DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-41,399

BBA NONWOVENS SIMPSONVILLE INC.
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Notice of Revised Determination
on Reconsideration

By letter postmarked August 15, 2002, the Paper, Allied-
Industrial, Chemical and Energy International Workers Union,
Local PACE 2-1318, requested administrative reconsideration
regarding the Department’s Negative Determination Regarding
Eligibility to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance, applicable
to the workers of the subject firm.
The initial investigation resulted in a negative
determination issued on July 1, 2002, based on the finding that
imports of apparel interlinings and disposable diaper components
did not contribute importantly to worker separations at the
Lewisburg plant. The denial notice was published in the Federal
Register on July 18, 2002 (67 FR 47399).
To support the request for reconsideration, the union
supplied additional information to supplement that which was
gathered during the initial investigation. Upon further review
and contact with the company, it was revealed that the company
had sold off a major product line of apparel interlinings to a
manufacturer with foreign production capacity.
In addition, contact with the major declining domestic
customer of this product revealed that they replaced their
purchases of apparel interlinings from the subject firm with
products from the foreign plant during the relevant period. The
imports accounted for a meaningful portion of the subject plant’s
lost sales and production.
Conclusion
After careful review of the additional facts obtained on
reconsideration, I conclude that increased imports of articles
like or directly competitive with those produced at BBA Nonwovens
Simpsonville Inc., Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed
importantly to the declines in sales or production and to the
total or partial separation of workers at the subject firm. In
accordance with the provisions of the Act, I make the following
certification:
"All workers of BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville Inc., Lewisburg,
Pennsylvania, who became totally or partially separated from
employment on or after March 25, 2001 through two years from
the date of this certification, are eligible to apply for
adjustment assistance under Section 223 of the Trade Act of
1974."

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 19th day of February 2003.

/s/ Edward A. Tomchick
________________________
EDWARD A. TOMCHICK
Director, Division of
Trade Adjustment Assistance


DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-41,399

BBA NONWOVENS SIMPSONVILLE, INC.
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Negative Determination Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
USC 2273) as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act
of 1988 (P. L. 100-418), the Department of Labor herein presents
the results of an investigation regarding certification of eligi-
bility to apply for worker adjustment assistance.
In order to make an affirmative determination and issue a
certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance,
each of the group eligibility requirements of Section 222 of the
Act must be met:
(1) that a significant number or proportion of the workers
in the workers' firm, or an appropriate subdivision
thereof, have become totally or partially separated, or
are threatened to become totally or partially
separated;

(2) that sales or production, or both, of the firm or
subdivision have decreased absolutely; and

(3) that increases of imports of articles like or directly
competitive with articles produced by the firm or
appropriate subdivision have contributed importantly to
the separations, or threat thereof, and to the absolute
decline in sales or production.

The investigation was initiated on April 22, 2002, in
response to a petition filed by PACE International, Region 3, on
behalf of workers at BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc., Lewisburg,
Pennsylvania. The workers produced apparel interlinings and
disposable diaper components.
The investigation revealed that criterion (3) has not been
met.
The customer survey conducted by the U.S. Department of
Labor revealed that the customer(s) of the subject firm did not
purchase apparel interlinings or disposable diaper components
from foreign sources.
A petition for NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance has
been filed on behalf of workers at the subject firm (NAFTA 6045).
Conclusion
After careful review, I determine that all workers at BBA
Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc., Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, are denied
eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance under Section 223
of the Trade Act of 1974.

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 1st day of July, 2002


/s/ Linda G. Poole
______________________________
LINDA G. POOLE
Certifying Officer, Division of
Trade Adjustment Assistance