Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 220 / Friday, November 14, 1997 / Notices 61093

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 October 7, 1997, NMFS received

an application from the U.S. Air Force,

Vandenberg, requesting continuation of

an authorization for the harassment of

small numbers of seals and sea lions

incidental to launches of Delta II, Titan

II, Titan IV, and Taurus launch vehicles

at Vandenberg. This application

incorporates by reference the

information contained in applications

provided last year for these rocket

launches. These applications (Titan II

and IV-January 24, 1996, Delta II-July

17, 1996, Taurus-August 14, 1996) are

available upon request (see ADDRESSES).

NMFS has received a petition for

regulations and an application for a

small take authorization under section

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA. If

implemented, this rulemaking will

replace these 1-year authorizations,

along with another issued previously for

Lockheed launch vehicles (62 FR 40335,

July 28, 1997) with a 5-year regulatory

program, governing incidental takes of

marine mammals by launches of all

rocket and missile types from

Vandenberg. This petition is published

elsewhere in this issue of the Federal

Register.

Description of Marine Mammals and

Potential Effects of Launches on Marine

Mammals

The marine mammal species

anticipated to be incidentally harassed

by launches from Vandenberg are harbor

seals (Phoca vitulina), California sea

lions (Zalophus californianus), northern

elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris),

northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus)

and possibly Guadalupe fur seals

(Arctocephalus townsendi) in the

vicinity of Vandenberg and on the

Northern Channel Islands (NCI). In

conjunction with publication of the

previous application notices for launch

activities, a description of the Southern

California Bight population of seals and

sea lions and the potential impacts from

rocket launches on these species and

stocks was provided on August 18, 1995

(60 FR 43120), and August 29, 1996 (61

FR 45404), for Delta II authorizations,

September 25, 1996 (61 FR 50276), for

Taurus rocket authorization, and March

15, 1996 (61 FR 10727), for Titan II and

IV authorizations. Interested reviewers

are encouraged to refer to those

documents for the appropriate

discussion. These documents are

available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES)

As a result of the noise associated

with launches and the sonic boom

resulting from some launch vehicles at

certain trajectories, there is a potential

to cause a startle response to those seals

and sea lions that haul out on the

coastline of Vandenberg and on the NCI.

The effect on the above listed seals and

sea lions would be anticipated to result

in a negligible short-term impact to

small numbers of seals and sea lions

that are hauled out at the time of a

launch. No impacts are anticipated to

animals that are in the water at the time

of launch. Detailed descriptions of the

expected impact from rocket launches

on harbor seals and other marine

mammals have been provided in the

above referenced Federal Register

notices and are not repeated here.

Conclusions

Based upon information provided by

the applicant, and previous reviews of

the incidental take of seals and sea lions

by this activity, NMFS believes that the

short-term impact of the rocket launches

at Vandenberg is expected to result at

worst, in a temporary reduction in

utilization of the haulout as seals and/

or sea lions leave the beach for the

safety of the water. The launching is not

expected to result in any reduction in

the number of seals or sea lions, and

they are expected to continue to occupy

the same area. In addition, there will not

be any impact on the habitat itself.

Based upon studies conducted for

previous space vehicle launches at

Vandenberg, significant long-term

impacts on seals and sea lions at

Vandenberg are unlikely.

Proposed Authorization

NMFS proposes to issue individual

incidental harassment authorizations for

a period of time not to exceed 1 year for

launches of Delta II, Titan II, Titan IV,

and Taurus launch vehicles at

Vandenberg provided the monitoring

and reporting requirements currently in

effect are continued. NMFS has

preliminarily determined that the

proposed launches of these launch

vehicles at Vandenberg would result in

the harassment taking of only small

numbers of seals and sea lions, and will

have no more than a negligible impact

on the species and stocks of marine

mammals.

Information Solicited

NMFS requests interested persons to

submit comments, information, and

suggestions concerning this request (see

ADDRESSES).

Dated: November 6, 1997.

Hilda Diaz-Soltero,

Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29936 Filed 11–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 110697A]

Marine Mammals; Scientific Research

Permit (PHF# 875–1401)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr.

Christopher W. Clark, Cornell

University, Ithaca, New York 14850, has

requested an amendment to Permit No.

875–1401.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before December 14,

1997.

ADDRESSES: The application for

amendment and related documents,

including a draft environmental

assessment (EA) that examines the

environmental consequences of issuing

the requested amended permit, are

available for review upon written

request or by appointment in the

following office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring,

MD 20910 (301/713–2289); and

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213

(562/980-4001).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this request, should

be submitted to the Director, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 13130, Silver

Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals

requesting a hearing should set forth the

specific reasons why a hearing on this

application would be appropriate.

Concurrent with the publication of

this notice in the Federal Register,

NMFS is forwarding copies of this

application for amendment to the

Marine Mammal Commission and its

Committee of Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject amendment to permit no. 875–

1401 is requested under the authority of

the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
61094 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 220 / Friday, November 14, 1997 / Notices

1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et

seq.), the Regulations Governing the

Taking and Importing of Marine

Mammals (50 CFR part 216), the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and

the regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

fish and wildlife (50 CFR part 222.23).

Permit No. 875–1401 currently

authorizes the harassment of several

species of marine mammals during the

conduct of research to study the effects

of low-frequency sound produced by the

Navy’s Surface Towed Array

Surveillance System Low Frequency

Active (SURTASS LFA) system on the

behavior of blue whales (Balaenoptera

musculus) and fin whales (Balaenoptera

physalus) feeding in the Southern

California Bight during September/

October of 1997 and/or 1998. The

permit holder is now requesting that the

Permit be amended to provide for: 1) the

conduct of playback experiments using

a SURTASS LFA sound source to study

behavioral responses of gray whales

(Eschrichtius robustus) to SURTASS

LFA signals and related stimuli; and 2)

radio tagging via suction cup attachment

of up to 14 gray whales. Individuals of

several other species of cetaceans,

pinnipeds, and possibly sea turtles, may

be taken (i.e., by harassment or auditory

temporary threshold shift) incidentally

during the proposed experiments.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a draft EA

examining the environmental

consequences of issuing the requested

amended permit has been prepared.

Based upon this draft EA, NMFS has

preliminarily concluded that issuance of

the requested permit will not have a

significant effect on the human

environment.

Dated: November 6, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29937 Filed 11–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

Technical Advisory Committee to

Develop a Federal Information

Processing Standard for the Federal

Key Management Infrastructure

AGENCY: Technology Administration,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App.,

notice is hereby given that the Technical

Advisory Committee to Develop a

Federal Information Processing

Standard for the Federal Key

Management Infrastructure will hold a

meeting on December 17–18, 1997. The

Technical Advisory Committee to

Develop a Federal Information

Processing Standard for the Federal Key

Management Infrastructure was

established by the Secretary of

Commerce to provide industry advice to

the Department on encryption key

recovery for use by federal government

agencies. All sessions will be open to

the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

December 17–18, 1997 from 9 a.m. to 6

p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place

at the Hotel Inter-Continental, 444 St.

Charles Street, New Orleans LA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Edward Roback, Committee Secretary

and Designated Federal Official,

Computer Security Division, National

Institute of Standards and Technology,

Building 820, Room 426, Gaithersburg,

Maryland, 20899; telephone 301–975–

3696. Please do not call the conference

facility regarding details of this meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Agenda

Opening Remarks

Chairperson’s Remarks

News Updates (Members, Federal

Liaisons, Secretariat)

Working Group (WG) Reports

Intellectual Property Issues (as

necessary)

Public Participation

Plans for Next Meeting

Closing Remarks

Note that the items in this agenda are

tentative and subject to change due to

logistics and speaker availability.

2. Public Participation

The Committee meeting will include

a period of time, not to exceed thirty

minutes, for oral comments from the

public. Each speaker will be limited to

five minutes. Members of the public

who are interested in speaking are asked

to contact the individual identified in

the ‘‘for further information’’ section. In

addition, written statements are invited

and may be submitted to the Committee

at any time. Written comments should

be directed to the Technical Advisory

Committee to Develop a Federal

Information Processing Standard for the

Federal Key Management Infrastructure,

Building 820, Room 426, National

Institute of Standards and Technology,

Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899. It would

be appreciated if sixty copies could be

submitted for distribution to the

Committee and other meeting attendees.

3. Additional information regarding

the Committee is available at its world

wide web homepage at: http://

csrc.nist.gov/tacdfipsfkmi/ .

4. Should this meeting be canceled, a

notice to that effect will be published in

the Federal Register and a similar

notice placed on the Committee’s

electronic homepage.

Dated: November 5, 1997.

Mark Bohannon,

Chief Counsel for Technology

Administation.

[FR Doc. 97–29955 Filed 11–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–CN–P

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION

Agency Information Collection

Activities Under OMB Review;

Cellulose Insulation

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety

Commission (CPSC).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act, (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.) this notice announces that

the CPSC has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) a

request for extension of approval

through November 30, 2000, of current

collection of information requirements

regarding testing of cellulose insulation.

These requirements are set forth in 16

CFR Part 1209, Amended Interim Safety

Standard for Cellulose Insulation, which

prescribes requirements for

flammability and corrosiveness of

cellulose insulation produced for sale to

or use by consumers. The standard

requires manufacturers, private labelers,

and importers of cellulose insulation to

test insulation for resistance to

smoldering and small open-flame

ignition, and for corrosiveness, and to

maintain records of that testing.

DATES: Any comments must be

submitted to OMB on or before

December 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget,

Attention: Desk Officer for CPSC, 725

17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY

CONTACT: Robert E. Frye, Director, Office

of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer

Product Safety Commission,

Washington, DC 20207; telephone

(301)504–0416.