[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 40 (Monday, March 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9573-9574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4417]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[04-01-A]


Opportunity for Designation in the Amarillo (TX), Cairo (IL), 
Louisiana, North Carolina, Belmond (IA), and Wisconsin Areas, and 
Request for Comments on the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The designations of the official agencies listed below will 
end in September 2004. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration (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 
quality of services provided by these currently designated agencies: 
Amarillo Grain Exchange, Inc. (Amarillo); Cairo Grain Inspection 
Agency, Inc. (Cairo); Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry 
(Louisiana); North Carolina Department of Agriculture (North Carolina); 
D. R. Schaal Agency, Inc. (Schaal); and Wisconsin Department of 
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (Wisconsin).

DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked or electronically 
dated on or before April 1, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit applications and comments to USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. 
Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-
S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604; FAX 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 Room 1647-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., during regular business hours.

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.
    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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Amarillo......................................  Amarillo, TX....................      12/01/2001       9/30/2004
Cairo.........................................  Cairo, IL.......................      10/01/2001       9/30/2004
Louisiana.....................................  Baton Rouge, LA.................      10/01/2001       9/30/2004
North Carolina................................  Raleigh, NC.....................      10/01/2001       9/30/2004
Schaal........................................  Belmond, IA.....................      12/01/2001       9/30/2004
Wisconsin.....................................  Madison, WI.....................      12/01/2001       9/30/2004
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    a. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Oklahoma and Texas, is assigned to Amarillo.
    In Texas:
    Bounded on the North by the Texas-Oklahoma State line to the 
eastern Clay County line;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern Clay, Archer, Throckmorton, 
Shackelford, and Callahan County lines;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Callahan, Taylor, and Nolan 
County lines;
    Bounded on the West by the western Nolan, Fisher, Stonewall, King, 
and Cottle County lines; the western Childress County line north to 
U.S. Route 287; U.S. Route 287 northwest to Donley County; the southern 
Donley and Armstrong County lines west to Prairie Dog Town Fork of the 
Red River; Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River northwest to State 
Route 217; State Route 217 west to FM 1062; FM 1062 west to U.S. Route 
385; U.S. Route 385 north to Oldham County; the southern Oldham County 
line; the western Oldham, Hartley, and Dallam County lines.
    Beaver, Beckham, Cimarron, Ellis, Harper, Roger Mills, and Texas 
Counties, Oklahoma.
    b. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, is assigned 
to Cairo.
    Randolph County (southwest of State Route 150 from the Mississippi 
River north to State Route 3); Jackson County (southwest of State Route 
3 southeast to State Route 149; State Route 149 east to State Route 13; 
State Route 13 southeast to U.S. Route 51; U.S. Route 51 south to Union 
County); and Alexander,

[[Page 9574]]

Johnson, Hardin, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union Counties, Illinois.
    Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, 
Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, and Trigg Counties, Kentucky.
    Benton, Dickson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Montgomery, 
Obion, Stewart, and Weakley Counties, Tennessee.
    Cairo's assigned geographic area does not include the following 
grain elevator inside Cairo's area which has been and will continue to 
be serviced by the following official agency: Memphis Grain Inspection 
Service: Cargill, Inc., Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee.
    c. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of Louisiana, except those export port locations 
within the State which are serviced by GIPSA, is assigned to Louisiana.
    d. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of North Carolina, except those export port 
locations within the State which are serviced by GIPSA, is assigned to 
North Carolina.
    e. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of Iowa, is assigned to Schaal.
    Bounded on the North by the northern Kossuth County line from U.S. 
Route 169; the northern Winnebago, Worth, and Mitchell County lines;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern Mitchell County line; the 
eastern Floyd County line south to B60; B60 west to T64; T64 south to 
State Route 188; State Route 188 south to C33;
    Bounded on the South by C33 west to T47; T47 north to C23; C23 west 
to S56; S56 south to C25; C25 west to U.S. Route 65; U.S. Route 65 
south to State Route 3; State Route 3 west to S41; S41 south to C55; 
C55 west to Interstate 35; Interstate 35 southwest to the southern 
Wright County line; the southern Wright County line west to U.S. Route 
69; U.S. Route 69 to C54; C54 west to State Route 17; and
    Bounded on the West by State Route 17 north to the southern Kossuth 
County line; the Kossuth County line west to U.S. Route 169; U.S. Route 
169 north to the northern Kossuth County line.
    Schaal's assigned geographic area does not include the following 
grain elevators inside Schaal's area which have been and will continue 
to be serviced by the following official agencies:
    1. Central Iowa Grain Inspection Service, Inc.: Agvantage F.S., 
Chapin, Franklin County; and Farmers' Coop Society, Rockwell, Cerro 
Gordo County.
    2. A. V. Tischer and Son, Inc.: West Bend Elevator Co., Algona, 
Kossuth County; Stateline Coop, Burt, Kossuth County; Gold-Eagle, 
Goldfield, Wright County; and North Central Coop, Holmes, Wright 
County.
    f. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, the entire State of Wisconsin, except those export port locations 
within the State, is assigned to Wisconsin.
    2. Opportunity for designation. Interested persons, including 
Amarillo, Cairo, Louisiana, North Carolina, Schaal, and Wisconsin 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. Designation in the specified geographic 
areas is for the period beginning October 1, 2004, and ending September 
30, 2007. Persons wishing to apply for designation should contact the 
Compliance Division at the address listed above for forms and 
information, or obtain applications at the GIPSA Web site, http://www.usda.gov/gipsa/oversight/parovreg.htm.
    3. Request for Comments. GIPSA also is publishing this notice to 
provide interested persons the opportunity to present comments on the 
quality of services for the Amarillo, Cairo, Louisiana, North Carolina, 
Schaal, and Wisconsin official agencies. In commenting on the quality 
of services, commenters are encouraged to submit pertinent data 
including information on the timeliness, cost, 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.).

Donna Reifschneider,
Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
[FR Doc. 04-4417 Filed 2-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P