[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11036-11037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4682]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[00-01-a]


Opportunity for Designation in the Ohio Valley (IN), Idaho (ID), 
Lewiston (ID), Utah, Minnesota, and Mississippi Areas, and Request for 
Comments on the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The designations of the official agencies listed below will 
end in October, November, and December 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:

    Ohio Valley Grain Inspection, Inc. (Ohio Valley);
    Idaho Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Idaho);
    Lewiston Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Lewiston);
    Utah Department of Agriculture (Utah);
    Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Minnesota); and
    Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce 
(Mississippi).


DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked or sent by 
telecopier (FAX) on or before March 30, 2000.

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.

[[Page 11037]]

1. Current Designations Being Announced for Renewal

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                                                                                       Designation   Designation
                 Official agency                              Main office                 start          end
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Ohio Valley.....................................  Newburg, IN.......................    11/01/1997    10/31/2000
Idaho...........................................  Pocatello, ID.....................    12/01/1997    11/31/2000
Lewiston........................................  Lewiston, ID......................    12/01/1997    11/31/2000
Utah............................................  Salt Lake City, UT................    12/01/1997    11/31/2000
Minnesota.......................................  St. Paul, MN......................    01/01/1997    12/31/2000
Mississippi.....................................  Jackson, MS.......................    01/01/1997    12/31/2000
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    a. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, is assigned to 
Ohio Valley.
    Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox (except the area west of U.S. Route 
41 (150) from Sullivan County south to U.S. Route 50), Pike, Posey, 
Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties, Indiana.
    Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Henderson, Hopkins (west of State 
Route 109 south of the Western Kentucky Parkway), Logan, Todd, Union, 
and Webster (west of Alternate U.S. Route 41 and State Route 814) 
Counties, Kentucky.
    Cheatham, Davidson, and Robertson Counties, Tennessee.
    b. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of Idaho, is assigned to Idaho.
    The southern half of the State of Idaho up to the northern 
boundaries of Adams, Valley, and Lemhi Counties.
    c. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of Idaho, is assigned to Lewiston.
    The northern half of the State of Idaho down to the northern 
boundaries of Adams, Valley, and Lemhi Counties.
    d. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of Utah, is assigned to Utah.
    e. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of Minnesota, except those export port locations 
within the State, is assigned to Minnesota.
    f. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of Mississippi, except those export port 
locations within the State, is assigned to Mississippi.
    g. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of Indiana, is assigned to Northeast Indiana.
    Bounded on the North by the northern Lagrange and Steuben County 
lines;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern Steuben, De Kalb, Allen, and 
Adams County lines;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Adams and Wells County lines; 
and
    Bounded on the West by the western Wells County line; the southern 
Huntington and Wabash County lines; the western Wabash County line 
north to State Route 114; State Route 114 northwest to State Route 19; 
State Route 19 north to Kosciusko County; the western and northern 
Kosciusko County lines; the western Noble and Lagrange County lines.
    The following grain elevator, located outside of the above 
contiguous geographic area, is part of this geographic area assignment: 
E.M.P. Coop, Payne, Paulding County, Ohio (located inside Michigan 
Grain Inspection Services, Inc.'s, area).

2. Opportunity for Designation

    Interested persons, including Ohio Valley, Idaho, Lewiston, Utah, 
Minnesota, and Mississippi, 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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Ohio Valley..........................  10/31/2000 to 09/30/2003.
Idaho, Lewiston, and Utah............  11/30/2000 to 09/30/2003.
Minnesota and Mississippi............  12/31/2000 to 09/30/2003.
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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 Ohio Valley, Idaho, 
Lewiston, Utah, Minnesota and Mississippi. Commenters are encouraged to 
submit pertinent data concerning these 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: February 4, 2000.
Neil E. Porter,
Director, Compliance Division.
[FR Doc. 00-4682 Filed 2-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P