30812 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 108 / Friday, June 5, 1998 / Notices

1The Board will grant a stay if an informed

decision on environmental issues (whether raised

by a party or by the Board’s Section of

Environmental Analysis in its independent

investigation) cannot be made before the

exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any

request for a stay should be filed as soon as possible

so that the Board may take appropriate action before

the exemption’s effective date.

2Each offer of financial assistance must be

accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is

set at $1000. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to

governmental agencies) have been met.

As a condition to this exemption, any

employee adversely affected by the

abandonment shall be protected under

Oregon Short Line R. Co.—

Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91

(1979). To address whether this

condition adequately protects affected

employees, a petition for partial

revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

must be filed. Provided no formal

expression of intent to file an offer of

financial assistance (OFA) has been

received, this exemption will be

effective on July 5, 1998, unless stayed

pending reconsideration. Petitions to

stay that do not involve environmental

issues,1 formal expressions of intent to

file an OFA under 49 CFR

1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail use/rail banking

requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be

filed by June 15, 1998. Petitions to

reopen or requests for public use

conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must

be filed by June 25, 1998, with: Surface

Transportation Board, Office of the

Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423.

A copy of any petition filed with the

Board should be sent to applicant’s

representative: Joseph D. Anthofer,

General Attorney, Union Pacific

Railroad Company, 1416 Dodge Street,

Room 830, Omaha, NE 68170.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio.

UP has filed an environmental report

which addresses the effects of the

abandonment and discontinuance, if

any, on the environment and historic

resources. The Section of Environmental

Analysis (SEA) will issue an

environmental assessment (EA) by June

10, 1998. Interested persons may obtain

a copy of the EA by writing to SEA

(Room 500, Surface Transportation

Board, Washington, DC 20423) or by

calling SEA, at (202) 565–1545.

Comments on environmental and

historic preservation matters must be

filed within 15 days after the EA

becomes available to the public.

Environmental, historic preservation,

public use, or trail use/rail banking

conditions will be imposed, where

appropriate, in a subsequent decision.

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR

1152.29(e)(2), UP shall file a notice of

consummation with the Board to signify

that it has exercised the authority

granted and fully abandoned the line. If

consummation has not been effected by

UP’s filing of a notice of consummation

by June 5, 1999, and there are no legal

or regulatory barriers to consummation,

the authority to abandon will

automatically expire.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: May 27, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–14572 Filed 6–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Treasury Advisory Committee on

Commercial Operations of the U.S.

Customs Service

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Renewal of Treasury Advisory

Committee on Commercial Operations

of the U.S. Customs Service and

solicitation of applications for

committee membership.

SUMMARY: It is in the public interest to

renew the Advisory Committee for

another two-year term. This notice also

establishes criteria and procedures for

the selection of members.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis M. O’Connell, Director, Office of

Tariff and Trade Affairs, Office of the

Under Secretary (Enforcement). (202)

622–0220. Pursuant to the Federal

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

I (1962), and section 95603  of the

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of

1987 (Pub. L. 100–203), the Under

Secretary (Enforcement) announces the

renewal of the following advisory

committee:

Title: The Treasury Advisory

Committee on Commercial Operations

of the U.S. Customs Service

Purpose: The purpose of the

Committee is to present advice and

recommendations to the Secretary of the

Treasury regarding commercial

operations of the U.S. Customs Service

and to submit a report to Congress

containing a summary of its operations

and its views and recommendations.

Statement of Public Interest: it is in

the public interest to continue the

existence of the Committee upon

expiration, under the provisions of the

Advisory Committee Act, of its current

two-year term. The Committee provides

a critical forum for distinguished

representatives of diverse industry

sectors to present their views on major

issues involving commercial operations

of the Customs Service. These views are

offered directly to senior Treasury and

Customs officials on a regular basis in

a candid atmosphere. There exists no

other single body that serves a

comparable function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation

Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100–203), Congress

repealed the statutory mandate for a

Customs User Fee Advisory Committee

and directed the Secretary of the

Treasury to create a new Advisory

Committee on Commercial Operations

of the U.S. Customs Service. The

original Committee consisted of 20

members drawn from industry sectors

affected by Customs commercial

operations. The Committee’s charter

was filed on October 17, 1988 and

expired two years later. Charters were

subsequently filed for second, third, and

fourth, and fifth two-year terms. The

current charter will expire on October

15, 1998. the Treasury Department plans

to file a new charter by that date

renewing the Committee for a sixth twoyear term.

Objective, Scope and Description of the

Committee

The Committee’s objectives are to

advise the Secretary of the Treasury on

issues relating to the commercial

operations of the Customs Service. It is

expected that, during its sixth two-year

term, the Committee will consider such

issues as implementation of the

Customs Modernization Act,

administration of staff and resources for

commercial operations, informed

compliance and compliance assessment,

the account system, automated systems,

the International Trade Data System, the

Year 2000 conversion, commercial

enforcement, international efforts to

harmonize customs practices and

procedures, strategic planning, and

northern border and southern board

issues and the relationships with

Canadian Customs and Mexican

Customs.

The Committee will be chaired by the

Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for

Enforcement. The Committee will

function for a two-year period before

renewal or termination and will meet

approximately eight times (quarterly)

during the period. Additional special
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 108 / Friday, June 5, 1998 / Notices 30813

meetings of the full Committee or a

subcommittee thereof may be convened

if necessary.

The meetings will generally be held in

the Treasury Department, Washington,

D.C. However, typically one meeting

period year, but generally not more than

two, may be held outside of Washington

at a Customs port. In recent years,

meeting have been held in Baltimore,

New Orleans, Oakland, Nogales, Los

Angeles and Seattle, among other

locations.

The meetings are open to public

observers, including the press, unless

special procedures have been followed

to close a meeting. During the first five

terms of the Committee, only a portion

of the one meeting was closed.

The members shall be selected by the

Secretary of the Treasury from

representatives of the trade or

transportation community serviced by

Customs, the general public, or others

who are directed affected by Customs

commercial operations. In addition,

members shall represent major regions

of the country, and not more than ten

members may be affiliated with the

same political party. No person who is

required to register under the Foreign

Agents Registration Act as an agent or

representative of a foreign principal may

serve on an advisory committee.

Members shall not be paid

compensation nor shall they be

considered Federal Government

employees for any purpose. No per

diem, transportation, or other expenses

are reimbursed for the cost of attending

Committee meetings at any location.

Members who are serving on the

Committee during its expiring two-year

term are eligible to reapply for

membership. A new application letter

and updated resume are required. It is

expected that approximately half of the

current membership of the Committee

will be replaced with new appointees.

Membership on the Committee is

personal to the appointee. Under the

Committee By-Laws, a member may not

send an alternate to represent him at a

Committee meeting. However, since

Committee meetings are open to the

public, another person from a member’s

organization may attend and observe the

proceedings in a nonparticipating

capacity. Regular attendance is

essential; a member who is absent for

two consecutive meetings or two

meetings in a calendar year shall lose

his seat on the Committee.

Application for Advisory Committee

Appointment

Any interested person wishing to

serve on the Treasury Advisory

Committee on Commercial Operations

of the U.S. Customs Service must

provide the following:

• Statement of interest and reasons

for application;

• Complete professional biography or

resume;

• Political affiliation, In order to

ensure balanced representation.

(Mandatory. If no party registration or

allegiance, indicate ‘‘independent’’ or

‘‘unaffiliated’’).

In addition, applicants must state in

their applications that they agree to

submit to preappointment security and

tax checks. There is no prescribed

format for the application. Applicants

may send a cover letter describing their

interest and qualifications and enclosing

a resume.

The application period for interested

candidates will extend to July 15, 1998.

Applications should be submitted in

sufficient time to be received by the

close of business on the closing date by

Dennis M. O’Connell, Director, Office of

Tariff and Trade Affairs, Office of the

Under Secretary (Enforcement), Room

4004, Department of the Treasury, 1500

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,

D.C. 20220, ATTN: COAC 1998.

Dated: June 2, 1998.

Dennis M. O’Connell,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary,

(Regulatory, Tariff and Trade Enforcement).

[FR Doc. 98–14959 Filed 6–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–25–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Treasury Advisory Committee on

International Child Labor Enforcement

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Proposed establishment of the

Treasury Advisory Committee on

International Child Labor Enforcement

(‘‘the Committee’’) and solicitation of

applications for committee membership.

SUMMARY: The Treasury Department has

determined that it is in the public

interest to establish an Advisory

Committee on International Child Labor

Enforcement. A Charter for the

Committee has been prepared and will

be filed 15 days following the date of

publication of this notice. This notices

establishes criteria and procedures for

the selection of members.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis M. O’Connell, Director, Office of

Tariff and Trade Affairs, Office of the

Under Secretary (Enforcement), (202)

622–0220. Pursuant to the Federal

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

I (1962), the Under Secretary

(Enforcement) proposes to establish the

following advisory committee:

Title: The Treasury Advisory

Committee on International Child Labor

Enforcement.

Purpose: The purpose of the

Committee is to present advice and

recommendations to the Secretary of the

Treasury regarding the enforcement of

restrictions on the importation of

merchandise manufactured in foreign

countries using forced or indentured

child labor.

Statement of Public Interest: It is in

the public interest to establish, under

the provisions of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, the Advisory Committee

on International Child Labor

Enforcement for an initial two-year

term. The Committee will provide a

critical forum for distinguished

representatives of nongovernmental

organizations, private businesses, trade

associations, academia, and the public

to present their views on enforcement of

the import restrictions on merchandise

manufactured overseas with forced or

indentured child labor. These views are

offered directly to senior Treasury and

Customs officials on a regular basis in

a candid atmosphere. There exists no

other single body that could serve a

comparable function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930

(19 U.S.C. 1307) prohibits the

importation of ‘‘goods, wares, articles,

and merchandise mined, produced, or

manufactured wholly or in part in any

foreign country by convict labor or/and

forced labor or/and indentured labor

under penal sanctions * * *.’’ The

prohibition is enforced by the United

States Customs Service in accordance

with the Customs Regulations, 19 CFR

12.42–12.48. A general provision in the

Fiscal Year 1998 Treasury

Appropriations Act made explicit that

merchandise manufactured with ‘‘forced

or indentured child labor’’ falls within

the prohibition of Section 307, and also

mandated that Customs not use any of

the appropriation to permit the

importation into the United States of

such merchandise.

Following the enactment of the FY

1998 appropriations amendment

regarding child labor, both the Treasury

Department and the National Economic

Council chaired in-depth interagency

discussions aimed at strengthening the

capability of the Executive Branch to

enforce the prohibition on child labor

imports. In his State of Union address

on January 27, 1998, President Clinton

pledged to ‘‘fight the most intolerable

labor practice of all—abusive child

labor.’’ The establishment of the

Committee is intended to create a