Buy America Waiver Notification, 63854-63855 [2016-22301]

Download as PDF 63854 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 180 / Friday, September 16, 2016 / Notices maximum power (50 kw), voltage range (200–500 VDC), and current output (165 ADC) in the State of Massachusetts. DATES: The effective date of the waiver is September 19, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, please contact Mr. Gerald Yakowenko, FHWA Office of Program Administration, (202) 366–1562, or via email at gerald.yakowenko@dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Mr. William Winne, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, 202–366–1397, or via email at William.Winne@dot.gov. Office hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the Federal Register’s home page at: https:// www.archives.gov and the Government Printing Office’s database at: https:// www.access.gpo.gov/nara. mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Background The FHWA’s Buy America policy in 23 CFR 635.410 requires a domestic manufacturing process for any steel or iron products (including protective coatings) that are permanently incorporated in a Federal-aid construction project. The regulation also provides for a waiver of the Buy America requirements when the application would be inconsistent with the public interest or when satisfactory quality domestic steel and iron products are not sufficiently available. This notice provides information regarding FHWA’s finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for use of nondomestic iron and steel components of electric vehicle DC fast charging stations with maximum power (50 kw), voltage range (200–500 VDC) and current output (165 ADC) in the State of Massachusetts. In accordance with Division K, section 122 of the ‘‘Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015’’ (Pub. L. 113–235), FHWA published a notice of intent to issue a waiver on its Web site: https:// www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/ contracts/waivers.cfm?id=129 on June 16th. The FHWA received no comments in response to the publication. Based on all the information available to the agency, FHWA concludes that there are no domestic manufacturers of iron and steel components compatible with electric vehicle DC fast charging stations with maximum power (50 kw), voltage range (200–500 VDC) and current output VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:55 Sep 15, 2016 Jkt 238001 (165 ADC) that meets the grant requirements. In accordance with the provisions of section 117 of the SAFETEA–LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–244, 122 Stat. 1572), FHWA is providing this notice as its finding that a waiver of Buy America requirements is appropriate. The FHWA invites public comment on this finding for an additional 15 days following the effective date of the finding. Comments may be submitted to FHWA’s Web site via the link provided to the waiver page noted above. (Authority: 23 U.S.C. 313; Pub. L. 110–161, 23 CFR 635.410) Issued on: August 29, 2016. Gregory G. Nadeau, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration. [FR Doc. 2016–22305 Filed 9–15–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Buy America Waiver Notification Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This notice provides information regarding FHWA’s finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the obligation of Federal-aid funds for 21 State projects involving the acquisition of vehicles and equipment on the condition that they be assembled in the U.S. DATES: The effective date of the waiver is September 19, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, please contact Mr. Gerald Yakowenko, FHWA Office of Program Administration, 202– 366–1562, or via email at gerald.yakowenko@dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Mr. William Winne, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, 202–366–1397, or via email at William.Winne@dot.gov. Office hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Electronic Access An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the Federal Register’s home page at https:// www.archives.gov and the Government Printing Office’s database at https:// www.access.gpo.gov/nara. PO 00000 Frm 00120 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Background This notice provides information regarding FHWA’s finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the obligation of Federal-aid funds for 21 State projects involving the acquisition of vehicles (including sedans, vans, pickups, trucks, buses, and street sweepers) and equipment (such as trail grooming equipment) on the condition that they be assembled in the U.S. The waiver would apply to approximately 796 vehicles and equipment acquisitions. The requests for the second quarter of calendar year 2016, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ construction/contracts/ cmaq160713.cfm, are incorporated by reference into this notice. These projects are being undertaken to implement air quality improvement, safety, and mobility goals under FHWA’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and the Recreational Trails Program. Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, section 635.410 requires that steel or iron materials (including protective coatings) that will be permanently incorporated in a Federal-aid project must be manufactured in the U.S. For FHWA, this means that all the processes that modified the chemical content, physical shape or size, or final finish of the material (from initial melting and mixing, continuing through the bending and coating) occurred in the U.S. The statute and regulations create a process for granting waivers from the Buy America requirements when its application would be inconsistent with the public interest or when satisfactory quality domestic steel and iron products are not sufficiently available. In 1983, FHWA determined that it was both in the public interest and consistent with the legislative intent to waive Buy America for manufactured products other than steel manufactured products. However, FHWA’s national waiver for manufactured products does not apply to the requests in this notice because they involve predominately steel and iron manufactured products. The FHWA’s Buy America requirements do not have special provisions for applying Buy America to ‘‘rolling stock’’ such as vehicles or vehicle components (see 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(C), 49 CFR 661.11, and 49 U.S.C. 24405(a)(2)(C) for examples of Buy America rolling stock provisions for other DOT agencies). Based on all the information available to the agency, FHWA concludes that there are no domestic manufacturers that produce the vehicles and vehicle components identified in this notice in such a way that their steel and iron E:\FR\FM\16SEN1.SGM 16SEN1 mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 180 / Friday, September 16, 2016 / Notices elements are manufactured domestically. The FHWA’s Buy America requirements were tailored to the types of products that are typically used in highway construction, which generally meet the requirement that steel and iron materials be manufactured domestically. In today’s global industry, vehicles are assembled with iron and steel components that are manufactured all over the world. The FHWA is not aware of any domestically produced vehicle on the market that meets FHWA’s Buy America requirement to have all its iron and steel be manufactured exclusively in the U.S. For example, the Chevrolet Volt, which was identified by many commenters in a November 21, 2011, Federal Register Notice (76 FR 72027) as a car that is made in the U.S., is comprised of only 45 percent of U.S. and Canadian content according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Part 583 American Automobile Labeling Act Report Web page (https://www.nhtsa.gov/ Laws+&+Regulations/ Part+583+American+Automobile +Labeling+Act+(AALA)+Reports). Moreover, there is no indication of how much of this 45 percent content is U.S.manufactured (from initial melting and mixing) iron and steel content. In accordance with Division K, section 122 of the ‘‘Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015’’ (Pub. L. 113–235), FHWA published a notice of intent to issue a waiver on its Web site at https:// www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/ contracts/waivers.cfm?id=131 on July 13th. The FHWA received five comments in response to the publication. Two commenters are in favor of the waiver. One commenter suggested that amendments should be made to use American made vehicles if possible. The other two commenters opposed the waiver without suggestions regarding domestic availability of the proposed vehicles and equipment project. Based on FHWA’s conclusion that there are no domestic manufacturers that can produce the vehicles and equipment identified in this notice in such a way that steel and iron materials are manufactured domestically, and after consideration of the comments received, FHWA finds that application of FHWA’s Buy America requirements to these products is inconsistent with the public interest (23 U.S.C. 313(b)(1) and 23 CFR 635.410(c)(2)(i)). However, FHWA believes that it is in the public interest and consistent with the Buy America requirements to impose the condition that the vehicles and the vehicle components be assembled in the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:55 Sep 15, 2016 Jkt 238001 U.S. Requiring final assembly to be performed in the U.S. is consistent with past guidance to FHWA Division Offices on manufactured products (see Memorandum on Buy America Policy Response, Dec. 22, 1997, https:// www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/ contracts/122297.cfm). A waiver of the Buy America requirement without any regard to where the vehicle is assembled would diminish the purpose of the Buy America requirement. Moreover, in today’s economic environment, the Buy America requirement is especially significant in that it will ensure that Federal Highway Trust Fund dollars are used to support and create jobs in the U.S. This approach is similar to the conditional waivers previously given for various vehicle projects. Thus, so long as the final assembly of the 21 State projects occurs in the U.S., applicants to this waiver request may proceed to purchase these vehicles and equipment consistent with the Buy America requirement. In accordance with the provisions of section 117 of the ‘‘Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, Technical Corrections Act of 2008’’ (Pub. L. 110– 244), FHWA is providing this notice of its finding that a public interest waiver of Buy America requirements is appropriate on the condition that the vehicles and equipment identified in the notice be assembled in the U.S. The FHWA invites public comment on this finding for an additional 15 days following the effective date of the finding. Comments may be submitted to FHWA’s Web site via the link provided to the waiver page noted above. Authority: 23 U.S.C. 313; P.L. 110–161, 23 CFR 635.410. Issued on: August 29, 2016. Gregory G. Nadeau, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration. [FR Doc. 2016–22301 Filed 9–15–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DOT–OST–2016–0171] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments; Renewal of an Information Collection(s): U.S. Department of Transportation, Individual Complaint of Employment Discrimination Form Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00121 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 63855 Notice and request for comments. ACTION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) intention to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval for the utilization of the Individual Complaint of Employment Discrimination form when processing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) discrimination complaints filed by applicants for employment with DOT. The OMB approved the form in 2009 with its renewal required by September 30, 2012. Subsequently, DOT was given approval of the form until August 31, 2014. The renewal period then lapsed; therefore, the form expired. The OMB approved the form in 2015 with its renewal required by December 31, 2016. DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 15, 2016. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by Docket No. DOT–OST– 2016–0171] by any of the following methods: • Fax: 202–493–2064. • Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12– 140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays. • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name (Office of the Secretary, DOT) and docket number for this rulemaking. You should provide two copies of your comments if you submit them by mail or hand delivery. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, and will be available to Internet users. You may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit htttp:// DocketsInfo.dot.gov. Docket: For Internet access to the docket to read background documents and comments received, go to www.regulations.gov. Background documents and comments received may also be viewed at DOT, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, West Building, Room W12–140, Washington, SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\16SEN1.SGM 16SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63854-63855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22301]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Buy America Waiver Notification

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This notice provides information regarding FHWA's finding that 
a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the obligation of Federal-aid 
funds for 21 State projects involving the acquisition of vehicles and 
equipment on the condition that they be assembled in the U.S.

DATES: The effective date of the waiver is September 19, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, 
please contact Mr. Gerald Yakowenko, FHWA Office of Program 
Administration, 202-366-1562, or via email at gerald.yakowenko@dot.gov. 
For legal questions, please contact Mr. William Winne, FHWA Office of 
the Chief Counsel, 202-366-1397, or via email at William.Winne@dot.gov. 
Office hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the 
Federal Register's home page at https://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's database at https://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Background

    This notice provides information regarding FHWA's finding that a 
Buy America waiver is appropriate for the obligation of Federal-aid 
funds for 21 State projects involving the acquisition of vehicles 
(including sedans, vans, pickups, trucks, buses, and street sweepers) 
and equipment (such as trail grooming equipment) on the condition that 
they be assembled in the U.S. The waiver would apply to approximately 
796 vehicles and equipment acquisitions. The requests for the second 
quarter of calendar year 2016, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/contracts/cmaq160713.cfm, are incorporated by reference 
into this notice. These projects are being undertaken to implement air 
quality improvement, safety, and mobility goals under FHWA's Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and the Recreational 
Trails Program.
    Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, section 635.410 requires 
that steel or iron materials (including protective coatings) that will 
be permanently incorporated in a Federal-aid project must be 
manufactured in the U.S. For FHWA, this means that all the processes 
that modified the chemical content, physical shape or size, or final 
finish of the material (from initial melting and mixing, continuing 
through the bending and coating) occurred in the U.S. The statute and 
regulations create a process for granting waivers from the Buy America 
requirements when its application would be inconsistent with the public 
interest or when satisfactory quality domestic steel and iron products 
are not sufficiently available. In 1983, FHWA determined that it was 
both in the public interest and consistent with the legislative intent 
to waive Buy America for manufactured products other than steel 
manufactured products. However, FHWA's national waiver for manufactured 
products does not apply to the requests in this notice because they 
involve predominately steel and iron manufactured products. The FHWA's 
Buy America requirements do not have special provisions for applying 
Buy America to ``rolling stock'' such as vehicles or vehicle components 
(see 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(C), 49 CFR 661.11, and 49 U.S.C. 
24405(a)(2)(C) for examples of Buy America rolling stock provisions for 
other DOT agencies).
    Based on all the information available to the agency, FHWA 
concludes that there are no domestic manufacturers that produce the 
vehicles and vehicle components identified in this notice in such a way 
that their steel and iron

[[Page 63855]]

elements are manufactured domestically. The FHWA's Buy America 
requirements were tailored to the types of products that are typically 
used in highway construction, which generally meet the requirement that 
steel and iron materials be manufactured domestically. In today's 
global industry, vehicles are assembled with iron and steel components 
that are manufactured all over the world. The FHWA is not aware of any 
domestically produced vehicle on the market that meets FHWA's Buy 
America requirement to have all its iron and steel be manufactured 
exclusively in the U.S. For example, the Chevrolet Volt, which was 
identified by many commenters in a November 21, 2011, Federal Register 
Notice (76 FR 72027) as a car that is made in the U.S., is comprised of 
only 45 percent of U.S. and Canadian content according to the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Part 583 American Automobile 
Labeling Act Report Web page (https://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Act+(AALA)+Reports). Moreover, 
there is no indication of how much of this 45 percent content is U.S.-
manufactured (from initial melting and mixing) iron and steel content.
    In accordance with Division K, section 122 of the ``Consolidated 
and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015'' (Pub. L. 113-235), 
FHWA published a notice of intent to issue a waiver on its Web site at 
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/contracts/waivers.cfm?id=131 on 
July 13th. The FHWA received five comments in response to the 
publication. Two commenters are in favor of the waiver. One commenter 
suggested that amendments should be made to use American made vehicles 
if possible. The other two commenters opposed the waiver without 
suggestions regarding domestic availability of the proposed vehicles 
and equipment project.
    Based on FHWA's conclusion that there are no domestic manufacturers 
that can produce the vehicles and equipment identified in this notice 
in such a way that steel and iron materials are manufactured 
domestically, and after consideration of the comments received, FHWA 
finds that application of FHWA's Buy America requirements to these 
products is inconsistent with the public interest (23 U.S.C. 313(b)(1) 
and 23 CFR 635.410(c)(2)(i)). However, FHWA believes that it is in the 
public interest and consistent with the Buy America requirements to 
impose the condition that the vehicles and the vehicle components be 
assembled in the U.S. Requiring final assembly to be performed in the 
U.S. is consistent with past guidance to FHWA Division Offices on 
manufactured products (see Memorandum on Buy America Policy Response, 
Dec. 22, 1997, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/122297.cfm). A waiver of the Buy America requirement without any regard 
to where the vehicle is assembled would diminish the purpose of the Buy 
America requirement. Moreover, in today's economic environment, the Buy 
America requirement is especially significant in that it will ensure 
that Federal Highway Trust Fund dollars are used to support and create 
jobs in the U.S. This approach is similar to the conditional waivers 
previously given for various vehicle projects. Thus, so long as the 
final assembly of the 21 State projects occurs in the U.S., applicants 
to this waiver request may proceed to purchase these vehicles and 
equipment consistent with the Buy America requirement.
    In accordance with the provisions of section 117 of the ``Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users, Technical Corrections Act of 2008'' (Pub. L. 110-244), FHWA 
is providing this notice of its finding that a public interest waiver 
of Buy America requirements is appropriate on the condition that the 
vehicles and equipment identified in the notice be assembled in the 
U.S. The FHWA invites public comment on this finding for an additional 
15 days following the effective date of the finding. Comments may be 
submitted to FHWA's Web site via the link provided to the waiver page 
noted above.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 313; P.L. 110-161, 23 CFR 635.410.

    Issued on: August 29, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-22301 Filed 9-15-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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