[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15744-15745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7470]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 58 / Monday, March 27, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 15744]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[TM-94-00-4]
Procedure To Submit Names of Substances for Evaluation for
Inclusion in the National List To Be Included in the National Organic
Program
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended (Act) (7
U.S.C. 6501 et. seq.), requires the establishment of a national organic
production program for producers and handlers of agricultural products
that have been produced using organic methods. The Act requires the
Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a National List of
approved synthetic and prohibited natural substances that shall be
included in the standards for organic production and handling. The
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), established by the Secretary,
is seeking applications (petitions) for substances to be considered for
inclusion on the National List. Petitions for substances for the
National List should be submitted by the date set forth below.
DATES: Petitions should be received by close of business, May 26, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Petitions should be sent to Michael Hankin, Senior Marketing
Specialist, USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Transportation
and Marketing Division (TMD), National Organic Program (NOP), Room 2510
South Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Rogers, Marketing Specialist,
USDA, AMS, TMD, NOP, Room 2510 South Building, P.O. Box 96456,
Washington, DC 20090-6456. Phone 202/205-7804. Fax 202/205-7808.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Organic production and handling involves
more than just the application or addition of certain acceptable
substances. The Act in section 2114 (7 U.S.C. 6513) requires producers
and handlers seeking certification under the Act to submit an organic
plan to the certifying agent and the State organic certification
program (if applicable). An organic plan is a plan of management of an
organic farming or handling operation that has been agreed to by the
producer or handler and the certifying agent that addresses all aspects
of agricultural production or handling described in the Act, including
crop rotation and other practices required under the Act.
The Act in section 2112 (7 U.S.C. 6511) also requires producers and
handlers of certified organic operations to maintain records concerning
the production or handling of agricultural products sold or labeled as
organically produced under the Act. These records are to include
detailed histories of substances applied to fields or agricultural
products, the names and addresses of persons who applied the
substances, and the date, rate and method of application of such
substances. Livestock records shall include, but not be limited to, the
amount and source of medications administered and all feeds and feed
supplements bought and fed (section 2110 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6509)).
Further, the Act requires the Secretary to establish a National
List of approved synthetic and prohibited natural substances that shall
be included in the standards established for the organic production and
handling of agricultural products to be sold or labeled as organically
produced. The Act in section 2103(21) (7 U.S.C. 6502(21)) defines
synthetic as a substance that is formulated or manufactured by a
chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance
extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources,
except that such term shall not apply to substances created by
naturally occurring biological processes.
The Secretary in accordance with section 6518 of the Act (7 U.S.C.
6518) established a NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to assist in the
development of standards for substances to be used in organic
production and to advise the Secretary on any other aspects of
implementing the Act.
The NOSB has initiated an evaluation of certain substances for
inclusion on the National List. The NOSB's list of substances was
generated from existing lists of established organic certification
agencies and from input received from various people and organizations,
including organic food processors and livestock producers. The
substances currently being considered have been referred, in accordance
with the Act, to technical advisors, selected by the NOSB, who will
provide the NOSB with relevant scientific information. Also, in
accordance with the Act, the NOSB will review information from the
Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of
Environmental Health Studies and other sources, as appropriate, in
regards to the potential adverse human and environmental effects of a
substance under consideration.
Specifically, the NOSB will be considering:
(1) The potential of such substances for detrimental chemical
interactions with other materials used in organic farming systems;
(2) The toxicity and mode of action of the substance and of its
breakdown products or any contaminants, and their persistence and areas
of concentration in the environment;
(3) The probability of environmental contamination during
manufacture, use, misuse or disposal of such substance;
(4) The effect of the substance on human health;
(5) The effects of the substance on biological and chemical
interactions in the agroecosystem, including the physiological effects
of the substance on soil organisms (including the salt index and
solubility of the soil), crops and livestock;
(6) The alternatives to using the substance in terms of practices
or other available materials; and
(7) Its compatibility with a system of sustainable agriculture.
The results of the evaluations by the technical advisors will be
utilized by the NOSB in formulating its own evaluation reports. Both
the NOSB evaluations and those of the technical advisors will be
submitted to the Secretary along with the NOSB's recommended list of
substances. The [[Page 15745]] Secretary will consider the
recommendations of the NOSB. The Secretary will then determine what
substances should be proposed to be included in the National List and
will publish the proposed list for public comment prior to establishing
the National List.
Once established, the National List may be amended. Proposed
additions to the National List will also be published for public
comment. Substances included in the National List will be reviewed by
the NOSB and the Secretary at least every 5 years.
PURPOSE: The NOSB has made an extensive effort to review existing
organic certification organizations' lists of substances approved or
prohibited for organic production and handling. However, it is possible
that one or more substances currently appearing on these existing lists
have not been included in the groups of substances being evaluated at
this time by the technical advisors persons and the NOSB. In addition,
there may be other substances that should be evaluated for inclusion on
the National List which may be determined to be compatible with the
organic management system of agricultural production and processing.
This Notice establishes the procedure by which interested parties
may petition the NOSB for the purpose of having a substance evaluated
for recommendation to the Secretary for inclusion as a permitted
synthetic or prohibited natural substance on the National List. Only
the names of generic, single, active ingredients should be submitted;
brand name products and formulations will not be evaluated or appear on
the National List.
A request that a substance be evaluated, along with the following
information, is specifically requested.
DETAILED INFORMATION:
Substance name (generic or common name);
Manufacturer's name, address, and phone, if different from the
petitioner;
Area of intended use (crops, livestock, or handling/processing);
Specific use of the substance within the area of intended use;
Sources from which the substance is derived;
Description of the manufacturing or processing procedures; and
Summary of previous reviews by State or private organic certification
programs.
REGULATORY INFORMATION (as applicable):
EPA registration (include the registration number);
Food and Drug Administration registration;
State regulatory authority registration (include State registration
number);
Chemical Abstract Service number or other product number; and
Labels of products that contain the petitioned substance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Detailed findings relevant to the substance's: detrimental chemical
interactions with other materials used in organic farming; toxicity and
persistence in the environment; environmental contamination resulting
from its use and manufacture; effects on human health; and effects on
soil organisms, crops and livestock;
Bibliographies;
Material Safety Data Sheet;
Information on the substance obtained from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Studies; and
Information on whether all or part of any submission is believed to be
confidential commercial information, and if so, what parts, and the
basis for the belief it is confidential commercial information.
JUSTIFICATION: If petitioning for approval of a synthetic substance,
state the reasons why the synthetic substance is necessary to the
production, processing or handling of the organic product;
If the substance may be defined as synthetic, describe natural
substances or alternative cultural methods that could be utilized in
place of the synthetic substance; and summarize the beneficial effects
to the environment, human health, or farm ecosystem that might support
the use of the synthetic substance instead of the natural substances or
alternative cultural methods.
If petitioning for prohibition of a natural substance, state the
reasons why the natural substance should not be permitted in the
production, processing or handling of the organic product.
The information requested for petitioning for a substance to be
evaluated for inclusion on the National List should be completed as
fully as possible. Persons submitting petitions may be requested to
supply additional information.
Persons wishing to submit a petition should send the request and
the information requested to: Michael Hankin, Senior Marketing
Specialist, USDA, AMS, TMD, NOP, Room 2510 South Building, PO Box
96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501-6522.
Dated: March 21, 1995.
Lon Hatamiya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-7470 Filed 3-24-95; 8:45 am]
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