Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation August 3, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises interested persons that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has received a request from P&O Ports Florida, Inc. for a variance from the bond/escrow requirement of section 4204(a)(1)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, with respect to the Tampa Maritime Association- International Longshoremen's Association Pension Plan (the ``Plan''). Section 4204(a)(1) provides that the sale of assets by an employer that contributes to a multiemployer pension plan will not constitute a complete or partial withdrawal from the plan if the transaction meets certain conditions. One of these conditions is that the purchaser post a bond or deposit money in escrow for the five-plan-year period beginning after the sale. The PBGC is authorized to grant individual and class variances or exemptions from this requirement. Before granting a variance or exemption, the statute and PBGC regulations require PBGC to give interested persons an opportunity to comment on the variance or exemption request. The purpose of this notice is to advise interested persons of the variance or exemption request and solicit their views on it.