[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 199 (Friday, October 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 63441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26003]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Availability for Public Comment on the Interagency 
Ocean Observation; Committee Proposed Certification Design Process

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program 
publishes this notice on behalf of the Interagency Ocean Observation 
Committee (IOOC) to announce a 60-day public comment period for the 
proposed certification design process mandated by the Integrated 
Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (ICOOS Act). The IOOC 
will use the proposed process to develop certification standards for 
non-federal assets, including regional information coordination 
entities, to establish eligibility for integration into the Integrated 
Ocean Observing System (System).

DATES: Written, faxed or e-mailed comments must be received no later 
than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on November 15, 2010.

ADDRESSES: The IOOC proposed certification design process and 
additional background material is available for review from the IOOC 
Web site URL: http://www.iooc.us or the IOOS Program Web site URL: 
http://www.ioos.gov. For the public unable to access the Internet, 
printed copies can be requested by contacting the IOOC Support Office 
at the address below. The public is encouraged to submit comments 
electronically to [email protected]. If you are unable to access 
the Internet, comments may be submitted via fax or regular mail. Faxed 
comments should be sent to 202-332-8887 with Attn: IOOC Support Office. 
Comments may be submitted in writing to the Consortium for Ocean 
Leadership, Attention: IOOC Support Office, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., 
4th Floor, Washington, DC 20005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about this 
notice, please contact the IOOC Support Office, telephone: 202-787-
1622; E-mail: [email protected] or the IOOS Program Office, 
telephone 301-427-2442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 30 March 2009, President Barack Obama 
signed into law the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act 
of 2009. Among the requirements in the Act is a directive to the IOOC 
to develop contract certification standards and compliance procedures 
for all non-Federal assets, including regional information coordination 
entities, to establish eligibility for integration into the System and 
to ensure compliance with all applicable standards and protocols 
established and to ensure that regional observations are integrated 
into the System on a sustained basis. The IOOC seeks public comment on 
both the proposed process to create these standards and on the scope 
and structure of the standards. The proposed certification design 
process and additional background information are available on the IOOC 
and IOOS Web sites or by contacting the IOOC Support Office or the IOOS 
Program Office. The IOOC is the Federal interagency group established 
in accordance with the ICOOS Act to lead the interagency planning and 
coordination of ocean observing activities including IOOS. The IOOC is 
comprised of representatives of eleven Federal agencies. The ICOOS Act 
identifies NOAA as the lead Federal agency. As defined in the IOOC 
charter, the purpose of the IOOC is to advise and assist national ocean 
governance bodies like the Ocean Science and Technology Interagency 
Policy Committee, called for in the National Ocean Policy, on matters 
relating to a national, end-to-end ocean observing system.

    Dated: October 5, 2010.
David M. Kennedy,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Ocean Service and Coastal Zone 
Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-26003 Filed 10-14-10; 8:45 am]
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