic States Marine

Fisheries Commission, (202) 289–6400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

In accordance with section 116(b) of

the SFA (Public Law 104–297), the

Secretary is establishing a task force of

interested parties to study the role of the

Federal Government in (1) subsidizing

the expansion and contraction of fishing

capacity in fishing fleets managed under

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), and (2)

otherwise influencing the aggregate

capital investment in fisheries. The task

force will report the findings of the

study to the Committee on Commerce,

Science, and Transportation of the

Senate and the Committee on Resources

of the House of Representatives.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission (ASMFC) has contracted

with NMFS to establish the Federal

Investment Task Force and complete the

tasks necessary to prepare and submit

the report to Congress. ASMFC is in the

position of being knowledgeable about

the issues associated with the Federal

Investment Study, while lacking a

vested interest in the outcome of the

task force’s work.

Procedures and Guidelines

A. Procedures for Establishing the

Task Force.

Individuals with definable interests in

fisheries will be considered as members

of the task force. Nominations may

include, but are not limited to,

individuals who are associated with

commercial or recreational fishing,

environmental organizations, academia,

or quasi-governmental entities.

Selection of task force members will not

be limited to individuals who are

nominated.

Nominations are invited from all

individuals and constituent groups. The

nomination should include:

1. The name of the applicant or

nominee and description of his/her

interest in or association with the role

of the Federal Government in

subsidizing fleet capacity and

influencing capital investment in

fisheries.

2. A statement of background and/or

qualifications.

3. A written commitment that the

applicant or nominee will actively

participate in good faith in the duties of

the task force.

B. Participants.

The task force will consist of no more

than 15 individuals who have a

substantial interest in fisheries.

Nominations will be accepted to

represent commercial and recreational

fishing interests, the conservation

community, and the academic

community. ASMFC and NMFS believe

that all interests should be represented

on the task force. The intent is to have

a group that, as a whole, represents all

interests fairly and supplies the

necessary expertise to complete all

assigned tasks. Current employees of

NOAA will not be considered for the

task force.

ASMFC will provide the necessary

administrative support, including

technical assistance, for the task force.

ASMFC will also reimburse all travel

expenses that are directly related to the

activities of the task force. However,

ASMFC will be unable to compensate

participants with additional monetary

support of any kind.

C. Tentative Schedule.

The task force is tentatively scheduled

to meet five times between September

1997 and May 1998. These meetings

will focus on programs that both