01-30003. Opportunity for Designation in the Des Moines (IA), Georgia, Cedar Rapids (IA), Montana, Oregon, and Lake Village (IN) Areas, and Request for Comments on the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

AGENCY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end in June 2002. 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 services provided by these currently designated agencies:

Central Iowa Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Central Iowa); Georgia Department of Agriculture (Georgia); Mid-Iowa Grain Inspection, Inc. (Mid-Iowa); Montana Department of Agriculture (Montana); Oregon Department of Agriculture (Oregon); and Schneider Inspection Service, Inc. (Schneider).

DATES:

Applications and comments must be postmarked or sent by telecopier (FAX) on or before January 2, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Submit applications and comments to USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3604; FAX [phone]. If an application is submitted by FAX, GIPSA reserves the right to request an original application. All applications and comments will be made available for public inspection at Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet M. Hart at 202-720-8525, e-mail [e-mail].

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.

Official agency	Main office	Designation start	Designation end
Central Iowa	Des Moines, IA	09/01/1999	06/30/2002
Georgia	Atlanta, GA	08/01/1999	06/30/2002
Mid-Iowa	Cedar Rapids, IA	10/01/1999	06/30/2002
Montana	Helena., MT	09/01/1999	06/30/2002
Oregon	Salem, OR	10/01/1999	06/30/2002
Schneider	Lake Village, IN	08/01/1999	06/30/2002

a. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic area, in the State of Iowa, is assigned to Central Iowa.

Bounded on the North by U.S. Route 30 east to N44; N44 south to E53; E53 east to U.S. Route 30; U.S. Route 30 east to the Boone County line; the western Boone County line north to E18; E18 east to U.S. Route 169; U.S. Route 169 north to the Boone County line; the northern Boone County line; the western Hamilton County line north to U.S. Route 20; U.S. Route 20 east to R38; R38 north to the Hamilton County line; the northern Hamilton County line east to Interstate 35; Interstate 35 northeast to C55; C55 east to S41; S41 north to State Route 3; State Route 3 east to U.S. Route 65; U.S. Route 65 north to C25; C25 east to S56; S56 north to C23; C23 east to T47; T47 south to C33; C33 east to T64; T64 north to B60; B60 east to U.S. Route 218; U.S. Route 218 north to Chickasaw County; the western Chickasaw County line; and the western and northern Howard County lines.

Bounded on the East by the eastern Howard and Chickasaw County lines; the eastern and southern Bremer County lines; V49 south to State Route 297; State Route 297 south to D38; D38 west to State Route 21; State Route 21 south to State Route 8; State Route 8 west to U.S. Route 63; U.S. Route 63 south to Interstate 80; Interstate 80 east to the Poweshiek County line; the eastern Poweshiek, Mahaska, Monroe, and Appanoose County lines;

Bounded on the South by the southern Appanoose, Wayne, Decatur, Ringgold, and Taylor County lines;

Bounded on the West by the western Taylor County line; the southern Montgomery County line west to State Route 48; State Route 48 north to M47; M47 north to the Montgomery County line; the northern Montgomery County line; the western Cass and Audubon County lines; the northern Audubon County line east to U.S. Route 71; U.S. Route 71 north to U.S. Route 30.

The following grain elevators, located outside of the above contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area assignment: North Central Farm Service, Chapin, Franklin County; and Farmer's Coop Society, Rockwell, Cerro Gordo County (located inside D.R. Schaal Agency's area).

Central Iowa's assigned geographic area does not include the following grain elevators inside Central Iowa's area which have been and will continue to be serviced by the following official agencies:

1. A.V. Tischer and Son, Inc.: West Central Coop, Boxholm, Boone County; and

2. Omaha Grain Inspection Service, Inc.: Hancock Elevator, Elliot, Montgomery County; and Hancock Elevator (two elevators), Griswold, Cass County.

b. 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 this official agency.

c. 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.

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

e. Pursuant to section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic area, the entire State of Oregon, except those export port locations within the State which are serviced by GIPSA, is assigned to this official agency.

f. 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 Central Iowa, Georgia, Mid-Iowa, Montana, Oregon, 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, 2002, and ending June 30, 2005. Persons wishing to apply for designation should contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for forms and information.

3. Request for Comments. GIPSA also is publishing this notice to provide interested persons the opportunity to present comments on the Central Iowa, Georgia, Mid-Iowa, Montana, Oregon, and Schneider official agencies. Commenters are encouraged to submit pertinent data concerning these official agencies including information on the timeliness, cost, quality, 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.).

Dated: November 21, 2001.

David R. Shipman,

Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.