[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67410-67411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22239]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
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. 70, No. 214 / Monday, November 7, 2005 /
Notices
[[Page 67410]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Actions Taken To Ease Transportation Issues Exacerbated by
Hurricane Katrina
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; Request for proposal.
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SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is providing
notification to all interested parties regarding additional actions
pursuant to the September 20, 2005 announcement to ease transportation
issues exacerbated by Hurricane Katrina. CCC is seeking proposals from
interested parties for unloading barges of agricultural commodities
located in the New Orleans area to make them available to transport
2005-crop agricultural commodities.
DATES: Proposals should be submitted November 14, 2005 to be assured
consideration.
ADDRESSES: CCC invites interested persons to submit proposals on this
notice. Proposals may be submitted by any of the following methods:
E-Mail: Send proposals to: [email protected].
Fax: Send proposals to (816) 823-1805.
Mail: Send proposals to: Contract Reconciliation Division,
ATTN: Rick Mashek, P.O. Box 419205, Stop 8758, Kansas City, MO 64133-
4676.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver proposals to 6501 Beacon
Drive, STOP 8758, Kansas City, MO 64133.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Goff, Warehouse and Inventory
Division, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 0553, Washington, DC 20250-0553,
telephone (202) 720-5396, fax (202) 690-3123, e-mail:
[email protected]. Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication for regulatory information
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 20, 2005, CCC announced
additional steps to reduce further stress on the grain transportation
system caused by Hurricane Katrina. The industry-focused actions
outlined in the press release include assisting with the movement of
barges of agricultural commodities from New Orleans, providing
incentives for alternative storage of grain, and encouraging
alternative shipping patterns to relieve pressure on the Mississippi
River transportation system. The goals of these actions were to create
velocity and capacity in the transportation system and to take
advantage of under-utilized handling facilities. In a Federal Register
Notice emergency-filed by the Office of the Federal Register for public
inspection on September 30, 2005, and published October 5, 2005 (70 FR
58179), CCC requested proposals related to these steps be submitted to
USDA by October 5, 2005. This notice is seeking additional proposals
from interested parties related to unloading barges of agricultural
commodities in New Orleans to make the barges available to transport
2005-harvested commodities.
The CCC Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et. seq.) provides the authority
for this action. Specifically, sections 5(b) and 5(d) (15 U.S.C.
714c(b) and 714c(d)) allow CCC to make available materials and
facilities required in connection with the production and marketing of
agricultural commodities, and allows CCC to remove and dispose of, or
aid in the removal and disposition of, surplus agricultural
commodities.
Barges containing agricultural commodities originally loaded and
shipped to the New Orleans area for export or further processing remain
without an outlet because of conditions caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Some of the agricultural commodities stored on the barges have
deteriorated in quality, further limiting possible outlets.
CCC will provide up to $7.6 million in funding for this initiative.
CCC will consider all proposals on a competitive basis, but will not
consider proposals in excess of $30 per ton. This per-ton cap reflects
current barge freight rates as shown below:
Barge Transportation Rates
[Dollars per short ton]
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2005 2004
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This week Next month 2 months out 3 months out This week Next month 2 months out 3 months out
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Minneapolis-St. Paul
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8/3/2005.......................... 20.49 23.58 25.56.............. 22.35.............. 8/4/2004............. 13.68 17.27 18.57.............. 17.27
8/10/2005......................... 21.48 24.51 25.07.............. 22.59.............. 8/11/2004............ 13.93 17.58 18.57.............. 17.33
8/17/2005......................... 23.83 25.19 25.07.............. 22.59.............. 8/18/2004............ 14.55 17.52 18.88.............. 17.39
8/24/2005......................... 23.15 25.13 25.56.............. 22.96.............. 8/25/2004............ 14.18 17.39 18.57.............. 17.52
8/31/2005......................... 31.57 31.32 27.86.............. 27.11.............. 9/1/2004............. 14.24 18.63 16.90.............. closed
9/7/2005.......................... 33.18 34.54 30.95.............. closed............. 9/8/2004............. 14.24 18.63 16.90.............. closed
9/14/2005......................... 34.05 37.26 31.26.............. closed............. 9/15/2004............ 19.44 20.86 17.95.............. closed
9/21/2005......................... 30.02 33.30 28.16.............. closed............. 9/22/2004............ 20.74 21.48 17.52.............. closed
9/28/2005......................... 33.92 35.90 29.90.............. closed............. 9/29/2004............ 23.65 23.71 18.57.............. closed
10/5/2005......................... 36.71 32.93 closed............. closed............. 10/6/2004............ 24.76 20.80 closed............. closed
10/12/2005........................ 41.66 35.90 closed............. closed............. 10/13/2004........... 20.74 19.37 closed............. closed
[[Page 67411]]
10/19/2005........................ 38.69 35.16 closed............. closed............. 10/20/2004........... 19.93 19.93 closed............. closed
10/26/2005........................ 44.26 39.93 closed............. closed............. 10/27/2004........... 23.65 22.22 closed............. closed
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St. Louis
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8/3/2005.......................... 9.46 12.37 13.29.............. 10.93.............. 8/4/2004............. 7.18 10.29 10.69.............. 7.46
8/10/2005......................... 10.93 13.21 13.77.............. 11.25.............. 8/11/2004............ 7.14 10.45 10.77.............. 7.46
8/17/2005......................... 13.09 14.48 14.36.............. 11.21.............. 8/18/2004............ 8.70 10.57 10.89.............. 7.42
8/24/2005......................... 14.08 14.88 15.36.............. 11.33.............. 8/25/2004............ 8.30 10.81 10.89.............. 7.42
8/31/2005......................... 23.94 21.95 18.95.............. 13.69.............. 9/1/2004............. 8.46 10.77 7.70............... 6.30
9/7/2005.......................... 27.33 22.62 19.95.............. 12.97.............. 9/8/2004............. 10.33 10.97 7.70............... 6.42
9/14/2005......................... 28.05 24.34 18.47.............. 13.49.............. 9/15/2004............ 14.88 12.77 8.10............... 6.58
9/21/2005......................... 20.31 22.46 16.48.............. 13.17.............. 9/22/2004............ 15.56 13.09 10.61.............. 6.62
9/28/2005......................... 28.53 23.94 17.48.............. 13.33.............. 9/29/2004............ 16.52 13.73 9.54............... 7.02
10/5/2005......................... 30.76 18.83 14.28.............. 13.69.............. 10/6/2004............ 16.08 9.30 7.38............... 7.22
10/12/2005........................ 36.75 19.15 15.08.............. 14.12.............. 10/13/2004........... 12.25 9.30 7.02............... 6.98
10/19/2005........................ 25.62 18.87 14.88.............. 14.32.............. 10/20/2004........... 11.05 9.62 7.26............... 7.26
10/26/2005........................ 21.35 17.44 14.36.............. 14.12.............. 10/27/2004........... 14.68 10.93 7.78............... 7.90
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I. Unloading Barges of Agricultural Commodities
CCC will consider proposals and enter into agreements with
operators to unload barges of agricultural commodities located in the
New Orleans area for the purpose of making the barges available to move
2005-crop commodities. CCC has not and will not take title to the
agricultural commodity. The barges must have been loaded and shipped to
the New Orleans area before August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina
made landfall. The barges must be unloaded by December 1, 2005, unless
extended in writing by CCC, to accelerate barge availability to
geographical areas under harvest pressure. There are no restrictions on
the actual unload location, final destination or disposition of the
agricultural commodities; however there must not be a negative market
impact. This offer of economic assistance is only available to unload
barges of agricultural commodities and facilitate barge availability.
II. Proposal Requirements
Proposals must include the following information:
(1) Number of barges that contain agricultural commodities;
(2) Type of agricultural commodity;
(3) Quantity of agricultural commodities;
(4) Market value of the agricultural commodity as of date proposal
is submitted:
(5) Current location;
(6) Date the barges arrived in the New Orleans area;
(7) Location where barge will be discharged, if different from item
4 above;
(8) Proposed disposition and compensation received for the sale of
the agricultural commodity;
(9) Dollar amount per ton of assistance requested, not to exceed
$30 per ton;
(10) Whether the loss or damage to the agricultural commodity was
covered by an insurance policy and, if so, the amount of indemnity
received; and
(11) A point of contact with applicable phone number, facsimile
number, e-mail address and mailing address.
Operators entering into agreements with CCC will be required to
meet certain documentation and certification requirements. These
requirements will allow CCC to verify the unloading of the barges, the
quantity and value of the agricultural commodity, and any compensation
received for the final disposition of the agricultural commodity.
III. Proposal Evaluation Criteria and Award
Proposals must be evaluated objectively in accordance with the
regulations on ``Competition in the awarding of discretionary grants
and cooperative agreements'' found at 7 CFR part 3015.158. The
following criteria must be used equally in the evaluation:
(1) Proposal's cost in relation to the agricultural commodity's
current market value;
(2) Net positive impact on barge availability; and
(3) Overall cost-effectiveness of proposal.
CCC will notify interested parties of approval of their proposal.
Signed at Washington, DC November 1, 2005.
Teresa C. Lasseter,
Executive Vice-President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 05-22239 Filed 11-3-05; 1:51 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P