76600 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules

2. OSHA proposes to amend

§ 1910.1043 by revising paragraph

(n) (4) as follows:

§ 1910.1043 Cotton dust.

* * * * *

(n) * * *

* * * * *

(4) Higher grade washed cotton. The

handling or processing of cotton classed

as ‘‘low middling light spotted or

better’’ (color grade 52 or better and leaf

grade code 5 or better according to the

1993 USDA classification system) shall

be exempt from all provisions of the

standard except the requirements of

paragraphs (h) medical surveillance,

(k) (2) through (4) recordkeeping—

medical records, and Appendices B, C,

and D of this section, if they have been

washed on the following systems.

(i) On a continuous batt system or a

rayon rinse system including the

following conditions:

(A) With water;

(B) At a temperature of no less than

60° C;

(C) With a water-to-fiber ratio of no

less than 40:1; and

(D) With the bacterial levels in the

wash water controlled to limit bacterial

contamination of the cotton.

(ii) On a batch kier washing system

including the following conditions:

(A) With water;

(B) With cotton fiber mechanically

opened and thoroughly prewetted

before forming the cake;

(C) For low-temperature processing, at

a temperature of no less than 60° C with

a water-to-fiber ratio of no less than

40:1; or, for high-temperature processing

at a temperature of no less than 93° C

with a water-to-fiber ratio of no less

than 15:1;

(D) With a minimum of one wash

cycle followed by two rinse cycles for

each batch, using fresh water in each

cycle, and

(E) With bacteria levels in the wash

water controlled to limit bacterial

contamination of the cotton.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 00–31187 Filed 12–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Parts 1842 and 1852

Emergency Medical Services and

Evacuation

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: This proposed rule would

amend the NASA FAR Supplement

(NFS) by adding a prescription and

clause requiring contractors to make all

arrangements for emergency medical

services and evacuation for its

employees when performing a NASA

contract outside the United States or in

remote locations in the United States.

The clause also requires the contractor

to reimburse the Government for costs

that are incurred in cases where the

Government is requested by the

contractor, and the Government agrees

to provide the medical services or

evacuation.

DATES: Comments should be submitted

on or before February 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should

submit written comments to Joseph Le

Cren, NASA Headquarters, Office of

Procurement, Contract Management

Division (Code HK), Washington, DC

20546. Comments also may be

submitted by e-mail to:

jlecren@hq.nasa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph Le Cren, (202) 358–0444, or

jlecren@hq.nasa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

There have been some cases where

contractor employees were required to

receive emergency medical services and

be evacuated while performing on

NASA contracts outside the United

States. Although not responsible for

providing the emergency medical or

evacuation services, NASA believed that

the interests of the contractor employees

were paramount. However, this resulted

in situations where NASA incurred

significant costs, which ultimately were

reimbursed by the contractor, but

possibly could have been disputed.

NASA desires to eliminate such

situations which could have a

significant adverse financial impact on

the agency. The proposed clause notifies

offerors and contractors that they are

responsible for making all arrangements

for providing emergency medical

services and evacuation, if necessary,

for their employees when performing

NASA contracts outside the United

States. The proposed clause also

recognizes that similar situations may

occur in remote locations in the United

States. In addition, the clause recognizes

that certain situations could arise where

the Government would be requested to

provide emergency medical services or

evacuate contractor employees. The

clause makes it clear that, if the

Government provides such services or

evacuation, the contractor will

reimburse the Government for the costs

incurred.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

This proposed rule is not expected to

have a significant economic impact on

a substantial number of small

businesses within the meaning of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601

et seq.) because of the small number of

contracts awarded to small businesses

involving contract performance outside

the United States or in remote locations

in the United States.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

The Paperwork Reduction Act does

not apply because the changes to the

NFS do not impose recordkeeping or

information collection requirements, or

collections of information from offerors,

contractors, or members of the public

which require the approval of the Office

of Management and Budget under 44

U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 42 and

52

Government procurement.

Tom Luedtke,

Associate Administrator for Procurement.

Accordingly, 48 CFR Parts 1842 and

1852 are proposed to be amended as

follows:

1. The authority citation for 48 CFR

Parts 1842 and 1852 continues to read

as follows:

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1).

PART 1842—CONTRACT

ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT

PROCEDURES

2. Amend Part 1842 by adding section

1842.7003 to read as follows:

1842.7003 Emergency medical services

and evacuation.

The contracting officer must insert the

clause at 1852.242–78, Emergency

Medical Services and Evacuation, in all

solicitations and contracts when

employees of the contractor are required

to travel outside the United States or to

remote locations in the United States.

3. Amend Part 1852 by adding section

1852.242–78 to read as follows:

PART 1852—SOLICITATION

PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT

CLAUSES

1852.242–78 Emergency Medical Services

and Evacuation.

As prescribed in 1842.7003, insert the

following clause:

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules 76601

Emergency Medical Services and Evaluation

(XXXX)

The Contractor shall be responsible for

making all arrangements for emergency

medical services and evacuation, if required,

for its employees while performing work

under this contract outside the United States

or in remote locations in the United States.

If necessary to deal with certain emergencies,

the Contractor may request the Government

to provide medical or evacuation services. If

the Government provides such services, the

Contractor shall reimburse the Government

for the costs incurred.

(End of clause)

[FR Doc. 00–31102 Filed 12–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[Docket No. 000323080-0329-02; I.D.

031500A]

RIN 0648-AN97

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

(HMS); Atlantic Tunas Reporting,

Fishery Allocations and Regulatory

Adjustments

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; public hearings;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to amend the

regulations governing the Atlantic HMS

fisheries to require mandatory dealer

reporting of all purchases of Atlantic

bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack

(BAYS) tunas; adjust the north-south

dividing line for the Atlantic bluefin

tuna (BFT) Angling category

subdivisions; adjust associated subquota

percentages allocated to each area;

modify regulatory text to clarify the

requirement that imports, exports, and

re-exports of bluefin tuna (both Atlantic

and Pacific subspecies) must be

accompanied by a Bluefin Tuna

Statistical Document (BSD); and modify

regulatory text to facilitate enforcement

of, and compliance with, the

regulations. The proposed regulatory

amendment is necessary to comply with

the United States’ obligations under the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Atlantic

Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and the

Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic

Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks (HMS

FMP). NMFS will hold public hearings

to receive comments from fishery

participants and other interested parties

regarding the proposed regulatory

amendment.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before January 30, 2001.

The public hearing dates are:

1. December 11, 2000, 7–9 p.m.,

Ocean City, MD.

2. December 12, 2000, 7–9 p.m., Cape

May, NJ.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

proposed regulatory amendment should

be sent to Christopher Rogers, Acting

Chief, Highly Migratory Species

Management Division, Office of

Sustainable Fisheries (F/SF1), NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD 20910-3282. Comments also may be

sent via facsimile (fax) to (301) 713-

1917. Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

Comments regarding the collection of

information requirements contained in

this proposed rule should be sent to the

above address and to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), Washington, DC, 20503

(Attention: NOAA Desk Officer).

The public hearing locations are:

1. Cape May—The Inn of Cape May,

7 Ocean St, Cape May, NJ 08204.

2. Ocean City—Ocean City Rec &

Parks Dept., 200–125th Street, Ocean

City, MD 21842.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat

Scida, (978) 281–9208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic

tunas are managed under the dual

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act

and ATCA. ATCA authorizes the

Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to

implement binding recommendations of

the International Commission for the

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

The authority to issue regulations under

the Magnuson-Stevens Act and ATCA

has been delegated from the Secretary to

the Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA (AA).

BAYS Dealer Reporting

On May 28, 1999, NMFS published in

the Federal Register (64 FR 29090) final

regulations implementing the HMS FMP

that was adopted and made available to

the public in April 1999. The

implementing regulations require

dealers that receive Atlantic swordfish

and Atlantic sharks from U.S. vessels to

report to NMFS all Atlantic tunas

(including BAYS) received from U.S.

vessels (50 CFR 635.5(b)(1)(i)). The

regulations require dealers to report

BAYS tunas only when received

together with sharks and swordfish. As

BAYS tunas are usually landed and sold

along with other species, and because

many dealers voluntarily report their

BAYS purchases (dealers are often

permitted in several fisheries and record

all purchases on a consolidated HMS

reporting form), the lack of mandatory

reporting of BAYS tunas has not likely

resulted in significant underreporting.

Recently, however, several new dealers

in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto

Rico have obtained dealer permits, and

most of these dealers are handling

BAYS tunas only. In order to collect

data from these new dealers and to

ensure that U.S. data on BAYS tunas are

complete, NMFS needs to require that

all purchases of BAYS tunas be

reported, regardless of whether other

regulated HMS are purchased. NMFS,

therefore, proposes to amend the HMS

regulations to require dealers to report

all purchases of BAYS tunas, regardless

of whether they also purchase Atlantic

sharks or swordfish. Similar to current

reporting regulations for sharks and

swordfish, NMFS proposes to require

dealers to submit negative reports for

reporting periods in which they do not

purchase and/or receive BAYS tunas.

BFT Angling Category Geographical

Division

In response to quota reductions in

1992, two management areas were

created for the BFT Angling category

fishery. The north-south division line is

located at 38°47’ N. latitude (Delaware

Bay). The geographic split was designed

to enable NMFS to manage the early

season (June/July off the Virginia to

Delaware coasts) and late season

(August/September off the New Jersey to

Massachusetts coasts) to manage BFT

fisheries under separate quotas,

corresponding with the summer feeding

migration of school, large school, and

small medium BFT.

For the last several BFT fishing

seasons, NMFS has received comments

that an adjustment to the Angling

category BFT north-south division line

is warranted. Specifically, vessels

fishing for BFT from ports in southern

New Jersey, which is in the northern

area, tend to utilize fishing areas located

in the southern area (i.e., offshore of

Ocean City, Maryland). This pattern of

activity raises two concerns with respect

to the dividing line for the southern and

northern areas. First, when the southern

and northern areas are both open, a

significant number of fish caught in the

southern area are landed in the northern

area and counted against the applicable

northern area subquotas. Second, when

the southern area is closed, vessels from

southern New Jersey are effectively

excluded from the school BFT fishery

because the fish are generally