Opportunity for Designation in the Georgia, Cedar Rapids (IA), Montana, and Lake Village (IN) Areas, and Request for Comments on the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

AGENCY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA. (04-04-A).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end in June 2005. 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: Georgia Department of Agriculture (Georgia); Mid-Iowa Grain Inspection, Inc. (Mid-Iowa); Montana Department of Agriculture (Montana); and Schneider Inspection Service, Inc. (Schneider).

DATES:

Applications and comments must be postmarked or electronically dated on or before January 3, 2005.

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 Janet.M.Hart@usda.gov.
• 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 Janet.M.Hart@usda.gov.

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 end 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 Georgia, main office in Altanta; Mid-Iowa, main office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Montana, main office in Helena; and Schneider, main office in Lake Village, Indiana; the current designations started July 1, 2002 and will end June 30, 2005.

a. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic area, the entire State of Georgia, except those export port locations within the State which are serviced by GIPSA, is assigned to Georgia.

b. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic area, in the State of Iowa, is assigned to Mid-Iowa.

Bounded on the North by the northern Winneshiek and Allamakee County lines;

Bounded on the East by the eastern Allamakee County line; the eastern and southern Clayton County lines; the eastern Buchanan County line; the northern and eastern Jones County lines; the eastern Cedar County line south to State Route 130;

Bounded on the South by State Route 130 west to State Route 38; State Route 38 south to Interstate 80; Interstate 80 west to U.S. Route 63; and

Bounded on the West by U.S. Route 63 north to State Route 8; State Route 8 east to State Route 21; State Route 21 north to D38; D38 east to State Route 297; State Route 297 north to V49; V49 north to Bremer County; the southern Bremer County line; the western Fayette and Winneshiek County lines.

c. Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic area, the entire State of Montana, is assigned to Montana.

d. 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 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.

The following grain elevators, located outside of the above contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area assignment: Cargill, Inc., and Farmers Grain, both in Winamac, Pulaski County, Indiana (located inside Titus Grain Inspection, Inc.'s, area).

Schneider's assigned geographic area does not include the export port locations inside Schneider's area which are serviced by GIPSA.

2. Opportunity for designation. Interested persons, including Georgia, Mid-Iowa, Montana, and Schneider 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, 2005 and ending June 30, 2008. 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, http://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 Georgia, Mid-Iowa, Montana, and Schneider official agencies. In commenting on the quality of services, commenters are encouraged to submit pertinent data including information on the timeliness, cost, and scope of services provided. 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.).