[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 74402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23936]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-23-0066]


Notice of Availability of the Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces that the 
Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Local Meat 
Capacity Grant Program (Local MCap) is available for public review and 
comments.

DATES:  Comments must be received on or before November 30, 2023 to be 
assured consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning this notice. Comments may be submitted electronically by 
Email: [email protected]. Comments should reference the document 
number and the date and page number of this issue of the Federal 
Register. AMS will address comments received on the draft PEA in the 
final PEA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy 
Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program; Telephone: (202)-
690-1300; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Draft PEA analyzes and discloses the potential environmental 
impacts associated with the establishment of the Local Meat Capacity 
Grant Program (Local MCap). AMS has proposed to fund grants to support 
independently owned meat and poultry processing businesses. These 
grants will help them provide additional and more efficient processing 
options for local livestock producers by modernizing, increasing, 
diversifying, and decentralizing meat and poultry processing capacity, 
including support for rendering.
    This program will expand processing capacity for small and midsized 
meat and poultry processors, which are particularly vulnerable to 
disruption. It will also increase capacity and promote competition in 
the meat and poultry processing sector. Based on public input, USDA 
identified an urgent need to expand and diversify meat and poultry 
processing capacity.
    The Local MCap Program is authorized by section 1001 (b)(4) of the 
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2), which funds ``loans 
and grants and other assistance to maintain and improve food and 
agricultural supply chain resiliency.'' Recipients of funding from this 
proposed program would be allowed 36 months to complete work funded by 
the grant awards.
    The environmental impacts of funding projects to enhance existing 
meat and poultry processing facilities have been considered in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended.
    A Draft PEA has been prepared, and based on this analysis, AMS has 
preliminarily determined there will not be a significant impact to the 
human environment. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
has not been initiated (40 CFR 1501.6). AMS intends for this PEA to 
create efficiencies by establishing a framework that can be used for 
``tiering,'' where appropriate, to project-specific actions that 
require additional analysis. As decisions on specific applications are 
made, to the extent additional NEPA analysis is required, environmental 
review will be conducted to supplement the analysis set forth in this 
PEA.
    The Draft PEA is available for review online at the program 
website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap.

Comments Invited

    Interested stakeholders are invited to submit comments on the Draft 
PEA, as specified in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. The most 
helpful comments reference a specific recommendation for changing AMS' 
proposed approach to assessing environmental impacts, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting information. 
AMS will consider all comments received on or before the closing date.

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-23936 Filed 10-30-23; 8:45 am]
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