Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for Proposed Innovative Electronic Platform Track Intrusion System, 58530-58532 [2015-24643]

Download as PDF 58530 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 188 / Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration [Docket No. FTA–2015–0027] Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for Voith Propulsion Unit AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT. Notice of Proposed Buy America waiver and request for comment. ACTION: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) received a request from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for a Buy America waiver for Voith Turbo Schneider Propeller GmbH (Voith) 21/ R5 propulsion units based on nonavailability. Voith, located in Germany, is the sole manufacturer of the required propulsion units. VDOT is procuring the propulsion units as part of an engine and drive system replacement for the Ferry Boat Pocahontas, which is operated by VDOT. There are no domestic manufacturers of equivalent propulsion units. FTA is providing notice of the non-availability waiver request and seeks public comment before deciding whether to grant the request. If granted, the waiver would apply to the purchase of two (2) Voith 21/R5 propulsion units. FTA is also providing notice that it will be conducting a supplier scouting search to determine whether there are domestic alternatives to the propulsion units via the process described at the end of this Notice. DATES: Comments must be received by October 29, 2015. Late-filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable. ADDRESSES: Please submit your comments by one of the following means, identifying your submissions by docket number FTA–2015–0027: 1. Web site: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site. 2. Fax: (202) 493–2251. 3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001. 4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Instructions: All submissions must make reference to the ‘‘Federal Transit asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:28 Sep 28, 2015 Jkt 235001 Administration’’ and include docket number FTA–2015–0027. Due to the security procedures in effect since October 2011, mail received through the U.S. Postal Service may be subject to delays. Parties making submissions responsive to this notice should consider using an express mail firm to ensure the prompt filing of any submissions not filed electronically or by hand. Note that all submissions received, including any personal information therein, will be posted without change or alteration to https:// www.regulations.gov. For more information, you may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit https://www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Goldin, FTA Attorney-Advisor, at (202) 366–2743 or laura.goldin@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this notice is to provide notice and seek public comment on whether the FTA should grant a Buy America waiver to VODT for the purchase of two (2) Voith 21/R5 propulsion units based on nonavailability. On August 12, 2015, VDOT requested a Buy America waiver for the procurement of the propulsion units. VDOT’s request identified Voith, located in Germany, as the sole manufacturer of the required propulsion units. No known domestic equivalents exist. VDOT is procuring the propulsion units as part of an engine and drive system replacement for the Ferry Boat Pocahontas, which is operated by VDOT on the Jamestown-Scotland ferry route crossing the James River in Virginia. The original propulsion units have reached the end of their useful life. Although the new ferry engines will be manufactured domestically by Caterpillar, Inc., the vessel has a specific propulsion design utilizing a vertical axis cycloidal propeller. The Pocahontas was designed around the vertical propeller configuration. The entirety of the vessel’s hull, the engine housing, the dimensions of the vessel, and the ballast locations, are all configured to work with a vertical propulsion unit, which ensures proper piloting and vessel stability. As part of the procurement planning, VDOT contracted with Alion Science and Technology Corp. (Alion) to develop the design of the entire engine replacement. Alion concluded that the Voith propulsion units were paired appropriately (in terms of performance and cost) with the engines manufactured domestically by Caterpillar. PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 With certain exceptions, FTA’s Buy America requirements prevent FTA from obligating an amount that may be appropriated to carry out its program for a project unless ‘‘the steel, iron, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States.’’ 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(1). If, however, FTA determines that ‘‘the steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States are not produced in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or are not of a satisfactory quality,’’ then FTA may issue a non-availability waiver. 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(B); 49 CFR 661.7(c). Before FTA determines whether to issue a non-availability waiver to VDOT for the Voith propulsion units, FTA seeks public comment from all interested parties in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(3)(A). Comments will help FTA understand completely the facts surrounding the request, including the merit of the request. Full copies of the VDOT’s request have been placed in docket number FTA–2015–0027. Concurrent with the publication of this Notice, FTA will be conducting a scouting search through its Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is intended to assist manufacturers and transit agencies identify domestically made products. Interested domestic manufacturers should contact Samm Bowman, Business Specialist, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, at samm@nist.gov or 301–975–5978. Issued on September 21, 2015. Dana Nifosi, Deputy Chief Counsel. [FR Doc. 2015–24642 Filed 9–28–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–57–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration [Docket No. FTA–2015–0026] Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for Proposed Innovative Electronic Platform Track Intrusion System AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT. Notice of Proposed Buy America waiver and request for comment. ACTION: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) received a request from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) for a Buy America nonavailability waiver for the procurement of a proposed innovative electronic SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\29SEN1.SGM 29SEN1 asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 188 / Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Notices platform track intrusion system (PTIDS). LACMTA seeks to procure the PTIDS for research and testing purposes to determine whether such a system will help to increase rail safety by identifying obstacles in the right-of-way. PTIDS uses radar transponder technology, such as sensors, to detect intrusions on rail tracks. If an object is detected, the sensors immediately send notification to personnel who may then stop the train and take appropriate action. LACMTA seeks a waiver for the PTIDS because it contains twelve components, six of which only are available from a single source and currently are not manufactured in the United States. FTA is providing notice of the non-availability waiver request and seeks public comment before deciding whether to grant the request. If granted, the waiver only would apply to this one procurement of the specific PTIDS components identified in this waiver request, and not to any future procurement by LACMTA or others. FTA also is providing notice that it will conduct a supplier scouting search for domestic alternatives to the foreign components via the process described in this Notice. DATES: Comments must be received by October 13, 2015. Late-filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable. ADDRESSES: Please submit your comments by one of the following means, identifying your submissions by docket number FTA–2015–0026: 1. Web site: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site. 2. Fax: (202) 493–2251. 3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001. 4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Instructions: All submissions must make reference to the ‘‘Federal Transit Administration’’ and include docket number FTA–2015–0026. Due to the security procedures in effect since October 2011, mail received through the U.S. Postal Service may be subject to delays. Parties making submissions responsive to this Notice should consider using an express mail firm to ensure the prompt filing of any VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:54 Sep 28, 2015 Jkt 235001 submissions not filed electronically or by hand. Note that all submissions received, including any personal information therein, will be posted without change or alteration to https:// www.regulations.gov. For more information, you may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit https://www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Goldin, FTA Attorney-Advisor, at (202) 366–2743 or laura.goldin@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this Notice is to provide notice and seek public comment on whether the FTA should grant a nonavailability waiver to LACMTA for the procurement of a PTIDS. On May 1, 2015, LACMTA requested a Buy America non-availability waiver for the PTIDS because several components are only available from a single source and are not produced in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality in the United States. 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(A); 49 CFR 661.7(c). LACMTA operates both heavy rail and light rail for 80 stations spanning 87 service miles. In December 2013, LACMTA entered into a partnership with Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell) and ProTran Technology LLC to submit an application in response to FTA’s Notice of Funding Availability Solicitation of Project Proposals for Innovative Safety, Resiliency, and All-Hazards Emergency Response and Recovery Research Demonstrations. The goal of LACMTA’s proposal is to demonstrate that the PTIDS is the most reliable, efficient, and secure system available and can immediately identify any right-of-way obstacles. The PTIDS relies on radar transponder technology to send an instant warning to rail operation safety systems and personnel. If an intrusion is detected, the PTIDS sensors trigger safety systems and notify personnel, so that the train can be stopped. Due to the accuracy and immediacy of the technology, LACMTA claims that the PTIDS allows for the greatest response time so more accidents will be avoided. PTIDS also has fail-safe mechanisms and uses algorithms to prevent false alarms, which plague many other platform intrusion detection systems on the market. In addition, LACMTA states that some components of this system are custom-designed. For instance, the PTIDS uses a radio-wave based sensor sub-system, a signal processing subsystem, a video sub-system, and a communications sub-system that provides alerts to operators. All of these PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 58531 sub-systems work together and are connected to one another by custom cables that are designed for the particular rail system and equipment. Honeywell currently manufactures the safety system equipment in Germany. LACMTA states that some PTIDS components currently are not available in the United States and no U.S. manufacturers make acceptable substitutes. Therefore, LACMTA is requesting a Buy America nonavailablily waiver for certain PTIDS components that are manufactured abroad. 49 CFR 661.7. According to LACMTA’s request, six of the 12 components that comprise the PTIDS are foreign-made and require a non-availability waiver under 49 CFR 661.7. Those components requiring a waiver are: The AXIS fixed outdoor dome camera manufactured in Sweden; the AXIS wall mount for dome cameras manufactured in Sweden; the Honeywell Module Radar Sensor Modules Pair manufactured in Germany; the Honeywell GPC/CCU controller units manufactured in Germany; the Honeywell GPC Cabinet for equiptment manufactured in Germany and; the Honeywell Custom Cables for interconnection manufactured in Germany. With certain exceptions, FTA’s Buy America requirements prevent FTA from obligating an amount that may be appropriated to carry out its program for a project unless ‘‘the steel, iron, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States.’’ 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(1). A manufactured product is considered produced in the United States if: (1) All of the manufacturing processes for the product take place in the United States; and (2) all of the components of the product are of U.S. origin. A component is considered of U.S. origin if it is manufactured in the United States, regardless of the origin of its subcomponents. 49 CFR 661.5(d). If, however, FTA determines that ‘‘the steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States are not produced in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or are not of a satisfactory quality,’’ then FTA may issue a waiver (non-availability waiver). 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(B); 49 CFR 661.7(c). LACMTA is requesting a Buy America non-availability waiver in order to conduct research on and test the PTIDS for future use. LACMTA also notes that Honeywell may consider domestic manufacturing of certain elements of the PTIDS if this research and testing is successful and if there is adequate industry demand. E:\FR\FM\29SEN1.SGM 29SEN1 58532 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 188 / Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Notices The purpose of this Notice is to publish LACMTA’s request and seek public comment from all interested parties in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(3)(A). Comments will help FTA understand completely the facts surrounding the request, including the merits of the request. A full copy of the request has been placed in docket number FTA–2015–0026. Concurrent with the publication of this Notice, FTA will be conducting a scouting search through its Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is intended to assist manufacturers and transit agencies identify domestically made products. Interested domestic manufacturers should contact Samm Bowman, Business Specialist, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, at samm@nist.gov or 301–975–5978. Issued on September 21, 2015. Dana Nifosi, Deputy Chief Counsel. [FR Doc. 2015–24643 Filed 9–28–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–57–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Department of the Treasury. Notice. AGENCY: asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ACTION: The Department of the Treasury will submit the following information collection requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13, on or after the date of publication of this notice. DATES: Comments should be received on or before October 29, 2015 to be assured of consideration. ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of the information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to (1) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for Treasury, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, or email at OIRA_Submission@ OMB.EOP.gov and (2) Treasury PRA Clearance Officer, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Suite 8140, Washington, DC 20220, or email at PRA@treasury.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by emailing PRA@treasury.gov or viewing the entire information collection request at www.reginfo.gov. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:54 Sep 28, 2015 Jkt 235001 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) OMB Number: 1506–0014. Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. Title: Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments. Form: FinCEN 105. Abstract: FinCEN, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DHS Bureaus, are required under 31 U.S.C. 5316(a) to collect information regarding mailing, shipment, or transportation of currency or monetary instruments of more than $10,000 in value into or out of the United States. Affected Public: Individuals or Households. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 140,000. OMB Number: 1506–0026. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Title: Customer Identification Programs for Banks, Savings Associations, Credit Unions, and Certain Non-federally Regulated Banks. Abstract: Banks, savings associations, credit unions, and certain non-federally regulated banks are required to develop and maintain customer identification programs. See 31 CFR 1020.100. Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 160,380. OMB Number: 1506–0030. Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. Title: Anti-Money Laundering Programs for Dealers in Precious Metals, Precious Stones, or Jewels. Abstract: Desires in precious metals, stones, or jewels are required to establish and maintain a written antimoney laundering program. A copy of the written program must be maintained for five years. See 31 CFR 1027.100. Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 20,000. OMB Number: 1506–0033. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Title: Customer Identification Programs for Mutual Funds. Abstract: Mutual Funds are required to establish and maintain customer identification programs. A copy of the written program must be maintained for five years. See 31 CFR 1024.220. Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits. PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 603,750. OMB Number: 1506–0034. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Title: Customer Identification Programs for Broker-Dealers. Abstract: Broker-dealers are required to establish and maintain a customer identification program. A copy of the program must be maintained for five years. See 31 CFR 1023.220. Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 520,500. Dated: September 24, 2015. Dawn D. Wolfgang, Treasury PRA Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–24633 Filed 9–28–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810–02–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Department of the Treasury. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Department of the Treasury will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104– 13, on or after the date of publication of this notice. DATES: Comments should be received on or before October 29, 2015 to be assured of consideration. ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of the information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to (1) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for Treasury, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, or email at OIRA_Submission@ OMB.EOP.gov and (2) Treasury PRA Clearance Officer, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Suite 8140, Washington, DC 20220, or email at PRA@treasury.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the submission may be obtained by emailing PRA@treasury.gov, or viewing the entire information collection request at www.reginfo.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) OMB Number: 1513–0027. E:\FR\FM\29SEN1.SGM 29SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 188 (Tuesday, September 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58530-58532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24643]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[Docket No. FTA-2015-0026]


Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for Proposed Innovative 
Electronic Platform Track Intrusion System

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Buy America waiver and request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) received a request 
from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 
(LACMTA) for a Buy America non-availability waiver for the procurement 
of a proposed innovative electronic

[[Page 58531]]

platform track intrusion system (PTIDS). LACMTA seeks to procure the 
PTIDS for research and testing purposes to determine whether such a 
system will help to increase rail safety by identifying obstacles in 
the right-of-way. PTIDS uses radar transponder technology, such as 
sensors, to detect intrusions on rail tracks. If an object is detected, 
the sensors immediately send notification to personnel who may then 
stop the train and take appropriate action. LACMTA seeks a waiver for 
the PTIDS because it contains twelve components, six of which only are 
available from a single source and currently are not manufactured in 
the United States. FTA is providing notice of the non-availability 
waiver request and seeks public comment before deciding whether to 
grant the request. If granted, the waiver only would apply to this one 
procurement of the specific PTIDS components identified in this waiver 
request, and not to any future procurement by LACMTA or others. FTA 
also is providing notice that it will conduct a supplier scouting 
search for domestic alternatives to the foreign components via the 
process described in this Notice.

DATES: Comments must be received by October 13, 2015. Late-filed 
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Please submit your comments by one of the following means, 
identifying your submissions by docket number FTA-2015-0026:
    1. Web site: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions 
for submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site.
    2. Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must make reference to the ``Federal 
Transit Administration'' and include docket number FTA-2015-0026. Due 
to the security procedures in effect since October 2011, mail received 
through the U.S. Postal Service may be subject to delays. Parties 
making submissions responsive to this Notice should consider using an 
express mail firm to ensure the prompt filing of any submissions not 
filed electronically or by hand. Note that all submissions received, 
including any personal information therein, will be posted without 
change or alteration to https://www.regulations.gov. For more 
information, you may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the 
Federal Register published April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may 
visit https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Goldin, FTA Attorney-Advisor, at 
(202) 366-2743 or laura.goldin@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this Notice is to provide 
notice and seek public comment on whether the FTA should grant a non-
availability waiver to LACMTA for the procurement of a PTIDS. On May 1, 
2015, LACMTA requested a Buy America non-availability waiver for the 
PTIDS because several components are only available from a single 
source and are not produced in sufficient and reasonably available 
quantities of a satisfactory quality in the United States. 49 U.S.C. 
5323(j)(2)(A); 49 CFR 661.7(c).
    LACMTA operates both heavy rail and light rail for 80 stations 
spanning 87 service miles. In December 2013, LACMTA entered into a 
partnership with Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell) and ProTran 
Technology LLC to submit an application in response to FTA's Notice of 
Funding Availability Solicitation of Project Proposals for Innovative 
Safety, Resiliency, and All-Hazards Emergency Response and Recovery 
Research Demonstrations. The goal of LACMTA's proposal is to 
demonstrate that the PTIDS is the most reliable, efficient, and secure 
system available and can immediately identify any right-of-way 
obstacles. The PTIDS relies on radar transponder technology to send an 
instant warning to rail operation safety systems and personnel. If an 
intrusion is detected, the PTIDS sensors trigger safety systems and 
notify personnel, so that the train can be stopped. Due to the accuracy 
and immediacy of the technology, LACMTA claims that the PTIDS allows 
for the greatest response time so more accidents will be avoided. PTIDS 
also has fail-safe mechanisms and uses algorithms to prevent false 
alarms, which plague many other platform intrusion detection systems on 
the market. In addition, LACMTA states that some components of this 
system are custom-designed. For instance, the PTIDS uses a radio-wave 
based sensor sub-system, a signal processing sub-system, a video sub-
system, and a communications sub-system that provides alerts to 
operators. All of these sub-systems work together and are connected to 
one another by custom cables that are designed for the particular rail 
system and equipment. Honeywell currently manufactures the safety 
system equipment in Germany. LACMTA states that some PTIDS components 
currently are not available in the United States and no U.S. 
manufacturers make acceptable substitutes. Therefore, LACMTA is 
requesting a Buy America non-availablily waiver for certain PTIDS 
components that are manufactured abroad. 49 CFR 661.7.
    According to LACMTA's request, six of the 12 components that 
comprise the PTIDS are foreign-made and require a non-availability 
waiver under 49 CFR 661.7. Those components requiring a waiver are: The 
AXIS fixed outdoor dome camera manufactured in Sweden; the AXIS wall 
mount for dome cameras manufactured in Sweden; the Honeywell Module 
Radar Sensor Modules Pair manufactured in Germany; the Honeywell GPC/
CCU controller units manufactured in Germany; the Honeywell GPC Cabinet 
for equiptment manufactured in Germany and; the Honeywell Custom Cables 
for interconnection manufactured in Germany.
    With certain exceptions, FTA's Buy America requirements prevent FTA 
from obligating an amount that may be appropriated to carry out its 
program for a project unless ``the steel, iron, and manufactured goods 
used in the project are produced in the United States.'' 49 U.S.C. 
5323(j)(1). A manufactured product is considered produced in the United 
States if: (1) All of the manufacturing processes for the product take 
place in the United States; and (2) all of the components of the 
product are of U.S. origin. A component is considered of U.S. origin if 
it is manufactured in the United States, regardless of the origin of 
its subcomponents. 49 CFR 661.5(d). If, however, FTA determines that 
``the steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States are not 
produced in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or are not of 
a satisfactory quality,'' then FTA may issue a waiver (non-availability 
waiver). 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(B); 49 CFR 661.7(c).
    LACMTA is requesting a Buy America non-availability waiver in order 
to conduct research on and test the PTIDS for future use. LACMTA also 
notes that Honeywell may consider domestic manufacturing of certain 
elements of the PTIDS if this research and testing is successful and if 
there is adequate industry demand.

[[Page 58532]]

    The purpose of this Notice is to publish LACMTA's request and seek 
public comment from all interested parties in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 
5323(j)(3)(A). Comments will help FTA understand completely the facts 
surrounding the request, including the merits of the request. A full 
copy of the request has been placed in docket number FTA-2015-0026. 
Concurrent with the publication of this Notice, FTA will be conducting 
a scouting search through its Interagency Agreement with the U.S. 
Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) that is intended to assist manufacturers and transit agencies 
identify domestically made products. Interested domestic manufacturers 
should contact Samm Bowman, Business Specialist, NIST Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership, at samm@nist.gov or 301-975-5978.

    Issued on September 21, 2015.
Dana Nifosi,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2015-24643 Filed 9-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
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