[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67245-67246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31085]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


Opportunity for Designation in the East Indiana (IN), Kansas 
(KS), Minot (ND), and Tri-State (OH) Areas, and Request for Comments on 
the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 
(GIPSA), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The designations of the official agencies listed below will 
end in August and September 2000. GIPSA is asking persons interested in 
providing official services in the areas served by these agencies to 
submit an application for designation. GIPSA is also asking for 
comments on the services provided by these currently designated 
agencies:

East Indiana Grain Inspection, Inc. (East Indiana);
Kansas Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Kansas);
Minot Grain Inspection, Inc. (Minot); and
Tri-State Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Tri-State).

DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked or sent by 
telecopier (FAX) on or before December 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Applications and comments must be submitted to USDA, GIPSA, 
Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604, 
Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3604. 
Applications and comments may be submitted by FAX on 202-690-2755. If 
an application is submitted by FAX, GIPSA reserves the right to request 
an original application. All applications and comments will be made 
available for public inspection at this address located at 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart at 202-720-8525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Action has been reviewed and determined 
not to be a rule or regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and 
Departmental Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and 
Departmental Regulation do not apply to this Action.
    Section 7(f)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act, as 
amended (Act), authorizes GIPSA's Administrator to designate a 
qualified applicant to provide official services in a specified area 
after determining that the applicant is better able than any other 
applicant to provide such official services.
    Section 7(g)(1) of the Act provides that designations of official 
agencies shall end not later than triennially and may be renewed 
according to the criteria and procedures prescribed in Section 7(f) of 
the Act.

1. Current Designations Being Announced for Renewal

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                                                                                    Designation     Designation
              Official agency                            Main office                   start            end
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East Indiana...............................  Muncie, IN.........................      09/01/1997       8/31/2000
Kansas.....................................  Topeka, KS.........................      09/01/1997       8/31/2000
Minot......................................  Minot, ND..........................      10/01/1997       9/30/2000
Tri-State..................................  Cincinnati, OH.....................      10/01/1997      09/30/2000
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    a. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Indiana and Ohio, is assigned to East Indiana.
    In Indiana:
    Bounded on the North by the northern and eastern Grant County 
lines; the northern Blackford, and Jay County lines;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern Jay, Randolph, Wayne, and Union 
County lines;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Union and Fayette County 
lines; the eastern Rush County line south to State Route 244; State 
Route 244 west to the Rush County line; and
    Bounded on the West by the western Rush and Henry County lines; the 
southern Madison County line west to State Route 13; State Route 13 
north to State Route 132; State Route 132 northwest to Madison County; 
the western and northern Madison County lines; the northern Delaware 
County line; the western Blackford County line north to State Route 18; 
State Route 18 west to County Highway 900E; County Highway 900E north 
to the northern Grant County line.
    Darke County, Ohio.
    b. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming, is 
assigned to Kansas.
    The entire State of Colorado.
    The entire State of Kansas.

[[Page 67246]]

    In Nebraska:
    Bounded on the North by the northern Scotts Bluff County line; the 
northern Morrill County line east to Highway 385;
    Bounded on the East by Highway 385 south to the northern Cheyenne 
County line; the northern and eastern Cheyenne County lines; the 
northern and eastern Deuel County lines;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Deuel, Cheyenne, and Kimball 
County lines; and
    Bounded on the West by the western Kimball, Banner, and Scoots 
Bluff County lines.
    Goshen, Laramie, and Platt Counties, Wyoming.
    Kansas' assigned geographic area does not include the following 
grain elevators inside Kansas' area which have been and will continue 
to be serviced by the following official agency: Hastings Grain 
Inspection, Inc.: Farmers Coop, and Big Springs Elevator, both in Big 
Springs, Deuel County, Nebraska.
    c. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of North Dakota, is assigned to Minot.
    Bounded on the North by the North Dakota State line east to State 
Route 14;
    Bounded on the East by State Route 14 south to State Route 5; State 
Route 5 east to State Route 60; State Route 60 southeast to State Route 
3; State Route 3 south to State Route 200;
    Bounded on the South by State Route 200 west to State Route 41; 
State Route 41 south to U.S. Route 83; U.S. Route 83 northwest to State 
Route 200; State Route 200 west to U.S. Route 85; U.S. Route 85 south 
to Interstate 94; Interstate 94 west to the North Dakota State line; 
and
    Bounded on the West by the North Dakota State line.
    The following grain elevators, located outside of the above 
contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area 
assignment: Harvey Farmers Elevator, Harvey, Wells County (located 
inside Grand Forks Grain Inspection Department, Inc.'s, area); and 
Benson Quinn Company, Underwood, and Wilton Farmers Union Elevator at 
Washburn Station, Washburn, both in McLean County (located inside Grain 
Inspection, Inc.'s, area).
    d. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, is assigned to Tri-
State.
    Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Rush (south of State 
Route 244), and Switzerland Counties, Indiana.
    Bath, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Campbell, Clark, Fleming, Gallatin, 
Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Lewis (west of State Route 59), Mason, 
Montgomery, Nicholas, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson Counties, 
Kentucky.
    In Ohio:
    Bounded on the North by the northern Preble County line east; the 
western and northern Miami County lines east to State Route 296; State 
Route 296 east to State Route 560; State Route 560 south to the Clark 
County line; the northern Clark County line east to U.S. Route 68;
    Bounded on the East by U.S. Route 68 south to U.S. Route 22; U.S. 
Route 22 east to State Route 73; State Route 73 southeast to the Adams 
County line; the eastern Adams County line;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Adams, Brown, Clermont, and 
Hamilton County lines; and
    Bounded on the West by the western Hamilton, Butler, and Preble 
County lines.

2. Opportunity for Designation

    Interested persons, including East Indiana, Kansas, Minot, and Tri-
State, are hereby given the opportunity to apply for designation to 
provide official services in the geographic areas specified above under 
the provisions of Section 7(f) of the Act and section 800.196(d) of the 
regulations issued thereunder. Persons wishing to apply for designation 
should contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for 
forms and information.

                            Designation Terms
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East Indiana and Kansas.................  09/01/2000 to 06/30/2003
Minot and Tri-State.....................  10/01/2000 to 06/30/2003
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3. Request for Comments

    GIPSA also is publishing this notice to provide interested persons 
the opportunity to present comments on the East Indiana, Kansas, Minot, 
and Tri-State official agencies. Commenters are encouraged to submit 
pertinent data concerning the East Indiana, Kansas, Minot, and Tri-
State official agencies including information on the timeliness, cost, 
quality, and scope of services provided. All comments must be submitted 
to the Compliance Division at the above address.
    Applications, comments, and other available information will be 
considered in determining which applicant will be designated.

    Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
71 et seq.).

    Dated: November 19, 1999.
Neil E. Porter,
Director, Compliance Division.
[FR Doc. 99-31085 Filed 11-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P