Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24761

must be received on or before June 17,

1996.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review by

appointment in the following offices:

Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Hwy., Room

13307, Silver Spring, MD 20910–3226

(301–713–1401); Director, Southeast

Region, NMFS, NOAA, 9721 Executive

Center Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33702–

2432 (813–893–3141).

Written comments, or requests for a

public hearing on this application

should be submitted to the Chief,

Endangered Species Division, Office of

Protected Resources.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Application (P521C) requests a permit

under the authority of the Endangered

Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.

1531–1543) and NMFS regulations

governing listed fish and wildlife

permits (50 CFR parts 217–227). The

applicants request authorization to

capture 75 loggerhead (Caretta caretta),

75 Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii),

10 green (Chelonia mydas) 5 leatherback

(Dermochelys coriacea), and 1 hawksbill

(Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles

annually in Delaware Bay from June

1996 to October 1997. The turtles will

be examined, measured, photographed,

passive integrated transponder-tagged,

and have blood and fecal samples taken.

Six turtles will be attached with radiotransmitters and tracked. One incidental

sea turtle mortality is requested. The

purpose of the research is to assess

distribution and population dynamics of

sea turtles in Delaware Bay, information

helpful to manage impacts to sea turtles

from human activities.

Those individuals requesting a

hearing should set out the specific

reasons why a hearing on this particular

application would be appropriate (see

ADDRESSES). The holding of such

hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in this application summary

are those of the applicants and do not

necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

Dated: May 10, 1996.

Eric H. Ostrovsky,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–12241 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

Technology Administration

[Docket No. 960508127–6127–01]

RIN 0693–XX18

Federal Agency Guidance for the

Acquisition of Modular Metric

Construction Products

AGENCY: Technology Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Publication of Federal Agency

Guidance.

SUMMARY: These guidelines provide

information and a policy statement for

Federal agency implementation of

metric-usage requirements in the

acquisition of modular construction

products. After a review process starting

on April 12, 1996, the guidelines were

approved by the Interagency Council on

Metric Policy on May 3, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Ralph Richter, Metric Program, U.S.

Department of Commerce, National

Institute of Standards and Technology,

Building 820, Room 306, Gaithersburg,

MD 20899. Phone (301) 975–3690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Omnibus Trade and

Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Public

Law 100–418, section 5164) amended

the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 to,

among other things, require that each

Federal agency use metric

measurements to the maximum extent

feasible in its procurements and

business-related activities. To fully

implement this legislation within the

Federal agencies, Executive Order

12770, ‘‘Metric Usage in Federal

Government Programs,’’ was signed by

President Bush in 1991. The Federal

agencies are required to encourage and

support an environment that facilitates

the U.S. transition to the metric system

of measurement.

Using the Executive Order and the

1988 amendments as guidance, the

agencies involved in the construction of

federal buildings and facilities have

made substantial progress in the

adoption of metric measurements.

During this metrication process, the

Government’s construction agencies

have worked closely with the private

sector to reach a consensus among all of

the interested parties: building material

manufacturers, trade associations,

design firms, and construction

contractors.

Dimensions for the vast majority of

construction products need only be

‘‘soft-converted’’ for use in metric

construction projects. A soft metric

conversion means that the physical

dimensions of the product remain

unchanged while the measurement

units used to describe and specify the

product are changed to metric units. To

make metric construction succeed,

however, a small percentage of products

need their physical dimensions ‘‘hardconverted’’ to fit the product into the

internationally recognized building

module of 100 millimeters. These

products are frequently referred to as

modular products.

Just as it is logical and cost effective

for inch-pound construction projects to

use modular products that fit into the 4-

inch module, it is logical and cost

effective for metric construction projects

to employ modular products that fit into

the 100 mm module.

Modular construction products are

brick, concrete block, suspended ceiling

systems—including recessed lighting

fixtures and air diffusers, raised access

flooring, wallboard, plywood, particle

board, and rigid insulation.

Before a modular construction

product in a hard metric size is

specified in a federal construction

project, the product’s application must

require it to fit together with other

modular metric components, and the

product must be found to be available

at a reasonable cost.

The statutory language in the 1988

legislation provides the necessary

flexibility for appropriate

implementation of this policy on

modular construction products—the

Federal agencies are required to forego

metric conversion when it is impractical

or is likely to cause significant

inefficiencies or loss of markets to

United States firms. The intent of the

law is to pursue metrication for

increased cost-effectiveness and

productivity in U.S. business and

greater access to international markets

while avoiding any undue burden on

American firms.

General Policy

(a) As construction metrication efforts

continue, the Government’s

construction agencies shall continue to

work closely with all interested private

sector parties: building material

manufacturers, trade association, design

firms, and construction contractors.

Consensus, efficiency, and costeffectiveness shall be the goal.

(b) The Federal agencies shall conduct

market research to determine the

availability of modular metric

construction products before developing

new procurement specifications.

Procurement officials in each agency, to

the maximum extent practicable, shall

specify commercial items or

nondevelopmental items other than
24762 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

commercial items to meet the needs of

the agency.

(c) Throughout the acquisition

process, the Federal agencies shall

ensure that they give due consideration

to the known effects of their actions on

State and local governments and the

private sector, paying particular

attention to effects and possible cost

burdens on small business.

(d) Modular construction products in

a hard metric size shall only be

specified in a federal construction

project for situations in which the

following criteria are met: (1) the

product’s application requires it to

coordinate dimensionally into the 100

millimeter building module, (2) market

research demonstrates the product’s

availability, sufficient to ensure

competitive process, and (3) the

product’s total installed cost is

reasonable.

Guidelines for Specific Modular

Construction Products

A large portion of the language in this

section is credited to the Guide for

Specifying Metric Modular Products, a

recently-developed draft document

available from the Construction

Metrication Council of the National

Institute of Building Sciences. The

Institute is a private, nonprofit

organization created by Congress to

serve as an authoritative source on

issues of building science and

technology.

Both the public and private sectors

are working together to resolve building

product metrication issues through the

Construction Metrication Council. With

broad support and participation of the

private sector, the Council develops

guidelines and recommends procedures

to adopt the metric system of

measurement as a means of increasing

the international competitiveness,

productivity, and quality of the U.S.

construction industry. The Council

works closely with the Interagency

Council on Metric Policy to disseminate

this information to the Federal agencies.

Steel Reinforcing Bar

Steel reinforcing bar is not considered

to be a modular construction product

because it is buried in concrete and is

not required to coordinate

dimensionally into the 100 mm building

module.

Specifications for steel reinforcing bar

are issued by the American Society for

Testing and Materials (ASTM), a private

sector standards-making organization. In

1979, ASTM first issued its Inter p p its

International System of Units (SI) ‘‘hard

metric’’ specification for steel

reinforcing bar, ASTM A 615M. After

receiving assurances from the steel

industry that reinforcing bar conforming

to ASTM A 615M would be supplied

when it was specified and ordered,

Federal agencies adopted this standard

for their metric construction projects.

Starting in May 1995, the Concrete

Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) and

the Steel Manufacturers Association

(SMA) mounted a campaign to endorse,

instead of ASTM A 615M, a soft metric

conversion of the current inch-pound

specification, ASTM A 615. Most steel

companies support the position that a

soft metric conversion of ASTM A 615

should be adopted as the steel

reinforcing bar standard for metric

construction projects. Since the summer

of 1995, it has been recommended that

the Federal agencies specify bar

conforming to a soft metric conversion

of ASTM A 615 for projects still in

design and that they allow softconverted substitutions for work ready

to bid.

The American Society for Testing and

Materials is in the process of revising its

standard for steel reinforcing bar to

reflect the steel industry’s support for a

soft metric conversion of this product.

The industry has pledged to provide

complete metric design information,

data, and specifications to both public

and commercial users of steel

reinforcing bar that conforms to a soft

metric conversion of ASTM A 615.

Brick

The American Society for Testing and

Materials’ Standard Guide for Modular

Coordination of Clay and Concrete

Masonry Units, ASTM E 835/E 835M,

sets forth metric dimensions for brick

based on a module of 100 mm. Many

common brick sizes are within a

millimeter or two of metric modular

sizes and nearly all can fit within the

100 mm module vertically be slightly

varying mortar joint widths. The Brick

Institute of America supports

metrication.

A table that can be used to specify

common brick sizes in metric units is

available from the Construction

Metrication Council of the National

Institute of Building Sciences.

Concrete Block

Concrete block is usually considered

a modular product. The Government’s

construction agencies, however, are

aware of the costliness to the concrete

masonry industry of buying the molds

needed to produce concrete block in

hard metric sizes and are attempting to

minimize this expense. Inch-pound

(soft-converted) block substitutions are

recommended in all cases in which

concrete block is used as a backup or

infill material and in which

architectural considerations otherwise

permit.

Concrete block in a hard metric size

will only be specified in a federal

construction project in cases in which

the block will be located in an

architecturally exposed area or will be

required to fit together with other

modular metric components. The

concrete block must also be found to be

available at a reasonable cost. The Corps

of Engineers has stated that

approximately 60 percent of the cost of

a concrete block wall is labor, 25

percent is the concrete block, and 15

percent is for other materials such as

mortar and reinforcement. In projects

for which concrete block in a hard

metric size is needed, allowing inchpound (soft-converted) block may save

on the cost of the block, but would

substantially increase the amount of

cutting and trimming and would

unreasonably increase labor costs.

Therefore, in certain circumstances, it is

logical and cost effective for the

Government to specify concrete block in

a hard metric size.

Total installed cost should be the

determining factor in the selection of

concrete block. Most often, concrete

block is used as a back-up or infill

material; when this is the case, inchpound block substitutions are

recommended. Where concrete block in

a hard metric size is considered for use

as an architectural material or as a

primary structural system, cost and

availability should be determined in

advance to judge the appropriateness of

such use.

Suspended Ceiling Systems

Components for suspended ceiling

systems are T-bars, hangers, ceiling tile,

recessed lighting fixtures, and recessed

air diffusers. All components are

available in modular metric sizes from

a variety of manufacturers. With the

exception of recessed lighting fixtures,

all components are priced competitively

with their inch-pound counterparts. A

few large lighting manufacturers with

highly automated production processes

oppose metrication, and the product

may carry a slight cost premium. Even

so, quality modular metric lighting

fixtures continue to be procured without

difficulty when specified in federal

projects.

Cost and availability shall be

determined when components for

suspended ceiling systems are specified

in modular metric sizes.

Raised Access Flooring

Raised access flooring is a specialty

item used primarily in computer rooms
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24763

and other areas where provision for

under floor cabling is desirable. A

number of manufacturers make raised

access flooring to fit the 100 mm

module, but there may be a cost

premium for small orders and longer

delivery times for all orders. The

Federal agencies shall specify metric

raised access flooring if costs are

generally comparable to inch-pound

access flooring and procurement lead

times are acceptable.

Wallboard

Wallboard is formed in continuous

sheets of variable widths and cut to

specified lengths. A variety of

manufacturers make wallboard to fit the

100 mm module (1200 mm wide and

2400 and 3000 mm long), but there may

be a cost premium for small orders and

longer delivery times for all orders since

metric wallboard is not yet a stock

product. While the use of metric

wallboard is desirable in metric

construction projects, its use is not

mandatory on small projects if project

length or cost will increase.

Where framing spacing is specified to

fit modular metric construction, the

Federal agencies shall specify wallboard

sheet type and thickness without

specifying length and width. The

construction contractor shall make the

decision whether metric wallboard

sheets or trimmed inch-pound sheets

offer the most efficient and costeffective solution in each situation.

Plywood and Particleboard

Like wallboard, wood-based sheet

products such as plywood,

particleboard, and oriented-strand-board

(OSB) can be produced in a 1200 mm

width and 2400 and 3000 mm lengths.

There may be a premium for small

orders and longer delivery times for all

orders since metric plywood,

particleboard, and oriented-strand-board

are not yet stock products. With the

exception of military family housing,

however, wood products are rarely used

in Government facilities.

Where framing spacing is specified to

fit modular metric construction, the

Federal agencies shall specify sheet type

and thickness without specifying length

and width. The construction contractor

shall make the decision whether metric

sheets or trimmed inch-pound sheets

offer the most efficient and costeffective solution in each situation.

Rigid Insulation

Rigid insulation is used on exterior

walls and as a roof underlayment.

Currently this metrical is available only

in inch-pound sizes and must be cut to

fit 400 or 600 mm framing spacing. On

roofs, the product is usually laid over a

rigid substrate that allows any sheet size

to be used. The Federal agencies shall

specify sheet type and thickness

without specifying length and width.

Where the sheets are applied directly to

400 or 600 mm framing spacing, the

width must be trimmed by the

contractor.

Further Guidance

Further guidance on the federal

acquisition of modular metric

construction products is available from

the Construction Metrication Council of

the National Institute of Building

Sciences. Guidance is also available

from the General Services

Administration and its Metric Design

Guide.

Dated: May 9, 1996.

Mary L. Good,

Under Secretary for Technology.

[FR Doc. 96–12180 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–BP–M

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Wyoming Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Wyoming Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 10:00 a.m.

and adjourn at 1:00 p.m. on June 15,

1996, at the Best Western Hitching Post

Inn, 1700 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne,

Wyoming 82001. The purpose of the

meeting is to brief the Committee on

Commission and regional activities,

discuss current civil rights issues in the

State, provide orientation for new

members, and plan future activities.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Oralia G.

Mercado, 307–472–2105, or John Dulles,

Director of the Rocky Mountain

Regional Office, 303–866–1400 (TDD

303–866–1049). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least five (5) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, May 8, 1996.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 96–12250 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

TIME AND DATE: Tuesday, May 21, 1996.

LOCATION: Room 420, East West Towers,

4330 East West Highway, Bethesda,

Maryland.

STATUS: Open to the Public.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

1. CPSC Vice Chairman

The Commission will elect a Vice

Chairman.

2. Fireworks Fuse Burn Time Petition HP 96–

1

The staff will brief the Commission on

Petition HP 96–1 from the American

Fireworks Standards Laboratory to amend the

allowable range of fuse burn times for

fireworks devices from 3–6 to 3–9 seconds.

For a recorded message containing the

latest agenda information, call (301)

504–0709.

CONTACT PERSON FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION: Sadye E. Dunn, Office of

the Secretary, 4330 East West Highway,

Bethesda, MD 20207 (301) 504–0800.

Dated: May 14, 1996.

Sadye E. Dunn,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–12523 Filed 5–14–96; 2:55 pm]

BILLING CODE 6355–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

National Defense University Board of

Visitors

AGENCY: Department of Defense,

National Defense University.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The President, National

Defense University has scheduled a

meeting of the Board of Visitors. The

meeting will be held between 0800–

1200 and 1330–1530 on May 24, 1996.

The meeting will be held in Room 155B,

Marshall Hall, Building 62, Fort Lesley

J. McNair. For further information

contact the Director, University

Operations, National Defense

University, Fort Lesley J. McNair,

Washington, DC 20319–6000. To reserve

space, interested persons should phone

(202) 685–3937. The agenda will