[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 47 (Monday, March 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10971-10973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1156]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-07-0032; TM-07-05]


Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 
amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a 
forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

DATES: The meeting dates are Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; 
Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Thursday, March 29, 
2007, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Requests from individuals and organizations 
wishing to make oral presentations at the meeting are due by the close 
of business on March 16, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at The Washington Plaza Hotel 
located at Ten Thomas Circle, NW., Washington, DC 20005.
     Requests for copies of the NOSB meeting agenda, may be 
sent to Ms. Valerie Frances, Executive Director, NOSB, USDA-AMS-TMP-
NOP, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268, 
Washington, DC 20250-0268. The NOSB meeting agenda and proposed 
recommendations may also be viewed at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
     Comments on proposed NOSB recommendations may be submitted 
in writing to Ms. Frances at either the postal address above or via the 
internet at www.regulations.gov only. The comments should identify 
Docket No. AMS-TM-07-0032; TM-07-05. It is our intention to have all 
comments to this notice whether they are submitted by mail or the 
internet available for viewing on the www.regulations.gov Web site.
     Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may 
also be sent to Ms. Valerie Frances at the postal address above, by e-
mail at [email protected], via facsimile at (202) 205-7808, or 
phone at (202) 720-3252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Frances, Executive Director,

[[Page 10972]]

NOSB, National Organic Program (NOP), (202) 720-3252, or visit the NOP 
Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic 
Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) 
requires the establishment of the NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to 
make recommendations about whether a substance should be allowed or 
prohibited in organic production or handling, to assist in the 
development of standards for substances to be used in organic 
production, and to advise the Secretary on other aspects of the 
implementation of the OFPA. The NOSB met for the first time in 
Washington, DC, in March 1992, and currently has six committees working 
on various aspects of the organic program. The committees are: 
Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification; Crops; Handling; 
Livestock; Materials; and Policy Development.
    In August of 1994, the NOSB provided its initial recommendations 
for the NOP to the Secretary of Agriculture. Since that time, the NOSB 
has submitted 108 addenda to its recommendations and reviewed more than 
272 substances for inclusion on the National List of Allowed and 
Prohibited Substances. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) published 
its final National Organic Program regulation in the Federal Register 
on December 21, 2000, (65 FR 80548). The rule became effective April 
21, 2001.
    In addition, the OFPA authorizes the National List of Allowed and 
Prohibited Substances and provides that no allowed or prohibited 
substance would remain on the National List for a period exceeding 5 
years unless the exemption or prohibition is reviewed and recommended 
for renewal by the NOSB and adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture. 
This expiration is commonly referred to as sunset of the National List. 
The National List appears at 7 CFR Part 205, Subpart G.
    The principal purposes of the NOSB meeting are to provide an 
opportunity for the NOSB to receive an update from the USDA/NOP and 
hear progress reports from NOSB committees regarding work plan items 
and proposed action items. The last meeting of the NOSB was held on 
October 17-19, 2006, in Arlington, VA.
    At its last meeting, the Board concluded its first review of the 
169 substances on the National List since October 2002 that were due to 
sunset October 2007. The Board recommended the renewal of 166 of the 
169 exemptions and prohibitions on the National List (along with any 
restrictive annotations), and the removal of 3 exemptions from the 
National List. The sunset review process will now be on-going.
    At this meeting, the Board will begin the sunset review process of 
13 materials. There are 8 substances for use in crops and handling 
which were placed on the National List on November 3, 2003, and are 
scheduled to expire on November 3, 2008. There are 5 substances for use 
in handling which were placed on the National List on November 4, 2003, 
and are scheduled to expire on November 4, 2008. The sunset review 
process must be concluded no later than November 3 and 4, 2008, 
respectively. If renewal is not concluded by those dates, the use or 
prohibition of these 13 materials will no longer be in compliance with 
the National Organic Program.
    The Policy Development Committee will present recommendations 
regarding revisions to the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual and a 
guide for new NOSB members. The Policy Development, Crops and Livestock 
Committees will jointly discuss their work towards guidance for the 
certification of organic research sites.
    The Crops Committee will present recommendations on Ammonium salts 
of fatty acids and Pelargonic acid, materials petitioned for use on 
Sec.  205.601. The Committee will begin their sunset review of Copper 
sulfate, Ozone gas, and Peracetic acid, with their respective 
annotations and limitations, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
List 3--Inerts of unknown toxicity--for use only in passive pheromone 
dispensers. These National List material exemptions are due to expire 
on November 3, 2008, from Sec.  205.601. The Committee will also begin 
their sunset review on the exemption for Calcium chloride for use as a 
brine-sourced foliar spray. Calcium chloride is otherwise considered a 
prohibited natural substance on Sec.  205.602 and is also due to expire 
on November 3, 2008.
    The Materials and Handling Committees will discuss the materials 
review process and provide an update regarding their efforts to clarify 
the definitions of materials on the National List in Sec. Sec.  
sections 205.605(a), (b) and Sec.  205.606.
    The Handling Committee will present recommendations on fifty-three 
materials petitioned for consideration for inclusion on either Sec.  
205.605 or Sec.  205.606 for use in organic products: Carbon dioxide, 
carrot fiber, celery powder, dillweed oil, fish gelatin, fish oils, 
fructooligosaccharides (FOS), frozen galangal, gellan gum, hops, 
inulin, chipotle peppers, Koji mold, lemongrass, milled flax seed, 
natamycin, natural casings, non-fat dry milk, pectins (LM), poblano 
peppers, red peppers, rice starch, Salvia hispanica, sea salt, seaweed 
(Wakame, Undaria spp), spices (dried), sweet potato starch, turkish bay 
leaves, whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolate, and yeast. The 
following substances were petitioned for use in organic products as 
colors only: Annatto extract, beet juice, beta carotene, black currant 
juice, blueberry juice, carrot juice (orange), carrot juice (purple/
black), cherry juice, chokeberry-aronia juice, elderberry juice, grape 
juice, grape skin extract, hibiscus juice, lycopene, paprika, pumpkin 
juice, purple potato juice, red cabbage extract, red radish extract, 
saffron, tomato juice extract, and turmeric.
    Additionally, the Handling Committee will begin their sunset review 
of National List material exemptions on Sec.  205.605(a) which are 
Agar-agar and Tartaric acid, due to expire on November 3, 2008, and 
Animal enzymes, Calcium sulfate, and Glucono delta-lactone, with their 
respective annotations and limitations, due to expire on November 4, 
2008. The Committee will also begin their sunset review of material 
exemptions on Sec.  205.605(b) which are Ethylene (Allowed for 
postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening of citrus) due to 
expire on November 3, 2008, and Cellulose and Potassium hydroxide, with 
their respective annotations and limitations, due to expire on November 
4, 2008.
    The Livestock Committee will present their recommendations on the 
development of organic aquaculture (finfish) standards, and the issue 
of cloning in organic agriculture.
    The Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification Committee will 
discuss the standardization of information required on organic 
certificates and peer review procedures.
    The Meeting is Open to the Public. The NOSB has scheduled time for 
public input for Tuesday, March 27, 2007, from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m., 
Wednesday, March 28, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 
p.m., and Thursday, March 29, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. 
Individuals and organizations wishing to make oral presentations at the 
meeting may forward their requests by mail, facsimile, e-mail, or phone 
to Valerie Frances as listed in ADDRESSES above. Individuals or 
organizations will be

[[Page 10973]]

given approximately 5 minutes to present their views. All persons 
making oral presentations are requested to provide their comments in 
writing. Written submissions may contain information other than that 
presented at the oral presentation. Anyone may submit written comments 
at the meeting. Persons submitting written comments are asked to 
provide 30 copies.
    Interested persons may visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site 
at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop to view available meeting documents 
prior to the meeting, or visit www.regulations.gov to submit and view 
comments as provided for in ADDRESSES above. Documents presented at the 
meeting will be posted for review on the NOP Web site approximately 6 
weeks following the meeting.

    Dated: March 7, 2007.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 07-1156 Filed 3-7-07; 3:12 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P