84534 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

NIST Consortium for Advancement of 

Genome Editing 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of Research Consortium; 

Extension of Research Consortium. 

SUMMARY: The National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST) 

extends the duration of the NIST 

Consortium for Advancement of 

Genome Editing (Genome Editing 

Consortium or Consortium). The 

Consortium duration was previously 

through December 1, 2025. NIST is 

taking this action to provide additional 

time for interested parties to join the 

Consortium to further pursue the 

implementation and achievement of 

outcomes of the current Consortium 

activities, as well as to address 

additional standards needs as defined 

by the Consortium in qualification of 

off-target assays and quality of genome 

editing components. Beginning January 

1, 2026 participation fees will increase 

to $25,000 annually or in-kind 

contributions of equivalent value. 

Participants will be required to sign a 

Cooperative Research and Development 

Agreement (CRADA). 

DATES: The Consortium’s activities will 

continue as needed to complete the 

updated research plan. NIST will accept 

letters of interest to participate in this 

Consortium on an ongoing basis. 

Acceptance of participants into the 

Consortium will depend on the 

availability of resources. 

ADDRESSES: Information in response to 

this notice, including completed letters 

of interest or requests for additional 

information about the Consortium, can 

be directed via mail to the Consortium 

Manager, Dr. Samantha Maragh, 

Biosystems and Biomaterials Division of 

NIST’s Material Measurement 

Laboratory, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 

8312, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 or 

via electronic mail to samantha@

nist.gov, or by telephone at (301) 975– 

4947. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

January 11, 2018, NIST published a 

notice in the Federal Register (83 FR 

1335), establishing the Consortium, and 

on February 2, 2021, NIST published a 

notice in the Federal Register (86 FR 

7859) extending the duration of the 

Consortium until December 1, 2025. To 

provide additional time for interested 

parties to join the Consortium to further 

pursue the implementation and 

achievement of the Consortium 

objectives, NIST extends the term to 

continue as needed to complete the 

updated research plan and will accept 

letters of interest on an ongoing basis. 

Previously submitted letters of interest 

do not need to be resubmitted. 

The Consortium’s current activities 

(as described in the original notice, 83 

FR 1335) will continue, and the 

Consortium research plan is amended to 

include the following new activities: 

Qualification of Off-Target Assays: 

Identify sources of variability and 

develop consensus approaches to 

qualifying off-target assays (including 

potential interlaboratory studies or 

control materials). 

Quality of Genome Editing 

Components: Identify concepts/ 

information, approaches/assays, and 

potential controls for assessing quality 

of genome editing components. 

Alicia Chambers, 

NIST Executive Secretariat. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24514 Filed 10–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE356] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Pile Driving 

Training Exercises at Naval Base 

Ventura County, Port Hueneme 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; proposed issuance of an 

incidental harassment authorization; 

request for comments on proposed 

authorization and possible renewal. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the United States Navy (Navy) for 

authorization to take marine mammals, 

by Level B harassment only, incidental 

to pile driving training exercises at 

Naval Base Ventura County, Port 

Hueneme (NBVC). 

NMFS previously issued an incidental 

harassment authorization IHA to the 

Navy for similar activities on April 28, 

2023 (hereinafter referred to as the 

initial IHA); however, during the initial 

authorization period, only one of four 

planned training exercise was 

performed. The Navy is requesting, and 

NMFS is proposing to issue an IHA 

authorizing incidental take for an 

additional four training exercises. 

Pursuant to the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is 

requesting comments on its proposal to 

issue an IHA to incidentally take marine 

mammals during the specified activities. 

NMFS is also requesting comments on 

a possible 1-year Renewal IHA that 

could be issued under certain 

circumstances and if all requirements 

are met, as described in Request for 

Public Comments at the end of this 

notice. NMFS will consider public 

comments prior to making any final 

decision on the issuance of the 

requested MMPA authorizations and 

agency responses will be summarized in 

the final notice of our decision. The 

Navy’s activities are considered military 

readiness activities pursuant to the 

MMPA, as amended by the National 

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2004 (NDAA). 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than November 7, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be 

addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, and should be 

submitted via email to 

ITP.tyson.moore@noaa.gov. Electronic 

copies of the application and supporting 

documents, as well as a list of the 

references cited in this document, may 

be obtained online at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case 

of problems accessing these documents, 

please call the contact listed below. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted online at 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act without 

change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit confidential business 

information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Reny Tyson Moore, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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