[Federal Register: March 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 49)]
[Notices]
[Page 12149-12150]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13mr03-146]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Trade Policy Staff Committee; Initiation of Environmental Review
of Australia Free Trade Negotiations; Public Comments on Scope of
Environmental Review
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This publication gives notice that, pursuant to the Trade Act
of 2002, and consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) (Nov.
18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442), the Office of
the United States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy
Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the
proposed United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement. 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 free trade agreement and
the potential implications for U.S. environmental laws and regulations,
and identification of 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. 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.
DATES: Public comments should be received no later than April 30, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Submissions by electronic mail: FR0072@ustr.gov.
Submissions by facsimile: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade
Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395-6143.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
public comments, contact Gloria Blue,
[[Page 12150]]
Executive Secretary, TPSC, Office of the USTR, 1724 F Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20508, telephone (202) 395-3475. Questions concerning
the environmental review should be addressed to David J. Brooks,
Environment and Natural Resources Section, USTR, telephone (202) 395-
7320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background Information
On November 13, 2002, in accordance with section 2104(a)(1) of the
Trade Act of 2002, the Untied States Trade Representative, Ambassador
Robert B. Zoellick, notified Congress of the President's intent to
enter into trade negotiations with Australia. Ambassador Zoellick
outlined specific U.S. objectives for these negotiations in the
notification letters to Congress. Copies of the letters are available
at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2002/11/2002-11-13-australia-
hastert.PDF
and http://ww.ustr.gov/releases/2002/11/2002-11-13-
australia-byrd.PDF).
The TPSC invited the public to provide written comments and/or oral
testimony at a public hearing that took place on January 15, 2003, to
assist USTR in amplifying and clarifying negotiating objectives for the
proposed FTA and to provide advice on how specific goods and services
and other matters should be treated under the proposed agreement (67 FR
76431).
Two-way trade between the United States and Australia has grown
significantly in the past decade, and totaled more than $19 billion in
2001. The increased access to Australia's market that an FTA would
provide would further boost trade in both goods and services, enhancing
employment opportunities in both countries. An FTA also would encourage
additional foreign investment between the United States and Australia.
A free trade agreement with Australia would further deepen the already
close cooperation between the United States and Australia in advancing
objectives for multilateral negotiations currently underway in the
World Trade organization (WTO).
2. Environmental Review
USTR, through the TPSC, will perform an environmental review of the
agreement pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002 and consistent with
Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) and its implementing guidelines (65
FR 79442).
Environmental reviews are used to identify potentially significant,
reasonable 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 transboundary impacts may be considered,
where appropriate and prudent.
3. Requirements for Submissions
In order to facilitate prompt processing of submissions, USTR
strongly urges and prefers electronic (e-mail) submissions in response
to this notice.
Persons making submission by e-mail should use the following
subject line: ``United States--Australia FTA Environmental Review''
followed by ``Written Comments.'' Documents should be submitted as
either WordPerfect, MSWord, or text (.TXT) files. Supporting
documentation submitted as spreadsheets are acceptable as Quattro Pro
or Excel. For any document containing business confidential information
submitted electronically, the file name of the business confidential
version should begin with the characters ``BC-'', and the file name of
the public version should begin with the characters ``P-''. The ``P-''
or ``BC-'' should be followed by the name of the submitter. Persons who
make submissions by e-mail should not provide separate cover letters;
information that might appear in a cover letter should be included in
the submission itself. To the extent possible, any attachments to the
submission should be included in the same file as the submission
itself, and not as separate files.
Written comments submitted in response to this request will be
placed in a file open to public inspection pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.5,
except business confidential information exempt from public inspection
in accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6. Business confidential information
submitted in accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6 must be clearly marked
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top of each page, including any cover
letter or cover page, and must be accompanied by a nonconfidential
summary of the confidential information. All public documents and
nonconfidential summaries shall be available for public inspection in
the USTR Reading Room. The USTR Reading Room is open to the public, by
appointment only, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday. An appointment to review the file must be scheduled at
least 48 hours in advance and may be made by calling (202) 395-6186.
USTR also welcomes and will take into account the public comments
on Australia FTA environmental issues submitted in response to a
previous notice--the Federal Register notice dated December 12, 2002
(67 FR 76431)--requesting comments from the public to assist USTR in
formulating positions and proposals with respect to all aspects of the
negotiations, including environmental issues. These comments will also
be made available for public inspection.
General information concerning the Office of the United States
Trade Representative may be obtained by accessing its Internet website
(http://www.ustr.gov).
(http://www.ustr.gov).
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 03-5990 Filed 3-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M