Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 133 / Wednesday, July 13, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 41625 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 

30117, and 30166; delegation of authority at 

49 CFR 1.95. 

■ 2. Amend § 571.141 by revising 

paragraph S6.7.3 to read as follows: 

§ 571.141 Standard No. 141; Minimum 

Sound Requirements for Hybrid and 

Electric Vehicles. 

* * * * * 

S6.7.3 For each microphone, 

compute an ambient level for each of 

the 13 one-third octave bands using the 

time that is associated with the 

minimum A-weighted overall ambient 

identified in S6.7.2 of this section. 

* * * * * 

Issued in Washington, DC, under authority 

delegated in 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8. 

Steven S. Cliff, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14733 Filed 7–12–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 300 

[Docket No. 220527–0125; RTID 0648– 

XC133] 

International Fisheries; Western and 

Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly 

Migratory Species; Extension of 

Emergency Decisions of the Western 

and Central Pacific Fisheries 

Commission 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary specification. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the 

effective date of a temporary 

specification that implements a shortnotice decision of the Commission on 

the Conservation and Management of 

Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the 

Western and Central Pacific Ocean 

(Commission or WCPFC). NMFS issued 

temporary specifications on June 11, 

2021, to implement short-notice WCPFC 

decisions regarding purse seine observer 

coverage, purse seine transshipments at 

sea, and transshipment observer 

coverage. NMFS is extending the 

effective date of the temporary 

specification on purse seine observer 

coverage until December 31, 2022. 

NMFS is also revoking the temporary 

specification on transshipment observer 

coverage. NMFS is undertaking this 

action under the authority of the 

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries 

Convention Implementation Act 

(WCPFC Implementation Act) to satisfy 

the obligations of the United States as a 

Contracting Party to the Convention on 

the Conservation and Management of 

Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the 

Western and Central Pacific Ocean 

(Convention). 

DATES: The temporary specification on 

purse seine observer coverage is in 

effect from July 13, 2022 until December 

31, 2022. The temporary specification 

on transshipment observer coverage is 

revoked from July 13, 2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rini 

Ghosh, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional 

Office, 808–725–5033. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 

authority of the WCPFC Implementation 

Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), NMFS 

published an interim final rule that 

established a framework to implement 

short-notice WCPFC decisions (50 CFR 

300.228). NMFS simultaneously issued 

temporary specifications to implement 

three short-notice WCPFC decisions 

until September 14, 2021. Additional 

background information on the 

Commission, the Convention, the 

interim final rule, and temporary 

specifications, is available in the 

Federal Register document that 

includes the interim final rule and 

temporary specifications (86 FR 31178; 

June 11, 2021). Pursuant to a WCPFC 

decision, NMFS extended the effective 

date of the temporary specifications for 

purse seine observer coverage and 

transshipment observer coverage until 

June 10, 2022, and revoked the 

temporary specification on purse seine 

transshipment at sea (87 FR 21812; 

April 13, 2022). Under the interim final 

rule at 86 FR 31178, temporary 

specifications can only remain in effect 

for less than one year. NMFS published 

a final rule on June 7, 2022, to make 

final this interim rule, effective on July 

7, 2022 (87 FR 34580). 

In response to the ongoing COVID–19 

pandemic, NMFS published another 

interim final rule to extend the time 

period that temporary specifications 

issued to implement short-notice 

WCPFC decisions related to the COVID– 

19 pandemic may remain in effect(87 FR 

34584; June 7, 2022). Such temporary 

specifications may be continued, as 

appropriate, until December 31, 2023. 

NMFS simultaneously extended the 

temporary specifications on purse seine 

observer coverage and at-sea 

transshipment observer coverage until 

July 15, 2022 (87 FR 34584; June 7, 

2022). 

Based on a recent WCPFC decision, 

NMFS is now extending the temporary 

specification on purse seine observer 

coverage until December 31, 2022, and 

revoking the temporary specification on 

transshipment observer coverage. 

WCPFC Emergency Decisions 

On April 8, 2020, in response to the 

international concerns over the health of 

observers and vessel crews due to 

COVID–19, the Commission made an 

intersessional decision to suspend the 

requirements for observer coverage on 

purse seine vessels on fishing trips in 

the Convention Area through May 31, 

2020. The Commission subsequently 

extended that decision several times, 

and the current extension is effective 

until December 31, 2022. 

On April 20, 2020, in response to the 

international concerns over the health of 

vessel crews and port officials due to 

COVID–19, the Commission made an 

intersessional decision to modify the 

prohibition on at-sea transshipment for 

purse seine vessels as follows—purse 

seine vessels can conduct at-sea 

transshipment in an area under the 

jurisdiction of a port State, if 

transshipment in port cannot be 

conducted, in accordance with the 

domestic laws and regulations of the 

port State. The Commission decided not 

to extend that decision past March 15, 

2022. 

On May 13, 2020, in response to the 

international concerns over the health of 

observers and vessel crews due to 

COVID–19, the Commission made an 

intersessional decision to suspend the 

requirements for observer coverage for 

at-sea transshipments. The Commission 

decided not to extend that decision past 

June 15, 2022. 

Extension of Temporary Specification 

NMFS is using the framework as set 

forth at 50 CFR 300.228 to extend the 

effective date of the temporary 

specification implementing one of the 

three recent WCPFC intersessional 

decisions (WCPFC decision dated April 

8, 2020), described above, that is in 

effect until December 23, 2022. The 

regulations to implement short-notice 

WCPFC decisions at 50 CFR 300.228 

provide that short-notice decisions 

related to the COVID–19 pandemic may 

be continued, as appropriate, until 

December 31, 2023. 

Accordingly, the requirements of the 

following regulations are waived. Such 

waiver shall remain in effect until 

December 31, 2022, unless NMFS earlier 

rescinds this waiver by publication in 

the Federal Register: 

• 50 CFR 300.223(e)(1). During the 

term of this waiver, U.S. purse seine 

vessels are not required to carry WCPFC 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with RULES1
41626 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 133 / Wednesday, July 13, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

1A WCPFC Observer means a person authorized 

by the Commission in accordance with any 

procedures established by the Commission to 

undertake vessel observer duties as part of the 

Commission’s Regional Observer Programme, 

including an observer deployed as part of a NMFSadministered observer program or as part of another 

national or sub-regional observer program, provided 

that such program is authorized by the Commission 

to be part of the Commission’s Regional Observer 

Programme. See 50 CFR 300.211. 

observers 1 on all fishing trips in the 

Convention Area. However, the 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.215(c)(1) that 

require all vessels with WCPFC Area 

Endorsements or for which WCPFC 

Area Endorsements are required to carry 

WCPFC observers when directed by 

NMFS remain in effect. 

Revocation of Temporary Specification 

NMFS is using the framework as set 

forth at 50 CFR 300.228 to revoke the 

temporary specification that 

implemented the WCPFC decision dated 

May 13, 2020, to waive the regulations 

on at-sea transshipment observer 

coverage at 50 CFR 300.215(d) and 50 

CFR 300.216(b)(2). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

the WCPFC Implementation Act and the 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.228. This 

action is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 

opportunity for public comment on the 

temporary measures included in this 

action, because prior notice and the 

opportunity for public comment is 

unnecessary and would be contrary to 

the public interest. Opportunity for 

public comment is unnecessary because 

the regulations establishing the 

framework and providing notice of the 

Commission’s decisions described 

above have already been subject to 

notice and public comment, and all that 

remains is to notify the public of the 

extension of the Commission decision. 

NMFS has responded to public 

comments received on the interim final 

rule to establish the framework and 

those Commission decisions in a 

separate final rule (87 FR 34580; June 7, 

2022). NMFS will be responding to any 

public comments received on the 

interim final rule to extend the time 

period to implement WCPFC decision 

related to the COVID–19 pandemic in a 

separate final rule (see 87 FR 34584; 

June 7, 2022). 

For the reasons articulated above, 

there is also good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in 

effective dates for the temporary 

measures. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq. 

Dated: July 8, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14954 Filed 7–12–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 220216–0049; RTID 0648– 

XC095] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of 

Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention 

of Pacific cod by catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA). This action is necessary because 

the 2022 total allowable catch of Pacific 

cod allocated to catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA has been 

reached. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), July 8, 2022, through 

2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. Regulations governing 

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance 

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2022 total allowable catch (TAC) 

of Pacific cod allocated to catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 

616 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2022 and 2023 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(87 FR 11599, March 2, 2022). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2022 TAC of Pacific 

cod allocated to catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA has been 

reached. Therefore, NMFS is requiring 

that Pacific cod caught by catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA be 

treated as prohibited species in 

accordance with § 679.21(a)(2). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 679, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there 

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment on 

this action, as notice and comment 

would be impracticable and contrary to 

the public interest, as it would prevent 

NMFS from responding to the most 

recent fisheries data in a timely fashion 

and would delay prohibiting the 

retention of Pacific cod by catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of July 7, 2022. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: July 8, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14950 Filed 7–8–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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