[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48370-48371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16247]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[05-MN-A]


Cancellation of Minnesota's Designation and the Opportunity for 
Designation in the Minnesota Area

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act), 
provides that official agency designations will be cancelled upon 
request by the official agency with a 90 day written notice to Grain 
Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). The 
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Minnesota), designated to provide 
official inspection and weighing services until September 30, 2006, has 
requested GIPSA to cancel the designation, covering official domestic 
services, effective November 9, 2005. Minnesota will continue to 
provide export services under a delegation agreement with GIPSA. 
Accordingly, GIPSA is announcing that Minnesota's designation will be 
canceled, on or about November 9, 2005. GIPSA is asking for applicants 
for domestic service in the Minnesota area.

DATES: Applications and comments must be postmarked or electronically 
dated on or before September 16, 2005.

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 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. GIPSA designated 
Minnesota, headquarters in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to provide official

[[Page 48371]]

inspection services under the Act on April 1, 2005.
    Section 7(g)(1) of the Act provides that designations of official 
agencies will end not later than triennially and may be renewed 
according to the criteria and procedures prescribed in section 7(f) of 
the Act. The designation of Minnesota ends on September 30, 2006, 
according to the Act. However, Minnesota asked GIPSA for a voluntary 
cancellation of their designation effective November 9, 2005. 
Accordingly, Minnesota's designation will cease effective November 8, 
2005, and GIPSA is asking for applicants to provide official service.
    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 this official agency. Interested 
persons are hereby given the opportunity to apply for designation to 
provide official services in the geographic areas specified above under 
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, or obtain applications at the GIPSA Web site, 
http://www.usda.gov/gipsa/oversight/parovreg.htm.

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

David R. Shipman,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-16247 Filed 8-16-05; 8:45 am]
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