38556 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 1998 / Notices

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

2. The action will not have a severe

economic impact on current contractors

for the commodities and services.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodities and

services proposed for addition to the

Procurement List.

Accordingly, the following

commodities and services are hereby

added to the Procurement List:

Commodities

Sling, F/M4 Carbine

1005–01–368–9852

Turkey Baster

M.R. 851

Services

Base Supply Center, Whiteman Air Force

Base, Missouri

Grounds Maintenance, Hunton Memorial

USARC, 8791 Snouffers School Road,

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Grounds Maintenance, Southern Maryland

Memorial USARC Center, Meadows,

Maryland

Grounds Maintenance, Prince George’s

County Memorial USARC Center, 6601

Baltimore Avenue, Riverdale, Maryland

Grounds Maintenance, Maus Warfield

USARC Center, 1850 Baltimore Road,

Rockville, Maryland

This action does not affect current

contracts awarded prior to the effective date

of this addition or options that may be

exercised under those contracts.

Beverly L. Milkman,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 98–19142 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Marine Fisheries Initiative

(MARFIN).

Agency Form Number: None.

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0175.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 285 hours.

Number of Respondents: 60 (with

multiple responses).

Avg Hours Per Response: Ranges

between one and four hours depending

on the requirement.

Needs and Uses: MARFIN is a

competitive Federal assistance program

that promotes and endorses programs in

the Southeast Region that seek to

optimize research and development

benefits for U.S. marine fishery

resources. Grant funds are available to

enhance both recreational and

commercial fisheries. Information

provided through the grant process is

used by the National Marine Fisheries

Service to evaluate applications and

make funding decisions.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit

institutions, individuals, businesses or

other for-profit organizations, state,

local or tribal government.

Frequency: Annually, semi-annually.

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to

obtain or retain benefits.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent

within 30 days of publication of this

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk

Officer, Room 10202, New Executive

Office Building, 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: July 13, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–19076 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration

Sensors and Instrumentation

Technical Advisory Committee; Notice

of Closed Meeting

A meeting of the Sensors and

Instrumentation Technical Advisory

Committee will be held July 28, 1998,

9:00 a.m., in the Herbert C. Hoover

Building, Room 1617M(2), 14th Street

between Constitution & Pennsylvania

Avenues, NW., Washington, D.C. The

Committee advises the Office of the

Assistant Secretary for Export

Administration with respect to technical

questions that affect the level of export

controls applicable to sensors and

instrumentation equipment and

technology.

The Committee will meet only in

Executive Session to discuss matters

properly classified under Executive

Order 12958, dealing with the U.S.

export control program and strategic

criteria related thereto.

The Assistant Secretary for

Administration, with the concurrence of

the General Counsel, formally

determined on December 3, 1997,

pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, as amended,

that the series of meetings of the

Committee and of any Subcommittee

thereof, dealing with the classified

materials listed in 5 U.S.C., 552b(c)(1)

shall be exempt from the provisions

relating to public meetings found in

section 10(a)(1) and (a)(3), of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act. The remaining

series of meetings or portions thereof

will be open to the public.

A copy of the Notice of Determination

to close meetings or portions of

meetings of the Committee is available

for public inspection and copying in the

Central Reference and Records

Inspection Facility, Room 6020, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Washington,

DC 20230. For further information,

contact Lee Ann Carpenter on (202)

482–2583.

Dated: July 10, 1998.

Lee Ann Carpenter,

Director, Technical Advisory Committee Unit.

[FR Doc. 98–19106 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–33–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

National Weather Service

Modernization and Associated

Restructuring

AGENCY: National Weather Service

(NWS), NOAA, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and opportunity for

public comment.

SUMMARY: The NWS is publishing

proposed certifications for the

consolidation, automation, and closure

of the—

(1) Charlotte, North Carolina Weather

Service Office (WSO) which will be

automated at FAA Weather Observation

Service Level A and have its services
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 1998 / Notices 38557

consolidated into the future Greenville/

Spartanburg and Columbia, South

Carolina and Raleigh/Durham, North

Carolina Weather Forecast Offices

(WFOs);

(2) Fort Wayne, Indiana WSO which

will be automated at FAA Weather

Observation Service Level B and have

its services consolidated into the future

Northern Indiana WFO; and

(3) South Bend, Indiana WSO which

will be automated at FAA Weather

Observation Service Level B and have

its services consolidated into the future

Northern Indiana WFO.

In accordance with Pub. L. 102–567,

the public will have 60-days in which

to comment on these proposed

consolidation, automation, and closure

certifications.

DATES: Comments are requested by

September 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

proposed consolidation, automation and

closure package should be sent to Tom

Beaver, Room 11426, 1325 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910,

telephone 301–713–0300. All comments

should be sent to Tom Beaver at the

above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tom Beaver at 301–713–0300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

accordance with section 706 of Pub. L.

102–567, the Secretary of Commerce

must certify that these consolidations,

automations, and closures will not

result in any degradation of service to

the affected areas of responsibility and

must publish the proposed

consolidation, automation, and closure

certifications in the Federal Register.

The documentation supporting these

proposed certifications includes the

following:

(1) A draft memorandum by the

meteorologists-in-charge recommending

the certification, the final of which will

be endorsed by the Regional Director

and the Assistant Administrator of the

NWS if appropriate, after consideration

of public comments and completion of

consultation with the Modernization

Transition Committee (the Committee);

(2) A description of local weather

characteristics and weather-related

concerns which affect the weather

services provided within the service

area;

(3) A comparison of the services

provided within the service area and the

services to be provided after such

action;

(4) A description of any recent or

expected modernization of NWS

operation which will enhance services

in the service area;

(5) An identification of any area

within the affected service area which

would not receive coverage (at an

elevation of 10,000 feet) by the next

generation weather radar network;

(6) Evidence, based upon operational

demonstration of modernized NWS

operations, which was considered in

reaching the conclusion that no

degradation in service will result from

such action including the WSR–88D

Radar Commissioning Reports, User

Confirmation of Services Reports, and

the Decommissioning Readiness Report

(as applicable);

(7) Evidence, based upon operational

demonstration of modernized NWS

operations, which was considered in

reaching the conclusion that no

degradation in service will result from

such action including the ASOS

Commissioning Report; series of three

letters between NWS and FAA

confirming that weather services will

continue in full compliance with

applicable flight aviation rules after

ASOS commissioning; Surface Aviation

Observation Transition Checklist

documenting transfer of augmentation

and backup responsibility from NWS to

FAA; successful resolution of ASOS

user confirmation of services

complaints; and an in-place

supplementary data program at the

responsible WFOs;

(8) Warning and forecast verification

statistics for pre-modernized and

modernized services which were

utilized in determining that services

have not been degraded;

(9) An Air Safety Appraisal for offices

which are located on an airport; and

(10) A letter appointing the liaison

officer.

These proposed certifications do not

include any report of the Committee

which could be submitted in accordance

with sections 706(b)(6) and 707(c) of

Pub. L. 102–567. In December 1995 the

Committee decided that, in general, they

would forego the optional consultation

on proposed certifications. Instead, the

Committee would just review

certifications after the public comment

period had closed so their consultation

would be with the benefit of public

comments that had been submitted.

This notice does not include the

complete certification package because

it is too voluminous to publish. Copies

of the certification package and

supporting documentation can be

obtained through the contact listed

above.

Once all public comments have been

received and considered, the NWS will

complete consultation with the

Committee and determine whether to

proceed with the final certification. At

the June 25, 1997 MTC meeting the

Committee stated that its endorsement

of certifications is ‘‘subject to the

following qualifications:

‘‘(1) The number of trained staff in

each modernized field office meets

staffing requirements as established by

the modernization criteria and

documented in the National

Implementation Plan and the Human

Resources Plan (WBS 1100). Delays in

training or failure to fill required

positions will increase the risk of

degradation of service;

‘‘(2) The availability of operational

systems in each modernized field office

meets requirements as established by

the modernization criteria and

documented in the System

Commissioning and Support Function

Demonstration Plans; and

‘‘(3) The operational and

administrative infrastructures and

technical development needed to

support the modernized field offices be

maintained as required by the

modernization plan.’’ These

qualifications have been met for the

above proposed certifications. If a

decision to certify is made, the Secretary

of Commerce must publish final

certifications in the FR and transmit the

certifications to the appropriate

Congressional committees prior to

consolidating, automating, and closing

this office.

John J. Kelly, Jr.,

Assistant Administrator for Weather Services.

[FR Doc. 98–19042 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 070798A]

Marine Mammals; File No. 481–1464

and 782–1355

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of applications for

permit and amendment

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr.

W. John Richardson, LGL Ltd.

Environmental Research Associates, 22

Fisher St., P.O.B. 280, King City,

Ontario L7B 1A6, Canada has applied in

due form for a permit to take bowhead

whales (Balaena mysticetus), ringed

seals (Phoca hispida), bearded seals

(Erignathus barbatus) and beluga

whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for

purposes of scientific research; and Dr.