8036 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 35 / Friday, February 21, 1997 / Notices

Orleans, LA, April 1, 1997 (OCS Oil

RIK); and New Orleans, LA, April 2,

1997 (OCS Gas RIK). The meetings will

commence at 9:30 a.m. on these

respective dates and should end by 4:30

p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the following locations:

Minerals Management Service, Houston

Area Audit Office, 4141 N. Sam

Houston Parkway, Houston, Texas

77032–3843, (281) 987–6805;

Hilton Inn Casper, 800 N. Poplar Rd.,

Casper, Wyoming 82601, (307) 266–

6000;

Minerals Management Service, Gulf of

Mexico Regional Office, Elmwood

Towers Building, Conference Rooms

111–115, 1201 Elmwood Park

Boulevard, Jefferson, Louisiana 70123,

(504) 736–2949.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Greg Smith, Minerals Management

Service, P.O. Box 25165, Mail Stop

9130, Denver, CO, 80401, telephone

number (303) 275–7102, fax (303) 275–

7124; e-mail

GreglSmith@SMTP.MMS.GOV or

contact Mr. Jim McNamee at the same

address and fax, telephone number

(303) 275–7126, e-mail

JameslMcNamee@ SMTP.MMS.GOV.

COMMENTS: Written comments on the

meetings or the issues discussed below

should be addressed to Mr. Greg Smith

at the address given in the FURTHER

INFORMATION section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MMS

conducted a Royalty Gas Marketing

Pilot in 1995 in the Gulf of Mexico. The

MMS sold its royalty gas to

competitively selected gas marketers.

The MMS had two objectives in

conducting the pilot: (1) streamline

royalty collections, and (2) test a process

which could result in increased

efficiency and greater certainty in

valuation.

MMS’ assessment of the gas RIK pilot

indicated that it was an operational

success, proving that the concept of

MMS taking and selling royalty gas inkind is feasible. However, MMS’

analysis of the gas RIK revenues, as

compared to in-value royalties paid and

administrative savings realized, was not

favorable to MMS.

Congress has directed MMS to

consider additional projects for taking

oil and/or gas in-kind. MMS is currently

considering a variety of RIK scenarios

that would build on lessons learned

from the 1995 Royalty Gas Marketing

Pilot. Any further RIK projects

undertaken by MMS would be intended

to address specific operational and

revenue issues necessary before any

longer-term implementation. The

objectives of the proposed RIK options

are to:

• Simplify the royalty collection

process;

• Decrease administrative costs for

both MMS and industry;

• Realize fair and equitable market

value for the products;

• Provide certainty in royalty

valuation;

• Decrease audit burden and appeal

actions; and

• Provide MMS with alternative

sources of data for use for in-value

product valuation.

MMS is developing several options

for taking Federal oil and gas in-kind.

However, any new RIK programs will be

separate from the current program of

providing royalty oil in-kind to small

refiners and will not involve production

from Indian lands. The following are the

general options being considered:

• Take OCS and onshore oil

production in-kind; and

• Take OCS gas in-kind.

At the public meetings, MMS will

present one or several specific options

for taking royalties in-kind on a project/

test basis. MMS will solicit public input

at the meetings on the workability of

these option(s). The issues that MMS

would like to discuss at the meetings are

presented below. The listing of issues is

not necessarily complete but will be

used as a starting point for the meetings.

1. Mandatory or voluntary

participation;

2. Areas/leases to be selected for

royalty in-kind projects;

3. Delivery points for RIK production:

at the lease or various points away from

the lease (e.g., first mainline

interconnect, gas plant/refinery inlet,

gas plant tailgate);

4. Transportation responsibility away

from the lease (e.g., MMS, marketer, or

lessee);

5. Aggregation of royalty volumes;

6. Pricing indicators to be used to

assure a fair and equitable price for RIK

production as well as certainty of price

to industry;

7. Requirements to be placed on

lessees (e.g., marketable condition, data

submitted to MMS, coordination with

purchasers); and

8. Requirements to be placed on

purchasers (e.g., transportation of

product away from the lease, data

required by MMS, coordination with

lessees, balancing, contract provisions

concerning breach, payment terms).

MMS will more fully develop the RIK

option(s) before the public meetings.

Interested parties may request this

information from the contacts listed in

the FURTHER INFORMATION section.

Dated: February 14, 1997.

Robert E. Brown,

Acting Associate Director, Policy and

Management Improvement.

[FR Doc. 97–4350 Filed 2–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332–379]

Likely Impact of Providing Quota-Free

and Duty-Free Entry To Textiles and

Apparel From Sub-Saharan Africa

AGENCY: United States International

Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and

scheduling of hearing.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 10, 1997.

SUMMARY: Following receipt on January

14, 1997 of a request from the

Committee on Ways and Means of the

U.S. House of Representatives for an

investigation under section 332(g) of the

Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332 (g)),

the Commission instituted Investigation

No. 332–379, Likely Impact of Providing

Quota-Free and Duty-Free Entry to

Textiles and Apparel from Sub-Saharan

Africa. As requested by the Committee,

the Commission will provide the

following in its report—

(1) A review of any relevant literature

on this issue prepared by governmental

and non-governmental organizations;

(2) An assessment of the

competitiveness of the textile and

apparel industries in Sub-Saharan

African countries, to the extent possible;

(3) A qualitative and quantitative

assessment of the economic impact on

U.S. producers, workers, and consumers

of quota-free entry for imports of textiles

and apparel from Sub-Saharan Africa.

This assessment will address the

potential shifting of global textile and

apparel production facilities to SubSaharan Africa that might occur as a

result of the changes contained in

proposed legislation [H.R. 4198, African

Growth and Opportunity: The End of

Dependency Act of 1996, introduced in

the 104th Congress by Mssrs. Crane,

Rangel and McDermott]; and

(4) A qualitative and quantitative

assessment of the economic impact on

U.S. producers, workers, and consumers

of an elimination of the exclusion of

textile and apparel products from SubSaharan African countries, from

coverage under the Generalized System

of Preferences in addition to quota-free

entry for imports from these same

countries.

The Committee also requested that the

Commission attempt to identify the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 35 / Friday, February 21, 1997 / Notices 8037

specific types of textiles and apparel

products that are most likely to be

produced in Sub-Saharan African

countries, and which would have the

most significant impact on U.S.

producers, workers, and consumers. As

requested by the Committee, the

Commission will seek to provide its

advice not later than September 2, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee

Cook, Office of Industries (202–205–

3471) or Mary Elizabeth Sweet, Office of

Industries (202–205–3455), or William

Gearhart, Office of the General Counsel

(202–205–3091) for information on legal

aspects. The media should contact

Margaret O’Laughlin, Office of External

Relations (202–205–1819). Hearing

impaired individuals are advised that

information on this matter can be

obtained by contacting the TDD

terminal on (202–205–1810).

Background

Among the provisions in H.R. 4198 is

one relating to increased U.S. market

access for textiles and apparel from SubSaharan Africa. According to the

Committee’s request, Sub-Saharan

Africa supplied less than 1 percent, or

about $400 million, of U.S. imports of

textiles and apparel in 1995. H.R. 4198

provides that, until imports of these

articles from Sub-Saharan Africa reach a

much higher level, the transitional

safeguards provided in Article 6 of the

Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles

and Clothing should not apply. In

addition, H.R. 4198 would eliminate

existing U.S. quotas on imports of

textiles and apparel from Sub-Saharan

Africa. The Sub-Saharan African

countries currently covered by U.S.

textiles and apparel quotas are Kenya

and Mauritius.

The Sub-Saharan African countries

covered in this investigation include the

following 48 countries: Angola, Benin,

Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African

Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Coˆte

d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea,

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia,

Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,

Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,

Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,

Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,

Rwanda, Sa ̃o Tome ́ and Principe,

Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,

Somalia, South Africa, Sudan,

Swaziland, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda,

Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Public Hearing

A public hearing in connection with

this investigation is scheduled to begin

at 9:30 a.m. on May 1, 1997, at the U.S.

International Trade Commission

Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington,

D.C. All persons have the right to appear

by counsel or in person, to present

information, and to be heard. Persons

wishing to appear at the public hearing

should file a letter asking to testify with

the Secretary, U.S. International Trade

Commission, 500 E Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20436, not later than

the close of business (5:15 p.m.) on

April 17, 1997. In addition, persons

testifying should file prehearing briefs

(original and 14 copies) with the

Secretary by the close of business on

April 17, 1997. In the event that no

requests to appear at the hearing are

received by the close of business on

April 17, 1997, the hearing will be

canceled. Any person interested in

attending the hearing as an observer or

non-participant may call the Secretary

(202–205–1816) after April 17, 1997 to

determine whether the hearing will be

held. Posthearing briefs/statements and

other written submissions should be

filed not later than the close of business

on May 8, 1997.

Written Submissions

In lieu of or in addition to appearing

at the public hearing, interested persons

are invited to submit written statements

concerning the investigation. Written

statements should be received by the

close of business on May 8, 1997.

Commercial or financial information

which a submitter desires the

Commission to treat as confidential

must be submitted on separate sheets of

paper, each clearly marked

‘‘Confidential Business Information’’ at

the top. All submissions requesting

confidential treatment must conform

with the requirements of section 201.6

of the Commission’s Rules of Practice

and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). All

written submissions, except for

confidential business information, will

be made available for inspection by

interested persons. All submissions

should be addressed to the Secretary at

the Commission’s office in Washington,

D.C.

Issued: February 10, 1997

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–4286 Filed 2–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

JUDICIAL CONFERENCE OF THE

UNITED STATES

Committee on Automation and

Technology; Notice of Opportunity To

Comment and of Public Hearing on the

ABA Citation Resolution

AGENCY: Judicial Conference of the

United States, Committee on

Automation and Technology.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to

comment and of public hearing on the

ABA Citation Resolution.

In August 1996, the American Bar

Association (ABA) approved a

resolution made by its Special

Committee on Citation Issues calling for

state and federal courts to develop a

standard citation system and

recommending a format that could be

used by state and federal courts. That

resolution calls for courts to identify the

citation on each decision at the time it

is made available to the public. The

ABA resolution is available through the

Internet (http://www.ABANET.ORG/

citation/home.html).

The federal judiciary seeks written

public comments from judges, court

personnel, the bar, and the public as to:

(1) Whether the federal courts should

adopt the form of official citation for

court decisions recommended by the

ABA resolution; and,

(2) The costs and benefits such a

decision would have on the courts, the

bar, and the public.

In addition, a public hearing will be

held on Thursday, April 3, beginning at

9 a.m. in the ceremonial courtroom of

the U.S. District Court for the District of

Columbia, 3rd and Constitution Ave.,

N.W., Washington, D.C. to address

issues (1) and (2) stated above.

Persons and organizations wishing to

submit written comments should do so

by sending them to: Appellate Court and

Circuit Administration Division, ATTN:

ABA Citation Resolution, Suite 4–512,

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts,

Washington, D.C. 20544, Fax (202) 273–

1555. Internet address:

citation@ao.uscourts.gov.

Submission of written comments is

preferred in electronic form and should

be sent to citation@ao.uscourts.gov in

ASCII or WordPerfect 6.1 or earlier

versions. Alternatively, comments may

be submitted in printed form through

mail or facsimile. Persons without

access to Internet may send a diskette.

If printed comments are submitted, ten

copies should be provided. Written

comments are due no later than Friday,

March 14, 1997. All comments received

will be considered public information.

Anyone submitting written comments

who also is interested in testifying at the