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

49739 

Vol. 77, No. 160 

Friday, August 17, 2012 

1Upon codification in the U.S. Code, Part B was 

re-designated Part A for editorial reasons. 

2 Dehumidifiers are defined as self-contained, 

electrically operated, and mechanically encased 

assemblies consisting of: (1) A refrigerated surface 

(evaporator) that condenses moisture from the 

atmosphere; (2) a refrigerating system, including an 

electric motor; (3) an air-circulating fan; and (4) a 

means for collecting or disposing of the condensate. 

(42 U.S.C. 6291(34)) 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Parts 429 and 430 

[Docket No. EERE–2012– BT–STD–0027] 

RIN 1904–AC81 

Energy Conservation Standards for 

Residential Dehumidifiers: Public 

Meeting and Availability of the 

Framework Document 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 

availability of the framework document. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy 

(DOE) issues a framework document to 

consider whether to amend the energy 

conservation standards for residential 

dehumidifiers. DOE also announces a 

public meeting to discuss and receive 

comments on issues that it will address 

in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE is 

initiating data collection for considering 

amended energy conservation standards 

for residential dehumidifiers. DOE also 

encourages written comments on 

potential amended standards, including 

comments on the issues identified in the 

framework document. The framework 

document, which is intended to inform 

stakeholders and facilitate the 

rulemaking process, is available at 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ 

appliance_standards/residential/ 

dehumidifiers.html. 

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting 

on September 24, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 

4 p.m. in Washington, DC. Any person 

requesting to speak at the public 

meeting should submit such request 

along with a signed original and an 

electronic copy of the statements to be 

given at the public meeting before 4 

p.m., September 10, 2012. Written 

comments are welcome, especially 

following the public meeting, and 

should be submitted by September 17, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, 8E–089, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Please 

note that foreign nationals participating 

in the public meeting are subject to 

advance security screening procedures. 

If a foreign national wishes to 

participate in the public meeting, please 

inform DOE of this fact as soon as 

possible by contacting Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 so that the 

necessary procedures can be completed. 

Stakeholders may submit comments, 

identified by docket number EERE– 

2012– BT–STD–0027 and/or Regulation 

Identifier Number (RIN) 1904–AC81, by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Email: ResDehumidifier

2012STD0027@ee.doe.gov. Include 

docket number EERE–2012– BT–STD– 

0027 and/or RIN 1904–AC81 in the 

subject line of the message. 

• Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

1000 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. If 

possible, please submit all items on a 

CD. It is not necessary to include 

printed copies. 

• Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda 

Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 

Building Technologies Program, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza SW., Suite 600, 

Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 

586–2945. Please submit one signed 

paper original. If possible, please submit 

all items on a CD. It is not necessary to 

include printed copies. 

• Docket: The docket is available for 

review at http://www.regulations.gov, 

and will include Federal Register 

notices, framework document, notice of 

proposed rulemaking, public meeting 

attendee lists and transcripts, 

comments, and other supporting 

documents/materials throughout the 

rulemaking process. The docket can be 

accessed by searching for Docket No. 

EERE–2012– BT–STD–0027 at the 

regulations.gov Web site. 

For further information on how to 

submit or review public comments or 

view hard copies of the docket in the 

Resource Room, contact Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 or email: 

Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Stephen Witkowski, 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) 586–7463. Email: 

stephen.witkowski1@ee.doe.gov. 

Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department 

of Energy, Office of General Counsel, 

GC–71, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121. 

Phone: (202) 586–7796, email: 

elizabeth.kohl@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction and Legal Authority 

II. Test Procedures 

III. Energy Conservation Standards 

I. Introduction and Legal Authority 

Title III, Part B of the Energy Policy 

and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, 

Public Law 94–163, (42 U.S.C. 6291– 

6309), as amended, established an 

energy conservation program for 

consumer products other than 

automobiles.1

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 

(EPACT 2005), Public Law 109–58, 

amended EPCA to establish energy 

conservation standards for 

dehumidifiers 2 manufactured as of 

October 1, 2007. (Section 135(c)(4)) 

EPACT 2005 also required that DOE 

issue a final rule by October 1, 2009, to 

determine whether these standards 

should be amended. (Id.) Compliance 

with any amended standards would be 

required for dehumidifiers 

manufactured as of October 1, 2012. 

(Id.) In the event that DOE did not 

publish a final rule, EPACT 2005 

specified a new set of amended 

standards with a compliance date of 

October 1, 2012. (Id.) 

DOE issued an Advance Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) to 

consider energy conservation standards 

for dehumidifiers and other products. 

72 FR 64432 (Nov. 15, 2007). The 

Energy Independence and Security Act 

of 2007 (EISA 2007), Public Law 110– 

140 subsequently amended EPCA to 

prescribe new energy conservation 


erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
49740 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2012 / Proposed Rules 

standards for dehumidifiers 

manufactured on or after October 1, 

2012. DOE codified the EISA 2007 

standards at 10 CFR 430.32(v)(2). 74 FR 

12058 (Mar. 23, 2009). 

EPCA also requires that, not later than 

6 years after the issuance of a final rule 

establishing or amending a standard, 

DOE publish a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NOPR) proposing new 

standards or a notice of determination 

that the existing standards do not need 

to be amended. (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1)) 

II. Test Procedures 

EPCA specifies that the test procedure 

for dehumidifiers must be based on the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA)’s test criteria used under the 

ENERGY STAR Program in effect on 

August 8, 2005, unless DOE revises the 

test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(13)) 

Those ENERGY STAR test criteria 

require that American National 

Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association 

of Home Appliance Manufacturers 

(AHAM) Standard DH–1 be used to 

measure capacity in pints of moisture 

removed per day, while Canada’s CAN/ 

Canadian Standards Association (CSA)– 

C749–94 is used to calculate the energy 

factor (EF) in terms of liters of moisture 

removed per kilowatt-hour (kWh). DOE 

codified the test procedure requirements 

from EPCA for dehumidifiers at 10 CFR 

part 430 subpart B, appendix X. 71 FR 

71340 (Dec. 8, 2006). 

EPCA requires that DOE amend the 

test procedures for certain residential 

products, including dehumidifiers, to 

incorporate measures of standby mode 

and off mode energy use, if technically 

feasible. DOE published a NOPR in 

which it proposed to incorporate by 

reference in the test procedures for 

dehumidifiers and other products an 

international test method for measuring 

standby mode and off mode power 

consumption, International 

Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 

Standard 62301. 75 FR 75290 (Dec. 2, 

2010). DOE subsequently published a 

Supplemental Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (SNOPR) to propose 

referencing the updated version of IEC 

Standard 62301. 76 FR 58346 (Sept. 20, 

2011). In a second SNOPR, DOE 

proposed in relevant part to measure 

both capacity and EF for dehumidifiers 

according to the current version of 

AHAM Standard DH–1. 77 FR 31444 

(May 25, 2012). 

III. Energy Conservation Standards 

During this rulemaking, DOE will 

determine whether to further amend the 

energy conservation standards for 

residential dehumidifiers. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(cc)). EPCA requires that any new 

or amended energy conservation 

standard be designed to achieve the 

maximum improvement in energy or 

water efficiency that is technologically 

feasible and economically justified. To 

determine whether a standard is 

economically justified, EPCA requires 

that DOE determine whether the 

benefits of the standard exceed its 

burdens by considering, to the greatest 

extent practicable, the following: 

(1) The economic impact of the standard 

on the manufacturers and consumers of the 

affected products; 

(2) The savings in operating costs 

throughout the estimated average life of the 

product compared to any increases in the 

initial cost, or maintenance expense; 

(3) The total projected amount of energy 

and water (if applicable) savings likely to 

result directly from the imposition of the 

standard; 

(4) Any lessening of the utility or the 

performance of the products likely to result 

from the imposition of the standard; 

(5) The impact of any lessening of 

competition, as determined in writing by the 

Attorney General, that is likely to result from 

the imposition of the standard; 

(6) The need for national energy and water 

conservation; and 

(7) Other factors the Secretary considers 

relevant. 

(42 U.S.C. 6295 (o)(2)(B)(i)) 

To begin the required rulemaking 

process, DOE has prepared a framework 

document to explain the issues, 

analyses, and processes that it is 

considering for the development of 

amended energy conservation standards 

for residential dehumidifiers. The 

framework document is available at 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ 

appliance_standards/residential/ 

dehumidifiers.html. 

Additionally, DOE will hold a public 

meeting to focus on the analyses and 

issues described in the framework 

document. DOE encourages anyone who 

wishes to participate in the public 

meeting to view the framework 

document and to be prepared to discuss 

its contents. Public meeting participants 

need not limit their comments to the 

topics identified in the framework 

document; DOE is also interested in 

receiving views on other relevant issues 

that participants believe would affect 

energy conservation standards for these 

products. DOE welcomes all interested 

parties, regardless of whether they 

participate in the public meeting, to 

submit in writing comments and 

information on matters addressed in the 

framework document and on other 

matters relevant to consideration of 

standards for residential dehumidifiers. 

DOE will conduct the public meeting 

in an informal conference style. A court 

reporter will record the minutes of the 

meeting. The discussion will not 

include proprietary information, costs 

or prices, market shares, or other 

commercial matters regulated by U.S. 

antitrust laws. 

After the public meeting and the 

expiration of the period for submitting 

written statements, DOE will begin 

collecting data, conducting the analyses 

as discussed at the public meeting, and 

reviewing public comments. 

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 the rulemaking 

process for residential dehumidifiers 

should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at 

(202) 586–2945 

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 31, 

2012. 

Kathleen B. Hogan, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy, Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2012–20231 Filed 8–16–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Parts 43, 91, and 145 

[Docket No. FAA–2006–26408; Notice No. 

12–03] 

RIN 2120–AJ61 

Repair Stations; Extension of 

Comment Period 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM); Extension of comment period. 

SUMMARY: This action extends the 

comment period for an NPRM that was 

published on May 21, 2012. In that 

document, the FAA proposed to update 

and revise the regulations for repair 

stations. This extension is a result of 

formal requests from repair stations and 

industry associations to extend the 

comment period to the proposal. This 

extension is necessary to afford all 

interested parties an opportunity to 

present their views on the proposed 

rulemaking. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before November 19, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

identified by Docket No. FAA–2006– 

26408 using any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and follow 

the online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 


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