[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63836-63837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18260]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Granted Buy America Waivers

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of granted Buy America waivers.

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SUMMARY: The following waivers will permit ticket vending machine 
manufacturers to install and count as domestic for purposes of the Buy 
America Act, 49 U.S.C. 5323(j), as implemented by the Federal Transit 
Administration at 49 CFR part 661, the Mars Electronics International 
(MEI) BNA57/542 Banknote Validator, the Asahi Seiko USA, Inc. (Asahi 
Seiko) Model SA-595 Compact Coin Dispensing Hopper, and the Nextek 
Corporation (Nextek) BV-6000 Currency Validator Tekpak. Each waiver is 
valid for a period of 2 years, or until such time as a domestic source 
for the product becomes available, whichever occurs first. This notice 
shall ensure that the public is aware of the waivers. FTA requests that 
the public notify it if a domestic source for any of the above-listed 
products becomes available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jayme L. Blakesley, Attorney-Advisor, 
Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Room 9316, Washington, DC 20590-0001. E-mail: 
[email protected]. Telephone: (202) 366-0304.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See waivers below.

Waiver: MEI BNA57/542 Banknote Validator

    Date Issued: October 20, 2006. Alex Litchfield, Sales Director, 
Transit and Parking, Mars Electronics International (MEI), 1301 Wilson 
Dr., West Chester, PA 19390.
    Re: Buy America Non-Availability Waiver for the MEI BNA57/542 
Banknote Validator
    Dear Mr. Litchfield:
    This letter responds to your April 26, 2006, request for a Buy 
America non-availability waiver for the Sodeco BNA57/542 Banknote 
Validator (``BNA57/542''), which is manufactured in Switzerland for use 
in ticket vending machines.
    The Buy America Act requires, with few exceptions, that all steel, 
iron and manufactured goods used in FTA-funded projects be produced in 
the United States. One such exception is that of non-availability--that 
in some instances steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States 
are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably 
available quantities or are not of a satisfactory quality. Therefore, 
Congress authorized FTA to waive the above requirement and allow, based 
on non-availability, the use in an FTA-funded project of steel, iron or 
manufactured goods produced outside the United States.
    FTA verified non-availability of the BNA57/542 by publishing the 
following notice on its public Web site--http://www.fta.dot.gov--and 
the Docket Management System Web site--dms.dot.gov, Docket No. FTA-
2006-25883, and allowing 30 days for public comment:

    Mars Electronics International (``MEI'') has requested a 
component non-availability waiver for the Sodeco BNA57/542 Banknote 
Validator (``BNA57/542''), manufactured in Switzerland for use in 
ticket vending machines. The BNA 57/542 has the following features: 
6, 13, 30 or 90 banknote types with 4-way insertion, 2 second 
transaction time between notes, new banknotes programmable through 
network, 15 banknotes escrow. A datasheet describing the BNA57/542 
can be accessed on MEI's Web site at http://www.meiglobal.com. MEI 
asserts that the BNA57/542, or its functional equivalent, is not 
available from a U.S. source. If granted, this waiver would permit 
ticket vending machine manufacturers to install the BNA57/542 and 
count it as domestic for purposes of Buy America compliance.
    Please note ``MEI BNA57/542'' in the subject line and submit 
comments by close of business October 20, 2006, to 
[email protected]. For more information on Buy America, please 
see 49 CFR 661.7(d) and 661.9(d).

    Thirty days have passed since publication of the above notice, and 
no party has indicated that a U.S. manufacturer produces banknote 
validators in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a 
satisfactory quality. Therefore, FTA hereby grants MEI a non-
availability waiver for the BNA57/542 for a period of 2 years, or until 
such time as a domestic source for this type of unit becomes available, 
whichever occurs first. This waiver will permit ticket vending machine 
manufacturers to install the SA-595 and

[[Page 63837]]

count it as domestic for purposes of Buy America compliance.
    If you have any questions, please contact Jayme L. Blakesley at 
(202) 366-0304 or [email protected].
    Sincerely, David B. Horner, Chief Counsel, Federal Transit 
Administration.

Waiver: Asahi Seiko Model SA-595 Compact Coin Dispensing Hopper

    Date Issued: October 20, 2006. Steve Poulos, General Manager, Asahi 
Seiko USA, Inc., 6644 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119.
    Re: Buy America Non-Availability Waiver for Model SA-595 Compact 
Coin Dispensing Hopper.
    Dear Mr. Poulos:
    This letter responds to your August 14, 2006, request for an 
extension of a Buy America non-availability waiver for the Asahi Seiko 
Model SA-595 Compact Coin Dispensing Hopper (``SA-595''), which is 
manufactured in Japan for use in ticket vending machines. For the 
reasons below, I have determined that a non-availability waiver is 
appropriate here.
    The Buy America Act requires, with few exceptions, that all steel, 
iron and manufactured goods used in FTA-funded projects be produced in 
the United States. One such exception is that of non-availability--that 
in some instances steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States 
are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably 
available quantities or are not of a satisfactory quality. Therefore, 
Congress authorized FTA to waive the above requirement and allow, based 
on non-availability, the use in an FTA-funded project of steel, iron or 
manufactured goods produced outside the United States.
    FTA verified non-availability of the SA-595 by publishing the 
following notice on its Web site--http://www.fta.dot.gov--and the 
Docket Management System Web site--http://dms.dot.gov, Docket No. FTA-
2006-25860, and allowing 30 days for public comment:

    Asahi Seiko USA, Inc. (``Asahi Seiko'') has requested an 
extension of its component waiver for its Model SA 595 Compact Coin 
Dispensing Hopper (``SA-595''), manufactured for use in ticket 
vending machines. The unit is a low profile, bulk coin dispensing 
hopper module, a device able to hold a quantity of coins in a hopper 
and dispense them for change in a secure and accurate manner upon 
electronic command. Asahi Seiko asserts that the SA-595, or its 
functional equivalent, is not available from a U.S. source. If 
granted, an extension of this waiver would permit ticket vending 
machine manufacturers to install the SA-595 and count it as domestic 
for purposes of Buy America compliance.
    Please note ``Asahi'' in the subject line and submit comments by 
close of business October 13, 2006, to [email protected]. For 
more information on Buy America, please see 49 CFR 661.7(d) and 
661.9(d).

    Thirty days have passed since publication of the above notice, and 
no party has indicated that a U.S. manufacturer produces coin 
dispensing hoppers in sufficient and reasonably available quantities 
and of a satisfactory quality. Therefore, FTA hereby extends Asahi 
Seiko's non-availability waiver for the SA-595 for a period of 2 years, 
or until such time as a domestic source for this type of unit becomes 
available, whichever occurs first. This waiver will permit ticket 
vending machine manufacturers to install the SA-595 and count it as 
domestic for purposes of Buy America compliance.
    If you have any questions, please contact Jayme L. Blakesley at 
(202) 366-0304 or [email protected].
    Sincerely, David B. Horner, Chief Counsel, Federal Transit 
Administration.

Waiver: Nextek BV-6000 Currency Validator Tekpak

    Date Issued: October 20, 2006. Norman Diamond, President, Nextek 
Corporation, 3300 Commercial Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062.
    Re: Buy America Non-Availability Waiver for the BV-6000 Currency 
Validator Tekpak.
    Dear Mr. Diamond:
    This letter responds to your June 19, 2006, request for a Buy 
America non-availability waiver for the BV-6000 Currency Validator 
Tekpak (``BV-6000''), which is manufactured in Japan for use in ticket 
vending machines. For the reasons below, I have determined that a non-
availability waiver is appropriate here.
    The Buy America Act requires, with few exceptions, that all steel, 
iron and manufactured goods used in FTA-funded projects be produced in 
the United States. One such exception is that of non-availability--that 
in some instances steel, iron, and goods produced in the United States 
are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably 
available quantities or are not of a satisfactory quality. Therefore, 
Congress authorized FTA to waive the above requirement and allow, based 
on non-availability, the use in an FTA-funded project of steel, iron or 
manufactured goods produced outside the United States.
    FTA verified non-availability of the BV-6000 by publishing the 
following notice on its public Web site--http://www.fta.dot.gov--and 
the Docket Management System Web site--http://dms.dot.gov, Docket No. 
FTA-2006-25861, and allowing 30 days for public comment:

    Nextek Corporation (``Nextek'') has requested a component non-
availability waiver for its model BV-6000 Currency Validator Tekpak 
(``BV-6000''), manufactured for use in ticket vending machines, 
automatic fare collection and automatic teller machines. It has the 
following features: accepts any currency, any four-way orientation 
bill insertion, 15 bill escrow, 1,000 bill cashbox, optical/magnetic 
bill recognition, high acceptance rate with security, less than 2 
seconds for bill processing, one-way bill transport system, internal 
transaction memory for auditing and testing, easy access without any 
tools, and the ability to free jammed bills and clean bill guideways 
easily. Nextek asserts that the BV-6000, or its functional 
equivalent, is not available from a U.S. source. If granted, this 
waiver would permit ticket vending machine manufacturers to install 
the BV-6000 and count it as domestic for purposes of Buy America 
compliance.
    Please note ``Nextek'' in the subject line and submit comments 
by close of business October 13, 2006, to [email protected]. 
For more information on Buy America, please see 49 CFR 661.7(d) and 
661.9(d).

    Thirty days have passed since publication of the above notice, and 
no party has indicated that a U.S. manufacturer produces currency 
validator tekpaks in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and 
of a satisfactory quality. Therefore, FTA hereby grants Nextek's non-
availability waiver for the BV-6000 for a period of two years, or until 
such time as a domestic source for this type of unit becomes available, 
whichever occurs first. This waiver will permit ticket vending machine 
manufacturers to install the BV-6000 and count it as domestic for 
purposes of Buy America compliance.
    If you have any questions, please contact Jayme L. Blakesley at 
(202) 366-0304 or [email protected].
    Sincerely, David B. Horner, Chief Counsel, Federal Transit 
Administration.

    Issued: October 20, 2006.
David B. Horner,
Chief Counsel.
 [FR Doc. E6-18260 Filed 10-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P