National Conference on Weights and Measures 101st Annual Meeting, 45130-45132 [2016-16372]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
45130
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 133 / Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Notices
assessment rate is above de minimis.
Where either the respondent’s weightedaverage dumping margin is zero or de
minimis, or an importer-specific
assessment rate is zero or de minimis,
we will instruct CBP to liquidate the
appropriate entries without regard to
antidumping duties.
For entries that were not reported in
the U.S. sales database submitted by an
exporter individually examined during
this review, the Department will
instruct CBP to liquidate such entries at
the PRC-wide rate. Additionally, if the
Department determines that an exporter
under review had no shipments of the
subject merchandise, any suspended
entries that entered under that
exporter’s case number will be
liquidated at the PRC-wide rate.9
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit
requirements will be effective upon
publication of the final results of this
administrative review for all shipments
of the subject merchandise from the PRC
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse,
for consumption on or after the
publication date, as provided for by
section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For
the exporters listed above, the cash
deposit rate will be the rate established
in the final results of this review
(except, if the rate is zero or de minimis,
a zero cash deposit rate will be required
for that company); (2) for previously
investigated or reviewed PRC and nonPRC exporters not listed above that have
separate rates, the cash deposit rate will
continue to be the existing producer/
exporter-specific combination rate
published for the most recent period; (3)
for all PRC exporters of subject
merchandise that have not been found
to be eligible for a separate rate, the cash
deposit rate will be the PRC-wide rate
of 285.63 percent; 10 and (4) for all nonPRC exporters of subject merchandise
which have not received their own rate,
the cash deposit rate will be the rate
applicable to the PRC exporter(s) that
supplied that non-PRC exporter. These
deposit requirements, when imposed,
shall remain in effect until further
notice.
Notification to Importers
This notice also serves as a reminder
to importers of their responsibility
under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a
certificate regarding the reimbursement
9 See Non-Market Economy Antidumping
Proceedings: Assessment of Antidumping Duties, 76
FR 65694 (October 24, 2011).
10 See Notice of Final Determination of Sales at
Less Than Fair Value: Chlorinated Isocyanurates
From the People’s Republic of China, 70 FR 24502,
24505 (May 10, 2005).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:30 Jul 11, 2016
Jkt 238001
of antidumping duties prior to
liquidation of the relevant entries
during this review period. Failure to
comply with this requirement could
result in the Department’s presumption
that reimbursement of antidumping
duties occurred and the subsequent
assessment of double antidumping
duties.
We are issuing and publishing these
results in accordance with sections
751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19
CFR 351.213 and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: July 5, 2016.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement
and Compliance.
Appendix
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Scope of the Order
4. Non-Market Economy Country Status
5. Separate Rates
6. Surrogate Country
7. Date of Sale
8. Normal Value Comparisons
9. Factor Valuation Methodology
10. Surrogate Values
11. Comparisons to Normal Value
12. Adjustments for Countervailable
Subsidies
13. Currency Conversion
[FR Doc. 2016–16466 Filed 7–11–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and
Technology
National Conference on Weights and
Measures 101st Annual Meeting
National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The 101st Annual Meeting of
the National Conference on Weights and
Measures (NCWM) will be held in
Denver, Colorado, from Sunday, July 24,
2016, through Thursday, July 28, 2016.
This notice contains information about
significant items on the NCWM
Committee agendas but does not include
all agenda items. As a result, the items
are not consecutively numbered.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Sunday, July 24, 2016, through
Wednesday, July 27, 2016, from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time, and
on Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The
meeting schedule is available at
www.ncwm.net.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
This meeting will be held at
the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton
Street, Denver, Colorado 80202–3999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Kenneth Butcher, NIST, Office of
Weights and Measures, 100 Bureau
Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD
20899–2600. You may also contact Mr.
Butcher at (301) 975–4859 or by email
at kenneth.butcher@nist.gov. The
meeting is open to the public, but a paid
registration is required. Please see the
NCWM Web site (www.ncwm.net) to
view the meeting agendas, registration
forms, and hotel reservation
information.
ADDRESSES:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Publication of this notice on the
NCWM’s behalf is undertaken as a
public service; NIST does not endorse,
approve, or recommend any of the
proposals or other information
contained in this notice or in
publications produced by the NCWM.
The NCWM is an organization of
weights and measures officials of the
states, counties, and cities of the United
States, and representatives from the
private sector and federal agencies.
These meetings bring together
government officials and representatives
of business, industry, trade associations,
and consumer organizations on subjects
related to the field of weights and
measures technology, administration,
and enforcement. NIST participates to
encourage cooperation between federal
agencies and the states in the
development of legal metrology
requirements. NIST also promotes
uniformity state laws, regulations, and
testing procedures used in the
regulatory control of commercial
weighing and measuring devices,
packaged goods, and for other trade and
commerce issues.
The following are brief descriptions of
some of the significant agenda items
that will be considered at the NCWM
Annual Meeting. Comments will be
taken on these and other issues during
public comment sessions. This meeting
also includes work sessions in which
the Committees may also accept
comments, and where they will finalize
recommendations for possible adoption
at this meeting. The Committees may
also withdraw or carryover items that
need additional development.
These notices are intended to make
interested parties aware of these
development projects and to make them
aware that reports on the status of the
project will be given at the Annual
Meeting. The notices are also presented
to invite the participation of
manufacturers, experts, consumers,
E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM
12JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 133 / Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Notices
users, and others who may be interested
in these efforts.
The Specifications and Tolerances
Committee (S&T Committee) will
consider proposed amendments to NIST
Handbook 44, ‘‘Specifications,
Tolerances, and other Technical
Requirements for Weighing and
Measuring Devices.’’ Those items
address weighing and measuring
devices used in commercial
applications, that is, devices used to buy
from or sell to the public or used for
determining the quantity of products or
services sold among businesses. Issues
on the agenda of the NCWM Laws and
Regulations Committee (L&R
Committee) relate to proposals to amend
NIST Handbook 130, ‘‘Uniform Laws
and Regulations in the area of Legal
Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality’’
and NIST Handbook 133, ‘‘Checking the
Net Contents of Packaged Goods.’’
NCWM S&T Committee
The following items are proposals to
amend NIST Handbook 44:
Automatic Bulk Weighing Systems
Item 322–2 N.1. Testing Procedures.
and T. Tolerances
The current testing procedures
specified in the Automatic Bulk
Weighing Systems (ABWS) Code are
intended to be performed statically
using field standard test weights or a
combination of test weights and
material substituted for test weights.
Nowhere within the ABWS Code is it
mentioned that a material test should be
performed with the system in normal
operational mode using material of
known quantity as a reference standard.
At the January 2016 NCWM Interim
Meeting, the S&T Committee agreed to
present for vote, at the upcoming
Meeting, a proposal that makes optional
(i.e., at the discretion of the official
performing the test) a material test. The
intent of this additional test is to allow
the official to determine the accuracy of
the device under actual operating
conditions.
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Weigh-In-Motion Systems Used for
Vehicle Enforcement Screening
Item 325–1 Section A. Application and
Other Sections Throughout the Code To
Address Commercial and Law
Enforcement Applications
In February 2016, the NCWM formed
a new task group to consider a proposal
to expand the tentative code for WeighIn-Motion Systems Used for Vehicle
Enforcement Screening in NIST
Handbook 44 to include commercial
and law enforcement applications. This
proposed amendment is a ‘‘Developing
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:30 Jul 11, 2016
Jkt 238001
Item’’ on the S&T Committee’s 2016
agenda and will not be voted on at this
meeting.
The purpose of this notice is to make
users and other stakeholders aware of
the proposal to expand the scope of the
existing code and the formation of the
task group. The task group includes
representatives of equipment
manufacturers, the U.S. Department of
Transportation Federal Highway
Administration, truck weight
enforcement agencies, state weights and
measures offices, and others. For more
information on this task group contact
Mr. Richard Harshman, NIST Technical
Advisor at (301) 975–8107 or
richard.harshaman@nist.gov.
LPG and Anhydrous Ammonia LiquidMeasuring Devices
Item 332–2 S.1.4.3. Provisions for
Power Lost, S1.5.1.1. Unit Price,
S.1.5.1.2. Product Identity, S.1.6. for
Retail Motor Vehicle Fuel Devices Only,
S.1.7. for Wholesale Devices Only, U.R.
2.7. Unit Price and Product Identity, and
UR.2.8. Computing Device
Retail motor-fuel dispensers used to
dispense refined fuels such as gasoline
and diesel are regulated under the
Liquid-Measuring Devices (LMD) Code
in NIST Handbook 44. The LMD Code
has been repeatedly revised over the
past 20 years to reflect changes in
technology and marketing practices
surrounding the sale of these fuels;
however, corresponding changes have
not always been made to the LPG and
Ammonia Liquid-Measuring Devices
code. The proposed changes under this
item are designed to align the LPG and
Ammonia Liquid-Measuring Devices
code with the LMD code and help
promote uniformity in device
requirements and practices and ensure
fair competition between competing
businesses.
Mass Flow Meters
Item 337–2 Appendix D—Definitions:
Diesel Liter and Diesel Gallon
Equivalents of Natural Gas
In 1994 both liter and gallon
‘‘equivalents’’ for gasoline were
established by the NCWM to provide a
means for consumers to make value and
fuel economy comparisons between
compressed natural gas (CNG) and
gasoline, and to promote broader
acceptance and use of CNG as a vehicle
fuel. These ‘‘equivalents’’ are based on
a specific weight (mass) per volume,
called the gasoline liter equivalent
(GLE) and gasoline gallon equivalent
(GGE), and are calculated using an
estimate of the ‘‘average’’ equivalent
energy content—a number provided by
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
45131
industry. For several years, the NCWM
Specifications and Tolerances (S&T) and
Laws and Regulations (L&R) Committees
have deliberated on proposals to
establish and/or revise requirements for
the method of sale and commercial
measurement of LNG and CNG. The
purpose of this item is to define
acceptable units of measurement and
identify requirements for equipment
used to commercially measure these
products.
Also L&R Items 232–8, NIST
Handbook 130, Method of Sale
Regulations and Item 237–1, NIST
Handbook 130, Uniform Engine Fuels
and Automotive Lubricants Regulation
are similar proposals being considered
on this issue.
Hydrogen Gas-Metering Devices
Item 339–2 Table T.2. Accuracy
Classes and Tolerances for Hydrogen
Gas-Measuring Devices
The NIST Handbook 44, HydrogenGas Measuring Devices code was added
to NIST Handbook 44 in 2010 as a
‘‘Tentative Code.’’ As is often the case
with a tentative code, it is expected that
adjustments will need to be made to the
code prior to changing its status to
‘‘permanent’’ as experience is gained by
industry and regulatory offices on the
operation, testing, and use of the
devices covered by that code.
The tolerances currently specified in
the NIST Handbook 44, Hydrogen-Gas
Measuring Devices code are ± 1.5% for
Acceptance Tolerance and ± 2.0% for
Maintenance Tolerance. According to
the submitter of this proposal, no
hydrogen-gas dispenser manufacturers
can meet the tolerances currently
specified in the tentative code. This
item proposes establishing multiple
accuracy classes in which Acceptance
Tolerances would range from ± 1.5% to
± 5.0% and Maintenance Tolerances
would range from ± 2.0% to ± 10.0%.
The proposal places limits on the
installation of certain accuracy classes
after specified dates. After January 1,
2020, newly installed devices will be
required to meet the current, more
stringent tolerances; however, larger
tolerances may continue to apply to
devices installed prior to that date. This
proposal would also permit devices of
different accuracies to be used in the
same application.
E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM
12JYN1
45132
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 133 / Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Notices
Taximeters
Item 354–5 U.S. National Work Group
on Taximeters (USNWG)—Taximeter
Code Revisions and Global Positioning
System (GPS)-Based Systems for Time
and Distance Measurement and
Item 354–6 Transportation Network
Systems—Draft Code
For several years, the NIST USNWG
on Taximeters has discussed possible
approaches for amending the NIST
Handbook 44, Taximeters Code to
specifically recognize GPS-based time
and distance measuring systems that are
used to assess charges for transportation
services such as taxicabs and
limousines. Appropriate specifications,
tolerances, and other technical
requirements for these devices must be
developed for manufacturers and users
of these devices, as well for weights and
measures officials. Such requirements
help ensure accuracy and transparency
for customers and a level playing field
for transportation service companies,
enabling consumers to make value
comparisons between competing
services. In the fall of 2015, the
California Division of Measurement
Standards submitted a proposal through
multiple regional weights and measures
associations to establish a separate NIST
Handbook 44 code to address
‘‘Transportation Network Services.’’ The
S&T Committee will examine these
proposals and the result of recent
discussions from a November 2015
USNWG meeting to assess how to best
address these systems.
NCWM L&R Committee
The following items are proposals to
amend NIST Handbook 130 or NIST
Handbook 133:
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
NIST Handbook 130—Section on
Uniform Regulation for the Method of
Sale of Commodities
Item 232–7 2.23. Animal Bedding
The L&R Committee will consider a
proposal to recommend adoption of a
uniform method of sale for animal
bedding that will enhance the ability of
consumers to make value comparisons
and will ensure fair competition.
Animal Bedding is generally defined as
any material, except for baled straw,
that is kept, offered or exposed for sale
or sold to retail consumers for primary
use as a medium for any pet or
companion or livestock animal to nest
or eliminate waste. If adopted, the
proposal will require packers to
advertise and sell packages of animal
bedding on the basis of the expanded
volume of the bedding. Most packages
of animal bedding are compressed
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:30 Jul 11, 2016
Jkt 238001
during packaging and the expanded
volume is the amount of product that
consumers will recover through
unwrapping and decompressing the
bedding according to the instructions
provided by the packer. See also Item
260–5, Section 3.15. Test Procedure for
Verifying the Usable Volume
Declaration on Packages of Animal
Bedding.
NIST Handbook 133—Chapter 3
Item 260–3 Section 3.14. Firewood—
(Volumetric Test Procedures for
Packaged Firewood With a Labeled
Volume of 113 L [4 ft 3] or Less)
The current test procedure in NIST
Handbook 133, Section 3.14.,
Firewood—(Volumetric Test Procedure
for Packaged Firewood with a Labeled
Volume of 113 L [4ft 3] or Less) has
provided different test results when
applied in various state inspections. If
adopted, this proposal would clarify the
test procedure and improve the
accuracy of length determinations when
determining the volume of wood in
bags, bundles and boxes. Improving the
test procedures will help ensure that
consumers can make value comparisons
and reduce unfair competition. Also
Item 232–4, NIST Handbook 130,
Method of Sale of Sale of Commodities
Regulation, Section 2.4. Fireplace and
Stove Wood, is being considered for
revision to recognize traditional
industry labeling practice and eliminate
language that appears to conflict with
the requirements of the Uniform
Packaging and Labeling Regulation.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b).
Kevin Kimball,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 2016–16372 Filed 7–11–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and
Technology
Request for Nominations of Members
To Serve on the National Advisory
Committee on Windstorm Impact
Reduction
National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST)
invites and requests nomination of
individuals for appointment to the
National Advisory Committee on
Windstorm Impact Reduction
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(Committee). This is a new Federal
Advisory Committee established
pursuant to the National Windstorm
Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization
of 2015 (Pub. L. 114–52). NIST will
consider nominations received in
response to this notice for appointment
to the Committee.
DATES: Please submit nominations on or
before Friday, August 19, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations
to Tina Faecke, Administrative Officer,
National Windstorm Impact Reduction
Program, National Institute of Standards
and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail
Stop 8630, Gaithersburg, MD 20899–
8630. Nominations may also be
submitted via FAX to 301–975–5433 or
email at tina.faecke@nist.gov.
Additional information regarding the
Committee, including its charter, may
be found on the NWIRP electronic home
page at: https://www.nist.gov/el/nwirp/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Marc Levitan, Acting Director, National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Program,
National Institute of Standards and
Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail
Stop 8611, Gaithersburg, MD 20899–
8611, telephone 301–975–5340, fax
301–975–5433; or via email at
marc.levitan@nist.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Committee
Information: The Committee was
established in accordance with the
requirements of the National Windstorm
Impact Reduction Act of 2004, Public
Law 108–360, Title II, as amended by
the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015,
Public Law 114–52, codified at 42
U.S.C. 15704, and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C.
App.
Objectives and Duties
1. The Committee will assess trends
and developments in the natural,
engineering, and social sciences and
practices of windstorm impact
mitigation, priorities of the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Program’s
(Program) Strategic Plan, coordination
of the Program, effectiveness of the
Program in meeting its purposes under
section 204 (42 U.S.C. 15703) of the
National Windstorm Impact Reduction
Act of 2004, as amended, (Pub. L. 114–
52); and, any revisions to the Program
which may be necessary.
2. The Committee functions solely as
an advisory body, in accordance with
the provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act.
3. The Committee shall report to the
Director of NIST.
4. At least once every two years, the
Committee shall report to the Director of
E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM
12JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45130-45132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16372]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Conference on Weights and Measures 101st Annual Meeting
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The 101st Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Weights
and Measures (NCWM) will be held in Denver, Colorado, from Sunday, July
24, 2016, through Thursday, July 28, 2016. This notice contains
information about significant items on the NCWM Committee agendas but
does not include all agenda items. As a result, the items are not
consecutively numbered.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Sunday, July 24, 2016, through
Wednesday, July 27, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time,
and on Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain
Time. The meeting schedule is available at www.ncwm.net.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750
Welton Street, Denver, Colorado 80202-3999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Kenneth Butcher, NIST, Office of
Weights and Measures, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD
20899-2600. You may also contact Mr. Butcher at (301) 975-4859 or by
email at kenneth.butcher@nist.gov. The meeting is open to the public,
but a paid registration is required. Please see the NCWM Web site
(www.ncwm.net) to view the meeting agendas, registration forms, and
hotel reservation information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Publication of this notice on the NCWM's
behalf is undertaken as a public service; NIST does not endorse,
approve, or recommend any of the proposals or other information
contained in this notice or in publications produced by the NCWM.
The NCWM is an organization of weights and measures officials of
the states, counties, and cities of the United States, and
representatives from the private sector and federal agencies. These
meetings bring together government officials and representatives of
business, industry, trade associations, and consumer organizations on
subjects related to the field of weights and measures technology,
administration, and enforcement. NIST participates to encourage
cooperation between federal agencies and the states in the development
of legal metrology requirements. NIST also promotes uniformity state
laws, regulations, and testing procedures used in the regulatory
control of commercial weighing and measuring devices, packaged goods,
and for other trade and commerce issues.
The following are brief descriptions of some of the significant
agenda items that will be considered at the NCWM Annual Meeting.
Comments will be taken on these and other issues during public comment
sessions. This meeting also includes work sessions in which the
Committees may also accept comments, and where they will finalize
recommendations for possible adoption at this meeting. The Committees
may also withdraw or carryover items that need additional development.
These notices are intended to make interested parties aware of
these development projects and to make them aware that reports on the
status of the project will be given at the Annual Meeting. The notices
are also presented to invite the participation of manufacturers,
experts, consumers,
[[Page 45131]]
users, and others who may be interested in these efforts.
The Specifications and Tolerances Committee (S&T Committee) will
consider proposed amendments to NIST Handbook 44, ``Specifications,
Tolerances, and other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring
Devices.'' Those items address weighing and measuring devices used in
commercial applications, that is, devices used to buy from or sell to
the public or used for determining the quantity of products or services
sold among businesses. Issues on the agenda of the NCWM Laws and
Regulations Committee (L&R Committee) relate to proposals to amend NIST
Handbook 130, ``Uniform Laws and Regulations in the area of Legal
Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality'' and NIST Handbook 133, ``Checking
the Net Contents of Packaged Goods.''
NCWM S&T Committee
The following items are proposals to amend NIST Handbook 44:
Automatic Bulk Weighing Systems
Item 322-2 N.1. Testing Procedures. and T. Tolerances
The current testing procedures specified in the Automatic Bulk
Weighing Systems (ABWS) Code are intended to be performed statically
using field standard test weights or a combination of test weights and
material substituted for test weights. Nowhere within the ABWS Code is
it mentioned that a material test should be performed with the system
in normal operational mode using material of known quantity as a
reference standard. At the January 2016 NCWM Interim Meeting, the S&T
Committee agreed to present for vote, at the upcoming Meeting, a
proposal that makes optional (i.e., at the discretion of the official
performing the test) a material test. The intent of this additional
test is to allow the official to determine the accuracy of the device
under actual operating conditions.
Weigh-In-Motion Systems Used for Vehicle Enforcement Screening
Item 325-1 Section A. Application and Other Sections Throughout the
Code To Address Commercial and Law Enforcement Applications
In February 2016, the NCWM formed a new task group to consider a
proposal to expand the tentative code for Weigh-In-Motion Systems Used
for Vehicle Enforcement Screening in NIST Handbook 44 to include
commercial and law enforcement applications. This proposed amendment is
a ``Developing Item'' on the S&T Committee's 2016 agenda and will not
be voted on at this meeting.
The purpose of this notice is to make users and other stakeholders
aware of the proposal to expand the scope of the existing code and the
formation of the task group. The task group includes representatives of
equipment manufacturers, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal
Highway Administration, truck weight enforcement agencies, state
weights and measures offices, and others. For more information on this
task group contact Mr. Richard Harshman, NIST Technical Advisor at
(301) 975-8107 or richard.harshaman@nist.gov.
LPG and Anhydrous Ammonia Liquid-Measuring Devices
Item 332-2 S.1.4.3. Provisions for Power Lost, S1.5.1.1. Unit Price,
S.1.5.1.2. Product Identity, S.1.6. for Retail Motor Vehicle Fuel
Devices Only, S.1.7. for Wholesale Devices Only, U.R. 2.7. Unit Price
and Product Identity, and UR.2.8. Computing Device
Retail motor-fuel dispensers used to dispense refined fuels such as
gasoline and diesel are regulated under the Liquid-Measuring Devices
(LMD) Code in NIST Handbook 44. The LMD Code has been repeatedly
revised over the past 20 years to reflect changes in technology and
marketing practices surrounding the sale of these fuels; however,
corresponding changes have not always been made to the LPG and Ammonia
Liquid-Measuring Devices code. The proposed changes under this item are
designed to align the LPG and Ammonia Liquid-Measuring Devices code
with the LMD code and help promote uniformity in device requirements
and practices and ensure fair competition between competing businesses.
Mass Flow Meters
Item 337-2 Appendix D--Definitions: Diesel Liter and Diesel Gallon
Equivalents of Natural Gas
In 1994 both liter and gallon ``equivalents'' for gasoline were
established by the NCWM to provide a means for consumers to make value
and fuel economy comparisons between compressed natural gas (CNG) and
gasoline, and to promote broader acceptance and use of CNG as a vehicle
fuel. These ``equivalents'' are based on a specific weight (mass) per
volume, called the gasoline liter equivalent (GLE) and gasoline gallon
equivalent (GGE), and are calculated using an estimate of the
``average'' equivalent energy content--a number provided by industry.
For several years, the NCWM Specifications and Tolerances (S&T) and
Laws and Regulations (L&R) Committees have deliberated on proposals to
establish and/or revise requirements for the method of sale and
commercial measurement of LNG and CNG. The purpose of this item is to
define acceptable units of measurement and identify requirements for
equipment used to commercially measure these products.
Also L&R Items 232-8, NIST Handbook 130, Method of Sale Regulations
and Item 237-1, NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Engine Fuels and Automotive
Lubricants Regulation are similar proposals being considered on this
issue.
Hydrogen Gas-Metering Devices
Item 339-2 Table T.2. Accuracy Classes and Tolerances for Hydrogen Gas-
Measuring Devices
The NIST Handbook 44, Hydrogen-Gas Measuring Devices code was added
to NIST Handbook 44 in 2010 as a ``Tentative Code.'' As is often the
case with a tentative code, it is expected that adjustments will need
to be made to the code prior to changing its status to ``permanent'' as
experience is gained by industry and regulatory offices on the
operation, testing, and use of the devices covered by that code.
The tolerances currently specified in the NIST Handbook 44,
Hydrogen-Gas Measuring Devices code are 1.5% for
Acceptance Tolerance and 2.0% for Maintenance Tolerance.
According to the submitter of this proposal, no hydrogen-gas dispenser
manufacturers can meet the tolerances currently specified in the
tentative code. This item proposes establishing multiple accuracy
classes in which Acceptance Tolerances would range from
1.5% to 5.0% and Maintenance Tolerances would range from
2.0% to 10.0%. The proposal places limits on
the installation of certain accuracy classes after specified dates.
After January 1, 2020, newly installed devices will be required to meet
the current, more stringent tolerances; however, larger tolerances may
continue to apply to devices installed prior to that date. This
proposal would also permit devices of different accuracies to be used
in the same application.
[[Page 45132]]
Taximeters
Item 354-5 U.S. National Work Group on Taximeters (USNWG)--Taximeter
Code Revisions and Global Positioning System (GPS)-Based Systems for
Time and Distance Measurement and
Item 354-6 Transportation Network Systems--Draft Code
For several years, the NIST USNWG on Taximeters has discussed
possible approaches for amending the NIST Handbook 44, Taximeters Code
to specifically recognize GPS-based time and distance measuring systems
that are used to assess charges for transportation services such as
taxicabs and limousines. Appropriate specifications, tolerances, and
other technical requirements for these devices must be developed for
manufacturers and users of these devices, as well for weights and
measures officials. Such requirements help ensure accuracy and
transparency for customers and a level playing field for transportation
service companies, enabling consumers to make value comparisons between
competing services. In the fall of 2015, the California Division of
Measurement Standards submitted a proposal through multiple regional
weights and measures associations to establish a separate NIST Handbook
44 code to address ``Transportation Network Services.'' The S&T
Committee will examine these proposals and the result of recent
discussions from a November 2015 USNWG meeting to assess how to best
address these systems.
NCWM L&R Committee
The following items are proposals to amend NIST Handbook 130 or
NIST Handbook 133:
NIST Handbook 130--Section on Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale
of Commodities
Item 232-7 2.23. Animal Bedding
The L&R Committee will consider a proposal to recommend adoption of
a uniform method of sale for animal bedding that will enhance the
ability of consumers to make value comparisons and will ensure fair
competition. Animal Bedding is generally defined as any material,
except for baled straw, that is kept, offered or exposed for sale or
sold to retail consumers for primary use as a medium for any pet or
companion or livestock animal to nest or eliminate waste. If adopted,
the proposal will require packers to advertise and sell packages of
animal bedding on the basis of the expanded volume of the bedding. Most
packages of animal bedding are compressed during packaging and the
expanded volume is the amount of product that consumers will recover
through unwrapping and decompressing the bedding according to the
instructions provided by the packer. See also Item 260-5, Section 3.15.
Test Procedure for Verifying the Usable Volume Declaration on Packages
of Animal Bedding.
NIST Handbook 133--Chapter 3
Item 260-3 Section 3.14. Firewood--(Volumetric Test Procedures for
Packaged Firewood With a Labeled Volume of 113 L [4 ft \3\] or Less)
The current test procedure in NIST Handbook 133, Section 3.14.,
Firewood--(Volumetric Test Procedure for Packaged Firewood with a
Labeled Volume of 113 L [4ft \3\] or Less) has provided different test
results when applied in various state inspections. If adopted, this
proposal would clarify the test procedure and improve the accuracy of
length determinations when determining the volume of wood in bags,
bundles and boxes. Improving the test procedures will help ensure that
consumers can make value comparisons and reduce unfair competition.
Also Item 232-4, NIST Handbook 130, Method of Sale of Sale of
Commodities Regulation, Section 2.4. Fireplace and Stove Wood, is being
considered for revision to recognize traditional industry labeling
practice and eliminate language that appears to conflict with the
requirements of the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b).
Kevin Kimball,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 2016-16372 Filed 7-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
