The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule (here) listing the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), a species from the eastern and Midwestern U.S. and Ontario, Canada, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Feb. 10.
The International Trade Commission will accept comments on petitions for duty reductions under the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process from Jan. 11 to 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 24, the commission said Jan. 6 in guidance for filing comments (here). Any member of the public, including individuals, companies and other entities with an interest in the matter, as well as the party that filed the petition, may also comment on the petitions, the ITC said. Commenters may object, support or take no position on the petitions, using the comment to supply additional information, but commenters may not amend a petition through the process, the agency said. Individuals wishing to file a comment should go to the MTB Petition System (MTBPS) website, locate the desired petition, and select “Comment on Petition,” filing a separate comment for each petition commented on, and completing the comment submission in one session, the commission said. Commenters who want to amend a petition will have to withdraw the original comment and file a new one including changes or corrections, the ITC said.
The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency standards for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps (here). The agency also recently amended test procedures for these products (see 1701040019). Compliance with the amended energy efficiency standards is required by Jan. 1, 2023.
The Energy Department is setting new energy efficiency test procedures for certain types of compressors (here). Compliance with the agency’s final rule is mandatory for representations of energy efficiency beginning July 3, 2017, DOE said.
The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency test procedures for central air conditioners and heat pumps, in a final rule (here). Some changes in the final rule will be mandatory for representations of energy efficiency starting July 4, 2017, with others becoming mandatory starting Jan. 1, 2023.
The Centers for Disease Control will on Dec. 30 require submission of several forms via the Document Imaging System for entries filed electronically in ACE, it said (here). Under a new agency policy, filers of electronic entries will have to file the following forms via DIS: APHIS/CDC Form 2 (Request to Transfer Select Agents and Toxins); CDC Form 0.0728 (Permit to Import or Transfer Etiologic Agents or Vectors of Human Disease); rabies vaccination certificates for dogs; CDC approval of confinement agreement issuance letters and CDC permission letters for importation of African rodents, civets or turtles; CDC non-human primate notification messages; and certifications of materials not known to contain or suspected of containing an infectious biological agent, or has been rendered noninfectious.
The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency test procedures for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers, in a final rule (here). The amended test procedures are mandatory for all representations of energy or power consumption of cooking products on or after June 26, 2017, DOE said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said it intends to temporarily add six synthetic cannabinoids -- 5F-ADB, 5F-AMB, 5F-APINACA, ADB-FUBINACA, MDMB-CHMICA and MDMB-FUBINACA -- to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (here). DEA can issue a final order temporarily adding the substances after a period of 30 days passes. If issued, the final order will take effect immediately and will stay in effect for a maximum of three years, pending completion of a permanent scheduling order.
The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency test procedures for electric and gas cooking tops, ovens and other conventional cooking products, in a final rule (here). The amended test procedures are mandatory for all representations of energy or power consumption of cooking products on or after June 14, 2017, DOE said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service will again issue Designated Port Exception Permits (DPEP) to authorize entries at ports with no FWS staff present, it said in a bulletin issued Dec. 13 (here). The agency had done away with the permits in October (see 1610240012), but “due to feedback received from the trade, the Service has rescinded that decision,” it said. FWS "has begun the process of consulting with CBP to determine the necessary programming changes to ACE needed to implement the DPEP process,” it said. Changes may not be complete until February, it said. Until ACE is updated, importers will not be able to pilot in ACE with the FWS at non-staffed port locations, but they will be able to obtain clearance at non-staffed ports through eDecs, FWS said. Trade groups had asked FWS to reinstate the permits (see 1611140019 and 1612050011).