Request for Comments on the Need for Official Services and Request for Applications for Designation to Provide Official Services in the Lubbock, Texas (TX) Region

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

Request for Comments on the Need for Official Services and

Request for Applications for Designation to Provide Official Services

in the Lubbock, Texas (TX) Region

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

(GIPSA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Amarillo Grain Exchange, Inc. (Amarillo), has asked GIPSA to

amend their designation to remove the Lubbock region from their

assigned geographic area. GIPSA is asking for comments on the need for

official services in the Lubbock region. GIPSA also is asking persons

interested in providing official services in the Lubbock region to

submit an application for designation.

DATE: Applications and comments must be postmarked or sent by

telecopier (FAX) on or before April 10, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Applications and comments must be submitted to Janet M.

Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647

South Building, P.O. Box 96454, Washington, DC 20090-6454. Telecopier

(FAX) users may send applications or comments to the automatic

telecopier machine at 202-690-2755, attention: Janet M. Hart. If an

application is submitted by telecopier, GIPSA reserves the right to

request an original application. All applications and comments will be

made available for public inspection at this address located at 1400

Independence Avenue, SW., during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart, telephone 202-720-8525.

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.

Amarillo has asked GIPSA to remove the Lubbock region from their

assigned geographic area. The Lubbock region consists of: Andrews,

Borden, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, El Paso, Gaines, Garza,

Hockley, Howard, Kent, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mitchell, Scurry, Terry,

and Yoakum Counties, Texas, and the parts of Hale and Lamb Counties,

Texas, assigned to Amarillo.

Section 7(f)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act, as

amended (Act), authorizes GIPSA's Administrator, after determining that

there is sufficient need for official services, to designate a

qualified applicant to provide official services in a specified area

after determining that the applicant is qualified and is better able

than any other applicant to provide such official services. GIPSA is

asking for comments on the need for official services in the Lubbock

region (including volume estimates by carrier, type of service, and

kind of grain). GIPSA also is asking persons interested in providing

official services in the Lubbock region to submit an application for

designation. The applicant selected for designation in the Lubbock

region will be assigned by GIPSA's Administrator according to section

7(f)(1) of the Act.

Interested persons are hereby given an opportunity to submit

comments on the need for official services in the Lubbock region, and

to apply for designation to provide official services in the Lubbock

region under the provisions of Section 7(f) of the Act and section

800.196(d) of the regulations issued thereunder. Applications and other

available information will be considered in determining which applicant

will be designated.

Designation in the Lubbock region is for the period beginning about

August 1, 1996, and not to exceed 3 years as prescribed in section

7(g)(1) of the Act. Persons wishing to apply for designation should

contact the Compliance Division at the address listed above for forms

and information.

Applications 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: March 7, 1996.

Neil E. Porter,

Director, Compliance Division.

[FR Doc. 96-5934 Filed 3-12-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-EN-F