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    101115earthjusticelightlabeling PDF

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    Mark Reinhardt
    This document opposes a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) to delay or repeal a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule requiring new labeling for light bulbs. It argues that: 1) Consumers need the label information as soon as possible to make informed choices; 2) NEMA has not provided valid reasons to delay the rule's effective date or exempt certain bulbs; and 3) Exempting more bulbs would undermine the rule's goal of educating consumers about efficient lighting options. The response addresses each of NEMA's requests individually and argues the FTC rule should be implemented as finalized.

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    101115earthjusticelightlabeling PDF

    Uploaded by

    Mark Reinhardt
    22 views3 pages
    This document opposes a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) to delay or repeal a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule requiring new labeling for light bulbs. It argues that: 1) Consumers need the label information as soon as possible to make informed choices; 2) NEMA has not provided valid reasons to delay the rule's effective date or exempt certain bulbs; and 3) Exempting more bulbs would undermine the rule's goal of educating consumers about efficient lighting options. The response addresses each of NEMA's requests individually and argues the FTC rule should be implemented as finalized.

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    This document opposes a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) to delay or repeal a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule requiring new labeling for light bulbs. It argues that: 1) Consumers need the label information as soon as possible to make informed choices; 2) NEMA has not provided valid reasons to delay the rule's effective date or exempt certain bulbs; and 3) Exempting more bulbs would undermine the rule's goal of educating consumers about efficient lighting options. The response addresses each of NEMA's requests individually and argues the FTC rule should be implemented as finalized.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    22 views3 pages

    101115earthjusticelightlabeling PDF

    Uploaded by

    Mark Reinhardt
    This document opposes a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) to delay or repeal a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule requiring new labeling for light bulbs. It argues that: 1) Consumers need the label information as soon as possible to make informed choices; 2) NEMA has not provided valid reasons to delay the rule's effective date or exempt certain bulbs; and 3) Exempting more bulbs would undermine the rule's goal of educating consumers about efficient lighting options. The response addresses each of NEMA's requests individually and argues the FTC rule should be implemented as finalized.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 3

    ALASKA CALI FORNI A FLORI DA MI D- PACI FI C NORTHEAST NORTHERN ROCKI ES

    NORTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAI N WASHI NGTON, DC I NTERNATI ONAL





    1 6 2 5 MA S S A CHUS E T T S AV ENUE NW S UI T E 7 0 2 WA SHI NGT ON, DC 2 0 0 3 6
    T : 2 0 2. 6 6 7. 45 0 0 F : 2 0 2. 6 6 7. 2 3 5 6 E : d c o f f i c e @e a r t h j u s t i c e . o r g W: www. e a r t h j u s t i c e . o r g

    HamptonNewsome
    FederalTradeCommission
    600PennsylvaniaAve.,NW
    Washington,DC20580

    November15,2010

    Re:October27,2010PetitionfromNEMAtoDelayorRepealFTCLightingLabelingRule,75
    Fed.Reg.41696(July19,2010)

    OnbehalfofPublicCitizenandSierraClub,Earthjusticesubmitsthefollowing
    commentsontheNationalElectricalManufacturersAssociations(NEMAs)October27,2010
    petitiontoFTCregardingthelightbulblabelingrule.Weopposeeachoftherequestsinthat
    petition.
    NoneofNEMAsobjectionstothelabelingruleappeartobebasedonnew
    developments.Asdiscussedbelow,NEMAraisedmanyofthesesameconcernsduringthe
    commentperiodontheproposedrule.FTCconsideredNEMAscommentsand,totheextent
    FTCthoughtthemvalid,incorporatedthemintothefinalrule.Itwouldbearbitraryand
    capriciousforFTCtonowdelaytherulebasedoncommentstheCommissionpreviously
    rejected.Furthermore,delayingorvoidingtherulesrequirementswouldbedetrimentalto
    consumers,whowouldbenefitfromwidespreadandrapidadoptionofthenewlabels.Finally,
    NEMAssuggestionthatthedelaysandexemptionsarenecessarytoallowforthedevelopment
    ofLEDsandothernewtechnologiesisparticularlyunpersuasive.Thedeploymentofthose
    technologiesdoesnotdependontherule,andNEMAcannotguaranteespeedierdeployment
    intheabsenceoftherule.
    Below,weaddresseachofNEMAsrequestsonebyone.

    1) FTCshouldkeepthefinalruleseffectivedateofJuly2012.
    AspointedoutintheseparatecommentsofNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil
    (NRDC),consumersneedaccesstotheinformationrequiredbythenewFTClightbulblabeling
    ruleassoonaspossible.Thisinformationiscriticallyimportantforconsumersfacingthearray
    ofnewlightingchoicesonthemarket,andwillleadtosignificantenergysavings.Nothingin
    NEMAspetitionjustifiesdelayingthelabelingrequirementsforsixadditionalmonths.
    Notably,NEMAsrequestforablanketsixmonthextensionconflictswithNEMAs
    earlierstatementsonthetimeneededtocomplywiththerule.NEMAoriginallyrequestedan
    effectivedatethatwouldallowmanufacturerstorolloutnewlabelswithinonetotwoyears
    aftertherulesfinalization.75Fed.Reg.at41710.Therulegavemanufacturersafullyearand
    encouragedthemtobeginusingthelabelbeforethatdeadlinearrived.Id.Ratherthandothat,
    NEMAhasmovedthegoalpostsonFTC,requestingasixmonthadditionaldelayforthe
    effectivedateoftheentirerule.ButNEMAhasnotpresentedanyevidence,andcertainlyno
    2
    newevidence,demonstratingthatitsmembersarewhollyunabletomeetthetimeframeit
    originallysuggestedwouldbefeasiblewithrespecttoatleastsomeproducts.Infact,NEMAs
    petitionindicatestheopposite:Lampmanufacturersarepreparedtobefullycompliantwith
    thenewlabelingrulesforallLEDproductsandnewhalogenincandescenttypeswithno
    exceptionsordelays.NEMAPetition(Oct.27,2010)at4(emphasisadded).

    2) FTCshouldnotdelaylabelingrequirementsformediumbaseCFLs.
    ThedelayNEMArequestsforCFLswoulddelaytherulebeyondthetwoyearouter
    limitNEMArequestedinitscommentsontheproposedrule,asnotedabove.Thebasisforthis
    appearstobethattheCFLmarketiscomplicated.Butthefactthattherearemorelighting
    productsonthemarkettodaythaninthepastonlyreinforcestheimportanceoflabelingto
    consumers.
    ThisisespeciallytruewhenitcomestoCFLs.Thebasisofthenewruleisthatthe
    currentlabelingrequirementsarenoteffectiveforhighefficiencybulbs.75Fed.Reg.at
    41698.Specifically,consumerresearchshowedbuyersinterpretedthewattageasanindicator
    oflightoutput,ratherthanofenergyuse.74Fed.Reg.at57952.Ratherthanjustifyingadelay,
    theproliferationofCFLsandotherhighefficiencybulbshasexposedtheurgentneedfor
    improvedlabels.Seeid.([A]wattagebasedapproachdoesnotworkinamarketthatincludes
    differenthighefficiencybulbsbecausethewattageneededtoattainaparticularlightoutputcan
    differsubstantiallyacrossthesetechnologies.).

    3) FTCshouldnotexemptanymoreincandescentlampsthanitalreadyhas.
    NEMAarguesthatgeneralserviceincandescentlampsaffectedbythe2007Energy
    IndependenceandSecurityAct(EISA)shouldbeexemptfromthenewlabelingrequirements
    becausetheselampswillbegintodisappearfromthemarketwithin17to29monthsofthe
    effectivedateoftherule.NEMAalsoarguesthatthoseincandescentreflectorlampsaffectedby
    DOEefficiencystandardsshouldbeexemptforsimilarreasons.FTCrejectedbothofthese
    argumentsinthefinalrule,andneitherhasbecomemorepersuasivewithtime.
    Requiringupdatedlabelsfortheselampswhiletheyarestillforsaleisespecially
    important,becausetheyaretheleastefficientlampsonthemarket.Noamountofcomparative
    costinformationonCFLlabelswillbeusefultoconsumerslookingonlyatincandescentlamps.
    Butalabelonanincandescentlampthatshowstheaverageannualcosttooperatethatbulb
    maymakeconsumersthinktwiceaboutbuyingthatlamp.
    Therequestedexemptionswouldalsounderminetherulesefforttohelpconsumers
    understandtheperformanceandenergyusageofhighefficiencylighting.Consumersmustbe
    abletousethelabelonanincandescentasareferencepointforinterpretingthelabelonaCFL.
    Thisisparticularlytrueofinformationaboutlightappearance:IfCFLsalonedisplaysuch
    information,itwillbeoflittleusetoconsumersseekingtopurchaselampsthatapproximatethe
    colorcharacteristicsoftheincandescentlampstheyhavetraditionallybought.Forthisreason,
    wealsoopposeNRDCssuggestionthatFTCpermitmanufacturersofgeneralservice
    incandescentlampstooptoutofprovidingtheside/backpanelinformationrequiredbythe
    labelingrule.
    3
    FTChasalreadyconsideredandlargelyrejectedexemptionsfortheincandescentlamps
    coveredbyEISAandDOEefficiencystandards.75Fed.Reg.at41699.FTCdidtailortheruleto
    exemptthosebulbsthatwillbephasedoutwithinsixmonthsoftheeffectivedateofthe
    labelingrule.Id.Indecidingthatitwouldnotgrantfurtherexemptions,FTCconcluded,
    [b]ecausethesebulbswillremaininproductionformorethanayearaftertheeffectivedateof
    thefinalamendments,andbecauseCongresshasidentifiedthemasinefficient,applyingthe
    newlabelingrequirementstothebulbswillprovidebenefitstoconsumersthatoutweighany
    additionalcosttoindustry.Id.
    NEMAhaspresentednoevidencetorebutthatconclusion.

    Respectfullysubmitted,

    /s/JonathanWiener

    JonathanWiener
    Earthjustice
    1625MassachusettsAve.,NW
    Suite702
    Washington,DC20036
    Tel:(202)6674500x211
    jwiener@earthjustice.org

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