80_FR_53436 80 FR 53265 - Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental Assessment on Imports (2015 Amendments)

80 FR 53265 - Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental Assessment on Imports (2015 Amendments)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 171 (September 3, 2015)

Page Range53265-53266
FR Document2015-21865

AMS proposes to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations by decreasing the value assigned to imported cotton for calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. The amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton and the cotton content of imported products will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. AMS is publishing this amendment as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the action is contemplated by statute and required by regulation and the agency anticipates no significant adverse comment. AMS has explained its reasons in the preamble of the direct final rule. If AMS receives no significant adverse comment during the comment period, no further action on this proposed rule will be taken. If, however, AMS receives significant adverse comment, AMS will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. In that case, AMS will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. AMS will not institute a second comment period on this rule. Any parties interested in commenting must do so during this comment period. This proposed rule is a companion document to the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) direct final rule (published today in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of the Federal Register).

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015) 
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53265-53266]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21865]


========================================================================
Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 53265]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 1205

[Doc. # AMS-CN-15-0013]


Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental 
Assessment on Imports (2015 Amendments)

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: AMS proposes to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations 
by decreasing the value assigned to imported cotton for calculating 
supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and 
Promotion Program. The amendment is required each year to ensure that 
assessments collected on imported cotton and the cotton content of 
imported products will be the same as those paid on domestically 
produced cotton.
    AMS is publishing this amendment as a direct final rule without 
prior proposal because the action is contemplated by statute and 
required by regulation and the agency anticipates no significant 
adverse comment. AMS has explained its reasons in the preamble of the 
direct final rule. If AMS receives no significant adverse comment 
during the comment period, no further action on this proposed rule will 
be taken. If, however, AMS receives significant adverse comment, AMS 
will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. In 
that case, AMS will address all public comments in a subsequent final 
rule based on this proposed rule. AMS will not institute a second 
comment period on this rule. Any parties interested in commenting must 
do so during this comment period. This proposed rule is a companion 
document to the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) direct final 
rule (published today in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of the 
Federal Register).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 5, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to the addresses specified 
below. All comments will be made available to the public. Please do not 
include any personally identifiable information (such as name, address, 
or other contact information) or confidential business information that 
you do not want publically disclosed. All comments may be posted on the 
Internet and can be retrieved by most Internet search engines. Comments 
may be submitted anonymously.
    Comments, identified by AMS-CN-15-0013, may be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Please follow the instructions for submitting 
comments. In addition, comments may be submitted by mail or hand 
delivery to Cotton Research and Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco 
Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, 
Virginia 22406. Comments should be submitted in triplicate. All 
comments received will be made available for public inspection at 
Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 
101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406. A copy of this document may be 
found at: www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and 
Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside 
Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406, telephone (540) 
361-2726, facsimile (540) 361-1199, or email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As noted above, in the ``Rules and 
Regulations'' section of today's Federal Register, the direct final 
rule being published would amend the value assigned to imported cotton 
in the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations (7 CFR 1205.510(b)(2)) that 
is used to determine the Cotton Research and Promotion assessment on 
imported cotton and cotton products. The total value of assessment 
levied on cotton imports is the sum of two parts. The first part of the 
assessment is based on the weight of cotton imported--levied at a rate 
of $1 per bale of cotton, which is equivalent to 500 pounds, or $1 per 
226.8 kilograms of cotton. The second part of the import assessment 
(referred to as the supplemental assessment) is based on the value of 
imported cotton lint or the cotton contained in imported cotton 
products--levied at a rate of five-tenths of one percent of the value 
of domestically produced cotton.
    Section 1205.510(b)(2) of the Cotton Research and Promotion Rules 
and Regulations provides for assigning the calendar year weighted 
average price received by U.S. farmers for Upland cotton to represent 
the value of imported cotton. This is so that the assessment on 
domestically produced cotton and the assessment on imported cotton and 
the cotton content of imported products is the same. The source for the 
average price statistic is Agricultural Prices, a publication of the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the Department of 
Agriculture. Use of the weighted average price figure in the 
calculation of supplemental assessments on imported cotton and the 
cotton content of imported products will yield an assessment that is 
the same as assessments paid on domestically produced cotton.
    The current value of imported cotton as published in 2014 in the 
Federal Register (79 FR 36183) for the purpose of calculating 
assessments on imported cotton is $0.012728 per kilogram. Using the 
Average Weighted Price received by U.S. farmers for Upland cotton for 
the calendar year 2014, the direct final rule would amend the new value 
of imported cotton to $0.012013 per kilogram to reflect the price paid 
by U.S. farmers for Upland cotton during 2014.
    An example of the complete assessment formula and how the figures 
are obtained is as follows:
    One bale is equal to 500 pounds.
    One kilogram equals 2.2046 pounds.
    One pound equals 0.453597 kilograms.

One Dollar per Bale Assessment Converted to Kilograms

    A 500-pound bale equals 226.8 kg. (500 x 0.453597).
    $1 per bale assessment equals $0.002000 per pound or $0.2000 cents 
per pound (1/500) or $0.004409 per kg or $0.4409 cents per kg. (1/
226.8).

Supplemental Assessment of 5/10 of One Percent of the Value of the 
Cotton Converted to Kilograms

    The 2014 calendar year weighted average price received by producers 
for

[[Page 53266]]

Upland cotton is $0.690 per pound or $1.521 per kg. ($0.690 x 2.2046).
    Five tenths of one percent of the average price equals $0.007604 
per kg. (1.521 x 0.005).

Total Assessment

    The total assessment per kilogram of raw cotton is obtained by 
adding the $1 per bale equivalent assessment of $0.004409 per kg. and 
the supplemental assessment $0.007604 per kg., which equals $0.012013 
per kg.
    The current assessment on imported cotton is $0.012728 per kilogram 
of imported cotton. The revised assessment in this direct final rule is 
$0.012013, a decrease of $0.000715 per kilogram. This decrease reflects 
the decrease in the average weighted price of Upland cotton received by 
U.S. Farmers during the period January through December 2014.
    Import Assessment Table in section 1205.510(b)(3) indicates the 
total assessment rate ($ per kilogram) due for each Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule number that is subject to assessment. This table must be 
revised each year to reflect changes in supplemental assessment rates 
and any changes to the HTS numbers. In this direct final rule, AMS is 
amending the Import Assessment Table.
    AMS believes that these amendments are necessary to ensure that 
assessments collected on imported cotton and the cotton content of 
imported products are the same as those paid on domestically produced 
cotton. Accordingly, changes reflected in this rule should be adopted 
and implemented as soon as possible since it is required by regulation.
    The amendment proposed by this document is the same as the 
amendment contained in the direct final rule. Please refer to the 
preamble and regulatory text of the direct final rule for further 
information and the actual text of the amendment. Statutory review and 
Executive Orders for this proposed rule can be found in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the direct final rule.
    A 30-day comment period is provided to comment on the changes to 
the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations proposed herein. This period is 
deemed appropriate because this rule would decrease the assessments 
paid by importers under the Cotton Research and Promotion Order. An 
amendment is required to adjust the assessments collected on imported 
cotton and the cotton content of imported products to be the same as 
those paid on domestically produced cotton. Accordingly, the change in 
this rule, if adopted, should be implemented as soon as possible.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101-2118.

    Dated: August 28, 2015.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-21865 Filed 9-2-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P

53265 Proposed Rules Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 171 Thursday, September 3, 2015 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER DATES: Comments must be received on assessment) is based on the value of contains notices to the public of the proposed or before October 5, 2015. imported cotton lint or the cotton issuance of rules and regulations. The ADDRESSES: Written comments may be contained in imported cotton purpose of these notices is to give interested submitted to the addresses specified products—levied at a rate of five-tenths persons an opportunity to participate in the of one percent of the value of rule making prior to the adoption of the final below. All comments will be made rules. available to the public. Please do not domestically produced cotton. include any personally identifiable Section 1205.510(b)(2) of the Cotton information (such as name, address, or Research and Promotion Rules and DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE other contact information) or Regulations provides for assigning the confidential business information that calendar year weighted average price Agricultural Marketing Service you do not want publically disclosed. received by U.S. farmers for Upland All comments may be posted on the cotton to represent the value of 7 CFR Part 1205 Internet and can be retrieved by most imported cotton. This is so that the Internet search engines. Comments may assessment on domestically produced [Doc. # AMS–CN–15–0013] be submitted anonymously. cotton and the assessment on imported Comments, identified by AMS–CN– cotton and the cotton content of Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: 15–0013, may be submitted imported products is the same. The Adjusting Supplemental Assessment electronically through the Federal source for the average price statistic is on Imports (2015 Amendments) eRulemaking Portal at http:// Agricultural Prices, a publication of the AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, www.regulations.gov. Please follow the National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA. instructions for submitting comments. (NASS) of the Department of ACTION: Proposed rule. In addition, comments may be Agriculture. Use of the weighted average submitted by mail or hand delivery to price figure in the calculation of SUMMARY: AMS proposes to amend the Cotton Research and Promotion Staff, supplemental assessments on imported Cotton Board Rules and Regulations by Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, cotton and the cotton content of decreasing the value assigned to USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite imported products will yield an imported cotton for calculating 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406. assessment that is the same as supplemental assessments collected for Comments should be submitted in assessments paid on domestically use by the Cotton Research and triplicate. All comments received will produced cotton. Promotion Program. The amendment is be made available for public inspection The current value of imported cotton required each year to ensure that at Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, as published in 2014 in the Federal assessments collected on imported USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite Register (79 FR 36183) for the purpose cotton and the cotton content of 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406. A of calculating assessments on imported imported products will be the same as copy of this document may be found at: cotton is $0.012728 per kilogram. Using those paid on domestically produced www.regulations.gov. the Average Weighted Price received by cotton. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. farmers for Upland cotton for the AMS is publishing this amendment as Shethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and calendar year 2014, the direct final rule a direct final rule without prior proposal Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco would amend the new value of because the action is contemplated by Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside imported cotton to $0.012013 per statute and required by regulation and Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, kilogram to reflect the price paid by U.S. the agency anticipates no significant Virginia 22406, telephone (540) 361– farmers for Upland cotton during 2014. adverse comment. AMS has explained 2726, facsimile (540) 361–1199, or email An example of the complete its reasons in the preamble of the direct at Shethir.Riva@ams.usda.gov. assessment formula and how the figures final rule. If AMS receives no significant SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As noted are obtained is as follows: adverse comment during the comment above, in the ‘‘Rules and Regulations’’ One bale is equal to 500 pounds. period, no further action on this section of today’s Federal Register, the One kilogram equals 2.2046 pounds. One pound equals 0.453597 proposed rule will be taken. If, however, direct final rule being published would kilograms. AMS receives significant adverse amend the value assigned to imported comment, AMS will withdraw the direct cotton in the Cotton Board Rules and One Dollar per Bale Assessment final rule and it will not take effect. In Regulations (7 CFR 1205.510(b)(2)) that Converted to Kilograms that case, AMS will address all public is used to determine the Cotton A 500-pound bale equals 226.8 kg. comments in a subsequent final rule Research and Promotion assessment on (500 × 0.453597). based on this proposed rule. AMS will imported cotton and cotton products. $1 per bale assessment equals not institute a second comment period The total value of assessment levied on $0.002000 per pound or $0.2000 cents rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS on this rule. Any parties interested in cotton imports is the sum of two parts. per pound (1/500) or $0.004409 per kg commenting must do so during this The first part of the assessment is based or $0.4409 cents per kg. (1/226.8). comment period. This proposed rule is on the weight of cotton imported— a companion document to the levied at a rate of $1 per bale of cotton, Supplemental Assessment of 5/10 of Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) which is equivalent to 500 pounds, or One Percent of the Value of the Cotton direct final rule (published today in the $1 per 226.8 kilograms of cotton. The Converted to Kilograms ‘‘Rules and Regulations’’ section of the second part of the import assessment The 2014 calendar year weighted Federal Register). (referred to as the supplemental average price received by producers for VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:54 Sep 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\03SEP1.SGM 03SEP1

53266 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules Upland cotton is $0.690 per pound or adopted, should be implemented as select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS $1.521 per kg. ($0.690 × 2.2046). soon as possible. Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, Five tenths of one percent of the Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101–2118. please contact the NRC’s Public average price equals $0.007604 per kg. Document Room (PDR) reference staff at Dated: August 28, 2015. (1.521 × 0.005). 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by Rex A. Barnes, email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The Total Assessment Associate Administrator. ADAMS accession number for each The total assessment per kilogram of [FR Doc. 2015–21865 Filed 9–2–15; 8:45 am] document referenced (if it is available in raw cotton is obtained by adding the $1 BILLING CODE 3410–02–P ADAMS) is provided the first time that per bale equivalent assessment of it is mentioned in the SUPPLEMENTARY $0.004409 per kg. and the supplemental INFORMATION section. For the assessment $0.007604 per kg., which NUCLEAR REGULATORY convenience of the reader, instructions equals $0.012013 per kg. COMMISSION about obtaining materials referenced in The current assessment on imported this document are provided in Section cotton is $0.012728 per kilogram of 10 CFR Part 51 IV, Availability of Documents. imported cotton. The revised • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and [Docket Nos. PRM–51–29; NRC–2012–0215] purchase copies of public documents at assessment in this direct final rule is $0.012013, a decrease of $0.000715 per the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One Rescinding Spent Fuel Pool Exclusion kilogram. This decrease reflects the White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Regulations decrease in the average weighted price Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. of Upland cotton received by U.S. AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Farmers during the period January Commission. Jenny Tobin, Office of Nuclear Reactor through December 2014. ACTION: Petition for rulemaking; denial. Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Import Assessment Table in section Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 1205.510(b)(3) indicates the total SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 0001; telephone: 301–415–2328; email: assessment rate ($ per kilogram) due for Commission (NRC) is denying a petition Jennifer.Tobin@nrc.gov. each Harmonized Tariff Schedule for rulemaking (PRM), PRM–51–29, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: number that is subject to assessment. submitted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the Commonwealth or Table of Contents This table must be revised each year to reflect changes in supplemental the petitioner). The petitioner requested I. The Petition that, in light of information gained from II. Reasons for Denial assessment rates and any changes to the the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident, the III. Conclusion HTS numbers. In this direct final rule, IV. Availability of Documents AMS is amending the Import NRC rescind its regulations that make a Assessment Table. generic determination that spent fuel I. The Petition AMS believes that these amendments pool storage does not have a significant On June 2, 2011, before the NRC’s are necessary to ensure that assessments environmental impact for nuclear power Atomic Safety and Licensing Board collected on imported cotton and the plant license renewal actions. The NRC (ASLB), the Commonwealth of cotton content of imported products are is denying the petition because the NRC Massachusetts, Office of the Attorney the same as those paid on domestically finds no basis to consider a rulemaking General, Environmental Protection produced cotton. Accordingly, changes to revise such regulations. Division, requested a waiver of the reflected in this rule should be adopted DATES: The docket for the petition for NRC’s generic determination regarding and implemented as soon as possible rulemaking, PRM–51–29, is closed on spent fuel pool (SFP) storage impacts in since it is required by regulation. September 3, 2015. the Pilgrim nuclear power plant (NPP) The amendment proposed by this ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID license renewal proceeding. The document is the same as the amendment NRC–2012–0215 when contacting the petitioner also requested that, if the contained in the direct final rule. Please NRC about the availability of ASLB rejected the Commonwealth’s refer to the preamble and regulatory text information for this action. You may waiver, then the NRC should consider of the direct final rule for further obtain publicly-available information the waiver request to be a PRM. information and the actual text of the related to this action by any of the Specifically, the petitioner requested amendment. Statutory review and following methods: that the NRC’s regulations in § 51.71(d) 1 Executive Orders for this proposed rule • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to of Title 10 of the Code of Federal can be found in the SUPPLEMENTARY http://www.regulations.gov and search Regulations (10 CFR) and table B–1 2 in INFORMATION section of the direct final for Docket ID NRC–2012–0215. Address appendix B to subpart A of 10 CFR part rule. questions about NRC dockets to Carol 51 be revised because these regulations, A 30-day comment period is provided Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; according to the petitioner, incorrectly to comment on the changes to the email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For 1 10 CFR 51.71 is entitled, ‘‘Draft environmental Cotton Board Rules and Regulations technical questions, contact the impact statement- contents’’; § 51.71(d) describes proposed herein. This period is deemed individual listed in the FOR FURTHER the analysis required to be included in the draft EIS. appropriate because this rule would INFORMATION CONTACT section of this For license renewal, the draft supplemental EIS (1) decrease the assessments paid by document. relies on supporting information in NUREG–1437, rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS importers under the Cotton Research • NRC’s Agencywide Documents ‘‘Generic Environmental Impact Statement [GEIS] for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants,’’ for generic and Promotion Order. An amendment is Access and Management System issues and (2) provides an analysis for the site- required to adjust the assessments (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly- specific issues. collected on imported cotton and the available documents online in the 2 Table B–1 is entitled, ‘‘Summary of Findings on cotton content of imported products to ADAMS Public Documents collection at NEPA Issues for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants,’’ and is the codification of the GEIS. In table be the same as those paid on http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ B–1, generic issues are designated as ‘‘Category 1’’ domestically produced cotton. adams.html. To begin the search, select issues and site-specific issues are designated as Accordingly, the change in this rule, if ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then ‘‘Category 2’’ issues. VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:54 Sep 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\03SEP1.SGM 03SEP1


Document Created: 2015-12-15 09:56:49
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 09:56:49
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionProposed rule.
DatesComments must be received on or before October 5, 2015.
ContactShethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406, telephone (540) 361-2726, facsimile (540) 361-1199, or email at [email protected]
FR Citation80 FR 53265 
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