[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59407-59408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21208]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent To Commence Administrative Law Judge Hearings 
for Regulatory Enforcement Cases

AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this NOI to 
notify interested parties of DOE's intent

[[Page 59408]]

to immediately commence on-the-record hearings before Administrative 
Law Judges (ALJs) in civil penalty cases for violations of DOE's 
conservation standards and certification requirements. This NOI also 
provides the web address for the procedures that will govern these 
hearings.

DATES: This notice of intent is effective on September 30, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested person are encouraged to review these procedures 
at www.energy.gov/gc/doe-procedures-administrative-adjudication-civil-penalty-actions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for information or 
clarification may be sent to: [email protected]. Questions about the 
NOI may be addressed to Lucy Lee at (202) 287-6395.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority and Purpose

    Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended 
(EPCA),\1\ sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve 
energy efficiency. Part A of Title III (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) provides 
for the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than 
Automobiles. The National Energy Conservation Policy Act, Public Law 
95-619, amended EPCA to add Part A-1 of Title III, which established an 
energy conservation program for certain industrial equipment. (42 
U.S.C. 6311-6317) Sections 6298-6305 and 6316 of EPCA authorize DOE to 
enforce compliance with the energy and water conservation standards 
established for covered products and covered equipment. To ensure that 
all covered products and equipment distributed in the United States 
comply with DOE's energy and water conservation standards and 
certification requirements, DOE promulgated enforcement regulations in 
10 CFR parts 429, 430, and 431 and assesses civil penalties for 
violations of these regulations. Section 6303(d) of EPCA provides an 
opportunity for an on-the-record hearing for parties issued a civil 
penalty notice for violations of DOE's conservation standards and 
certification requirements.
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    \1\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute 
as amended through the Energy Act of 2020, Public Law 116-260 (Dec. 
27, 2020), which reflect the last statutory amendments that impact 
Parts A and A-1 of EPCA.
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    In this NOI, DOE gives notice of its intent to commence on-the-
record hearings before ALJs in civil penalty cases pursuant to its 
authority in 42 U.S.C. 6303(d)(2)(A). For more information on DOE's 
enforcement process, including how to request an ALJ hearing, please 
see 10 CFR part 429, subpart C.

II. Procedures for Administrative Adjudication of Civil Penalty Actions

    The procedures applicable to DOE's administrative adjudication of 
civil penalty actions can be found at: www.energy.gov/gc/doe-procedures-administrative-adjudication-civil-penalty-actions.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on September 
26, 2022, by Samuel Walsh, General Counsel, pursuant to delegated 
authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with the original 
signature and date is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes 
only, and in compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal 
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been 
authorized to sign and submit the document in electronic format for 
publication as an official document of the Department of Energy. This 
administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this 
document upon publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-21208 Filed 9-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P