1962 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 6 / Friday, January 10, 2025 / Notices 

1See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Petition for the 

Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing 

Duties,’’ December 13, 2024 (Petition). 

2 Id. 

3See Commerce’s Letters, ‘‘Supplemental 

Questions,’’ dated December 17, 2024 (General 

Issues Questionnaire); and ‘‘Supplemental 

Questions,’’ dated December 17, 2024. 

4See Petitioner’s Letters, ‘‘Response to 

Supplemental Petition Questionnaire,’’ dated 

December 19, 2024 (General Issues Supplement); 

and ‘‘Response to Supplemental Petition 

Questionnaire,’’ dated December 19, 2024. 

5See section on ‘‘Determination of Industry 

Support for the Petition,’’ infra. 

6See 19 CFR 351.204(b)(2). 

7See General Issues Questionnaire. 

8See General Issues Supplement at 2–3 and 

Exhibit GEN–S–2. 

9See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties; 

Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) 

(Preamble). 

10See 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) (defining ‘‘factual 

information’’). 

11See 19 CFR 351.303(b)(1). The deadline for 

scope rebuttal comments falls on February 1, 2025, 

which is a Saturday. In accordance with 19 CFR 

351.303(b)(1), Commerce will accept scope rebuttal 

comments filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 3, 

2025 (‘‘For both electronically filed and manually 

filed documents, if the applicable due date falls on 

a non-business day, the Secretary will accept 

documents that are filed on the next business 

day.’’). 

with the molecular formula C4H10O4 and a 

Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry 

number of 149–32–6. Other names for 

erythritol include meso-erythritol, (2R, 3S)- 

butan-1,2,3,4-tetrol, butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol, or 

meso-1,2,3,4-Tetrahydryoxybutane. 

Erythritol typically appears as a white 

crystalline, odorless product that rapidly 

dissolves in water. While erythritol is 

typically produced in the crystalline form or 

as a fine powder or in directly compressible 

form, the scope of this investigation covers 

all physical forms and grades of erythritol, 

including organic erythritol. 

The merchandise covered by this 

investigation is classifiable under 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 

States (HTSUS) subheading 2905.49.4000. 

Erythritol may also enter under HTSUS 

subheading 2106.90.9998. Although the 

HTSUS subheadings are provided for 

convenience and customs purposes, the 

written description of the merchandise 

covered by this investigation is dispositive. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00258 Filed 1–8–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[C–570–193] 

Erythritol From the People’s Republic 

of China: Initiation of Countervailing 

Duty Investigation 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

DATES: Applicable January 2, 2025. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ajay 

Menon, Office IX, AD/CVD Operations, 

Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 

Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, 

DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–0208. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Petition 

On December 13, 2024, the U.S. 

Department of Commerce (Commerce) 

received a countervailing duty (CVD) 

petition concerning imports of erythritol 

from the People’s Republic of China 

(China) filed in proper form on behalf of 

Cargill, Incorporated (the petitioner), a 

U.S. producer of erythritol.1 The CVD 

Petition was accompanied by an 

antidumping duty (AD) petition 

concerning imports of erythritol from 

China.2

On December 17, 2024, Commerce 

requested supplemental information 

pertaining to certain aspects of the 

Petition in supplemental 

questionnaires.3 On December 19, 2024, 

the petitioner filed timely responses to 

these requests for additional 

information.4

In accordance with section 702(b)(1) 

of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 

(the Act), the petitioner alleges that the 

Government of China (GOC) is 

providing countervailable subsidies, 

within the meaning of sections 701 and 

771(5) of the Act, to producers of 

erythritol in China, and that such 

imports are materially injuring, or 

threatening material injury to, the 

domestic industry producing erythritol 

in the United States. Consistent with 

section 702(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 

351.202(b), for those alleged programs 

on which we are initiating a CVD 

investigation, the Petition was 

accompanied by information reasonably 

available to the petitioner supporting its 

allegations. 

Commerce finds that the petitioner 

filed the Petition on behalf of the 

domestic industry, because the 

petitioner is an interested party, as 

defined in section 771(9)(C) of the Act. 

Commerce also finds that the petitioner 

demonstrated sufficient industry 

support with respect to the initiation of 

the requested CVD investigation.5

Period of Investigation 

Because the Petition was filed on 

December 13, 2024, the period of 

investigation for the CVD investigation 

is January 1, 2023, through December 

31, 2023.6

Scope of the Investigation 

The product covered by this 

investigation is erythritol from China. 

For a full description of the scope of this 

investigation, see the appendix to this 

notice. 

Comments on the Scope of the 

Investigation 

On December 17, 2024, Commerce 

requested information and clarification 

from the petitioner regarding the 

proposed scope to ensure that the scope 

language in the Petition is an accurate 

reflection of the products for which the 

domestic industry is seeking relief.7 On 

December 19, 2024, the petitioner 

provided clarifications and revised the 

scope.8 The description of merchandise 

covered by this investigation, as 

described in the appendix to this notice, 

reflects these clarifications. 

As discussed in the Preamble to 

Commerce’s regulations, we are setting 

aside a period for interested parties to 

raise issues regarding product coverage 

(i.e., scope).9 Commerce will consider 

all comments received from interested 

parties and, if necessary, will consult 

with interested parties prior to the 

issuance of the preliminary 

determination. If scope comments 

include factual information, all such 

factual information should be limited to 

public information.10 To facilitate 

preparation of its questionnaires, 

Commerce requests that scope 

comments be submitted by 5:00 p.m. 

Eastern Time (ET) on January 22, 2025, 

which 20 calendar days from the 

signature date of this notice. Any 

rebuttal comments, which may include 

factual information, and should also be 

limited to public information, must be 

filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 3, 

2025, which is the next business day 

after 10 calendar days from the initial 

comment deadline.11

Commerce requests that any factual 

information that parties consider 

relevant to the scope of the investigation 

be submitted during that time period. 

However, if a party subsequently finds 

that additional factual information 

pertaining to the scope of the 

investigation may be relevant, the party 

must contact Commerce and request 

permission to submit the additional 

information. All scope comments must 

be filed simultaneously on the records 

of the concurrent AD and CVD 

investigations. 

Filing Requirements 

All submissions to Commerce must be 

filed electronically via Enforcement and 

Compliance’s Antidumping Duty and 

Countervailing Duty Centralized 

Electronic Service System (ACCESS), 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 6 / Friday, January 10, 2025 / Notices 1963 

12See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 

Proceedings: Electronic Filing Procedures; 

Administrative Protective Order Procedures, 76 FR 

39263 (July 6, 2011); see also Enforcement and 

Compliance; Change of Electronic Filing System 

Name, 79 FR 69046 (November 20, 2014), for details 

of Commerce’s electronic filing requirements, 

effective August 5, 2011. Information on using 

ACCESS can be found at https://access.trade.gov/ 

help.aspx and a handbook can be found at https:// 

access.trade.gov/help/Handbook_on_Electronic_

Filing_Procedures.pdf. 

13See Commerce’s Letter, ‘‘Invitation for 

Consultation to Discuss the Countervailing Duty 

Petition,’’ dated December 16, 2024. 

14See section 771(10) of the Act. 

15See USEC, Inc. v. United States, 132 F. Supp. 

2d 1, 8 (CIT 2001) (citing Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. 

v. United States, 688 F. Supp. 639, 644 (CIT 1988), 

aff’d Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United States, 865 

F.2d 240 (Fed. Cir. 1989)). 

16For a discussion of the domestic like product 

analysis as applied to this case and information 

regarding industry support, see Checklist, 

‘‘Countervailing Duty Investigation Initiation 

Checklist: Erythritol from the People’s Republic of 

China,’’ dated concurrently with, and hereby 

adopted by, this notice (China CVD Initiation 

Checklist), at Attachment II, Analysis of Industry 

Support for the Antidumping and Countervailing 

Duty Petitions Covering Erythritol from the People’s 

Republic of China (Attachment II). This checklist is 

on file electronically via ACCESS. 

17See Attachment II of the China CVD Initiation 

Checklist. 

18 Id. 

19 Id. 

20For further discussion, see Attachment II of the 

China CVD Initiation Checklist. 

21 Id. 

22 Id.; see also section 702(c)(4)(D) of the Act. 

23See Attachment II of the China CVD Initiation 

Checklist. 

24 Id. 

25 Id. 

unless an exception applies.12 An 

electronically filed document must be 

received successfully in its entirety by 

the time and date it is due. 

Consultations 

Pursuant to sections 702(b)(4)(A)(i) 

and (ii) of the Act, Commerce notified 

the GOC of the receipt of the Petition 

and provided an opportunity for 

consultations with respect to the 

Petition.13 The GOC did not request 

consultations. 

Determination of Industry Support for 

the Petition 

Section 702(b)(1) of the Act requires 

that a petition be filed on behalf of the 

domestic industry. Section 702(c)(4)(A) 

of the Act provides that a petition meets 

this requirement if the domestic 

producers or workers who support the 

petition account for: (i) at least 25 

percent of the total production of the 

domestic like product; and (ii) more 

than 50 percent of the production of the 

domestic like product produced by that 

portion of the industry expressing 

support for, or opposition to, the 

petition. Moreover, section 702(c)(4)(D) 

of the Act provides that, if the petition 

does not establish support of domestic 

producers or workers accounting for 

more than 50 percent of the total 

production of the domestic like product, 

Commerce shall: (i) poll the industry or 

rely on other information in order to 

determine if there is support for the 

petition, as required by subparagraph 

(A); or (ii) determine industry support 

using a statistically valid sampling 

method to poll the ‘‘industry.’’ 

Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines 

the ‘‘industry’’ as the producers as a 

whole of a domestic like product. Thus, 

to determine whether a petition has the 

requisite industry support, the statute 

directs Commerce to look to producers 

and workers who produce the domestic 

like product. The U.S. International 

Trade Commission (ITC), which is 

responsible for determining whether 

‘‘the domestic industry’’ has been 

injured, must also determine what 

constitutes a domestic like product in 

order to define the industry. While both 

Commerce and the ITC apply the same 

statutory definition regarding the 

domestic like product,14 they do so for 

different purposes and pursuant to a 

separate and distinct authority. In 

addition, Commerce’s determination is 

subject to limitations of time and 

information. Although this may result in 

different definitions of the like product, 

such differences do not render the 

decision of either agency contrary to 

law.15

Section 771(10) of the Act defines the 

domestic like product as ‘‘a product 

which is like, or in the absence of like, 

most similar in characteristics and uses 

with, the article subject to an 

investigation under this title.’’ Thus, the 

reference point from which the 

domestic like product analysis begins is 

‘‘the article subject to an investigation’’ 

(i.e., the class or kind of merchandise to 

be investigated, which normally will be 

the scope as defined in the petition). 

With regard to the domestic like 

product, the petitioner does not offer a 

definition of the domestic like product 

distinct from the scope of the 

investigation.16 Based on our analysis of 

the information submitted on the 

record, we have determined that 

erythritol, as defined in the scope, 

constitute a single domestic like 

product, and we have analyzed industry 

support in terms of that domestic like 

product.17

In determining whether the petitioner 

has standing under section 702(c)(4)(A) 

of the Act, we considered the industry 

support data contained in the Petition 

with reference to the domestic like 

product as defined in the ‘‘Scope of the 

Investigation,’’ in the appendix to this 

notice. To establish industry support, 

the petitioner provided its own 

production of the domestic like product 

in 2023.18 The petitioner stated that 

there are no other known producers of 

erythritol in the United States; therefore, 

the Petition is supported by 100 percent 

of the U.S. industry.19 We relied on data 

provided by the petitioner for purposes 

of measuring industry support.20

Our review of the data provided in the 

Petition, the General Issues Supplement, 

and other information readily available 

to Commerce indicates that the 

petitioner has established industry 

support for the Petition.21 First, the 

Petition established support from 

domestic producers (or workers) 

accounting for more than 50 percent of 

the total production of the domestic like 

product and, as such, Commerce is not 

required to take further action in order 

to evaluate industry support (e.g., 

polling).22 Second, the domestic 

producers (or workers) have met the 

statutory criteria for industry support 

under section 702(c)(4)(A)(i) of the Act 

because the domestic producers (or 

workers) who support the Petition 

account for at least 25 percent of the 

total production of the domestic like 

product.23 Finally, the domestic 

producers (or workers) have met the 

statutory criteria for industry support 

under section 702(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act 

because the domestic producers (or 

workers) who support the Petition 

account for more than 50 percent of the 

production of the domestic like product 

produced by that portion of the industry 

expressing support for, or opposition to, 

the Petition.24 Accordingly, Commerce 

determines that the Petition was filed on 

behalf of the domestic industry within 

the meaning of section 702(b)(1) of the 

Act.25

Injury Test 

Because China is a ‘‘Subsidies 

Agreement Country’’ within the 

meaning of section 701(b) of the Act, 

section 701(a)(2) of the Act applies to 

this investigation. Accordingly, the ITC 

must determine whether imports of the 

subject merchandise from China 

materially injure, or threaten material 

injury to, a U.S. industry. 

Allegations and Evidence of Material 

Injury and Causation 

The petitioner alleges that imports of 

the subject merchandise are benefiting 

from countervailable subsidies and that 

such imports are causing, or threaten to 

cause, material injury to the U.S. 

industry producing the domestic like 

product. In addition, the petitioner 


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1964 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 6 / Friday, January 10, 2025 / Notices 

26For further information regarding negligibility 

and the injury allegation, see China CVD Initiation 

Checklist at Attachment III, Analysis of Allegations 

and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation for 

the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions 

Covering Erythritol from the People’s Republic of 

China (Attachment III). 

27 Id. 

28 Id. 

29See Petition at Volume I (pages I–7 and I–8 and 

Exhibit I–5); see also General Issues Supplement at 

1 and Exhibit GEN–S–1. 

30See Memorandum, ‘‘Release of U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection Entry Data,’’ dated December 

31, 2024. 

31See section 703(a)(1) of the Act. 

32 Id. 

33See 19 CFR 351.301(b). 

34See 19 CFR 351.301(b)(2). 

35See 19 CFR 351.302. 

alleges that subject imports from China 

exceed the negligibility threshold 

provided for under section 771(24)(A) of 

the Act.26

The petitioner contends that the 

industry’s injured condition is 

illustrated by the significant and 

increasing volume of subject imports; 

reduced market share; underselling and 

price depression and/or suppression; 

lost sales and revenues; and declines in 

the domestic industry’s production, 

capacity utilization, U.S. shipments, 

employment variables, and financial 

performance.27 We assessed the 

allegations and supporting evidence 

regarding material injury, threat of 

material injury, causation, cumulation, 

as well as negligibility, and we have 

determined that these allegations are 

properly supported by adequate 

evidence and meet the statutory 

requirements for initiation.28

Initiation of CVD Investigation 

Based upon the examination of the 

Petition and supplemental responses, 

we find that they meet the requirements 

of section 702 of the Act. Therefore, we 

are initiating a CVD investigation to 

determine whether imports of erythritol 

benefit from countervailable subsidies 

conferred by the GOC. In accordance 

with section 703(b)(1) of the Act and 19 

CFR 351.205(b)(1), unless postponed, 

we will make our preliminary 

determination no later than 65 days 

after the date of this initiation. 

Based on our review of the Petition, 

we find that there is sufficient 

information to initiate a CVD 

investigation on 28 of the 29 programs 

alleged by the petitioner. For a full 

discussion of the basis for our decision 

to initiate on each program, see the 

China CVD Initiation Checklist. A 

public version of the initiation checklist 

for this investigation is available on 

ACCESS. 

Respondent Selection 

In the Petition, the petitioner 

identified 83 companies in China as 

producers and/or exporters of 

erythritol.29 Commerce intends to 

follow its standard practice in CVD 

investigations and calculate companyspecific subsidy rates in this 

investigation. In the event that 

Commerce determines that the number 

of companies is large and it cannot 

individually examine each company 

based on Commerce’s resources, 

Commerce normally selects mandatory 

respondents in CVD investigations using 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) entry data for U.S. imports under 

the appropriate Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) 

subheading(s) listed in the ‘‘Scope of the 

Investigation’’ in the appendix. 

On December 31, 2024, Commerce 

released CBP data on imports of 

erythritol from China under 

administrative protective order (APO) to 

all parties with access to information 

protected by APO and indicated that 

interested parties wishing to comment 

on CBP data and/or respondent 

selection must do so within three 

business days of the publication date of 

the notice of initiation of this 

investigation.30 Comments must be filed 

electronically using ACCESS. An 

electronically-filed document must be 

received successfully in its entirety via 

ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. ET on the 

specified deadline. Commerce will not 

accept rebuttal comments regarding the 

CBP data or respondent selection. 

Interested parties must submit 

applications for disclosure under APO 

in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(b). 

Instructions for filing such applications 

may be found on Commerce’s website at 

https://www.trade.gov/administrativeprotective-orders. 

Distribution of Copies of the Petition 

In accordance with section 

702(b)(4)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 

351.202(f), a copy of the public version 

of the Petition has been provided to the 

GOC via ACCESS. To the extent 

practicable, we will attempt to provide 

a copy of the public version of the 

Petition to each exporter named in the 

Petition, as provided under 19 CFR 

351.203(c)(2). 

ITC Notification 

Commerce will notify the ITC of its 

initiation, as required by section 702(d) 

of the Act. 

Preliminary Determination by the ITC 

The ITC will preliminarily determine, 

within 45 days after the date on which 

the Petition was filed, whether there is 

a reasonable indication that imports of 

erythritol from China are materially 

injuring, or threatening material injury 

to, a U.S. industry.31 A negative ITC 

determination will result in the 

investigation being terminated.32

Otherwise, this CVD investigation will 

proceed according to statutory and 

regulatory time limits. 

Submission of Factual Information 

Factual information is defined in 19 

CFR 351.102(b)(21) as: (i) evidence 

submitted in response to questionnaires; 

(ii) evidence submitted in support of 

allegations; (iii) publicly available 

information to value factors of 

production under 19 CFR 351.408(c) or 

to measure the adequacy of 

remuneration under 19 CFR 

351.511(a)(2); (iv) evidence placed on 

the record by Commerce; and (v) 

evidence other than factual information 

described in (i)–(iv). Section 351.301(b) 

of Commerce’s regulations requires any 

party, when submitting factual 

information, to specify under which 

subsection of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) the 

information is being submitted 33 and, if 

the information is submitted to rebut, 

clarify, or correct factual information 

already on the record, to provide an 

explanation identifying the information 

already on the record that the factual 

information seeks to rebut, clarify, or 

correct.34 Time limits for the 

submission of factual information are 

addressed in 19 CFR 351.301, which 

provides specific time limits based on 

the type of factual information being 

submitted. Interested parties should 

review the regulations prior to 

submitting factual information in this 

investigation. 

Extensions of Time Limits 

Parties may request an extension of 

time limits before the expiration of a 

time limit established under 19 CFR 

351.301, or as otherwise specified by 

Commerce. In general, an extension 

request will be considered untimely if it 

is filed after the expiration of the time 

limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, 

or as otherwise specified by 

Commerce.35 For submissions that are 

due from multiple parties 

simultaneously, an extension request 

will be considered untimely if it is filed 

after 10:00 a.m. ET on the due date. 

Under certain circumstances, Commerce 

may elect to specify a different time 

limit by which extension requests will 

be considered untimely for submissions 

which are due from multiple parties 

simultaneously. In such a case, we will 

inform parties in a letter or 

memorandum of the deadline (including 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 6 / Friday, January 10, 2025 / Notices 1965 

36See 19 CFR 351.301; see also Extension of Time 

Limits; Final Rule, 78 FR 57790 (September 20, 

2013) (Time Limits Final Rule), available at https:// 

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-20/html/2013- 

22853.htm. 

37See section 782(b) of the Act. 

38See Certification of Factual Information to 

Import Administration During Antidumping and 

Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 

17, 2013) (Final Rule); see also frequently asked 

questions regarding the Final Rule, available at 

https://enforcement.trade.gov/tlei/notices/factual_

info_final_rule_FAQ_07172013.pdf. 

39See Administrative Protective Order, Service, 

and Other Procedures in Antidumping and 

Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069 

(September 29, 2023). 

a specified time) by which extension 

requests must be filed to be considered 

timely. An extension request must be 

made in a separate, standalone 

submission; under limited 

circumstances we will grant untimely 

filed requests for the extension of time 

limits, where we determine, based on 19 

CFR 351.302, that extraordinary 

circumstances exist. Parties should 

review Commerce’s regulations 

concerning the extension of time limits 

and the Time Limits Final Rule prior to 

submitting factual information in this 

investigation.36

Certification Requirements 

Any party submitting factual 

information in an AD or CVD 

proceeding must certify to the accuracy 

and completeness of that information.37

Parties must use the certification 

formats provided in 19 CFR 

351.303(g).38 Commerce intends to 

reject factual submissions if the 

submitting party does not comply with 

the applicable certification 

requirements. 

Notification to Interested Parties 

Interested parties must submit 

applications for disclosure under APO 

in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. 

Parties wishing to participate in this 

investigation should ensure that they 

meet the requirements of 19 CFR 

351.103(d) (e.g., by filing the required 

letters of appearance). Note that 

Commerce has amended certain of its 

requirements pertaining to the service of 

documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).39

This notice is issued and published 

pursuant to sections 702 and 777(i) of 

the Act, and 19 CFR 351.203(c). 

Dated: January 2, 2025. 

Abdelali Elouaradia, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement 

and Compliance. 

Appendix 

Scope of the Investigation 

The product within the scope of this 

investigation is erythritol, which is a sugar 

alcohol, commonly referred to as a polyol, 

typically produced by the fermentation of 

glucose using enzymes and yeast or yeast-like 

fungi (though the scope includes erythritol 

produced using any other feedstock or 

organism). Erythritol is an organic compound 

with the molecular formula C4H10O4 and a 

Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry 

number of 149–32–6. Other names for 

erythritol include meso-erythritol, (2R, 3S)- 

butan-1,2,3,4-tetrol, butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol, or 

meso-1,2,3,4-Tetrahydryoxybutane. 

Erythritol typically appears as a white 

crystalline, odorless product that rapidly 

dissolves in water. While erythritol is 

typically produced in the crystalline form or 

as a fine powder or in directly compressible 

form, the scope of this investigation covers 

all physical forms and grades of erythritol, 

including organic erythritol. 

The merchandise covered by this 

investigation is classifiable under 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 

States (HTSUS) subheading 2905.49.4000. 

Erythritol may also enter under HTSUS 

subheading 2106.90.9998. Although the 

HTSUS subheadings are provided for 

convenience and customs purposes, the 

written description of the merchandise 

covered by this investigation is dispositive. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00259 Filed 1–8–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE599] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 27514–02 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

permit amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Heather E. Liwanag, Ph.D., California 

Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand 

Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407– 

0401, has applied for an amendment to 

Scientific Research Permit No. 27514– 

01. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before February 10, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on 

the Applications and Permits for 

Protected Species home page, https://

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting 

File No. 27514–02 from the list of 

available applications. These documents 

are also available upon written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted via email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 27514–02 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. The request should set forth 

the specific reasons why a hearing on 

this application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Sara Young, 

(301)427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 27514 

is requested under the authority of the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 

regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.). 

Permit No. 27514, issued on March 

21, 2024 (89 FR 27418, April 17, 2024), 

authorizes the permit holder to conduct 

research on northern elephant seals 

(Mirounga angustirostris) in California, 

including unintentional harassment of 

California sea lions (Zalophus 

californianus), harbor seals (Phoca 

vitulina), and northern fur seals 

(Callorhinus ursinus). This permit was 

amended on July 11, 2024, increasing 

the unintentional harassment for 

California sea lions and northern fur 

seals. The permit holder is requesting 

the permit be amended to increase the 

number of northern elephant seals to be 

included in the infrared thermography 

project from 25 to 100 pups/juveniles 

and 50 adults to 200 non-pups 

(juveniles and adults of both sexes). 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of this 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES