Dyna-E International, Inc.; Analysis of Proposed Consent Order to Aid Public Comment, 45204-45206 [E9-20976]
Download as PDF
45204
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 168 / Tuesday, September 1, 2009 / Notices
Dated: August 17, 2009.
Anita L. Davis,
Chief, Superfund Enforcement & Information
Management Branch, Superfund Division.
[FR Doc. E9–21122 Filed 8–31–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collection
Being Reviewed by the Federal
Communications Commission,
Comments Requested
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
August 26, 2009.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications
Commission, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork burden
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on the
following information collection(s), as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. An
agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid control
number. No person shall be subject to
any penalty for failing to comply with
a collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that
does not display a valid control number.
Comments are requested concerning (a)
whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s
burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
DATES: Persons wishing to comments on
this information collection should
submit comments on November 2, 2009.
If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments, but find it
difficult to do so within the period of
time allowed by this notice, you should
advise the contact listed below as soon
as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to
Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), via fax
at (202) 395–5167, or via the Internet at
Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov and
to Cathy Williams, Federal
Communications Commission (FCC),
445 12th Street S.W., Washington, DC
20554. To submit your comments by e–
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:18 Aug 31, 2009
Jkt 217001
mail send then to: PRA@fcc.gov and to
Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information about the
information collection(s) send an e–mail
to PRA@fcc.gov or contact Cathy
Williams on (202) 418–2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060–XXXX.
Title: Application for Permit to
Deliver Programs to Foreign Broadcast
Stations, FCC
Form 308.
Form No.: FCC Form 308.
Type of Review: New information
collection.
Respondents: Business or other for–
profit entities.
Number of Respondents/Responses:
22 respondents; 22 responses.
Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hour.
Obligation to Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. The statutory
authority for this collection is contained
in Section 325(c) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended.
Total Annual Burden: 22 hours.
Annual Cost Burden: $10,890.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No
impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:
In general, there is no need for
confidentiality with this collection of
information.
Needs and Uses: The Federal
Communications Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) is requesting that the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approve the establishment of a
new information collection titled,
‘‘Application for Permit to Deliver
Programs to Foreign Broadcast Stations
(FCC Form 308).’’ Applicants use the
FCC Form 308 to apply, under Section
325(c) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, for authority to
locate, use, or maintain a studio in the
United States for the purpose of
supplying program material to a foreign
radio or TV broadcast station whose
signals are consistently received in the
United States, or for extension of
existing authority.
Currently, the FCC Form 308 is only
available to the public in paper form.
The Commission is requesting OMB
approval of a revised FCC Form 308, in
Excel format, that will be made
available to the public on the FCC
Forms page of the FCC’s website,
www.fcc.gov .
The form was revised to make it more
user friendly and to include questions to
obtain only the legal and technical
information that is essential to grant
authority to U.S. broadcasters to supply
program material to a foreign radio or
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
TV broadcast station whose signals are
consistently received in the U.S. or to
extend the current authority. After the
applicant completes the form, it is
mailed to the U.S. Bank along with the
application fee. Then, it is forwarded to
the International Bureau with the
exception of fee exempt applications
which are filed directly with the FCC
Secretary’s Office and then forwarded to
the Bureau.
Without this collection of
information, the Commission would not
be able to ascertain whether the main
studio owner in the US meets various
legal requirements or the foreign
broadcast facility, which receives and
retransmits programming from the main
studio in the US, meets various
technical requirements that prevent
harmful interference to other broadcast
stations or telecommunications
facilities.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–21014 Filed 8–31–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–S
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Docket No. 9336]
Dyna-E International, Inc.; Analysis of
Proposed Consent Order to Aid Public
Comment
Federal Trade Commission.
Proposed Consent Agreement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The consent agreement in this
matter settles alleged violations of
federal law prohibiting unfair or
deceptive acts or practices or unfair
methods of competition. The attached
Analysis to Aid Public Comment
describes both the allegations in the
complaint and the terms of the consent
order — embodied in the consent
agreement — that would settle these
allegations.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before September 25, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are
invited to submit written comments
electronically or in paper form.
Comments should refer to ‘‘Dyna-E, Inc.,
Docket No. 9336’’ to facilitate the
organization of comments. Please note
that your comment — including your
name and your state — will be placed
on the public record of this proceeding,
including on the publicly accessible
FTC website, at (https://www.ftc.gov/os/
publiccomments.shtm).
Because comments will be made
public, they should not include any
E:\FR\FM\01SEN1.SGM
01SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 168 / Tuesday, September 1, 2009 / Notices
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
sensitive personal information, such as
an individual’s Social Security Number;
date of birth; driver’s license number or
other state identification number, or
foreign country equivalent; passport
number; financial account number; or
credit or debit card number. Comments
also should not include any sensitive
health information, such as medical
records or other individually
identifiable health information. In
addition, comments should not include
any ‘‘[t]rade secret or any commercial or
financial information which is obtained
from any person and which is privileged
or confidential. . . .,’’ as provided in
Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C.
46(f), and Commission Rule 4.10(a)(2),
16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). Comments containing
material for which confidential
treatment is requested must be filed in
paper form, must be clearly labeled
‘‘Confidential,’’ and must comply with
FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).1
Because paper mail addressed to the
FTC is subject to delay due to
heightened security screening, please
consider submitting your comments in
electronic form. Comments filed in
electronic form should be submitted by
using the following weblink: (https://
secure.commentworks.com/ftc-DynaE)
and following the instructions on the
web-based form). To ensure that the
Commission considers an electronic
comment, you must file it on the webbased form at the weblink: (https://
secure.commentworks.com/ftc-DynaE).
If this Notice appears at (https://
www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp),
you may also file an electronic comment
through that website. The Commission
will consider all comments that
regulations.gov forwards to it. You may
also visit the FTC website at (https://
www.ftc.gov/) to read the Notice and the
news release describing it.
A comment filed in paper form
should include the ‘‘Dyna-E, Inc.,
Docket No. 9336’’ reference both in the
text and on the envelope, and should be
mailed or delivered to the following
address: Federal Trade Commission,
Office of the Secretary, Room H-135
(Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is
requesting that any comment filed in
paper form be sent by courier or
overnight service, if possible, because
U.S. postal mail in the Washington area
1The comment must be accompanied by an
explicit request for confidential treatment,
including the factual and legal basis for the request,
and must identify the specific portions of the
comment to be withheld from the public record.
The request will be granted or denied by the
Commission’s General Counsel, consistent with
applicable law and the public interest. See FTC
Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:18 Aug 31, 2009
Jkt 217001
and at the Commission is subject to
delay due to heightened security
precautions.
The Federal Trade Commission Act
(‘‘FTC Act’’) and other laws the
Commission administers permit the
collection of public comments to
consider and use in this proceeding as
appropriate. The Commission will
consider all timely and responsive
public comments that it receives,
whether filed in paper or electronic
form. Comments received will be
available to the public on the FTC
website, to the extent practicable, at
(https://www.ftc.gov/os/
publiccomments.shtm). As a matter of
discretion, the Commission makes every
effort to remove home contact
information for individuals from the
public comments it receives before
placing those comments on the FTC
website. More information, including
routine uses permitted by the Privacy
Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy
policy, at (https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/
privacy.shtm).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael J. Davis, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC 20580, (202) 3262458.
Pursuant
to section 6(f) of the Federal Trade
Commission Act, 38 Stat. 721, 15 U.S.C.
46(f), and § 3.25(f) the Commission
Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 3.25(f), notice
is hereby given that the above-captioned
consent agreement containing a consent
order to cease and desist, having been
filed with and accepted, subject to final
approval, by the Commission, has been
placed on the public record for a period
of thirty (30) days. The following
Analysis to Aid Public Comment
describes the terms of the consent
agreement, and the allegations in the
complaint. An electronic copy of the
full text of the consent agreement
package can be obtained from the FTC
Home Page (for August 26, 2009), on the
World Wide Web, at (https://
www.ftc.gov/os/actions.shtm). A paper
copy can be obtained from the FTC
Public Reference Room, Room 130-H,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20580, either in person
or by calling (202) 326-2222.
Public comments are invited, and may
be filed with the Commission in either
paper or electronic form. All comments
should be filed as prescribed in the
ADDRESSES section above, and must be
received on or before the date specified
in the DATES section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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45205
Analysis of Agreement Containing
Consent Order to Aid Public Comment
The Federal Trade Commission
(‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) has accepted,
subject to final approval, an agreement
containing a consent order from DynaE International, Inc., a corporation, and
its president and director, George
Wheeler (‘‘respondents’’).
The proposed consent order has been
placed on the public record for thirty
(30) days for reception of comments by
interested persons. Comments received
during this period will become part of
the public record. After thirty (30) days,
the Commission will again review the
agreement and the comments received
and will decide whether it should
withdraw from the agreement or make
final the agreement’s proposed order.
This matter involves respondents’
marketing and sale of Lightload Towels
with packaging and other marketing
materials that prominently state
‘‘biodegradable’’ without qualification.
According to the FTC complaint,
respondents represented that Lightload
Towels will completely break down and
return to nature, i.e., decompose into
elements found in nature, within a
reasonably short period of time after
customary disposal. The complaint
alleges respondents’ biodegradable
claim is false because a substantial
majority of total household waste is
disposed of either in landfills,
incinerators, or recycling facilities and
these customary disposal methods do
not present conditions that would allow
for Lightload Towels to completely
break down and return to nature, i.e.,
decompose into elements found in
nature, within a reasonably short period
of time. The complaint further alleges
that respondents failed to have
substantiation for their biodegradable
claim. The proposed consent order
contains provisions designed to prevent
respondents from engaging in similar
acts and practices in the future.
Part I.A of the proposed order
prohibits respondents from making a
representation that any product is
degradable unless the representation is
true, not misleading, and substantiated
by competent and reliable scientific
evidence. Part I.B prohibits respondents
from making any other environmental
benefit claim about any product, unless
at the time the representation is made,
it is truthful and not misleading, and
substantiated by competent and reliable
evidence, which when appropriate must
be competent and reliable scientific
evidence.
Parts II through VI require
respondents to keep copies of relevant
advertisements and materials
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01SEN1
45206
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 168 / Tuesday, September 1, 2009 / Notices
substantiating claims made in the
advertisements; to provide copies of the
order to certain of their personnel; to
notify the Commission of changes in
corporate structure that might affect
compliance obligations under the order;
to notify the Commission of changes in
residence, employment, or business
affiliation; to file compliance reports
with the Commission; and to respond to
other requests from FTC staff. Part VII
provides that the order will terminate
after twenty (20) years under certain
circumstances.
The purpose of this analysis is to
facilitate public comment on the
proposed order. It is not intended to
constitute an official interpretation of
the agreement and proposed order or to
modify in any way their terms.
By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–20976 Filed 8–31–09: 2:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 6750–01–S
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services
Administration
Notice Regarding 340B Drug Pricing
Program—Children’s Hospitals
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services
Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Final notice.
SUMMARY: Section 340B of the Public
Health Service Act (section 340B) and
section 1927(a) of the Social Security
Act (section 1927(a)) implement a drug
pricing program in which manufacturers
who sell covered outpatient drugs to
covered entities must agree to charge a
price that will not exceed an amount
determined under a statutory formula.
Section 6004 of the Deficit Reduction
Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–171) (section
6004) added certain qualifying
children’s hospitals to the list of
covered entities eligible to access 340B
discounted drugs. The purpose of this
notice is to inform interested parties of
final guidelines regarding the addition
of children’s hospitals that meet certain
requirements, specifically: (1) The
process for the registration of children’s
hospitals to the 340B Program; and (2)
the obligation of manufacturers to
provide the statutorily mandated
discount to those children’s hospitals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Jimmy Mitchell, Director, Office of
Pharmacy Affairs (OPA), Healthcare
Systems Bureau (HSB), Health
VerDate Nov<24>2008
19:53 Aug 31, 2009
Jkt 217001
Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn
Building, Room 10C–03, Rockville, MD
20857, or by telephone through the
Pharmacy Services Support Center at
1–800–628–6297.
DATES: Effective Date: September 1,
2009.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
(A) Background
Proposed guidelines for children’s
hospitals were announced in the
Federal Register at 72 FR 37250 on July
9, 2007. A comment period of 60 days
was established to allow interested
parties to submit comments. HRSA,
HSB, acting through the OPA, received
20 comments concerning the proposal.
Section 602 of Public Law 102–585,
the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992,
established section 340B of the Public
Health Service Act and added certain
implementation provisions for the 340B
Program to section 1927(a) of the Social
Security Act. Section 340B contains the
majority of the requirements for covered
entities participating in the 340B
Program, while the relevant provisions
of section 1927(a) of the Social Security
Act provide primarily for the
requirement that manufacturers provide
the statutorily mandated discount to
covered entities.
Section 340B contains a list of
covered entities that are eligible to
receive discounts through the 340B
Program. The list includes entities such
as Federally Qualified Health Centers,
State-operated AIDS drug purchasing
assistance programs, and certain
disproportionate share hospitals.
Children’s hospitals were not included
as covered entities under section 340B
in the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992
as enacted.
Section 6004 of the Deficit Reduction
Act (DRA), Pub. L. 109–171, added
certain qualifying children’s hospitals as
covered entities eligible to access 340B
discounted drugs. Section 6004 did not
amend section 340B (which contains
many of the requirements for covered
entities), however, the DRA provision
amended section 1927(a) of the Social
Security Act (which primarily contains
requirements for manufacturers’
participation) to add children’s
hospitals to the 340B Program.
To be eligible for the 340B Drug
Pricing Program, section 1927(a), as
amended by section 6004 of the DRA,
requires children’s hospitals to meet the
requirements of clauses (i) and (iii) of
section 340B(a)(4)(L) of the Public
Health Service Act, which contain
provisions for State or local government
affiliations and non-participation in
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Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
group purchasing organizations. In
addition, children’s hospitals must meet
the requirements of clause (ii) of such
section, which contains requirements
for the provision of indigent care, if
such section ‘‘were applied by taking
into account the percentage of care
provided by the hospital to patients
eligible for medical assistance’’ under
Medicaid.
We received several comments in
support of the proposal. Supporting
comments agreed with the proposed
guidelines and that section 6004 of the
DRA brings eligible children’s hospitals
into the 340B program. Several
commenters agreed with requiring
children’s hospitals to demonstrate their
status as defined by the Social Security
Act section 1886(d)(1)(B)(iii) and to
obtain a Medicare provider number in
the 3300 series. Many comments
supported obtaining an independent
audit to certify eligibility requirements
and to help ensure program integrity.
Comments supported HRSA’s position
that current Pharmaceutical Pricing
Agreements (PPAs) are already broad
enough to include children’s hospitals
as covered entities.
Additional comments challenged
HRSA’s legal authority and compliance
with the Administrative Procedure Act
as well as contractual authority with
existing PPAs. Other comments raised
issues of retroactive discounts,
prevention of duplicate discounts, and
alternative eligibility criteria such as
using disproportionate patient
percentages and independent audits. All
comments discussed the potential
impacts on covered entities, patients,
and manufacturers.
The following section presents a
summary of all major comments,
grouped by subject, and a response to
each comment. All comments were
considered in developing this final
notice and changes were made to
content when appropriate.
(B) Comments and Responses
(1) HRSA’s Legal Authority
Comment: HRSA lacks authority to
add children’s hospitals to the 340B
program through guidelines.
Response: HRSA disagrees. The
Department publishes guidelines in the
Federal Register providing a public
comment period to obtain input into
guidance development. Congress did
not prescribe the process by which
children’s hospitals would be added
into the 340B program. HRSA has
authority to provide guidelines
interpreting the statute and its intended
administration of the 340B program.
The guidelines are not subject to the
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01SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45204-45206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20976]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Docket No. 9336]
Dyna-E International, Inc.; Analysis of Proposed Consent Order to
Aid Public Comment
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Proposed Consent Agreement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged
violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or
practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to
Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the complaint and
the terms of the consent order -- embodied in the consent agreement --
that would settle these allegations.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 25, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments
electronically or in paper form. Comments should refer to ``Dyna-E,
Inc., Docket No. 9336'' to facilitate the organization of comments.
Please note that your comment -- including your name and your state --
will be placed on the public record of this proceeding, including on
the publicly accessible FTC website, at (https://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm).
Because comments will be made public, they should not include any
[[Page 45205]]
sensitive personal information, such as an individual's Social Security
Number; date of birth; driver's license number or other state
identification number, or foreign country equivalent; passport number;
financial account number; or credit or debit card number. Comments also
should not include any sensitive health information, such as medical
records or other individually identifiable health information. In
addition, comments should not include any ``[t]rade secret or any
commercial or financial information which is obtained from any person
and which is privileged or confidential. . . .,'' as provided in
Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and Commission Rule
4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). Comments containing material for which
confidential treatment is requested must be filed in paper form, must
be clearly labeled ``Confidential,'' and must comply with FTC Rule
4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\The comment must be accompanied by an explicit request for
confidential treatment, including the factual and legal basis for
the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment
to be withheld from the public record. The request will be granted
or denied by the Commission's General Counsel, consistent with
applicable law and the public interest. See FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR
4.9(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because paper mail addressed to the FTC is subject to delay due to
heightened security screening, please consider submitting your comments
in electronic form. Comments filed in electronic form should be
submitted by using the following weblink: (https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-DynaE) and following the instructions on
the web-based form). To ensure that the Commission considers an
electronic comment, you must file it on the web-based form at the
weblink: (https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-DynaE). If this Notice
appears at (https://www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp), you may also
file an electronic comment through that website. The Commission will
consider all comments that regulations.gov forwards to it. You may also
visit the FTC website at (https://www.ftc.gov/) to read the Notice and
the news release describing it.
A comment filed in paper form should include the ``Dyna-E, Inc.,
Docket No. 9336'' reference both in the text and on the envelope, and
should be mailed or delivered to the following address: Federal Trade
Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135 (Annex D), 600
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting
that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight
service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area
and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security
precautions.
The Federal Trade Commission Act (``FTC Act'') and other laws the
Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to
consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. The Commission will
consider all timely and responsive public comments that it receives,
whether filed in paper or electronic form. Comments received will be
available to the public on the FTC website, to the extent practicable,
at (https://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm). As a matter of
discretion, the Commission makes every effort to remove home contact
information for individuals from the public comments it receives before
placing those comments on the FTC website. More information, including
routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's
privacy policy, at (https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.shtm).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Davis, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580, (202)
326-2458.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 6(f) of the Federal
Trade Commission Act, 38 Stat. 721, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and Sec. 3.25(f)
the Commission Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 3.25(f), notice is hereby
given that the above-captioned consent agreement containing a consent
order to cease and desist, having been filed with and accepted, subject
to final approval, by the Commission, has been placed on the public
record for a period of thirty (30) days. The following Analysis to Aid
Public Comment describes the terms of the consent agreement, and the
allegations in the complaint. An electronic copy of the full text of
the consent agreement package can be obtained from the FTC Home Page
(for August 26, 2009), on the World Wide Web, at (https://www.ftc.gov/os/actions.shtm). A paper copy can be obtained from the FTC Public
Reference Room, Room 130-H, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20580, either in person or by calling (202) 326-2222.
Public comments are invited, and may be filed with the Commission
in either paper or electronic form. All comments should be filed as
prescribed in the ADDRESSES section above, and must be received on or
before the date specified in the DATES section.
Analysis of Agreement Containing Consent Order to Aid Public Comment
The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') has
accepted, subject to final approval, an agreement containing a consent
order from Dyna-E International, Inc., a corporation, and its president
and director, George Wheeler (``respondents'').
The proposed consent order has been placed on the public record for
thirty (30) days for reception of comments by interested persons.
Comments received during this period will become part of the public
record. After thirty (30) days, the Commission will again review the
agreement and the comments received and will decide whether it should
withdraw from the agreement or make final the agreement's proposed
order.
This matter involves respondents' marketing and sale of Lightload
Towels with packaging and other marketing materials that prominently
state ``biodegradable'' without qualification. According to the FTC
complaint, respondents represented that Lightload Towels will
completely break down and return to nature, i.e., decompose into
elements found in nature, within a reasonably short period of time
after customary disposal. The complaint alleges respondents'
biodegradable claim is false because a substantial majority of total
household waste is disposed of either in landfills, incinerators, or
recycling facilities and these customary disposal methods do not
present conditions that would allow for Lightload Towels to completely
break down and return to nature, i.e., decompose into elements found in
nature, within a reasonably short period of time. The complaint further
alleges that respondents failed to have substantiation for their
biodegradable claim. The proposed consent order contains provisions
designed to prevent respondents from engaging in similar acts and
practices in the future.
Part I.A of the proposed order prohibits respondents from making a
representation that any product is degradable unless the representation
is true, not misleading, and substantiated by competent and reliable
scientific evidence. Part I.B prohibits respondents from making any
other environmental benefit claim about any product, unless at the time
the representation is made, it is truthful and not misleading, and
substantiated by competent and reliable evidence, which when
appropriate must be competent and reliable scientific evidence.
Parts II through VI require respondents to keep copies of relevant
advertisements and materials
[[Page 45206]]
substantiating claims made in the advertisements; to provide copies of
the order to certain of their personnel; to notify the Commission of
changes in corporate structure that might affect compliance obligations
under the order; to notify the Commission of changes in residence,
employment, or business affiliation; to file compliance reports with
the Commission; and to respond to other requests from FTC staff. Part
VII provides that the order will terminate after twenty (20) years
under certain circumstances.
The purpose of this analysis is to facilitate public comment on the
proposed order. It is not intended to constitute an official
interpretation of the agreement and proposed order or to modify in any
way their terms.
By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-20976 Filed 8-31-09: 2:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-S