[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52176-52177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22304]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[03-01-SB]


Designation for the Minnesota Area

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 
(GIPSA) announces designation of the Minnesota Department of 
Agriculture (Minnesota) to provide official services under the United 
States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2003.

ADDRESSES: USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance 
Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-3604.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart at 202-720-8525, e-mail 
[email protected].

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.
    In the March 3, 2003, Federal Register (68 FR 9971), GIPSA asked 
persons interested in providing official services in the geographic 
areas assigned to

[[Page 52177]]

Minnesota to submit an application for designation. Applications were 
due by April 1, 2003.
    There were six applicants for the Minnesota area: Minnesota, North 
Dakota Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (North Dakota), D. R. Schaal 
Agency, Inc. (Schaal), and Sioux City Inspection and Weighing Service 
Company (Sioux City), all currently designated official agencies; Paul 
B. Bethke, Terry D. Pladson, and Ryan M. Kuhl proposing to do business 
as Northern Plains Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Northern Plains), 
and Kathleen Duea, Kyle Duea, Ben Duea, and Nicole Youel proposing to 
do business as Southern Minnesota Grain Inspection (Southern 
Minnesota). Minnesota applied for designation to provide official 
services in the entire area currently assigned to them. North Dakota 
and Northern Plains applied for all or part of the area currently 
assigned to Minnesota. Schaal made application but subsequently 
withdrew their application. Sioux City applied for all or part of the 
following Minnesota Counties: Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, 
Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, 
Watonwan, and Yellow Medicine. Southern Minnesota Grain Inspection 
applied for all or part of the area currently assigned to Minnesota, 
and specified all or part of the following Minnesota Counties: Blue 
Earth, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, and 
Watonwan.
    GIPSA asked for comments on the applicants for providing service in 
the Minnesota area in the May 1, 2003, Federal Register (68 FR 23279). 
Comments were due by May 1, 2003. GIPSA received 203 comments by the 
due date. Minnesota received four favorable comments, one from current 
Minnesota employees, one from an elevator manager, and two from 
managers representing grain elevator trade groups; and one unfavorable 
comment from a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. North 
Dakota received five favorable comments from elevator managers. 
Northern Plains received 12 favorable comments and one unfavorable 
comment from grain elevator managers. Southern Minnesota received a 
total of 180 favorable comments, seven from grain elevator managers, 
two from current employees, one from a Minnesota State Senator, one 
from a Montana grain elevator trade association, one from a banker, one 
from an accounting firm, one from a crop insurance company, one from a 
railroad manager, and 165 from members of a grain coop. Sioux City 
received no comments.
    GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation 
criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act and, according to Section 
7(f)(l)(B), determined that, effective October 1, 2003, and ending 
March 31, 2005, Minnesota is better able to provide official services 
in the geographic area specified in the March 3, 2003, Federal Register 
for which they applied.
    Minnesota is designated for 18 months to provide official services 
in the geographic area for which they applied. Interested persons may 
obtain official services by calling Minnesota at 612-297-2200.
    During the upcoming designation period GIPSA plans to announce a 
pilot program in Minnesota, which would allow multiple official 
agencies to provide official inspection and weighing services within 
the State of Minnesota.

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

Donna Reifschneider,
Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-22304 Filed 8-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P