Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 11, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47167 

requests an extension of an unspecified 

amount of time. Some of these 

comments state that additional time is 

needed given the complexity of the 

issues, while others state that an 

extension of the comment period will 

allow time for wine industry members 

to reach a consensus on the proposal. 

Determination To Reopen the Public 

Comment Period 

In response to the requests to extend 

the comment period, TTB is reopening 

the comment period for Notice No. 160 

for an additional 90 days. We believe 

that 90 days will provide industry 

members and the public with the 

additional time necessary to fully 

consider both the original proposal put 

forth in Notice No. 160 and the 

alternative proposals discussed above. 

Therefore, comments on Notice No. 160 

are now due to TTB on or before January 

9, 2018. 

In addition to comments on the 

alternative proposals discussed above, 

TTB is interested in comments that 

address whether the alternative 

proposals should apply only to wines 

labeled under certificates of exemption 

for label approval, or if they should also 

apply to wines labeled under certificates 

of label approval, in which case 

corresponding amendments to the 

labeling regulations in part 4 would be 

necessary. TTB is also interested in 

comments regarding whether these 

proposals should apply to non-grape 

wines. Please provide specific 

information in support of your 

comments. 

Submission of New Comments 

Comments on the original proposal 

put forth in Notice No. 160 and the 

alternative proposals discussed above 

may be submitted electronically via the 

online comment form for this document, 

Notice No. 160B, as posted within 

Docket No. TTB–2016–0005 at 

‘‘Regulations.gov,’’ the Federal erulemaking portal. Comments may also 

be submitted via U.S. mail or hand 

delivery as described above in the 

ADDRESSES section of this document. 

Drafting Information 

Jennifer Berry of the Regulations and 

Rulings Division drafted this document. 

Signed: September 28, 2017. 

John J. Manfreda, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21817 Filed 10–10–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–31–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 

Bureau 

27 CFR Part 24 

[Docket No. TTB–2016–0010; Notice No. 

164A; Re: Notice No. 164] 

RIN 1513–AB61 

Wine Treating Materials and Related 

Regulations; Comment Period 

Reopening 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

reopening of comment period. 

SUMMARY: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax 

and Trade Bureau (TTB) is reopening for 

an additional 90 days the comment 

period for Notice No. 164, Wine 

Treating Materials and Related 

Regulations, a notice of proposed 

rulemaking published in the Federal 

Register on November 22, 2016. TTB is 

taking this action in response to 

requests from wine industry members 

and trade associations. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

proposed rule published on November 

22, 2016 (81 FR 83752) is reopened for 

90 days. Written comments on Notice 

No. 164 are now due on or before 

January 9, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments 

on Notice No. 164 to one of the 

following addresses: 

• Internet: https://

www.regulations.gov (via the online 

comment form for Notice No. 164 as 

posted within Docket No. TTB–2016– 

0010 at Regulations.gov, the Federal erulemaking portal); 

• U.S. Mail: Director, Regulations and 

Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco 

Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street 

NW., Box 12, Washington, DC 20005; or 

• Hand delivery/courier in lieu of 

mail: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Suite 

400, Washington, DC 20005. 

See the Public Participation section of 

Notice No. 164 for specific instructions 

and requirements for submitting 

comments, and for information on how 

to request a public hearing. 

You may view copies of this 

document, Notice No. 164, and any 

comments made to TTB about the 

described proposals at https://

www.regulations.gov within Docket No. 

TTB–2016–0010. A link to that docket is 

posted on the TTB Web site at https:// 

www.ttb.gov/wine/winerulemaking.shtml under Notice No. 164. 

You also may view copies of this 

document, Notice No. 164, and any 

comments made to TTB about the 

described proposals by appointment at 

the TTB Information Resource Center, 

1310 G Street NW., Washington, DC 

20005. Please call (202) 453–2270 to 

make an appointment. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kara 

Fontaine, Regulations and Rulings 

Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Box 

12, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202) 

453–1039, ext. 103. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Notice 

No. 164, a notice of proposed 

rulemaking published in the Federal 

Register on November 22, 2016 (81 FR 

83752), the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax 

and Trade Bureau (TTB) requested 

public comment on amendments to its 

regulations pertaining to the production 

of wine and in particular in regard to 

the permissible treatments that may be 

applied to wine and to juice from which 

wine is made. TTB issued the proposed 

amendments in response to requests 

from wine industry members to 

authorize certain wine treating materials 

and processes not currently authorized 

by TTB regulations. In Notice No. 164, 

TTB invited comments on the proposed 

regulatory changes and the wine 

treatments and materials issues 

addressed in that document. The 60-day 

comment period for Notice No. 164 

originally closed on January 23, 2017. 

On December 27, 2016, TTB received 

a letter from the Wine Institute, a large 

wine industry trade association based in 

San Francisco, California, requesting a 

six-month extension of the comment 

period on the wine treating materials 

and other regulatory amendments 

proposed in Notice No. 164. In its letter, 

the Wine Institute stated that its 

members required additional time to 

consider the ‘‘complex, highly technical 

proposal’’ contained in Notice No. 164, 

as well as the document’s request for 

input on other regulatory issues. The 

Wine Institute also noted that TTB’s 

proposal was published during the busy 

holiday season, and that it required 

additional time to reach out to its 

members and other wine industry trade 

associations to discuss how best to 

respond to Notice No. 164. The Wine 

Institute letter is posted as Comment 3 

to Notice No. 164 within Docket No. 

TTB–2016–0010 on the Regulations.gov 

Web site at https://www.regulations.gov. 

In addition, TTB received one comment 

supporting the Wine Institute’s request 

for an extension of the comment period 

(see Comment 4). 

On January 9, 2017, TTB received a 

letter from Laffort USA, a producer of 

wine treating materials, which also 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47168 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 11, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

1 Docket No. ACR2015, Annual Compliance 

Determination Report, Fiscal Year 2015, March 28, 

2016, at 165 (FY 2015 ACD). 

2 Docket No. ACR2015, Third Response of the 

United States Postal Service to Commission 

Requests for Additional Information in the FY 2015 

Annual Compliance Determination, Report 

Regarding Information about Flats Data Systems, 

July 26, 2016 (120-Day Response). 3 Docket No. ACR2015, Commission Information 

Request No. 1, September 27, 2016 (CIR No. 1). 4See Docket No. ACR2015, Order Scheduling 

Technical Conference, September 27, 2016 (Order 

No. 3539). 5 Docket No. ACR2015, Response of the United 

States Postal Service to Commission Information 

Request No. 1, November 28, 2016 (Response to CIR 

No. 1). 6 Docket No. ACR2016, Annual Compliance 

Determination Report, March 28, 2017, at 170. 

requested a six-month extension of the 

comment period for Notice No. 164. In 

its letter, Laffort USA noted the 

proposed rulemaking requested 

comments ‘‘on many other topics of 

great relevance to the U.S. wine 

industry,’’ and that it the comment 

period ‘‘covered the entire holiday 

season.’’ The Laffort USA letter is 

posted as Comment 5 to Notice No. 164 

within Docket No. TTB–2016–0010 on 

the Regulations.gov Web site at https:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

In response to these requests, TTB is 

reopening the comment period for 

Notice No. 164 for an additional 90 

days. TTB notes that the wine treating 

materials discussed in the regulatory 

amendments in Notice No. 164 have 

been previously approved 

administratively for use by wine 

industry members in the treatment of 

their wine. TTB believes that a 90-day 

reopening of the comment period for 

Notice No. 164 will allow all interested 

parties to fully consider the regulatory 

amendments proposed in that 

document. 

Therefore, comments on Notice No. 

164 are now due to TTB on or before 

January 9, 2018. Comments on Notice 

No. 164 may be submitted as described 

above in the ADDRESSES section of this 

document. 

Drafting Information 

Michael Hoover of the Regulations 

and Rulings Division drafted this 

document. 

Signed: September 28, 2017. 

John J. Manfreda, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21809 Filed 10–10–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–31–P 

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 

39 CFR Part 3050 

[Docket No. RM2018–1; Order No. 4142] 

Data Enhancements and Reporting 

Requirements for Flats 

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed 

rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Commission is initiating 

a proceeding to explore enhancements 

to the Postal Service’s data systems and 

to facilitate the development of 

consistent reporting requirements. This 

document informs the public of the 

filing, invites public comment, and 

takes other administrative steps. 

DATES: Comments are due: December 4, 

2017. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

electronically via the Commission’s 

Filing Online system at http://

www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit 

comments electronically should contact 

the person identified in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section by 

telephone for advice on filing 

alternatives. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 

202–789–6820. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Introduction 

II. Background 

III. Next Step 

IV. Ordering Paragraphs 

I. Introduction 

The Commission initiates this 

proceeding to explore potential 

enhancements to the Postal Service’s 

data systems and to facilitate the 

development of consistent reporting 

requirements. These data enhancements 

and reporting requirements will be used 

to measure, track, and report the cost 

and service performance issues 

concerning flat-shaped mailpieces 

(flats). 

II. Background 

In the FY 2015 ACD, the Commission 

identified and analyzed six ‘‘pinch 

points’’ that contribute to cost and 

service issues for flats: 1

• Bundle processing 

• Low productivity on automated 

equipment 

• Manual sorting 

• Productivity and service issues in 

allied operations 

• Increased transportation time and cost 

• Last mile/delivery 

Using data available at the time, the 

Commission identified and discussed 

flats cost and/or service issues for each 

individual pinch point. See FY 2015 

ACD at 165–180. However, the 

Commission acknowledged that there 

was a ‘‘lack of comprehensive data’’ 

which prevents the Postal Service and 

the Commission from measuring the 

impact of specific initiatives designed to 

improve cost and service issues for flats. 

Id. at 180. 

The Commission directed the Postal 

Service to identify a method to measure, 

track, and report the cost and service 

performance issues relating to each 

individual pinch point identified by the 

Commission at the most granular level 

practicable. Id. at 181. To increase 

transparency, the Commission requested 

certain information in support of the 

identified method: Available data to 

support methods to measure, track and 

report on cost and service issues related 

to flats, information on the cost to 

produce and aggregate current data, 

additional data that would be needed to 

support a method to measure, track and 

report on cost and service issues related 

to flats and the cost to produce that 

data, and the identification of 

information necessary to develop, 

implement, monitor, and quantify 

results for a comprehensive plan to 

improve flats service performance and 

cost coverage if an ideal data system 

were available. Id. 

The Postal Service responded to the 

Commission’s Chapter 6 directive on 

July 26, 2016.2 The Postal Service 

provided an extensive discussion of 

data systems that could be used to 

measure certain aspects of individual 

pinch points; however, it did not 

provide a specific method for each 

pinch point to measure, track, and 

report on cost and service issues related 

to flats. To redirect the Postal Service’s 

response, the Commission issued 

Commission Information Request No. 

1.3 In Order No. 3539, the Commission 

scheduled an off-the-record technical 

conference on October 21, 2016, to 

determine the status of the Postal 

Service’s proposed methods as 

requested in the original Commission 

Directive.4 The Postal Service filed its 

response to CIR No. 1 on November 28, 

2016.5 In both its 120-Day Response and 

in its Response to CIR No. 1, the Postal 

Service provided general information 

related to all pinch points, and 

information specific to each individual 

pinch point. The Postal Service’s 

responses were informative; however, 

the Commission found that neither 

response addressed the Commission’s 

original and main request to develop a 

method to measure, track, and report the 

cost and service performance issues 

relating to the individual pinch points.6

The Postal Service stated that the 

information it provided is ‘‘the first step 


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