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.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

8178 

Vol. 77, No. 30 

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 

1For editorial reasons, upon codification in the 

U.S. Code, Part B was re-designated Part A. 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket No. EERE–2010–BT–TP–0038] 

Test Procedures for Central Air 

Conditioners and Heat Pumps: Public 

Meeting 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) is holding a public 

meeting to discuss methodologies and 

gather comments on testing residential 

central air conditioners and heat pumps 

designed to use 

hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (R–22) 

refrigerant. 

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting 

on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, from 

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Washington, DC. 

Additionally, DOE plans to conduct the 

public meeting via webinar. To 

participate via webinar, participants 

must sign up by following the 

instructions in the Web site. 

Registration information, participant 

instructions, and information about the 

capabilities available to webinar 

participants will be published on the 

following Web site https:// 

www1.gotomeeting.com/register/ 

141337089. Participants are responsible 

for ensuring that their systems are 

compatible with the webinar software. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, Room 8E–089, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. To attend, 

please notify Ms. Brenda Edwards at 

(202) 586–2945. Please note that foreign 

nationals visiting DOE Headquarters are 

subject to advance security screening 

procedures. Any foreign national 

wishing to participate in the public 

meeting should advise DOE as soon as 

possible by contacting Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 to initiate 

the necessary procedures. 

Docket: The docket is available for 

review at www.regulations.gov. All 

documents in the docket are listed in 

the www.regulations.gov index. 

However, not all documents in the 

index may be publicly available, such as 

information that is exempt from public 

disclosure. A link to the docket web 

page can be found at 

www.regulations.gov. The 

www.regulations.gov web page contains 

a link to the docket for this notice, along 

with simple instructions on how to 

access all documents, including public 

comments, in the docket. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies, EE–2J, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Phone: 

(202) 586–6590. Email: 

Ashley.Armstrong@ee.doe.gov or 

Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of General Counsel, GC– 

72, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Phone: 

(202) 586–7796. Email: 

Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title III, 

Part B of the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA or the 

Act), Public Law 94–163 (42 U.S.C. 

6291–6309, as codified), established the 

Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products Other Than 

Automobiles, a program covering most 

major household appliances, including 

the residential central air conditioners 

and heat pumps that are single phase 

with rated cooling capacities less than 

65,000 British thermal units per hour 

(Btu/h) that are the focus of this notice.1

(42 U.S.C. 6291(1)–(2), (21) and 

6292(a)(3)) 

Under EPCA, the program consists of 

four activities: (1) Testing; (2) labeling; 

and (3) Federal energy conservation 

standards, and also (4) certification, 

compliance, and enforcement. The 

testing requirements consist of test 

procedures that manufacturers of 

covered products must use as the basis 

for certifying to DOE that their products 

comply with applicable energy 

conservation standards adopted 

pursuant to EPCA and for representing 

the efficiency of those products. (42 

U.S.C. 6293(c); 42 U.S.C. 6295(s)) 

Similarly, DOE must use these test 

procedures in any enforcement action to 

determine whether covered products 

comply with these energy conservation 

standards. (42 U.S.C. 6295(s)) 

DOE’s existing test procedures for 

residential central air conditioners and 

heat pumps adopted pursuant to these 

provisions appear under Title 10 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 

430, subpart B, appendix M (‘‘Uniform 

Test Method for Measuring the Energy 

Consumption of Central Air 

Conditioners and Heat Pumps’’). These 

procedures establish the currently 

permitted means for determining energy 

efficiency and annual energy 

consumption of these products. 

DOE regulations require that 

residential split system central air 

conditioners and heat pumps be tested 

using ‘‘the evaporator coil that is likely 

to have the largest volume of retail sales 

with the particular model of condensing 

unit.’’ 10 CFR 430.24(m)(2). Effective 

January 1, 2010, the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) banned the 

sale and distribution of those central air 

conditioning systems and heat pump 

systems manufactured after January 1, 

2010, that are designed to use R–22 

refrigerant. 74 FR 66450 (Dec. 15, 2009). 

EPA’s rulemaking included an 

exception for the manufacture and 

importation of replacement 

components, as long as those 

components are not pre-charged with R– 

22. Id. at 66459–66460. In light of EPA’s 

rulemaking, DOE received numerous 

inquiries regarding the sale of R–22 

systems and the applicability of our 

regulations with respect to these types 

of systems. 

Because complete R–22 systems can 

no longer be distributed per EPA’s 

regulations, manufacturers inquired 

how to test and rate condensing units 

and outdoor units using R–22 

refrigerant. DOE has issued two 

guidance documents surrounding 

testing central air conditioner and heat 

pump systems utilizing R–22 

refrigerant. See http:// 

www1.eere.energy.gov/guidance/ 

default.aspx?pid=2&spid=1 for 

additional information. The Department 

is holding this public meeting and 

webinar to gather information on the 

testing of central air conditioners and 

heat pumps designed to use R–22. 

Among other things, DOE seeks 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2012 / Proposed Rules 8179 

1Public Law 92–181, 85 Stat. 583 (1971), 12 

U.S.C. 2001 et seq. 

2 12 U.S.C. 2252(a)(8), (9) and (10). 

3 71 FR 5740 (Feb. 2, 2006). 

4Section 620.6 of the FCA’s regulations states, 

‘‘[e]ach member of an audit committee must be a 

member of the Farm Credit institution’s board of 

directors * * * All committee members should be 

knowledgeable in at least one of the following: 

public and corporate finance, financial reporting 

and disclosure, or accounting procedures.’’ 

information on the characteristics of the 

coil-only indoor unit for testing and 

rating purposes to satisfy the 

requirement that the highest volume 

sales unit combination be tested. 10 CFR 

429.16(a)(2)(ii). 

DOE will conduct the public meeting 

in an informal, facilitated, conference 

style. There shall be no discussion of 

proprietary information, costs or prices, 

market shares, or other commercial 

matters regulated by U.S. antitrust laws. 

A court reporter will record the minutes 

of the meeting, after which a transcript 

will be available for purchase from the 

court reporter and placed on the DOE 

Web site. 

Anyone who wishes to participate in 

the public meeting, receive meeting 

materials, or be added to the DOE 

mailing list to receive future notices and 

information about wine chillers and 

miscellaneous refrigeration products 

should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at 

(202) 586–2945. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 7, 

2012. 

Kathleen Hogan, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3375 Filed 2–13–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION 

12 CFR Part 630 

RIN 3052–AC77 

Disclosure to Investors in System-wide 

and Consolidated Bank Debt 

Obligations of the Farm Credit System 

AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Farm Credit 

Administration (FCA, us, we, or our) 

proposes to amend our regulations 

related to the Federal Farm Credit Banks 

Funding Corporation (Funding 

Corporation) System Audit Committee 

(SAC) and the Farm Credit System 

(System) annual report to investors. The 

proposed rule would remove the 

provision that a two-thirds majority vote 

of the Funding Corporation board of 

directors be required to deny a request 

for resources by the SAC to engage 

independent legal counsel, outside 

advisors or consultants. The proposed 

rule would instead require appropriate 

funding to the SAC to perform these 

duties, quarterly reporting by the SAC to 

the Funding Corporation board on 

resources used, and annual reporting to 

investors. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

April 16, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: We offer a variety of 

methods for you to submit your 

comments. For accuracy and efficiency 

reasons, commenters are encouraged to 

submit comments by email or through 

the FCA’s Web site. As facsimiles (fax) 

are difficult for us to process and 

achieve compliance with section 508 of 

the Rehabilitation Act, we no longer 

accept comments submitted by fax. 

Regardless of the method you use, 

please do not submit your comments 

multiple times via different methods. 

You may submit comments by any of 

the following methods: 

• Email: Send an email to regcomm@fca.gov. 

• FCA Web site: http://www.fca.gov. 

Select ‘‘Public Commenters,’’ then 

‘‘Public Comments,’’ and follow the 

directions for ‘‘Submitting a Comment.’’ 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Gary K. Van Meter, Director, 

Office of Regulatory Policy, Farm Credit 

Administration, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, 

McLean, VA 22102–5090. 

You may review copies of all 

comments we receive at our office in 

McLean, Virginia or on our Web site at 

http://www.fca.gov. Once you are in the 

Web site, select ‘‘Public Commenters,’’ 

then ‘‘Public Comments,’’ and follow 

the directions for ‘‘Reading Submitted 

Public Comments.’’ We will show your 

comments as submitted, including any 

supporting data provided, but for 

technical reasons we may omit items 

such as logos and special characters. 

Identifying information that you 

provide, such as phone numbers and 

addresses, will be publicly available. 

However, we will attempt to remove 

email addresses to help reduce Internet 

spam. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Deborah Wilson, Senior Accountant, 

Office of Regulatory Policy, Farm Credit 

Administration, McLean, VA 22102– 

5090, (703) 883–4414, TTY (703) 883– 

4434, or Laura McFarland, Senior 

Counsel, Office of General Counsel, 

Farm Credit Administration, McLean, 

VA 22102–5090, (703) 883–4020, TTY 

(703) 883–4020. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Objectives 

The objectives of this proposed rule 

are to: 

• Allow the SAC unrestricted access 

to resources to engage legal counsel, 

consultants and outside advisors, 

• Ensure that investors are provided 

transparent and complete disclosure on 

the safe and sound use of resources by 

the SAC, and 

• Clarify that the appointment, 

compensation, and retention of the 

external auditor for the System-wide 

reports cannot be changed without the 

agreement of both the SAC and the 

Funding Corporation board. 

II. Background 

The Farm Credit Act of 1971, as 

amended (Act),1 authorizes the FCA to 

issue regulations implementing the 

Act’s provisions.2 Our regulations are 

intended to ensure the safe and sound 

operations of System institutions and to 

govern the disclosure of financial 

information to shareholders of, and 

investors in, the System. In 2006, we 

issued a final rulemaking on the 

governance of System institutions.3

Those regulations changed the structure, 

responsibilities, and authority of 

existing audit committees at the banks 

and the SAC, and it required audit 

committees at System associations. 

We explained in our 2006 rulemaking 

that an audit committee is the guardian 

of an institution’s financial integrity, 

and its independence is essential to 

investor confidence in the transparency 

of audited financial statements. The 

2006 rulemaking required that audit 

committees at banks and associations be 

comprised solely of well-qualified board 

members,4 but made an exception to the 

composition of the SAC. Section 

630.6(a) requires that only one-third of 

the SAC membership be composed of 

directors from the Funding Corporation 

board. This exception was in response 

to comments received on the 2006 

rulemaking that audit committee 

composition derived solely from the 

board of directors may be appropriate 

for individual System institutions, but 

not for the SAC. Commenters believed 

that the duties of the SAC require 

broader representation and greater 

financial experience of its members due 

to its oversight for the preparation of 

System combined financial statements. 

The 2006 rulemaking required that 

the SAC be permitted to contract for 

independent legal counsel and expert 

advisers and that the Funding 

Corporation provide monetary and 

nonmonetary resources for these 

activities. Also, the rulemaking required 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS