[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30869-30870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12264]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[04-02-A]


Opportunity for Designation in the Columbus (OH), Farwell (TX), 
and Northeast Indiana (IN) 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 December 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: 
Columbus Grain Inspection, Inc. (Columbus); Farwell Grain Inspection, 
Inc. (Farwell); and Northeast Indiana Grain Inspection, Inc. (Northeast 
Indiana).

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

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit applications and comments on this 
notice. You may submit applications and comments by any of the 
following methods:
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver to Janet M. Hart, Chief, 
Review Branch, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250.
     Fax: Send by facsimile transmission to (202) 690-2755, 
attention: Janet M. Hart.
     E-mail: Send via electronic mail to [email protected].
     Mail: Send hardcopy to Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review 
Branch, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, STOP 3604, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604.
    Read Applications and Comments: All applications and comments will 
be available for public inspection at the office above during regular 
business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)).

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
               Official agency                           Main office                 start       Designation end
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Columbus.....................................  Columbus, OH...................         02/01/02       12/31/2004
Farwell......................................  Farwell, TX....................         02/01/02       12/31/2004
Northeast Indiana............................  Hoagland, IN...................         02/01/02       12/31/2004
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    a. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Ohio and Michigan, is assigned to Columbus.
    In Michigan:
    Bounded on the West by State Route 127 at the Michigan-Ohio State 
line north to State Route 50; Bounded on the north by State Route 50 at 
State Route 127 east to the Michigan State line; the Michigan state 
line south to the Michigan-Ohio State line.
    In Ohio:
    The northern Ohio State line east to the to the Ohio Pennsylvania 
State line; Bounded on the East by the Ohio-Pennsylvania State line 
south to the Ohio River; Bounded on the South by the Ohio River south-
southwest to the western Scioto County line; and Bounded on the West by 
the western Scioto County line north to State Route 73; State Route 73 
northwest to U.S. Route 22; U.S. Route 22 west to U.S. Route 68; U.S. 
Route 68 north to Clark County; the northern Clark County line west to 
State Route 560; State Route 560 north to State Route 296; State Route 
296 west to Interstate 75; Interstate 75 north to State Route 47; State 
Route 47 northeast to U.S. Route 68 (including all of Sidney, Ohio); 
U.S. Route 68 north to the southern Hancock County line; the southern 
Hancock County line west to the western Hancock, Wood and Lucus County 
lines north to the Michigan-Ohio State line; the Michigan-Ohio State 
line west to State Route 127. Columbus' assigned geographic area does 
not include the export port locations inside Columbus' area which are 
serviced by GIPSA.
    b. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in

[[Page 30870]]

the States of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, is assigned to Farwell.
    Maricopa, Pinal, and Yuma Counties, Arizona.
    Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Eddy, Guadalupe, Lea, Quay, 
Roosevelt, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance, and Union Counties, New 
Mexico.
    Bailey, Cochran, Deaf Smith (west of State Route 214), Hockley, 
Lamb (south of a line bounded by U.S. Route 70, FM 303, U.S. Route 84, 
and FM 37), and Parmer Counties, Texas.
    c. 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 
Columbus, Farwell, and Northeast Indiana 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 December 1, 2005, and ending December 31, 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, 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 Columbus, Farwell, and Northeast Indiana 
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. 04-12264 Filed 5-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P