Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 6129

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

Environmental protection, Air

pollution control, Hydrocarbons, Ozone,

Volatile organic compounds.

Dated: January 23, 1997.

Steve Rothblatt,

Acting Regional Administrator.

Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code

of Federal Regulations is amended as

follows:

PART 52—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 52

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401–7671q.

Subpart O—Illinois

2. Section 52.726 is amended by

adding paragraph (o) to read as follows:

§ 52.726 Control strategy: Ozone.

* * * * *

(o) Negative declaration— Aerospace

manufacturing and rework industry. On

October 11, 1996, the State of Illinois

certified to the satisfaction of the United

States Environmental Protection Agency

that no major sources categorized as part

of the Aerospace Manufacturing and

Rework Industry are located in the

Chicago, Illinois ozone nonattainment

area which is comprised of Cook,

DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will

Counties and Aux Sable and Goose Lake

Townships in Grundy County and

Oswego Township in Kendall County or

the Metro-East, Illinois ozone

nonattainment area which is comprised

of Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair

Counties.

[FR Doc. 97–3252 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

40 CFR Part 52

[AK14–7102a; FRL–5686–2]

Clean Air Act Approval and

Promulgation of Carbon Monoxide

Implementation Plan for the State of

Alaska: Anchorage and Fairbanks

Emission Inventory

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

SUMMARY: EPA is approving the 1990

base year carbon monoxide (CO)

emission inventory portion of the

Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska CO

State Implementation Plan (SIP)

submitted on December 29, 1993, by the

State of Alaska Department of

Environmental Conservation (ADEC) for

the purpose of bringing about the

attainment of the national ambient air

quality standard (NAAQS) for CO. Also,

ADEC submitted the required Periodic

Update to its 1990 base year CO

emission inventory on September 27,

1996.

DATES: This action is effective on April

14, 1997 unless adverse or critical

comments are received by March 13,

1997. If the effective date is delayed,

timely notice will be published in the

Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to: Montel Livingston, SIP

Manager, Office of Air Quality (OAQ–

107), EPA, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle,

Washington 98101.

Copies of material submitted to EPA

may be examined during normal

business hours at the following

locations: EPA, Region 10, Office of Air

Quality, 1200 Sixth Avenue (OAQ–107),

Seattle, Washington 98101, and Alaska

Department of Environmental

Conservation, 410 Wiloughby Ave.,

Room 105, Juneau, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Pavitt, EPA Region 10, Alaska

Operations Office (AOO/A), 222 W. 7th

Avenue, Box #19, Anchorage, AK

99513–7588, (907) 271–5083.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

In a letter dated March 1, 1991 to the

EPA Region 10 Administrator, the

Governor of Alaska recommended the

Anchorage and Fairbanks areas be

designated as nonattainment for CO as

required by section 107(d)(1)(A) of the

1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

(CAAA or the Act) (Pub. L. 101–549,

104 Stat. 2399, codified at 42 U.S.C.

7401–7671q). The areas, which include

lands within the Municipality of

Anchorage and the Fairbanks North Star

Borough, were designated

nonattainment and classified as

‘‘moderate’’ under the provisions

outlined in sections 186 and 187 of the

CAA. (See 56 FR 56694, November 6,

1991, codified at 40 CFR part 81,

§ 81.302.)

Because the Anchorage area had a

design value of 13.1 ppm (based on

1989 data), it was classified as

‘‘moderate > 12.7 ppm’’ (moderate plus).

Because the Fairbanks area had a design

value of 10.4 (based on 1989 data), it

was classified as ‘‘moderate < 12.7

ppm’’ (moderate).

Under the Clean Air Act as amended,

States have the responsibility to

inventory emissions contributing to

NAAQS nonattainment, to track these

emissions over time, and to ensure that

control strategies are being implemented

that reduce emissions and move areas

towards attainment. Under section

187(a)(1), the CAAA requires moderate

CO nonattainment areas to submit a

base year CO inventory that represents

actual emissions in the CO season by

November 15, 1992. Stationary point,

stationary area, on-road mobile, and

non-road mobile sources of CO are to be

included in the inventory. This

inventory is for calendar year 1990 and

is denoted as the base year inventory.

The inventory is to address actual CO

emissions for the area during the peak

CO season. The peak CO season should

reflect the months when peak CO air

quality concentrations occur. Moderate

CO nonattainment areas are required to

submit a periodic inventory that

represents actual emissions no later

than September 30, 1995, and every

three years thereafter until the area is

redesignated to attainment (section

187(a)(5)). ADEC submitted its required

1993 Periodic Update. Areas classified

as moderate >12.7 ppm are required to

submit an attainment demonstration

plan by November 15, 1992 that

demonstrates attainment by December

31, 1995 (187(a)(7)). To make the

attainment demonstration, base year and

projected modeling inventories are

needed. The base year inventory is the

primary inventory from which the

periodic and modeling inventories are

derived. Further information on these

inventories and their purpose can be

found in the document ‘‘Emission

Inventory Requirements for Carbon

Monoxide State Implementation Plans,’’

EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and

Standards, Research Triangle Park,

North Carolina, March 1991.

II. Today’s Action

The EPA is approving the carbon

monoxide (CO) base year 1990 emission

inventory submitted to EPA on

December 29, 1993, based on the Level

I, II, and III review findings.

III. Review of State Submittal

A. The Level I and II review process

is used to determine that all

components of the base year inventory

are present. The review also evaluates

the level of supporting documentation

provided by the State and assesses

whether the emissions were developed

according to current EPA guidance.

Alaska’s inventory satisfies both Level I

and Level II requirements. The Level III

review process is outlined here and

consists of 9 points that the inventory

must include. For a base year emission

inventory to be acceptable it must pass

all of the following acceptance criteria:

1. An approved Inventory Preparation

Plan (IPP) must be provided and the

Quality Assurance (QA) program
6130 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

contained in the IPP must be performed

and its implementation documented.

2. Adequate documentation must be

provided that enables the reviewer to

determine the emission estimation

procedures and the data sources used to

develop the inventory.

3. The point source inventory must be

complete.

4. Point source emissions inventory

must have been prepared or calculated

according to the current EPA guidance.

5. The area source inventory must be

complete.

6. The area source emissions

inventory must have been prepared or

calculated according to the current EPA

guidance.

7. The method (e.g., Highway

Performance Modeling System or a

network transportation planning model)

used to develop vehicle miles traveled

(VMT) estimates must follow EPA

guidance. The VMT development

methods must be adequately described

and documented in the inventory

report.

8. The MOBILE model must be

correctly used to produce emission

factors for each of the vehicle classes.

9. Non-road mobile emissions

inventory must be prepared according to

current EPA guidance for all of the

source categories.

B. The EPA is approving this emission

inventory as meeting the requirements

of section 187(a)(1) of the Act. The

reasons why this submittal meets the

Level III criteria are discussed below.

Initially, EPA subjected the Alaska

State CO emission inventory to a

rigorous review. This review pointed

out various deficiencies in the

inventory. In their updates to the

original emissions inventory submitted

on August 27, 1992 (Anchorage) and

November 11, 1992 (Fairbanks), ADEC

corrected these deficiencies. Corrections

were made and submitted on December

29, 1993 and December 1, 1994. The

December 1, 1994 submittal was

primarily an update to mobile sources

emission estimates, replacing model

Mobile 4.1 with Mobile 5.0a, which is

the EPA approved model consistent

with CAAA requirements and

transporation conformity regulations.

1. Inventory Preparation Plan. Alaska

submitted a final Inventory Preparation

Plan (IPP) and accompanying final

Quality Assurance Plan which satisfied

the EPA’s requirements, and which

were approved in January 1992.

2. Quality assurance. Throughout the

emissions inventory, ADEC provides

documentation of quality assurance. For

each source category, ADEC identifies

the methodology employed. Where

ADEC methods deviate from EPA

suggested procedures, the rationale for

the alternate method is noted. For each

CO source category, ADEC provides the

reference from which it excerpted

information. When needed, projection

equations are provided to show

emission amounts beyond the base year.

3. Point Source Inventory. ADEC’s

point source inventory identifies

sources whose emissions exceed 10 tons

per year of carbon monoxide. There are

four CO point sources in the Anchorage

nonattainment area and nine in the

Fairbanks nonattainment area. The

dominant industry with CO point

sources for both nonattainment areas is

electric utility power generation. While

natural gas is the primary fuel used in

Anchorage, it is not available in

Fairbanks.

To compile the point source

inventory, ADEC reviewed emission and

fuel use information available from state

air operating permits, and information

supplied by permitted facilities through

operating reports required to be

submitted to ADEC. In addition, ADEC

contacted Anchorage and Fairbanks area

fuel distributors to identify any sources

not already issued an operating permit

capable of emitting more than 10 tons

per year of carbon monoxide. There

were no such sources.

ADEC reports that point source

emissions for 1990 are 2.35 tons per day

for Anchorage and 6.06 tons per day for

Fairbanks.

4. Area Source Inventory. ADEC

submitted a complete inventory for CO

area sources divided into the following

categories: natural gas combustion

(Anchorage only) fuel oil combustion,

coal combustion, propane combustion

(Fairbanks only), wood combustion,

industrial equipment, solid waste

incineration, and open burning/

structural fires. The largest contributor

to CO emissions in both nonattainment

areas was wood burning. Emissions for

each source category (except as noted

above) are calculated for the two

nonattainment areas. The inventory

provides a discussion per category, and

displays equations that were used to

develop emissions estimates. Sources of

information are provided as needed. In

some cases, ADEC’s methodology differs

from EPA’s recommended procedures.

When this occurs, ADEC notes the

reason for the difference. Usually, ADEC

uses data tailored to the local or state

area rather than using the national

equations or factors. Area source totals

for 1990 were 4.96 tons per winter day

within the Anchorage CO

nonattainment area, and 12.99 tons per

day for the Fairbanks CO nonattainment

area.

5. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). In

Fairbanks, the Alaska Department of

Transportation and Public Facilities

(ADOT&PF) used a combination of

actual 1990 traffic count data and QRS2

modeling results for 1990 to provide

VMT and travel-weighted speed

estimates for each roadway functional

class. Traffic counts were obtained from

both the Highway Performance

Monitoring System (HPMS) and

additional sampling locations operated

by ADOT&PF. ADOT&PF estimated

VMT during an average winter weekday

in Fairbanks to be 1,296,041. In

Anchorage, the Municipality used

MinUTP modeling results for 1990 to

provide travel-weighted speed data and

VMT for each roadway functional class,

generating HPMS-equivalent estimates

(based on ADOT&PF guidance). The

Municipality estimated VMT during an

average winter weekday in Anchorage to

be 2,854,000.

The VMT development methods were

adequately described and documented

in the SIP and satisfy EPA’s

requirements. (See 60 FR 33727, June

19, 1995.)

6. Use of the Mobile Model. The

Mobile 4.1 model was used in the

original 1992 submittal to EPA, being

then the most recent emission factor

model, and was retained for the revised

1993 submittal for consistency. In

December 1994, ADEC revised the

mobile source emission estimates by

substituting Mobile 5.0a for Mobile 4.1.

Today’s approval is based on the

December 29, 1993 submittal using

Mobile 4.1.

The model was correctly used to

produce emission factors for each of the

eight separate vehicle classes. Inputs

specific to Anchorage and Fairbanks

during the base year were used in the

model: operating mode fractions (cold/

hot/stabilized) =65%/0%/35%; VMT for

motorcycles =0%; anti-tampering

program in place; compliance rate =91%

(Anchorage) and 96% (Fairbanks);

annual inspection; decentralized I/M

program, etc. A default value was used

for the tampering rate. Quality

Assurance is provided within the onroad discussion, and methodologies

used to determine each of the input

variables were presented. On-road

mobile sources are 149.99 tons per day

for Anchorage and 80.83 tons per day

for Fairbanks.

7. Non-road Inventory. ADEC

describes each category and the

methodology employed. When ADEC’s

methodology deviates from EPA

guidance, it is usually because ADEC

uses numbers reflective of local

scenarios as opposed to national

averages. Assumptions, equations, and
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 6131

1Also Section 172(c)(7) of the Act requires that

plan provisions for nonattainment areas meet the

applicable provisions of section 110(a)(2).

2Memorandum from John Calcagni, Director, Air

Quality Management Division, and William G.

Laxton, Director, Technical Support Division, to

Regional Air Division Directors, Region I–X,

‘‘Public Hearing Requirements for 1990 Base-Year

Emission Inventories for Ozone and Carbon

Monoxide Nonattainment Areas,’’ September 29,

1992.

sources are noted per source category.

Major non-road contributors are aircraft,

snowmobiles and railroad sources.

Nonroad totals are 13.73 tons per day

for Anchorage, and 5.40 tons per day for

Fairbanks.

C. Procedural background. The Act

requires States to observe certain

procedural requirements in developing

emission inventory submissions to EPA.

Section 110(a)(2) of the Act requires that

each emission inventory submitted by a

State has to be adopted after reasonable

notice and public hearing.1 CO

nonattainment areas with design values

greater than 12.7 ppm must submit the

entire SIP (emissions inventories,

attainment demonstrations, and control

strategies) by November 15, 1992, and

EPA expects the emissions inventories

to have gone through the public hearing

process as part of the full CO SIP.2

The State of Alaska held numerous

public meetings in Anchorage and

Fairbanks in 1992 to entertain public

comment on air quality control plans,

including the 1990 base year emission

inventories for the Anchorage and

Fairbanks Carbon Monoxide

Nonattainment Areas. In both areas,

local transportation planning boards

(Fairbanks Metropolitan Area

Transportation Study (FMATS) and

Anchorage Metropolitan Area

Transportation Study (AMATS)),

including citizen advisory committees,

reviewed and took public comment on

the control plans and inventories. In

1992, following the public meetings, the

Anchorage Assembly and the Fairbanks

North Star Borough adopted their

respective air quality control plans and

inventories. The CO Emission Inventory

was submitted to EPA on December 29,

1993 as a proposed revision to the SIP.

IV. Implications of Today’s Action

The EPA is approving the Alaska

carbon monoxide emission inventory

submitted the Alaska SIP on December

29, 1993. The State has submitted a

complete inventory containing point,

area, on-road, and non-road mobile

source data, and documentation.

Emissions for these groupings are

presented in the following table:

Emission category

Daily emissions

(tons/day)

Base

year

1990 Anchorage

Base

year

1990

Fairbanks

Point sources ............ 2.35 6.06

Area sources ............. 4.96 12.99

Non-road mobile

sources .................. 13.73 5.40

On-road mobile

sources .................. 149.99 80.83

Total ............... 171.03 105.28

This inventory is complete and

approvable according to the criteria set

out in the November 12, 1992

memorandum from J. David Mobley,

Chief Emission Inventory Branch,

Technical Support Document (TSD) to

G. T. Helms, Chief Ozone/Carbon

Monoxide Programs Branch, AQMD.

The EPA is publishing this action

without prior proposal because the

Agency views this as a noncontroversial

amendment and anticipates no adverse

comments. However, in a separate

document in this Federal Register

publication, the EPA is proposing to

approve the SIP revision should adverse

or critical comments be filed. This

action will be effective April 14, 1997

unless, by March 13, 1997, adverse or

critical comments are received.

If the EPA receives such comments,

this action will be withdrawn before the

effective date by publishing a

subsequent document that will

withdraw the final action. All public

comments received will be addressed in

a subsequent final rule based on this

action serving as a proposed rule. The

EPA will not institute a second

comment period on this action. Any

parties interested in commenting on this

action should do so at this time. If no

such comments are received, the public

is advised that this action will be

effective April 14, 1997.

Nothing in this action should be

construed as permitting or allowing or

establishing a precedent for any future

request for revision to any state

implementation plan. Each request for

revision to the state implementation

plan shall be considered separately in

light of specific technical, economic,

and environmental factors and in

relation to relevant statutory and

regulatory requirements.

V. Administrative Review

A. Executive Order 12866

This action has been classified as a

Table 3 action for signature by the

Regional Administrator under the

procedures published in the Federal

Register on January 19, 1989 (54 FR

2214–2225), as revised by a July 10,

1995 memorandum from Mary Nichols,

Assistant Administrator for Air and

Radiation. The Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) has exempted this

regulatory action from E.O. 12866

review.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act,

5 U.S.C. 600 et seq., EPA must prepare

a regulatory flexibility analysis

assessing the impact of any proposed or

final rule on small entities. 5 U.S.C. 603

and 604. Alternatively, EPA may certify

that the rule will not have a significant

impact on a substantial number of small

entities. Small entities include small

businesses, small not-for-profit

enterprises, and government entities

with jurisdiction over populations of

less than 50,000.

SIP approvals under section 110 and

subchapter I, Part D of the CAA do not

create any new requirements, but

simply approve requirements that the

state is already imposing. Therefore,

because the federal SIP-approval does

not impose any new requirements, I

certify that it does not have a significant

impact on any small entities affected.

Moreover, due to the nature of the

federal-state relationship under the

CAA, preparation of a regulatory

flexibility analysis would constitute

federal inquiry into the economic

reasonableness of state action. The CAA

forbids EPA to base its actions

concerning SIPs on such grounds.

Union Electric Co. v. E.P.A., 427 U.S.

246, 256–66 (S.Ct. 1976); 42 U.S.C.

7410(a)(2).

C. Unfunded Mandates

Under Section 202 of the Unfunded

Mandates Reform Act of 1995

(‘‘Unfunded Mandates Act’’), signed

into law on March 22, 1995, EPA must

prepare a budgetary impact statement to

accompany any proposed or final rule

that includes a Federal mandate that

may result in estimated costs to State,

local, or tribal governments in the

aggregate; or to the private sector, of

$100 million or more. Under Section

205, EPA must select the most costeffective and least burdensome

alternative that achieves the objectives

of the rule and is consistent with

statutory requirements. Section 203

requires EPA to establish a plan for

informing and advising any small

governments that may be significantly

or uniquely impacted by the rule.

EPA has determined that the approval

action does not include a Federal

mandate that may result in estimated

costs of $100 million or more to either
6132 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

State, local, or tribal governments in the

aggregate, or to the private sector. This

Federal action approves pre-existing

requirements under State or local law,

and imposes no new requirements.

Accordingly, no additional costs to

State, local, or tribal governments, or to

the private sector, result from this

action.

D. Submission to Congress and the

General Accounting Office

Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added

by the Small Business Regulatory

Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA

submitted a report containing this rule

and other required information to the

U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of

Representatives and the Comptroller

General of the General Accounting

Office prior to publication of the rule in

today’s Federal Register. This rule is

not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5

U.S.C. 804(2).

E. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean

Air Act, petitions for judicial review of

this action must be filed in the United

States Court of Appeals for the

appropriate circuit by April 14, 1997.

Filing a petition for reconsideration by

the Administrator of this final rule does

not affect the finality of this rule for the

purposes of judicial review nor does it

extend the time within which a petition

for judicial review may be filed and

shall not postpone the effectiveness of

such rule or action. This action may not

be challenged later in proceedings to

enforce its requirements. (See section

307(b)(2), 42 U.S.C. 7607(b)(2).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

Environmental protection, Air

pollution control, Carbon monoxide,

Intergovernmental relations, Reporting

and recordkeeping requirements.

Dated: January 28, 1997.

Chuck Clarke,

Regional Administrator.

Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code

of Federal Regulations is amended as

follows:

PART 52—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 52

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401–7671q.

Subpart C—Alaska

2. Section 52.76 is added to read as

follows:

§ 52.76 1990 Base Year Emission

Inventory.

EPA approves as a revision to the

Alaska State Implementation Plan the

1990 Base Year Carbon Monoxide

Emission Inventory for the Anchorage

and Fairbanks areas designated as

nonattainment for CO, submitted by the

Alaska Department of Environmental

Conservation on December 29, 1993.

This submittal consists of the 1990 base

year stationary, area, non-road mobile,

and on-road mobile sources for the

pollutant carbon monoxide.

[FR Doc. 97–3363 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

46 CFR Parts 502 and 510

[Docket No. 97–03]

Implementation of 21 U.S.C. 862;

Denial of Federal Benefits to Drug

Traffickers and Possessors

AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amends Commission

regulations to reflect the redesignation

of 21 U.S.C. 853a as 21 U.S.C. 862,

which was effected by Public Law 101–

647. No substantive change is involved.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 11, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph C. Polking, Secretary, Federal

Maritime Commission, 800 North

Capitol Street, NW, Room 1046,

Washington, D.C. 20573–0001, (202)

523–5725.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Commission regulations at 46 CFR

502.27 and 510.12 contain requirements

for applicants for admission to practice

before the Commission and for a freight

forwarders license to submit a

certification regarding non-conviction

for drug offenses and eligibility for

federal benefits. The prescribed

certification includes a reference to ‘‘21

U.S.C. 853a.’’ Subsequent to adoption of

these rules 21 U.S.C. 853a was

redesignated as 21 U.S.C. 862 by Public

Law 101–647, 104 Stat. 4827. This

document merely changes the references

in Commission rules to reflect this

redesignation and involves no

substantive change.

List of Subjects

46 CFR Part 502

Administrative practice and

procedure.

46 CFR Part 510

Freight forwarders.

For the reason set forth above, parts

502 and 510 of 46 CFR are amended as

follows:

PART 502—RULES OF PRACTICE AND

PROCEDURE

1. The authority citation for part 502

is revised to read as follows.

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 504, 551, 552, 553,

556(c), 559, 561–569, 571–596; 12 U.S.C.

1114j(a); 18 U.S.C. 207; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3);

28 U.S.C. 2112(a); 31 U.S.C. 9701; 46 U.S.C.

app. 817, 820, 821, 826, 841a, 1114(b), 1705,

1707–1711, 1713–1716; E.O. 11222 of May 8,

1965 (30 FR 6469); 21 U.S.C. 862; and Pub.

L 88–777 (46 U.S.C. app 817d, 817e).

§ 502.27 [Amended]

2. In § 502.27(a)(2) the reference to

‘‘21 U.S.C. 853a’’ is amended to read

‘‘21 U.S.C. 862’’.

PART 510—LICENSING OF OCEAN

FREIGHT FORWARDERS

1. The authority citation for part 510

is revised to read as follows.

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 553; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 46

U.S.C. app. 1702, 1707, 1709, 1710, 1712,

1714, 1716, and 1718; 21 U.S.C. 862.

§ 510.12 [Amended]

2. In § 510.12(a)(2) is the reference to

‘‘21 U.S.C. 853a’’ is amended to read

‘‘21 U.S.C. 862’’.

By the Commission.

Joseph C. Polking,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3251 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6730–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126333–6333–01; I.D.

020597A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical

Area 620

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area

620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the interim specification for pollock in

this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 7, 1997, until

superseded by the Final 1997 Harvest

Specifications for Groundfish.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson, 907–486-6919.