07-2719. Opportunity for Designation in the Columbus (OH), Farwell (TX), and Northeast Indiana (IN) Areas and Request for Comments on the Official Agencies Serving These Areas

AGENCY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end on December 31, 2007. We are asking persons interested in providing official services in the areas served by these agencies to submit an application for designation. We are also asking for comments on the quality of services provided by these currently designated agencies: Columbus Grain Inspection, Inc. (Columbus); Farwell Commodity and Grain Services, Inc. (Farwell); and Northeast Indiana Grain Inspection, Inc. (Northeast Indiana).

DATES:

Applications and comments must be received on or before July 2, 2007.

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 Karen Guagliardo, Review Branch Chief, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250.
• Fax: Send by facsimile transmission to [phone], attention: Karen Guagliardo.
• E-mail: Send via electronic mail to [e-mail].
• Mail: Send hardcopy to Karen Guagliardo, Review Branch Chief, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, STOP 3604, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

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:

Karen Guagliardo at 202-720-7312, e-mail [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 7(f)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (USGSA), 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 (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(1)).

Section 7(g)(1) of USGSA provides that designations of official agencies will terminate not later than three years and may be renewed according to the criteria and procedures prescribed in Section 7(f) of USGSA.

Current Designations Being Announced for Renewal

Official agency	Main office	Designation start	Designation end
Columbus	Circleville, OH	1/01/2005	12/31/2007
Farwell	Casa Grande, AZ	1/01/2005	12/31/2007
Northeast Indiana	Decatur, IN	1/01/2005	12/31/2007

Columbus

In accordance with Section 7(f)(2) of USGSA (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(2)) the following geographic area, in the States of Michigan and Ohio, is assigned to Columbus:

In Michigan:

• Bounded on the West by State Route 127 at the Michigan-Ohio State line north to State Route 50;
• Bounded on the north by State Route 50 at State Route 127 east to the Michigan State line; the Michigan state line south to the Michigan-Ohio State line.

In Ohio:

• The northern Ohio State line east to the to the Ohio Pennsylvania State line;
• Bounded on the East by the Ohio-Pennsylvania State line south to the Ohio River;
• Bounded on the South by the Ohio River south-southwest to the western Scioto County line; and
• Bounded on the West by the western Scioto County line north to State Route 73; State Route 73 northwest to U.S. Route 22; U.S. Route 22 west to U.S. Route 68; U.S. Route 68 north to Clark County; the northern Clark County line west to State Route 560; State Route 560 north to State Route 296; State Route 296 west to Interstate 75; Interstate 75 north to State Route 47; State Route 47 northeast to U.S. Route 68 (including all of Sidney, Ohio); U.S. Route 68 north to the southern Hancock County line; the southern Hancock County line west to the western Hancock, Wood and Lucus County lines north to the Michigan-Ohio State line; the Michigan-Ohio State line west to State Route 127.

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

Farwell

In accordance with Section 7(f)(2) of USGSA (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(2)), the following geographic area, in the States New Mexico and Texas, is assigned to Farwell:

In New Mexico:

• Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, DeBaca, Eddy, Guadalupe, Lea, Quay, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance, and Union Counties, New Mexico.

In Texas:

• Bailey, Cochran, Deaf Smith (west of State Route 214), Hockley, Lamb (south of a line bounded by U.S. Route 70, FM 303, U.S. Route 84, and FM 37), and Parmer Counties, Texas.

Northeast Indiana

In accordance with Section 7(f)(2) of USGSA (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(2)), the following geographic area, in the State of Indiana, is assigned to Northeast Indiana:

• Bounded on the North by the northern Lagrange and Steuben County lines;
• Bounded on the East by the eastern Steuben, De Kalb, Allen, and Adams County lines;
• Bounded on the South by the southern Adams and Wells County lines; and
• Bounded on the West by the western Wells County line; the southern Huntington and Wabash County lines; the western Wabash County line north to State Route 114; State Route 114 northwest to State Route 19; State Route 19 north to Kosciusko County; the western and northern Kosciusko County lines; the western Noble and Lagrange County lines.

The following grain elevator, located outside of the above contiguous geographic area, is part of this geographic area assignment: E.M.P. Coop, Payne, Paulding County, Ohio (located inside Michigan Grain Inspection Services, Inc.'s, area).

Opportunity for designation

Interested persons, including Columbus, Farwell and Northeast Indiana, may apply for designation to provide official services in the geographic areas specified above under the provisions of section 7(f) of USGSA (7 U.S.C. 79(f)(2)), and 9 CFR 800.196(d) regulations. Designation in the specified geographic areas is for the period beginning January 1, 2008, and ending December 31, 2010. To apply for designation, contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for forms and information, or obtain applications at the GIPSA Web site, http://www.gipsa.usda.gov.

Request for Comments

We are also publishing this notice to provide interested persons the opportunity to present comments on the quality of services provided by the Columbus, Farwell and Northeast Indiana official agencies. In the designation process, we will consider substantive comments citing reasons and pertinent data for support or objection to the designation of the applicants. Submit all comments to the Compliance Division at the above address.

In determining which applicant will be designated, we will consider applications, comments, and other available information.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.

James E. Link,

Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.