55502 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 187 / Thursday, September 25, 2008 / Notices 

Dated: September 15, 2008. 

Donna Wieting, 

Deputy Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal 

Resource Management, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–22570 Filed 9–25–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–08–P 

COMMITTEE FOR THE 

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE 

AGREEMENTS 

Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free 

Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled 

in Beneficiary ATPDEA Countries from 

Regional Country Fabric 

AGENCY: Committee for the 

Implementation of Textile Agreements 

(CITA). 

ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month 

Cap on Duty and Quota Free Benefits. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard Stetson, International Trade 

Specialist, Office of Textiles and 

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

(202) 482-3400. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority: Section 3103 of the Trade Act 

of 2002, P.L. 107-210; Title VII of the Tax 

Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA 

2006), P.L. 109-432; H.R. 1830, 110th Cong. 

(2007) (H.R. 1830); Presidential Proclamation 

7616 of October 31, 2002 (67 FR 67283, 

November 5, 2002). 

Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 2002 

amended the Andean Trade Preference 

Act (ATPA) to provide for duty and 

quota-free treatment for certain textile 

and apparel articles imported from 

designated Andean Trade Promotion 

and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) 

beneficiary countries. Section 

204(b)(3)(B)(iii) of the ATPA, as 

amended, provides duty- and quota-free 

treatment for certain apparel articles 

assembled in ATPDEA beneficiary 

countries from regional fabric and 

components. More specifically, this 

provision applies to apparel articles 

sewn or otherwise assembled in one or 

more ATPDEA beneficiary countries 

from fabrics or from fabric components 

formed or from components knit-toshape, in one or more ATPDEA 

beneficiary countries, from yarns wholly 

formed in the United States or one or 

more ATPDEA beneficiary countries 

(including fabrics not formed from 

yarns, if such fabrics are classifiable 

under heading 5602 and 5603 of the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and 

are formed in one or more ATPDEA 

beneficiary countries). Such apparel 

articles may also contain certain other 

eligible fabrics, fabric components, or 

components knit-to-shape. 

The TRHCA of 2006 extended the 

expiration of the ATPA to June 30, 2007. 

See section 7002(a) of the TRHCA 2006. 

H.R. 1830 further extended the 

expiration of the ATPA to February 29, 

2008. H.R. 5264 further extended the 

expiration of the ATPA to December 31, 

2008. 

For the period beginning on October 

1, 2008 and extending through 

December 31, 2008, preferential tariff 

treatment is limited under the regional 

fabric provision to imports of qualifying 

apparel articles in an amount not to 

exceed 5 percent of the aggregate square 

meter equivalents of all apparel articles 

imported into the United States in the 

preceding 12-month period for which 

data are available. For the purpose of 

this notice, the 12-month period for 

which data are available is the 12-month 

period that ended July 31, 2008. In 

Presidential Proclamation 7616 

(published in the Federal Register on 

November 5, 2002, 67 FR 67283), the 

President directed CITA to publish in 

the Federal Register the aggregate 

quantity of imports allowed during each 

period. 

For the period beginning on October 

1, 2008 and extending through 

December 31, 2008, the aggregate 

quantity of imports eligible for 

preferential treatment under the 

regional fabric provision is 

1,222,785,719 square meters equivalent. 

Apparel articles entered in excess of this 

quantity will be subject to otherwise 

applicable tariffs. 

This quantity is calculated using the 

aggregate square meter equivalents of all 

apparel articles imported into the 

United States, derived from the set of 

Harmonized System lines listed in the 

Annex to the World Trade Organization 

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing 

(ATC), and the conversion factors for 

units of measure into square meter 

equivalents used by the United States in 

implementing the ATC. 

Dated: September 22, 2008. 

R. Matthew Priest, 

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation 

of Textile Agreements. 

[FR Doc. E8–22575 Filed 9–24–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army 

Preparation of an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for Army 

Growth and Force Structure 

Realignment at Fort Bliss, Texas and 

New Mexico 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI). 

SUMMARY: This announces the intention 

of the U.S. Army to prepare an EIS 

analyzing the impacts of Army Growth 

and Force Structure Realignment at Fort 

Bliss. The Fort Bliss Army Growth EIS 

will tier from the Final Programmatic 

EIS for Army Growth and Force 

Structure Realignment, for which a 

Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in 

December 2007. That ROD directed 

stationing of two Infantry Brigade 

Combat Teams (IBCTs) at Fort Bliss, and 

the stationing of Heavy Brigade Combat 

Teams (HBCTs) (returning from 

Germany) at Fort Bliss and White Sands 

Missile Range (WSMR). Army BCTs 

consist of approximately 3,500–4,000 

soldiers. The HBCT at WSMR will 

leverage training infrastructure and 

range modernization that has taken 

place at Fort Bliss. These actions are 

scheduled over the next five years. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be forwarded to: Mr. Walter J. 

Christensen, Attention: FB GTA EIS; 

IMWE–BLS–PWE; Fort Bliss, TX 79916 

6812; or faxed to (915) 568–3548. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean 

Offutt, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office; 

IMWE–BLS–PA; Fort Bliss, Texas, 

79916–6812; phone: (915) 568–4505. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Actions 

proposed to be taken at Fort Bliss in 

support of Army growth have the 

potential to significantly impact the 

natural and human environment in and 

around Fort Bliss as a result of facility 

construction and new and different uses 

of the Fort Bliss Training Complex 

(FBTC). The study area for the 

environmental analysis will be the Fort 

Bliss installation and surrounding 

communities. The objective of this 

analysis is to provide a comprehensive 

EIS that will serve as a planning tool 

and public information source. Several 

categories of alternatives will be 

considered: 

(1) Stationing/Training: Known and 

reasonably foreseeable stationing and 

training actions will be analyzed. This 

includes additional units and use of any 

element of the Army’s equipment 

inventory (e.g., Stryker). 

(2) Land Use: Various land use 

changes in support of the Fort Bliss 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 187 / Thursday, September 25, 2008 / Notices 55503 

mission are proposed for analysis. 

Portions of the Sacramento Mountains 

and foothills are anticipated for infantry 

maneuver and training use, to include 

off-road vehicle maneuver where the 

terrain permits. Additional bivouac/ 

logistics sites are proposed in grasslands 

on the FBTC, including southeast 

McGregor Range and Otero Mesa. 

(3) Facility Improvement: New firing 

ranges necessary to support IBCTs will 

be analyzed as part of the proposed 

action. In addition, the proposed action 

contemplates construction of a rail line 

linking the cantonment area to the 

FBTC, expansion of range camps, and 

construction of Forward Operating 

Bases similar to those used in current 

operations. Cantonment area 

development to support the growth of 

personnel at Fort Bliss will also be 

analyzed. 

Initial screening of the proposed 

action for potentially significant 

environmental impacts suggests the 

following eight resource areas receive 

the greatest scrutiny in this EIS: Land 

use, archaeological resources, Native 

American consultation, natural 

resources, water and wastewater, facility 

construction, population and housing, 

and public services. 

Federal, state, and local agencies, 

Tribal governments and the public are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process for this EIS through public 

meetings and submission of written 

comments. Notification of times and 

locations for the scoping meetings will 

be published in local newspapers. The 

scoping process will help identify 

alternatives, potential environmental 

impacts, and key issues of concern for 

analysis in the EIS. To ensure scoping 

comments are fully considered in the 

Draft EIS, comments and suggestions 

should be received no later than 45 days 

following publication of this NOI. 

Dated: September 18, 2008. 

Addison D. Davis, IV, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army 

(Environment, Safety, and Occupational 

Health). 

[FR Doc. E8–22478 Filed 9–24–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Notice of Waivers for the Rehabilitation 

Training—Rehabilitation Continuing 

Education Program (RCEP) 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice of waivers for the 

Rehabilitation Training—Rehabilitation 

Continuing Education Program (RCEP). 

SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the 

requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 

75.261(a) and (c)(2) of the Education 

Department General Administrative 

Regulations (EDGAR), respectively, that 

generally prohibit project periods 

exceeding five years and project period 

extensions involving the obligation of 

additional Federal funds. These waivers 

will enable the current RCEP grantees in 

Region II and in Region III to provide 

continuing education to employees of 

vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies 

and their partners and to continue to 

receive some additional Federal funding 

from October 1 through December 15, 

2008. 

DATES: Effective Date: These waivers are 

effective September 25, 2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christine Marschall. Telephone: (202) 

245–7429 or via Internet: 

Christine.Marschall@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

Individuals with disabilities can 

obtain this document in an alternative 

format (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, or computer diskette) on 

request to the contact person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Supplementary Information 

The RCEPs provide continuing 

education to employees of State VR 

agencies and their partners, as well as 

other rehabilitation services agencies. 

The Rehabilitation Services 

Administration (RSA) in the 

Department’s Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services is 

in the process of redesigning the RCEPs 

to create and support 10 regional 

Technical Assistance and Continuing 

Education (TACE) centers. To carry out 

this plan, the Department published a 

notice of final priority and a notice 

inviting applications in the Federal 

Register on June 5, 2008 (73 FR 32006.) 

Applications were due on July 31, 2008. 

The Department intends to make awards 

for the TACE centers so that grant 

activities can begin by October 1, 2008. 

However, the Department did not 

receive an eligible application for 

Region II and a fundable application for 

Region III and plans to re-announce the 

priority and notice inviting applications 

for these two regions as soon as 

possible. 

The waivers announced in this notice 

are intended to ensure that services 

provided by the current RCEP grantees 

in Region II and in Region III are 

provided to the extent possible through 

December 15, 2008, the anticipated date 

that the Region II and Region III TACE 

centers will commence their project 

activities. The project period for the 

current RCEP grantee in Region II, The 

State University of New York at Buffalo, 

and in Region III, The George 

Washington University, ends on 

September 30, 2008. Because it would 

be contrary to the public interest to have 

a lapse in continuing education 

activities in Region II and in Region III 

before grants for RSA’s new TACE 

centers for these two regions are 

awarded and implemented, the 

Secretary will provide some additional 

funding to the Region II and Region III 

RCEP grantees referenced in this 

paragraph to allow them to continue 

operating until December 15, 2008. In 

order to do so, the Secretary waives the 

requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 

75.261(a) and (c)(2), which generally 

prohibit project periods exceeding five 

years and extensions of project periods 

that involve the obligation of additional 

Federal funds. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking and 

Delayed Effective Date 

Under the Administrative Procedure 

Act (5 U.S.C. 553) (APA) the 

Department generally offers interested 

parties the opportunity to comment on 

an extension of project period and 

waiver under 34 CFR 75.250 and 

75.261(a) and (c)(2). The APA provides 

that an agency is not required to 

conduct notice and comment 

rulemaking when the agency for good 

cause finds that notice and public 

comment are impracticable, 

unnecessary, or contrary to the public 

interest. We have determined that 

conducting rulemaking on the waivers 

of the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 

and 75.261(a) and (c)(2) for the current 

RCEP grantees in Region II and Region 

III would be impracticable and therefore 

contrary to the public interest because 

there is not adequate time to conduct 

notice and comment rulemaking before 

September 30, 2008, when the funding 

for the current continuing education 

activities in Region II and in Region III 

will end. For this reason and to prevent 

a lapse in these continuing education 

activities, the Department waives the 

APA’s proposed rulemaking 

requirements for the waivers of the 

requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 

75.261(a) and (c)(2) that will enable the 

Department to provide some additional 

funding to the current Region II and 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES