ILA, USMX Pull Plug on Contract Negotiations for East Coast, Gulf Ports
DCVelocity / http://www.dcvelocity.com/
Concerns about a potential strike increase as September contract deadline nears. Read the entire article at:
http://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/20120823-ila-usmx-pull-plug-contract-negotiations/
Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances
Environmental Protection Agency / Federal Register / www.epa.gov
EPA published a significant new use rule (SNUR)(PDF) (38 pp, 349K, about PDF) for 25 chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs).
SUMMARY: EPA is promulgating significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 25 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Fourteen of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA section 5(e) consent orders issued by EPA. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process any of these 25 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.
DATES: This rule is effective on October
15, 2012.
Treasury Issues General License to Aid Iranian Earthquake Victims
U.S. Department of the Treasury / www.treasury.gov
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the issuance of a temporary general license to ease financial transactions related to earthquake relief in Iran. Since the August 11, 2012 earthquake that hit northwestern Iran, the United States has made it clear that it would offer assistance to the Iranian people as they recover and rebuild. The Iranian government has not accepted the U.S. offer of assistance, but non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been assisting in the relief efforts. To assist their efforts, OFAC issued a temporary general license today, which authorizes, for the next 45 days, NGOs with 501(c)(3) status to collect funds to be used in direct support of humanitarian relief and reconstruction activities in response to the earthquake. The general license is a demonstration of the Administration’s commitment to supporting the Iranian people affected by this tragedy, and responds to the American people’s desire to provide immediate assistance.
Under the general license, which will remain in effect until October 5, 2012, an NGO can transfer funds up to $300,000 during the 45-day period to Iran to be used for humanitarian relief and reconstruction activities related to the earthquake response. NGOs interested in transferring more than $300,000 during the 45-day period may apply for a specific license. It is important to note that the general license specifically forbids any dealings or involvement with individuals or entities designated for support for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or terrorism, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as listed on the Treasury Department’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List).
Donations of food and medicine to Iran already do not require a license from OFAC. These donations, when intended to be used to relieve human suffering, are exempt from the sanctions on trade between the U.S. and Iran, as long as the donations are not being sent to the Government of Iran or any Iranian individual or entity on the Treasury Department’s SDN List. For all practical purposes, such donations to the Iranian people, including transactions needed to ship permissible donations, can occur without a specific license from OFAC.
Counterfeit Jeans Seized by CBP
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.gov
Newark, N.J. – There is nothing worse than buying a name brand item only to find out it is counterfeit. Fortunately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is there to ensure that the designer jeans you just purchased are authentic.
On August 6th, CBP officers inspecting cargo containers at the Port of New York/New Jersey selected a container for inspection that was manifested as “girl’s cotton jeans.” They offloaded the cargo and discovered that it contained a shipment of counterfeit Lee jeans. 
CBP import specialists determined that these jeans violated several different trademarks for clothing labels and corporate logos. The pants were of generally poor quality and lacked any licensing information, despite using the same logos as legitimate jeans.
“These interceptions are indicative of the exceptional skill level and superior commodity expertise of our CBP officers and import specialists at Newark/New York seaport. Preventing the entry of counterfeit items is crucial to protecting consumers as well as the economy of the United States,” said Robert E. Perez, Director, Field Operations New York.
These counterfeit accessories had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $325,000.
Baltimore CBP Intercepts First in Port Snail
U.S. Customs & Borer Protection / www.cbp.gov
Baltimore - A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist confirmed August 17 that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists discovered a new pest in the Baltimore area when they intercepted snails, Xerotricha apicina, while inspecting containers of stainless steel coils from China at the seaport on August 14.
Although the snails found were small, only about 3 mm or 0.1 inches in length, they still may pose a significant agriculture threat because they cause damage by feeding on agricultural and horticultural crops as well as native plants, thereby lowering crop yields and crop quality. 
CBP issued an Emergency Action Notification to the importer requiring the shipment to be fumigated. Upon successful treatment by USDA, the shipment will be released to its destination in Long Beach, Calif.
“CBP agriculture specialists take their job of detecting foreign invasive plants and plant pests very seriously,” said Susan Thomas, Acting CBP Port Director for the Port of Baltimore. “This is the sixth First in Port discovery in Baltimore this summer and another example of why CBP stands ever vigilant against agriculture threats.”
CBP agriculture specialists work closely with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) to protect our nation’s agriculture resources against the introduction of foreign plant pests and animal diseases.
Related information:
For more on recent First in Port pest discoveries by CBP Baltimore please visit the following links:
( Baltimore CBP Intercepts First in Port Chinese Longhorned Beetle )
( Baltimore CBP Intercepts First in Port Tumbling Flower Beetle )
( Baltimore CBP Detects First Local Seed Discovery )
For more on the USDA, APHIS, PPQ program, please visit the USDA website. ( USDA )
CBP agriculture specialists have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection. On a typical day, they inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, and air and sea cargoes nationally being imported to the United States and seize 4,291 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products, including 470 insect pests.
To learn more about CBP agriculture specialists, please visit the CBP website. ( Agriculture Specialist )
FTC Updates Telemarketer Fees for the Do Not Call Registry as of October 1, 2012
U.S. Federal Trade Commission / www.ftc.gov
The Federal Trade Commission has announced updated fees starting on October 1, 2012, for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.
All telemarketers calling consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the Do Not Call Registry to ensure they do not call those who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free, and organizations that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers.
The access fees for the Registry are being increased as required by the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act's provisions, in fiscal year 2013 (from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013), telemarketers will pay $58, an increase of $2, for access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code, up to a maximum charge of $15,962 for all area codes nationwide, an increase from the previous maximum of $15,503. Telemarketers will pay $1 more per area code for numbers they subscribe to receive during the second half of the 12-month subscription period, for a total of $29 per area code.
For consumers who want to add their phone number to the Registry, registration is free and does not expire.
The Commission vote authorizing publication of the Federal Register notice announcing the new fees was 5-0. (FTC File No. P034305; the staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2648.)
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
U.S. Department of Transportation Fines JetBlue for Not Informing Passengers of Opportunity to Leave Aircraft During Delay at Gate
U.S. Department of Transportation / www.dot.gov
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today said JetBlue Airways violated federal rules last March by not informing passengers on an aircraft delayed at New York’s JFK Airport that they had an opportunity to leave the plane as it sat at the gate with the door open. DOT fined JetBlue $90,000 and ordered the airline to cease and desist from further violations.
JetBlue violated a provision of the DOT’s new airline consumer protection rule requiring that if passengers on a delayed flight have the opportunity to leave the aircraft, the carrier must inform them that they can deplane. Announcements that passengers can leave the plane must come 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time and every 30 minutes afterward.
“Airlines may not leave passengers stranded indefinitely aboard an aircraft, whether on the tarmac or at the gate, and passengers must be told if they are able to leave the plane,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “At DOT, we are committed to protecting consumers when they travel by air, and will continue to take enforcement action when our rules are violated.”
On March 3, 2012, JetBlue Flight 645 was scheduled to depart New York’s JFK Airport at 7:30 p.m. and arrive at San Francisco at 11:16 p.m. local time. Boarding began at 7:06 p.m., but the flight was delayed and the doors to the aircraft did not close until 9:55 p.m. An investigation by DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office found that passengers were not notified that they had the opportunity to leave the aircraft during this delay, even though the aircraft door was open and customers could have deplaned at any time. The Enforcement Office also found that JetBlue’s contingency plan for long tarmac delays did not contain the assurance, as required by the DOT rule, that passengers on delayed flights will receive notifications about the status of the delay every 30 minutes, including the reasons for the delay.
DOT’s new airline consumer protection rule, which took effect in August 2011, was adopted as part of the Department’s efforts to prevent passengers from being left for extended periods aboard aircraft. The new rule expanded DOT’s existing ban on tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, which took effect in April 2010, by adding a four-hour limit for tarmac delays on international flights operating at U.S. airports. Exceptions to the tarmac-delay limits are allowed only for safety, security, and air traffic control-related reasons.