DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
27 CFR Parts 4, 5 and 7
[Notice No. 873; Re: Notice No. 872]
RIN 1512-AB89
Prohibition of Certain Alcohol Beverage Containers and
Standards
of Fill for Distilled Spirits and Wine (98R-452P)
AGENCY: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),
Department of
the Treasury.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice extends the comment period for
Notice No. 872, a
notice of proposed rulemaking, published in the Federal
Register on
February 9, 1999. ATF has received a request to extend
the comment
period in order to provide sufficient time for all interested
parties
to respond to the issues raised in the notice.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before
May 10, 1999.
[[Page 17589]]
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Chief, Regulations
Division,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, P.O. Box 50221,
Washington, DC
20091-0221, [Attention: Notice No. 872].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William H. Foster,
Regulations
Division, (202) 927-8210, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco
and Firearms, 650
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20226. You
may also write
questions by e-mail to whfoster@atf.gov.
ATF will not
accept comments on the proposal that are submitted to
this address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On February 9, 1999, ATF published a notice of proposed
rulemaking
(NPRM) in the Federal Register soliciting comments from
the public and
industry on a proposal to amend the regulations to clarify
the
standards of fill for distilled spirits and wine. This
notice also
proposed regulations to prohibit certain alcohol beverage
containers
that are likely to mislead consumers as to the identity
or character of
the distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverage products
or are likely to
be confused with other (non-alcohol) food products.
The comment period
for Notice No. 872 closes on April 12, 1999.
However, ATF received a request from the National
Association of
Beverage Importers, Inc. (NABI) to extend the comment
period an
additional 30 days. NABI, representing the companies
that import most
of the alcohol beverages brought into the United States,
stated that
additional time was needed for it to obtain information
from its
members and foreign counterparts in order to prepare
the association's
comments.
In consideration of the above, ATF finds that an
extension of the
comment period is warranted and the Bureau is, therefore,
extending the
comment period until May 10, 1999.
Disclosure
Copies of Notice No. 872 and written comments will
be available for
public inspection during normal business hours at: ATF
Reference
Library, Room 6480, 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC.
Drafting Information
The author of this document is Nancy M. Kern, Regulations
Division,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
List of Subjects
27 CFR Part 4
Advertising, consumer protection, customs duties
and inspections,
imports, labeling, packaging and containers, and wine.
27 CFR Part 5
Advertising, consumer protection, customs duties
and inspections,
imports, labeling, liquors, and packaging and containers.
27 CFR Part 7
Advertising, beer, consumer protection, customs
duties and
inspection, imports, and labeling.
Authority and Issuance
This notice is issued under the authority contained
in 26 U.S.C.
5368, 5301, 7805; 27 U.S.C. 205.
Signed: April 6, 1999.
John W. Magaw,
Director.
[FR Doc. 99-8993 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P