[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54781-54782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22149]


 ========================================================================
 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 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 73 , No. 185 / Tuesday, September 23, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 54781]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-AMS-08-0083; TM-08-12]


Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

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 Monday, November 17, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m.; Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Wednesday, 
November 19, 2008, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Requests from individuals and 
organizations wishing to make oral presentations at the meeting are due 
by the close of business on November 3, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Savoy Suites Hotel, 2505 
Wisconsin Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20007.
     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 http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
     Comments on proposed NOSB recommendations may be submitted 
by November 3, 2008 in writing to Ms. Frances at either the postal 
address above or via the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov only. 
The comments should identify Docket No. AMS-AMS-08-0083. 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 http://www.regulations.gov Web site.
     Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may 
also be sent by November 3, 2008 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, 
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 subcommittees 
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 158 addenda to its recommendations and reviewed more than 
333 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 NOSB meeting was held on May 20-22, 
2008, in Baltimore, MD.
    At its last meeting, the Board recommended the addition of 6 
materials with one on the National List Sec.  205.601 for use in crops, 
with one on Sec.  205.603 for use in livestock, and with four on Sec.  
205.606 for use in handling. The Board recommended a 2-year extension 
of the expiration date to October 21, 2010, on the following three 
substances: DL-Methionine, DL-Methionine-Hydroxy Analog; and DL-
Methionine-Hydroxy Analog Calcium--for use only in organic poultry 
production on Sec.  205.603.
    In addition, the Board completed the sunset review process for 13 
materials for use in crops and handling which are due to expire on 
November 3, 2008, and November 4, 2008. Of these 13 materials, there 
are 11 substances for use in crops and handling placed on the National 
List on November 3, 2003, and are scheduled to expire on November 3, 
2008. Four substances for use in handling were placed on the National 
List on November 4, 2003, and are scheduled to expire on November 4, 
2008. The Board recommended the renewal of all 13 of the exemptions and 
prohibitions on the National List (along with any restrictive 
annotations).
    At this meeting, the Policy Development Committee will present 
recommendations regarding revisions to the NOSB Policy and Procedures 
Manual and the Guide for new NOSB members as well as discuss their on-
going collaboration with the NOP to review the NOP responses to prior 
NOSB recommendations.
    The Policy Development and the Materials Committees will present 
their joint recommendation on the procedures for assessing the need for 
and requesting third party technical reviews of materials petitioned 
for inclusion on or prohibition from the National List, or for 
materials which are due to expire under the sunset review process.

[[Page 54782]]

    The Materials Committee will present its recommendation to remove 
materials tabled by the Board since 1992 from the table, allowing them 
to be eligible for possible reconsideration for inclusion on or 
prohibition from the National List.
    The Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification Committee will 
present their recommendations for use as guidance by accredited 
certifying agents on the certification of operations with multiple 
production units, sites, and facilities and for the labeling of 
products certified as 100 percent organic.
    The Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification and the Crops 
Committees will jointly present their recommendation offering guidance 
for accredited certifying agents regarding annual commercial 
availability determinations for the sourcing of organic seed by farmers 
under Sec.  205.204.
    The Crops Committee will present recommendations on the materials: 
Tetracycline (Oxytetracycline hydrochloride), Sorbitol octanoate, 
Pelargonic acid, and Ammonium salts of fatty acids petitioned for use 
on Sec.  205.601.
    The Livestock Committee will present recommendations on the use of 
fish feed and open net pens in regards to the development of organic 
aquaculture standards for finfish, and will present recommendations in 
regards to the development of organic aquaculture standards for 
bivalves.
    The Handling Committee will present their recommendations on the 
materials: Sodium chlorite, acidified, Calcium, derived from seaweed, 
Propionic acid, and Ethylene--for use in pears, petitioned for 
inclusion in Sec.  205.605 for use in organic products. The Committee 
will present their recommendations on the materials: Black Pepper 
Extract, Buck Hull Powder, Dried Orange Pulp, Chlorella algae, 
Dumontiacae algae, petitioned for inclusion in Sec.  205.606 for use in 
organic products depending on final commercial availability 
determinations performed by accredited certifying agents. The committee 
will also present their recommendation in regards to the development of 
organic standards for pet food.
    The meeting is open to the public. The NOSB has scheduled time for 
public input for Monday, November 17, 2008, from 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
and Tuesday, November 18, 2008, from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.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 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 http://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: September 17, 2008.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. E8-22149 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P