[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 1, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14768-14769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7243]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Farm Service Agency

RIN 0560-AH60


Farm Storage Facility Loan Program; Public Meetings

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation (CCC), is holding public meetings to solicit 
comments on the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program. The comments 
received at the public meetings will be considered in the development 
and preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for 
FSFL. The purpose of the PEA is to assist in providing USDA decision-
makers and the public with an analysis of the environmental benefits 
and potential impacts associated with implementing various changes to 
FSFL consistent with the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 
2008 Farm Bill). CCC administers the FSFL program and is now conducting 
a comprehensive review of the current policies, achievements, and 
potential future program changes. The meetings provide an opportunity 
for the public to voice any concerns they may have about the program 
and any ideas for improving it in the future consistent with the 2008 
Farm Bill.

DATES: Public meetings: The public meetings will be held on April 14, 
2009, Kansas City, KS, and April 15, 2009, Cleveland, OH.
    Comments: We will consider comments that we receive by May 13, 
2009. We will consider comments submitted after that date, to the 
extent possible.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on the Farm Storage 
Facility Loan Program and to participate in the public meetings. The 
public meeting locations are:
    1. Kansas City--Hilton Garden Inn Kansas City (McCarthy Gallery), 
520 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101.
    2. Cleveland--Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Downtown (Edison 1 Room), 
1100 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland OH 44115.
    You may also submit comments by any of the following methods:

[[Page 14769]]

     Mail: FSFL PEA, Geo-Marine Incorporated, 2713 Magruder 
Blvd., Suite D, Hampton, VA 23666-1572.
     Internet: Access http://public.geo-marine.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew T. Ponish, National 
Environmental Compliance Manager, USDA, FSA, CEPD, Stop 0513, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-0513, (202) 720-6853, or 
e-mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FSFL program provides, through the FSA 
county offices, low-interest loans to eligible producers for 
constructing on-farm storage facilities for the commodities they 
produce. Since the FSFL Program was reestablished in May 2000, FSA has 
disbursed $731,453,541.46 in facility loans to over 18,600 producers to 
build or upgrade storage and handling facilities for 562,493,806 
bushels of on-farm grain storage.
    The 2008 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 110-246) includes several changes to 
the FSFL program. The 2008 Farm Bill adds hay and renewable biomass as 
eligible FSFL commodities; extends the maximum loan term to 12 years; 
increases the maximum loan amount to $500,000; and allows for one 
partial loan disbursement and the final disbursement. The 2008 Farm 
Bill also clarifies the loan security requirements. The 2008 Farm Bill 
gives the USDA Secretary discretionary authority to determine other 
eligible commodities. CCC is looking into the following questions and 
options:
     Defining the eligible structures for new commodities,
     Handling portions of FSFL structures not used for FSFL 
storage,
     Defining the purpose of FSFL facilities, and
     Further securing loans with no resale collateral value.
    Changes to the FSFL program will be implemented through rulemaking. 
More detailed information on FSFL is available on FSA's Web site at: 
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=prsu&topic=flp-fp.

Public Participation

    To increase public involvement and provide additional opportunities 
to comment, FSA is holding two public scoping meetings to provide 
information and opportunities for discussing the issues and the 
proposed alternatives to be covered in the PEA. Consistent with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, the PEA 
will analyze the environmental benefits and potential impacts 
associated with implementing the changes to FSFL as required by the 
2008 Farm Bill. The two National meetings will be held on the following 
dates and locations:

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                                                             Location
            Date                        Time               information
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April 14, 2009.............  5-8 p.m...................  Hilton Garden
                                                          Inn Kansas
                                                          City in the
                                                          McCarthy
                                                          Gallery, 520
                                                          Minnesota
                                                          Avenue, Kansas
                                                          City, Kansas
                                                          66101; Phone
                                                          913-342-7900;
                                                          Free parking.
April 15, 2009.............  5-8 p.m...................  Hilton Garden
                                                          Inn Cleveland
                                                          Downtown, in
                                                          Edison 1 Room,
                                                          1100 Carnegie
                                                          Avenue,
                                                          Cleveland, OH
                                                          44115; Phone:
                                                          216-658-6400.
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    Additional information about the public scoping meetings, including 
directions and how to provide comments, is available at: http://public.geo-marine.com.
    A Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) will be 
available from FSA or Geo-Marine Incorporated using the contact 
information included above.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2009.
Robert Stephenson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice 
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
 [FR Doc. E9-7243 Filed 3-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P