[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 57 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14479-14481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6653]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the
Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct an environmental review of the
proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and request
for comments.
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SUMMARY: This publication gives notice that the Office of the United
States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy Staff
Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the proposed
Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP) between the United
States and the other countries currently involved in TPP negotiations.
The TPSC is requesting written comments from the public on what should
be included in the scope of the environmental review, including the
potential environmental effects that might flow from the trade
agreement and the potential implications for U.S. environmental laws
and regulations. The TPSC is also requesting identification of
potential
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complementarities between trade and environmental objectives such as
the promotion of sustainable development. The TPSC also welcomes public
views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting
the review. The review will be conducted consistent with the relevant
procedures of Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) (Nov. 18, 1999) and
its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442). Persons submitting written
comments should provide as much detail as possible on the degree to
which the subject matter they propose for inclusion in the review may
raise significant environmental issues in the context of the
negotiation. Public comments on environmental issues submitted in
response to a previous notice (74 FR 66720) requesting comments from
the public to assist USTR in formulating positions and proposals with
respect to all aspects of the negotiation of a Trans-Pacific
Partnership Trade Agreement will be taken into account in preparing the
environmental review and do not need to be resubmitted.
DATES: Written comments are due by June 1, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov. For
alternatives to on-line submissions, please contact Gloria Blue,
Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), at (202) 395-
3475.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
written comments, please contact Gloria Blue at the above number. All
other questions regarding the environmental review of the TPP trade
agreement should be directed to David Brooks, Environment and Natural
Resources Section, USTR, at (202) 395-7320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background Information
On December 14, 2009, USTR notified Congress of the President's
intent to enter into negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a
regional, Asia-Pacific trade agreement. The United States is entering
into negotiations with the Trans-Pacific Partnership countries
(Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and
Vietnam) with the goal of shaping a high-standard, 21st century,
regional agreement that will have broad-based membership. Through
notices in the Federal Register and a public hearing (held March 4,
2009 in Washington, DC), the TPSC invited the public to provide written
comments and/or oral testimony to assist USTR in amplifying and
clarifying negotiating objectives for the proposed TPP and to provide
advice on how specific goods and services and other matters should be
treated under the proposed agreement (see 74 FR 4480; 74 FR 66720).
Additional information about the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership
Free Trade Agreement can be found at http://www.ustr.gov/tpp.
2. Environmental Review
USTR, through the TPSC, will conduct an environmental review of the
agreement consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) and its
implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442). Environmental reviews are used
to identify potentially significant, reasonably foreseeable
environmental impacts (both positive and negative), and information
from the review can help facilitate consideration of appropriate
responses where impacts are identified. Reviews address potential
environmental impacts of the proposed agreement and potential
implications for environmental laws and regulations. The focus of the
review is on impacts in the United States, although global and trans-
boundary impacts may be considered, where appropriate and prudent.
Environmental reviews were conducted for bilateral free trade
agreements concluded with a number of TPP negotiating partners.
Environmental reviews for the U.S.-Singapore FTA, the U.S.-Chile FTA,
the U.S.-Australia FTA and the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement are
available on the USTR Web site: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/environment/environmental-reviews. These reviews provide background
information on the FTA partner, information on trade-related
environmental issues in the context of the bilateral free trade
agreement, as well as information on the approach to conducting
environmental reviews.
3. Requirements for Submissions
Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify
(on the first page of the submission) the ``United States-Trans-Pacific
Partnership Trade Agreement.'' In order to be assured of consideration,
comments should be submitted by June 1, 2010.
In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2010-0010. To find
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID''
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further
information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site, please
consult the resources provided on the website by clicking on the
``Help'' tab.)
The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See
attached'' in the ``Type comment & Upload File'' field. USTR prefers
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the
submission is in an application other than those two, please indicate
the name of the application in the ``Comments'' field.
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.
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through http://www.regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements
must be made with Ms. Blue in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms.
Blue should be contacted at (202) 395-3475.
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General information concerning USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2010-6653 Filed 3-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W0-P