[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18036-18037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7679]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 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 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 66 / Tuesday, April 6, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 18036]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[No. TM-04-03]


Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 
amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a 
forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

DATES: The meeting dates are: Wednesday, April 28, 2004, 8 a.m. to 5 
p.m., Thursday, April 29, 2004, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, April 30, 
2004, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Requests from individuals and organizations 
wishing to make an oral presentation at the meeting are due by the 
close of business on April 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Best Western Inn of 
Chicago, The Buckingham Room, 162 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois. 
Requests for copies of the NOSB meeting agenda, requests to make an 
oral presentation at the meeting, or written comments may be sent to 
Ms. Katherine Benham, Advisory Board Specialist at USDA-AMS-TMD-NOP, 
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, 
DC 20250-0200. Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may 
also be sent via facsimile to Ms. Katherine Benham at (202) 205-7808 or 
electronically to Ms. Katherine Benham at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Mathews, Program Manager, 
National Organic Program, (202) 720-3252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic 
Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) 
requires the establishment of the NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to 
make recommendations about whether a substance should be allowed or 
prohibited in organic production or handling, to assist in the 
development of standards for substances to be used in organic 
production and to advise the Secretary on other aspects of the 
implementation of the OFPA.
    The NOSB met for the first time in Washington, DC, in March 1992, 
and currently has six committees working on various aspects of the 
organic program. The committees are: Compliance, Accreditation, and 
Certification; Crops; Livestock; Materials; Handling; and Policy 
Development.
    In August of 1994, the NOSB provided its initial recommendations 
for the National Organic Program (NOP) to the Secretary of Agriculture. 
Since that time, the NOSB has submitted 50 addenda to its 
recommendations and reviewed more than 256 substances for inclusion on 
the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The last 
meeting of the NOSB was held on October 22-24, 2003, in Washington, DC.
    The Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its final National 
Organic Program regulation in the Federal Register on December 21, 2000 
(65 FR 80548). The rule became effective April 21, 2001.
    The principal purposes of the meeting are to provide an opportunity 
for the NOSB to receive an update from the USDA/NOP and to hear a 
presentation on the ECert Program, receive various committee reports, 
receive reports from the 606 Task Force and Compost Tea Task Force, and 
review materials to determine if they should be included on the 
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.
    The Materials Committee will explain the materials review process 
and provide an update on the sunset review of materials. OFPA provides 
that materials on the National List will sunset unless their exemption 
or prohibition is reviewed and renewed within 5 years. All but those 
materials added during 2003 are scheduled to sunset on October 21, 
2007. The Materials Committee will also present for NOSB consideration 
eight materials for possible inclusion on the National List of Allowed 
and Prohibited Substances. The Accreditation, Certification and 
Compliance Committee will present for NOSB consideration its 
recommendations regarding compliance procedures. Specifically, the 
committee will recommend definitions for ``minor noncompliance,'' 
``noncompliance,'' and ``organic integrity'' along with noncompliance 
notification procedures and examples of noncompliance as guidance to 
Accredited Certifying Agents. The Handling Committee will provide an 
update on their work on the issue of food contact substances. Finally, 
the Policy Development Committee will present for NOSB consideration 
revisions to the NOSB policy manual and its recommendation on the 
factors and constraints to be used in determining a substance's 
compatibility with a system of sustainable agriculture and its 
consistency with organic farming and handling.
    Materials to be review at the meeting by the NOSB are as follows: 
for Crop Production: Soy Protein Isolate, 6 Benzyladenine, Urea, and 
Hydrogen Chloride; for Handling: Nitrous Oxide, and Tetrasodium 
Pyrophosphate (TSPP); and for Livestock Production: Moxidectin and 
Proteinated Chelates.
    For further information, see http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Copies of 
the NOSB meeting agenda can be requested from Ms. Katherine Benham by 
telephone at (202) 205-7806; or by accessing the NOP Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
    The meeting is open to the public. The NOSB has scheduled time for 
public input on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; and 
Friday, April 30, 2004, 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Individuals and 
organizations wishing to make an oral presentation at the meeting may 
forward their request by mail, facsimile, or e-mail to Ms. Katherine 
Benham at addresses listed in ADDRESSES above. While persons wishing to 
make a presentation may sign up at the door, advance registration will 
ensure that a person has the opportunity to speak during the allotted 
time period and will help the NOSB to better manage the meeting and to 
accomplish its agenda. Individuals or organizations will be given 
approximately 5 minutes to present

[[Page 18037]]

their views. All persons making an oral presentation are requested to 
provide their comments in writing. Written submissions may contain 
information other than that presented at the oral presentation.
    Written comments may also be submitted at the meeting. Persons 
submitting written comments at the meeting are asked to provide 30 
copies.
    Interested persons may visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site 
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop to view available documents prior to the 
meeting. Approximately 6 weeks following the meeting interested persons 
will be able to visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site to view 
documents from the meeting.

    Dated: March 31, 2004.
A. J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 04-7679 Filed 4-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P