03-6912. Opportunity To Comment on the Applicant for the Mississippi Area

AGENCY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

GIPSA requests comments on the applicant for designation to provide official services in the Mississippi geographic area.

DATES:

Comments must be postmarked or electronically dated on or before April 23, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Comments must be submitted in writing to USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604, room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604; FAX [phone]; e-mail [e-mail]. All comments received will be made available for public inspection at the above address located at 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.

In the January 29, 2003, Federal Register (68 FR 4445), GIPSA announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is voluntarily ceasing their official inspection operations effective June 30, 2003, and asked persons interested in providing official services in the Mississippi area to submit an application for designation by February 28, 2003. There was one applicant. Memphis Grain Inspection Service (Memphis), a designated official agency, main office located in Memphis, Tennessee, applied for the entire area specified in the January 29, 2003, Federal Register.

GIPSA is publishing this notice to provide interested persons the opportunity to present comments concerning the applicant. Commenters are encouraged to submit reasons and pertinent data for support or objection to the designation of the applicant. All comments must be submitted to the Compliance Division at the above addresses. Comments and other available information will be considered in making a final decision. GIPSA will publish notice of the final decision in the Federal Register, and GIPSA will send the applicant written notification of the decision.

Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).

Dated: March 19, 2003.

Donna Reifschneider,

Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.