4480 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 

accidents are not increased. Therefore, 

there is no undue risk to public health 

and safety. 

Will Not Endanger Life or Property or 

Common Defense and Security 

Physical location and administrative 

controls associated with the storage of 

the 12 irradiated fission chambers are 

adequately controlled and accounted for 

by the licensee. Therefore, the 

exemption will not endanger life or 

property or common defense and 

security. 

Otherwise in the Public Interest 

The licensee pointed out that the 

ALARA requirement in 10 CFR Part 20, 

‘‘Standards for protection against 

radiation,’’ requires ‘‘* * * making 

every reasonable effort to maintain 

exposures to radiation as far below the 

dose limits in this part as is practical 

consistent with the purpose for which 

the licensed activity is undertaken, 

* * *’’ This request for an exemption 

from the physical inventory 

requirements of 10 CFR 74.19(c) would 

relieve SCE of potentially significant 

occupational radiation exposures with 

no decrease in quality and safety. 

Therefore, the exemption is in the 

public interest and consistent with the 

special circumstances of maintaining 

exposures ALARA. 

4.0 Conclusion 

Accordingly, the Commission has 

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 

74.7, the exemption is authorized by 

law and will not endanger life or 

property or the common defense and 

security, and is otherwise in the public 

interest. Therefore, the Commission 

hereby grants SCE an exemption to 

SONGS 3 from the requirements of 10 

CFR 74.19(c) for physical inventory for 

12 irradiated fission chambers removed 

from SONGS 3 in 1995 and in storage. 

In accordance with the licensee’s letter 

dated January 14, 2008, SCE will 

continue to conduct an annual 

inventory of the 12 fission chambers by 

visual verification to confirm that the 

HIC, where the 12 fission chambers are 

stored, remains in its storage location 

and the container is structurally intact. 

In addition, the visual inventory will be 

augmented to include verification that 

the tamper-indicating device installed 

in November 2007 on the HIC has not 

been disturbed. The annual physical 

inventory of all other SNM will 

continue to be performed per the 

requirements of 10 CFR 74.19(c). 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the 

Commission has determined that the 

granting of this exemption will not have 

a significant effect on the quality of the 

human environment (73 FR 79936, 

dated December 30, 2008). 

This exemption is effective upon 

issuance. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day 

of January 2009. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Joseph G. Giitter, 

Director, Division of Operating Reactor 

Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation. 

[FR Doc. E9–1566 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

Request for Comments and Notice of 

Public Hearing Concerning Proposed 

Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade 

Agreement With Singapore, Chile, New 

Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, 

Peru and Vietnam 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to initiate 

negotiations on a Trans-Pacific 

Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement 

with Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, 

Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and 

Vietnam, request for comments, and 

notice of public hearing. 

SUMMARY: The United States intends to 

initiate negotiations on a Trans-Pacific 

Partnership free trade agreement with 

Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei 

Darussalam, Australia, Peru and 

Vietnam. The interagency Trade Policy 

Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a 

public hearing and seek public 

comment to assist the United States 

Trade Representative (USTR) in 

amplifying and clarifying negotiating 

objectives for the proposed agreements 

and to provide advice on how specific 

goods and services and other matters 

should be treated under the proposed 

agreement. 

DATES: Persons wishing to testify orally 

at the hearing must provide written 

notification of their intent to testify, as 

well as their testimony, by February 25, 

2009. A hearing will be held in 

Washington, DC, on March 4, 2009, and 

will continue as necessary on 

subsequent days. Written comments are 

due by noon, March 11, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Notices of intent to testify, 

testimony and/or written comments 

should be submitted electronically via 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. For alternatives to 

on-line submissions please contact 

Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade 

Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395– 

3475. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

procedural questions concerning written 

comments or participation in the public 

hearing, contact Gloria Blue, Executive 

Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, 

at (202) 395–3475. All other questions 

regarding the TPP should be directed to 

Douglas Bell, Deputy Assistant USTR 

for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, at 

(202) 395–6813. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background 

The process followed for notifying 

and consulting on the TPP negotiation 

is based on the procedures outlined 

under section 2104 of the Trade Act of 

2002 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 3804). 

Under these procedures, the President 

must provide the Congress with at least 

90 calendar days written notice of his 

intent to enter into negotiations and 

identify the specific objectives for the 

negotiation and, before and after 

submission of the notice, consult with 

appropriate Congressional committees 

regarding the negotiations. Under the 

Trade Act of 1974, as amended, the 

President must (i) afford interested 

persons an opportunity to present their 

views regarding any matter relevant to 

any proposed agreement, (ii) designate 

an agency or inter-agency committee to 

hold a public hearing regarding any 

proposed agreement, and (iii) seek the 

advice of the U.S. International Trade 

Commission (ITC) regarding the 

probable economic effects on U.S. 

industries and consumers of the 

removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers 

on imports pursuant to any proposed 

agreement. 

On September 22, 2008 (for 

Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and 

Brunei Darussalam) and December 30, 

2008 (for Australia, Peru and Vietnam), 

after consulting with relevant 

Congressional committees, the USTR 

notified the Congress that the President 

intends to initiate free trade agreement 

negotiations with these Trans-Pacific 

countries and identified specific 

objectives for the negotiations. In 

addition, the USTR is requesting that 

the ITC provide its advice on probable 

economic effects of the free trade 

agreement. This notice solicits views 

from the public on these negotiations 

and provides information on a hearing 

that will be conducted based on the 

requirements of the Trade Act of 1974. 

2. Public Comments and Testimony 

To assist the Administration as it 

continues to develop its negotiating 

objectives for the proposed agreements, 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 4481 

the Chairman of the TPSC invites the 

written comments and/or oral testimony 

of interested persons at a public hearing. 

Comments and testimony may address 

the reduction or elimination of tariffs or 

non-tariff barriers on any articles 

provided for in the Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) 

that are products of the participating 

Trans-Pacific countries, any concession 

that should be sought by the United 

States, or any other matter relevant to 

the proposed agreement. The TPSC 

invites comments and testimony on all 

of these matters and, in particular, seeks 

comments and testimony addressed to: 

(a) General and commodity-specific 

negotiating objectives for the proposed 

plurilateral agreement. 

(b) Economic costs and benefits to 

U.S. producers and consumers of 

removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers 

on articles traded with the seven TransPacific countries. 

(c) Treatment of specific goods 

(described by HTSUS numbers) under 

the proposed agreement, including 

comments on: 

(1) Product-specific import or export 

interests or barriers, 

(2) Experience with particular 

measures that should be addressed in 

the negotiations, and 

(3) In the case of articles for which 

immediate elimination of tariffs is not 

appropriate, a recommended staging 

schedule for such elimination. 

(d) Adequacy of existing customs 

measures to ensure that imported goods 

originate from the seven Trans-Pacific 

countries, and appropriate rules of 

origin for goods entering the United 

States under the proposed agreement. 

(e) Existing sanitary and 

phytosanitary measures and technical 

barriers to trade imposed by the seven 

Trans-Pacific countries that should be 

addressed in the negotiations. 

(f) Existing barriers to trade in 

services between the United States and 

the Trans-Pacific countries that should 

be addressed in the negotiations. 

(g) Relevant electronic commerce 

issues that should be addressed in the 

negotiations. 

(h) Relevant trade-related intellectual 

property rights issues that should be 

addressed in the negotiations. 

(i) Relevant investment issues that 

should be addressed in the negotiations. 

(j) Relevant competition-related 

matters that should be addressed in the 

negotiations. 

(k) Relevant government procurement 

issues that should be addressed in the 

negotiations. 

(l) Relevant environmental issues that 

should be addressed in the negotiations. 

(m) Relevant labor issues that should 

be addressed in the negotiations. 

Comments identifying as present or 

potential trade barriers laws or 

regulations that are not primarily traderelated should address the economic, 

political, and social objectives of such 

laws and regulations and the degree to 

which they discriminate against foreign 

producers. At a later date, the USTR, 

through the TPSC, will publish notice of 

reviews regarding (a) the possible 

environmental effects of the proposed 

agreement and the scope of the U.S. 

environmental review of the proposed 

agreement, and (b) the impact of the 

proposed agreement on U.S. 

employment and labor markets. 

A hearing will be held on March 4, 

2009, in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street, 

NW., Washington, DC. Persons wishing 

to testify at the hearing must provide 

written notification of their intent to 

testify by February 25, 2009. The 

notification should include: (1) The 

name, address, and telephone number of 

the person presenting the testimony; 

and (2) a short (one or two paragraphs) 

summary of the presentation, including 

the subject matter and, as applicable, 

the product(s) (with HTSUS numbers), 

service sector(s), or other subjects (such 

as investment, intellectual property, 

and/or government procurement) to be 

discussed. A copy of the testimony must 

accompany the notification. Remarks at 

the hearing should be limited to no 

more than five minutes to allow for 

possible questions from the TPSC. 

Persons with mobility impairments who 

will need special assistance in gaining 

access to the hearing should contact the 

TPSC Executive Secretary. 

Interested persons, including persons 

who participate in the hearing, may 

submit written comments by noon, 

March 11, 2009. Written comments may 

include rebuttal points demonstrating 

errors of fact or analysis not pointed out 

in the hearing. All written comments 

must state clearly the position taken, 

describe with particularity the 

supporting rationale, and be in English. 

The first page of written comments must 

specify the subject matter, including, as 

applicable, the product(s) (with HTSUS 

numbers), service sector(s), or other 

subjects (such as investment, 

intellectual property and/or government 

procurement). 

3. Requirements for Submissions 

Persons submitting an intent to testify 

and testimony and/or comments must 

do so in English and must identify (on 

the first page of the submission) the 

‘‘United States—Trans-Pacific 

Partnership Free Trade Agreement.’’ 

Notice of intent to testify and testimony 

must be received by February 25, 2009. 

Written comments must be received by 

March 11, 2009. 

In order to ensure the most timely and 

expeditious receipt and consideration of 

testimony and/or comments, USTR has 

arranged to accept on-line submissions 

via www.regulations.gov. To submit 

testimony and comments via 

www.regulations.gov, enter docket 

number USTR–2009–0002 on the home 

page and click ‘‘go’’. The site will 

provide a search-results page listing all 

documents associated with this docket. 

Find a reference to this notice by 

selecting ‘‘Notice’’ under ‘‘Document 

Type’’ on the left side of the searchresults page, and click on the link 

entitled ‘‘Send a Comment or 

Submission.’’ (For further information 

on using the http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ Web site, please 

consult the resources provided on the 

Web site by clicking on ‘‘How to Use 

This Site’’ on the left side of the home 

page.) 

The www.regulations.gov Web site 

provides the option of making 

submissions by filling in a ‘‘General 

Comments’’ field, or by attaching a 

document. We expect that most 

submissions will be provided in an 

attached document. If a document is 

attached, it is sufficient to type ‘‘See 

attached’’ in the ‘‘General Comments’’ 

field. 

Submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) 

or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) are preferred. If 

an application other than those two is 

used, please identify in your submission 

the specific application used. For any 

comments submitted electronically 

containing business confidential 

information, the file name of the 

business confidential version should 

begin with the characters ‘‘BC’’. Any 

page containing business confidential 

information must be clearly marked 

‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ on the 

top of that page. Filers of submissions 

containing business confidential 

information must also submit a public 

version of their comments. The file 

name of the public version should begin 

with the character ‘‘P’’. The ‘‘BC’’ and 

‘‘P’’ should be followed by the name of 

the person or entity submitting the 

comments or reply comments. Filers 

submitting comments containing no 

business confidential information 

should name their file using the 

character ‘‘P’’, followed by the name of 

the person or entity submitting the 

comments or reply comments. 

Electronic submissions should not 

contain separate cover letters; rather, 

information that might appear in a cover 

letter should be included in the 

submission itself. Similarly, to the 

extent possible, any attachments to a 

4482 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 

submission should be included in the 

same file as the submission itself and 

not as separate files. All nonconfidential comments and reply 

comments will be placed on the USTR 

Web site, http://www.USTR.gov 

pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.5. 

We strongly urge submitters to avail 

themselves of the electronic filing, if at 

all possible. If an on-line submission is 

impossible, alternative arrangements 

must be made with Ms. Blue prior to 

delivery for the receipt of such 

submissions. Ms. Blue should be 

contacted at (202) 395–3475. General 

information concerning the Office of the 

United States Trade Representative may 

be obtained by accessing its Internet 

Web site (http://www.ustr.gov). 

Carmen Suro-Bredie, 

Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee. 

[FR Doc. E9–1515 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W9–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

United States-Israel Free Trade Area 

Implementation Act; Designation of 

Qualifying Industrial Zones 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Under the United States-Israel 

Free Trade Area Implementation Act 

(IFTA Act), articles of qualifying 

industrial zones encompassing portions 

of Israel and Jordan or Israel and Egypt 

are eligible to receive duty-free 

treatment. Effective upon publication of 

this notice, the United States Trade 

Representative, pursuant to authority 

delegated by the President, is 

designating the Beni Suief zone and the 

Al Minya zone as qualifying industrial 

zones under the IFTA Act. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sonia Franceski, Director for Middle 

East Affairs, (202) 395–4987, Office of 

the United States Trade Representative, 

600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20508. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to authority granted under section 9 of 

the United States-Israel Free Trade Area 

Implementation Act of 1985 (IFTA Act), 

as amended (19 U.S.C. 2112 note), 

Presidential Proclamation 6955 of 

November 13, 1996 (61 FR 58761) 

proclaimed certain tariff treatment for 

articles of the West Bank, the Gaza 

Strip, and qualifying industrial zones. In 

particular, the Presidential Proclamation 

modified general notes 3 and 8 of the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States: (a) To provide duty-free 

treatment to qualifying articles that are 

the product of the West Bank, the Gaza 

Strip or a qualifying industrial zone and 

are entered in accordance with the 

provisions of section 9 of the IFTA Act; 

(b) to provide that articles of Israel may 

be treated as though they were articles 

directly shipped from Israel for 

purposes of the United States-Israel Free 

Trade Area Agreement (‘‘the 

Agreement’’) even if shipped to the 

United States from the West Bank, the 

Gaza Strip, or a qualifying industrial 

zone, if the articles otherwise meet the 

requirements of the Agreement; and (c) 

to provide that the cost or value of 

materials produced in the West Bank, 

the Gaza Strip, or a qualifying industrial 

zone may be included in the cost or 

value of materials produced in Israel 

under section 1(c)(i) of Annex 3 of the 

Agreement and that the direct costs of 

processing operations performed in the 

West Bank, the Gaza Strip, or a 

qualifying industrial zone may be 

included in the direct costs of 

processing operations performed in 

Israel under section 1(c)(ii) of Annex 3 

of the Agreement. 

Section 9(e) of the IFTA Act defines 

a ‘‘qualifying industrial zone’’ as an area 

that ‘‘(1) Encompasses portions of the 

territory of Israel and Jordan or Israel 

and Egypt; (2) has been designated by 

local authorities as an enclave where 

merchandise may enter without 

payment of duty or excise taxes; and (3) 

has been specified by the President as 

a qualifying industrial zone.’’ 

Presidential Proclamation 6955 

delegated to the United States Trade 

Representative the authority to 

designate qualifying industrial zones. 

The United States Trade 

Representative has previously 

designated qualifying industrial zones 

under Section 9 of the IFTA Act on 

March 13, 1998 (63 FR 12572), March 

19, 1999 (64 FR 13623), October 15, 

1999 (64 FR 56015), October 24, 2000 

(65 FR 64472), and December 12, 2000 

(65 FR 77688), June 15, 2001 (66 FR 

32660), January 28, 2004 (69 FR 4199), 

December 29, 2004 (69 FR 78094), and 

November 16, 2005 (70 FR 69622). 

The governments of Israel and Egypt 

jointly requested in a letter submitted to 

the United States Trade Representative 

on January 5, 2009 the designation as a 

qualifying industrial zone of the areas 

comprising the Beni Suief and Al Minya 

zones. The names and locations of the 

currently producing factories 

comprising the Beni Suief zone and the 

Al Minya zone are specified on maps 

and materials submitted by Egypt and 

Israel and are on file with the Office of 

the U.S. Trade Representative. Israel 

and Egypt have agreed that merchandise 

may enter, without payment of duty or 

excise taxes, areas under their 

respective customs control that 

comprise the Beni Suief zone and the Al 

Minya zone. Further, the operation and 

administration of these zones are 

provided for in the previously agreed 

‘‘Protocol between the Government of 

the State of Israel and the Government 

of the Arab Republic of Egypt On 

Qualifying Industrial Zones.’’ 

Accordingly, the Beni Suief zone and 

the Al Minya zone meet the criteria 

under sections 9(e)(1) and (2) of the 

IFTA Act. 

Therefore, pursuant to the authority 

delegated to me by Presidential 

Proclamation 6955, I hereby designate 

the areas occupied by the currently 

producing factories that comprise the 

Beni Suief zone and the Al Minya zone 

as specified on maps and materials 

received from Egypt and Israel, as 

qualifying industrial zones under 

section 9 of the IFTA Act, effective upon 

the date of publication of this notice, 

applicable to articles shipped from these 

qualifying industrial zones after such 

date. 

Susan C. Schwab, 

United States Trade Representative. 

[FR Doc. E9–1589 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3190–W9–P 

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 

United States-Israel Free Trade Area 

Implementation Act; Designation of 

Qualifying Industrial Zones 

AGENCY: Office of the United States 

Trade Representative. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Under the United States-Israel 

Free Trade Area Implementation Act 

(IFTA Act), articles of qualifying 

industrial zones encompassing portions 

of Israel and Jordan or Israel and Egypt 

are eligible to receive duty-free 

treatment. Effective upon publication of 

this notice, the United States Trade 

Representative, pursuant to authority 

delegated by the President, is 

designating Shoubak, Shouneh Wistah, 

Madaba/Dalilet, Irbid/Al-Westieyn, and 

Al-Tafileh as qualifying industrial zones 

under the IFTA Act. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sonia Franceski, Director for Middle 

East Affairs, (202) 395–4987, Office of 

the United States Trade Representative, 

600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20508.