[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 230 (Thursday, December 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72104-72105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-6702]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

[05-04-A]


Opportunity for Designation in the Topeka (KS), Minot (ND), Lake 
Village (IN), and Cincinnati (OH) Areas, 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 June 2006. 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: 
Kansas Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Kansas); Minot Grain Inspection, 
Inc. (Minot); Schneider Inspection Service, Inc. (Schneider); and Tri-
State Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Tri-State).

DATES: Applications and comments must be received by January 1, 2006.

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 terminate 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

    For Kansas, main office in Topeka, Kansas; Minot, main office in 
Minot, North Dakota; and Tri-State, main office in Cincinnati, Ohio; 
the current designations started July 1, 2003, and will end June 30, 
2006. For Schneider, main office in Lake Village, Indiana; the current 
one year designation started July 1, 2005, and will end June 30, 2006.

[[Page 72105]]



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                                                                                 Designation
               Official agency                          Main office                 start        Designation end
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Kansas......................................  Topeka, KS....................        07/01/2003        06/30/2006
Minot.......................................  Minot, ND.....................        07/01/2003        06/30/2006
Schneider...................................  Lake Village, IN..............        07/01/2005        06/30/2006
Tri-State...................................  Cincinnati, OH................        07/01/2003        06/30/2006
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    a. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming, is 
assigned to Kansas.
    The entire State of Colorado.
    The entire State of Kansas.
    In Nebraska:
    Bounded on the North by the northern Scotts Bluff County line; the 
northern Morrill County line east to Highway 385;
    Bounded on the East by Highway 385 south to the northern Cheyenne 
County line; the northern and eastern Cheyenne County lines; the 
northern and eastern Deuel County lines;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Deuel, Cheyenne, and Kimball 
County lines; and
    Bounded on the West by the western Kimball, Banner, and Scotts 
Bluff County lines.
    Goshen, Laramie, and Platt Counties, Wyoming.
    Kansas' assigned geographic area does not include the following 
grain elevators inside Kansas' area which have been and will continue 
to be serviced by the following official Hastings Grain Inspection, 
Inc.: Farmers Coop, and Big Springs Elevator, both in Big Springs, 
Deuel County, Nebraska.
    b. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the State of North Dakota, is assigned to Minot.
    Bounded on the North by the North Dakota State line east to the 
eastern Bottineau County line;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern Bottineau County line south to 
the northern Pierce County line; the northern Pierce County line east 
to State Route 3; State Route 3 south to State Route 200;
    Bounded on the South by State Route 200 west to State Route 41; 
State Route 41 south to U.S. Route 83; U.S. Route 83 northwest to State 
Route 200; State Route 200 west to U.S. Route 85; U.S. Route 85 south 
to Interstate 94; Interstate 94 west to the North Dakota State line; 
and
    Bounded on the West by the North Dakota State line.
    The following grain elevators, located outside of the above 
contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area 
assignment: Benson Quinn Company, Underwood, and Falkirk Farmers 
Elevator, Washburn, both in McLean County: and Harvey Farmers Elevator, 
Harvey, Wells County (located inside Grain Inspection, Inc.'s, area).
    c. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, is assigned to 
Schneider.
    In Illinois and Indiana:
    Bounded on the North by the northern Will County line from 
Interstate 57 east to the Illinois-Indiana State line; the Illinois-
Indiana State line north to the northern Lake County line; the northern 
Lake, Porter, Laporte, St. Joseph, and Elkhart County lines;
    Bounded on the East by the eastern and southern Elkhart County 
lines; the eastern Marshall County line;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Marshall and Starke County 
lines; the eastern Jasper County line south-southwest to U.S. Route 24; 
U.S. Route 24 west to Indiana State Route 55; Indiana State Route 55 
south to the Newton County line; the southern Newton County line west 
to U.S. Route 41; U.S. Route 41 north to U.S. Route 24; U.S. Route 24 
west to the Indiana-Illinois State line; and
    Bounded on the West by the Indiana-Illinois State line north to 
Kankakee County; the southern Kankakee County line west to U.S. Route 
52; U.S. Route 52 north to Interstate 57; Interstate 57 north to the 
northern Will County line.
    Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph Counties, Michigan.
    Schneider's assigned geographic area does not include the export 
port locations inside Schneider's area which are serviced by GIPSA.
    d. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic 
area, in the States of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, is assigned to Tri-
State.
    Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Rush (south of State 
Route 244), and Switzerland Counties, Indiana.
    Bath, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Campbell, Clark, Fleming, Gallatin, 
Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Lewis (west of State Route 59), Mason, 
Montgomery, Nicholas, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson Counties, 
Kentucky.
    In Ohio:
    Bounded on the North by the northern Preble County line east; the 
western and northern Miami County lines east to State Route 296; State 
Route 296 east to State Route 560; State Route 560 south to the Clark 
County line; the northern Clark County line east to U.S. Route 68;
    Bounded on the East by U.S. Route 68 south to U.S. Route 22; U.S. 
Route 22 east to State Route 73; State Route 73 southeast to the Adams 
County line; the eastern Adams County line;
    Bounded on the South by the southern Adams, Brown, Clermont, and 
Hamilton County lines; and
    Bounded on the West by the western Hamilton, Butler, and Preble 
County lines.

2. Opportunity for Designation

    Interested persons, including Kansas, Minot, Schneider, and Tri-
State, 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 July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 
2009. 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 
Kansas, Minot, Schneider, and Tri-State official agencies. Substantive 
comments citing reasons and pertinent data for support or objection to 
the designation of the applicants will be considered in the designation 
process. 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.).

David R. Shipman,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration.
 [FR Doc. E5-6702 Filed 11-30-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P