[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70782-70784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23122]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[05-MN-S]


Designation for the State of Minnesota Area

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 70783]]

SUMMARY: The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 
(GIPSA) announces the designation of Grain Inspection, Inc. 
(Jamestown), Mid-Iowa Grain Inspection, Inc. (Mid-Iowa), North Dakota 
Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (North Dakota), Northern Plains Grain 
Inspection Service, Inc. (Northern Plains), D. R. Schaal Agency, Inc. 
(Schaal), Sioux City Inspection and Weighing Service Company (Sioux 
City), all officially designated agencies, and a company proposing to 
do business as State Grain Inspection, Inc. (State Grain), a subsidiary 
of National Quality Inspection, Inc., to provide official services 
under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2006.

ADDRESSES: USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance 
Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Washington, DC 20250-3604.

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.
    In the August 17, 2005, Federal Register (70 FR 48370), GIPSA 
announced that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Minnesota) 
asked GIPSA to voluntarily cancel their designation to provide domestic 
grain inspection and weighing services within the entire State of 
Minnesota, effective November 9, 2005. Subsequently, Minnesota informed 
GIPSA that they would continue to provide these services until December 
31, 2005. Minnesota's designation ends effective December 31, 2005, and 
GIPSA asked persons or organizations interested in providing official 
grain inspection and weighing services in Minnesota, except the export 
port locations, to submit an application for designation by September 
16, 2005.
    There were nine applicants for the State of Minnesota geographic 
area. Jamestown, Mid-Iowa, North Dakota, Northern Plains, Schaal, and 
Sioux City, all officially designated agencies, a company proposing to 
do business as Minnesota Grain Inspection, Inc. (Minnesota Grain), a 
subsidiary of Soci[eacute]t[eacute] G[eacute]n[eacute]rale de 
Surveillance (SGS) North America, Inc., and State Grain each applied 
for designation to provide official services in all or part of the 
entire geographic area named in the August 17, 2005, Federal Register. 
All of the applicants named above indicated they would be willing to 
accept more or less geographic area in order to provide needed service 
to all requestors. Minnesota applied for designation to provide 
laboratory services only.
    GIPSA asked for comments on Jamestown, Mid-Iowa, Minnesota, 
Minnesota Grain, North Dakota, Northern Plains, Schaal, Sioux City, and 
State Grain.
    Comments were due by October 18, 2005. GIPSA received a total of 51 
comments by the closing date. GIPSA received 12 comments from grain 
firms supporting the designation of Jamestown; 3 comments from grain 
firms supporting the designation of Mid-Iowa; 8 comments from grain 
firms supporting the designation of North Dakota; 2 comments from grain 
firms and 1 comment from a city official supporting the designation of 
Schaal; 4 comments from grain firms supporting the designation of Sioux 
City; and 3 comments from grain firms and 11 comments from other 
businesses and individuals supporting the designation of State Grain. 
We received 1 comment from a grain firm supporting the designation of 
both Minnesota Grain and North Dakota. In addition, GIPSA received 6 
other general comments concerning the designation process and 
procedures, 2 from grain trade organizations, 1 from an organization of 
official agencies, 1 from Minnesota employees, and 2 from grain firms. 
One of the grain trade organizations did support designation of North 
Dakota, Sioux City, and State Grain.
    GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation 
criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act and, according to Section 
7(f)(l)(B), determined that Jamestown, Mid-Iowa, North Dakota, Northern 
Plains, Schaal, Sioux City, and State Grain are better able to provide 
official services in the geographic areas for which they are being 
selected.
    Effective January 1, 2006, and concurrent with their present 
designations, the following official agencies are designated, pursuant 
to Section (7)(f)(2) of the Act, for the specified geographic areas 
cited below.
    Jamestown is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Traverse, Grant, Douglas, Todd, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Pine, 
Big Stone, Stevens, Pope, Stearns, Benton, Isanti, Chisago, Swift, 
Kandiyohi, Meeker, Wright, Sherburne, Anoka, Lac Qui Parle, and 
Chippewa. Jamestown's designation is being amended accordingly to add 
this geographic area, and to add weighing services to their current 
designation.
    Mid-Iowa is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Wabasha, Olmstead, Winona, and Houston Counties, as well as Fillmore. 
Mid-Iowa's designation is being amended accordingly to add this 
geographic area. Mid-Iowa is already designated to provide weighing 
services.
    North Dakota is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Koochiching, St. Louis, Lake, Cook, Itasca, Norman, Mahnomen, Hubbard, 
Cass, Clay, Becker, Wadena, Crow Wing, Aitkin, Carlton, Wilkin, and 
Otter Tail, excluding those export port locations served by GIPSA. 
North Dakota's designation is being amended accordingly to add this 
geographic area, and to add weighing services to their current 
designation.
    Northern Plains is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Beltrami, Polk, 
Pennington, Red Lake, and Clearwater. Northern Plains' designation is 
being amended accordingly to add this geographic area. There is no 
demonstrated need for weighing services in the area for which Northern 
Plains is being designated.
    Schaal is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Faribault, Freeborn, and Mower. Schaal's designation is being amended 
accordingly to add this geographic area. Schaal is already designated 
to provide weighing services.
    Sioux City is designated in the following Minnesota Counties: 
Yellow Medicine, Renville, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Pipestone, Murray, 
Cottonwood, Rock, Nobles, Jackson, and Martin. Sioux City?s designation 
is being amended accordingly to add this geographic area. Sioux City is 
already designated to provide weighing services.
    Effective January 1, 2006, and terminating June 30, 2007, State 
Grain is designated to provide official grain inspection and weighing 
services, pursuant to Section (7)(f)(2) of the Act, in the following 
Counties in the State of Minnesota: Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, 
Carver, Scott, Dakota, Brown, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Rice, Goodhue, 
Watonwan, Blue Earth, Waseca, Steele, Dodge, McLeod, and Sibley.
    Interested persons may obtain official services by calling the 
agencies at the telephone numbers listed below.

[[Page 70784]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Official agency                    Headquarters location and telephone    Designation start-end
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamestown.......................................  Jamestown, ND--701-252-1290............     4/1/2003-3/31/2006
Mid-Iowa........................................  Cedar Rapids, IA--319-363-0239.........     7/1/2005-6/30/2008
                                                  Additional service location: Clayton,    .....................
                                                   IA.
North Dakota....................................  Fargo, ND--701-293-7420................     4/1/2005-3/31/2008
                                                  Additional service locations: Cahokia,   .....................
                                                   Teutopolis, and Wayne City, IL, Ayr,
                                                   Enderlin, Hillsboro, and Taylor, ND.
Northern Plains.................................  Grand Forks, ND--701-772-2414..........     4/1/2005-3/31/2008
                                                  Additional service location: Devils      .....................
                                                   Lake, ND.
Schaal..........................................  Belmond, IA--641-444-3122..............  .....................
Sioux City......................................  Sioux City, IA--712-255-8073...........     4/1/2003-3/31/2006
                                                  Additional service location: Fort        .....................
                                                   Dodge, IA.
State Grain.....................................  Mankato, MN--507-387-1514..............     1/1/2006-6/30/2007
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

John R. Sharpe,
Director, Compliance Division, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-23122 Filed 11-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P