Announced Actions for February 23, 2000

Applications for approval of transactions:

• The Commission has received a petition from the following entity for approval of a transaction: ExxonMobil Corporation. In its petition, ExxonMobil has requested approval to divest the Mobil Boston Terminal, as required by its November 1999 consent agreement with the Commission, to the East Boston Terminal Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tosco Corporation. ExxonMobil has also requested expedited consideration of this matter, including a reduction of the public comment period from 30 to 21 days.
  
  The FTC is currently seeking public comment on this petition for 30 days, until March 24, 2000, pending the Commission's decision regarding the company's request to shorten the comment period. If the comment period is amended, the Commission will publicly announce this decision. Comments on the petition should be sent to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. (FTC File No. 991-0077 Docket No. C-3907; staff contact is Daniel P. Ducore, 202-326-2526; see press release dated November 30, 1999.)

Petitions to reopen and modify or set aside orders:

• The Commission has received a petition from the following entity to reopen and modify a Commission order: Meade Instruments Corporation, in the matter of Harbour Group Investments, L.P. In its petition, Meade has requested the removal of Paragraph II of the Commission's August 19, 1991 consent order to remove the prior-approval requirement.
  
  Under this Paragraph, for a period of 10 years from the date the consent order became final, Meade must obtain the Commission's approval before acquiring any stock, share capital, equity interest or assets (other than purchases of manufactured products in the ordinary course of business) of any company engaged in the manufacture in the United States of mid-sized Schmidt-Cassegrain astronomical telescopes with apertures of eight to 11 inches.  
  
  The FTC is currently seeking public comment on this petition for 30 days, until March 24, 2000. Comments on the petition should be sent to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. (Docket No. 9244; staff contact is Daniel P. Ducore, 202-326-2526; see press release dated September 4, 1991.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this FYI are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 877-FTC Help (877-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.