[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9452-9453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1703]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Bundling Flat-Size and Irregular Parcel Mail

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule requires mailers to use two bands to secure 
all bundles of presorted flat-size mail and irregular parcels when 
those bundles are not shrinkwrapped.

DATES: Effective Date: April 30, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Chatfield, 202-268-7278.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    We published a proposal in the Federal Register (70 FR 66314; 
November 2, 2005) to require mailers to use at least two bands--one 
band around the length and one around the width--when only banding is 
used to secure bundles of flat-size and irregular parcel mailpieces. 
This requirement eliminates the current option to place only one band 
around bundles 1-inch thick or less.
    Bundle integrity--the ability of bundles to remain intact--is 
crucial for our new, high-speed Automated Package Processing System 
(APPS). When bundles break open, we lose the value of mailers' presort, 
and we must handle individual pieces manually. Manual handling of 
mailpieces from broken or loose bundles results in delayed delivery and 
increases our processing costs.

Comments Received

    We received two comments on our proposal. One commenter said it may 
be difficult to use two bands and maintain visible address and presort 
information on the top piece of each bundle. Secure bundles with 
visible addresses and presort designations are key APPS requirements. 
Mailers may use clear, smooth strapping or place the address on an 
unobscured part of the mailpiece (for example, in the center of one of 
the quadrants on the face of the mailpiece). Mailers may avoid banding 
altogether by shrinkwrapping bundles.
    The commenter also said that the new address visibility requirement 
should have been published together with the new bundling standards. 
While we changed the standards for address visibility on October 27, 
2005, mailers were given a 6-month grace period to comply. We encourage 
mailers to meet those standards as soon as possible, but mailers are 
not required to comply until April 30, 2006. The April 30, 2006, 
implementation date for the new bundling standards matches the 
compliance date for address visibility.
    The second commenter disagreed that bundles prepared with only 
banding should be required to have bands around the length and width. 
The commenter stated that, in some cases, using two parallel bands 
around the width of the bundle is sufficient.
    The standards that require at least one band around the length and 
one around the width for most bundles are not new standards and help 
ensure that bundles maintain their integrity. Mailers may use two 
parallel bands around the width when it can increase the integrity of 
the bundle, but these bands must be in addition to a third band around 
the length. The new standard requiring at least one band around the 
length and one around the width for all bundles that are not 
shrinkwrapped will prevent even small bundles from falling apart.

Effective Date

    Mailers must prepare presort bundles of flat-size mail and 
irregular parcels according to the new standards beginning April 30, 
2006, but we encourage mailers to follow the new standards immediately.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.


0
Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is amended as follows:

PART 111--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR Part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 3001-
3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.

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2. Amend the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United 
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as follows:
* * * * *

300 Discount Flats

* * * * *

330 First-Class Mail

* * * * *

335 Mail Preparation

* * * * *
2.0 BUNDLES
* * * * *

2.4 Securing Bundles

0
[Add new item b as follows. Make an identical change in 345.2.5 (for 
Standard Mail flats), 365.2.5 (for Bound Printed Matter flats), 375.2.5 
(for Media Mail flats), 385.2.5 (for Library Mail flats), 435.2.5 (for 
First-Class Mail parcels), 465.2.5 (for Bound Printed Matter parcels), 
475.2.5 (for Media Mail parcels), 485.2.5 (for Library Mail parcels), 
and 707.19.4 (for Periodicals).]
* * * * *

[[Page 9453]]

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b. When using only banding to secure bundles, the following additional 
requirements apply.
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1. Use at least one band to encircle the length of the bundle and use 
at least one band to encircle the width of the bundle.
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2. Use tension sufficient to tighten and depress the edges of the 
bundle so that pieces do not slip out of the banding during transit and 
processing.
* * * * *

340 Standard Mail

* * * * *

345 Mail Preparation

* * * * *
2.0 BUNDLES
* * * * *

2.6 Preparing Bundles in Sacks

0
[Revise introductory text to refer to the new banding requirements as 
follows. Delete item b to remove the old banding requirements and 
renumber items c through f as items b through e. Make identical changes 
in 707.19.8 (for Periodicals).]
0
In addition to the standards in 2.5, mailers must prepare and secure 
bundles placed in sacks as follows.
* * * * *
0
[Switch 445.2.5 and 445.2.6 for Standard Mail parcels. Revise new 2.5 
using the text in 335.2.4 above; revise new 2.6 using the text in 
345.2.6 above.]
* * * * *
0
[Replace text in 705.8.5.11 with text in new 335.2.4 above for bundles 
on pallets. Delete 705.8.5.12; renumber 8.5.13 and 8.5.14 as new 8.5.12 
and 8.5.13.]
* * * * *

Neva R. Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 06-1703 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P