§ 430.70 - Enforcement.

(a) Performance standard—(1) Test notice. Upon receiving information in writing concerning the energy performance or water performance (in the case of faucets, showerheads, water closets, and urinals) of a particular covered product of a particular manufacturer or private labeler which indicates that the covered product may not be in compliance with the applicable energy performance standard or water performance standard (in the case of faucets, showerheads, water closets, and urinals), the Secretary may conduct testing of that covered product under this subpart by means of a test notice addressed to the manufacturer in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) Such a procedure will only be followed after the Secretary or his designated representative has examined the underlying test data provided by the manufacturer and after the manufacturer has been offered the opportunity to meet with DOE to verify compliance with the applicable performance standard. A representative designated by the Secretary shall be permitted to observe any reverification procedures by this subpart, and to inspect the results of such reverification.

(ii) The test notice will be signed by the Secretary or his designee. The test notice will be mailed or delivered by DOE to the plant manager or other responsible official, as designated by the manufacturer.

(iii) The test notice will specify the model or basic model to be selected for testing, the method of selecting the test sample, the time at which testing shall be initiated, the date by which testing is scheduled to be completed and the facility at which testing will be conducted. The test notice may also provide for situations in which the selected basic model is unavailable for testing, and may include alternative basic models.

(iv) The Secretary may require in the test notice that the manufacturer of a covered product shall ship at his expense a reasonable number of units of a basic model specified in such test notice to a testing laboratory designated by the Secretary. The number of units of a basic model specified in a test notice shall not exceed twenty (20).

(v) Within 5 working days of the time units are selected, the manufacturer shall ship the specified test units of a basic model to the testing laboratory.

(2) Testing Laboratory. Whenever DOE conducts enforcement testing at a designated laboratory in accordance with a test notice under this section, the resulting test data shall constitute official test data for that basic model. Such test data will be used by DOE to make a determination of compliance or noncompliance if a sufficient number of tests have been conducted to satisfy the requirements of appendix B of this subpart.

(3) Sampling. The determination that a manufacturer's basic model complies with the applicable energy performance standard or water performance standard (in the case of faucets, showerheads, water closets, and urinals) shall be based on the testing conducted in accordance with the statistical sampling procedures set forth in appendix B of this subpart and the test procedures set forth in subpart B of this part.

(4) Test unit selection. A DOE inspector shall select a batch, a batch sample, and test units from the batch sample in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph and the conditions specified in the test notice.

(i) The batch may be subdivided by DOE utilizing criteria specified in the test notice, e.g., date of manufacture, component-supplier, location of manufacturing facility, or other criteria which may differentiate one unit from another within a basic model.

(ii) A batch sample of up to 20 units will then be randomly selected from one or more subdivided groups within the batch. The manufacturer shall keep on hand all units in the batch sample until such time as the basic model is determined to be in compliance or noncompliance.

(iii) Individual test units comprising the test sample shall be randomly selected from the batch sample.

(iv) All random selection shall be achieved by sequentially numbering all of the units in a batch sample and then using a table of random numbers to select the units to be tested.

(5) Test unit preparation. (i) Prior to and during testing, a test unit selected in accordance with paragraph (a)(4) of this section shall not be prepared, modified, or adjusted in any manner unless such preparation, modification, or adjustment is allowed by the applicable DOE test procedure. One test shall be conducted for each test unit in accordance with the applicable test procedures prescribed in subpart B.

(ii) No quality control, testing or assembly procedures shall be performed on a test unit, or any parts and subassemblies thereof, that is not performed during the production and assembly of all other units included in the basic model.

(iii) A test unit shall be considered defective if such unit is inoperative or is found to be in noncompliance due to failure of the unit to operate according to the manufacturer's design and operating instructions. Defective units, including those damaged due to shipping or handling, shall be reported immediately to DOE. DOE shall authorize testing of an additional unit on a case-by-case basis.

(6) Testing at manufacturer's option. (i) If a manufacturer's basic model is determined to be in noncompliance with the applicable energy performance standard or water performance standard (in the case of faucets, showerheads, water closets, and urinals) at the conclusion of DOE testing in accordance with the double sampling plan specified in appendix B of this subpart, the manufacturer may request that DOE conduct additional testing of the model according to procedures set forth in appendix B of this subpart.

(ii) All units tested under paragraph (a)(6) of this section shall be selected and tested in accordance with the provisions given in paragraphs (a) (1) through (5) of this section.

(iii) The manufacturer shall bear the cost of all testing conducted under paragraph (a)(6) of this section.

(iv) The manufacturer shall cease distribution of the basic model being tested under the provisions of paragraph (a)(6) of this section from the time the manufacturer elects to exercise the option provided in this paragraph until the basic model is determined to be in compliance. DOE may seek civil penalties for all units distributed during such period.

(v) If the additional testing results in a determination of compliance, a notice of allowance to resume distribution shall be issued by the Department.

(b) Design standard. In the case of a design standard, a model is determined noncompliant by DOE after the Secretary or his designated representative has examined the underlying design information provided by the manufacturer and after the manufacturer has been offered the opportunity to verify compliance with the applicable design standard.